All posts by Roger Straw

Editor, owner, publisher of The Benicia Independent
Benicia CA, Democracy under attack, Donald Trump, Local vigilance

Stephen Golub: Humble and Kind

A reminder of the gentler sides of this country and our shared humanity.

A Promised Land, by Stephen Golub, February 24, 2026

One of my favorite songs is “Humble and Kind,” popularized by country star Tim McGraw and composed by Lori McKenna (who herself performs a great version). I’ve been thinking longfully about it lately because the tenor of our times cuts so deeply against the song’s spirit.

The song is of course best appreciated if you actually listen to it; even better, I urge you to view the McGraw version’s surprising official video (which, with all due respect to country music’s great variety, isn’t typical of that genre). But I’ll try to get by in simply describing and quoting the composition…

Hold the door, say please, say thank you
Don’t steal, don’t cheat, and don’t lie
I know you got mountains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind

Even if you’re a fan of the guy currently occupying the White House, can you imagine him uttering anything at all like those lyrics?

On the national level, we’ve strayed so far away from such sentiments in this contentious and even cruel age, what with a president who promises his supporters that “I am your retribution” and who broadcasts so many other hateful messages.

“Humble and Kind” is not about America, per se. But it’s still a reminder of the gentler sides of this country and our shared humanity. Though I’m not religious and my grandparents are long gone, I still find its homespun opening comforting:

You know there’s a light that glows by the front door
Don’t forget the key’s under the mat
When childhood stars shine
Always stay humble and kind
Go to church ’cause your momma says to
Visit grandpa every chance that you can
It won’t be wasted time
Always stay humble and kind

This is not to dismiss taking pride in who we are; pride and humility are not mutually exclusive.

Nor am I asserting we shouldn’t be angry, even furious, about what each day’s headlines bring; we can in fact channel our anger into productive action.

And I’m certainly not claiming that humility, kindness, courtesy and compassion are always my own daily calling cards.

I’m instead saying that in these times we stay sane and positive partly by cherishing these kinds of qualities. They’re of course valuable all the time. But they become even more so when our national leadership is so coarse and corrupt.

One of the things I love about Benicia is that we see such virtues on display every day, from our daily interactions to the way our city’s leadership conducts itself.

Yes, there are some intense differences of opinion, some clashes among the diverse personalities that constitute our community. “Kumbaya” is not the civic anthem. Sadly, this town has not been without its displays of hate.

But all in all, Benicia is a pretty polite, warm, welcoming and civil place to be. There’s a humility and kindness to it.

Which brings me back to “Humble and Kind.” In some ways, its message is as simple as a parent’s advice to their kids. It’s about how to live life.

It’s also about humanity. Check out that McGraw video to get a full sense of that.

Its closing lines additionally speak to displaying a generosity of spirit toward people in general and especially the less fortunate.

Finally, when I hear those final lines, they also bring to mind whether and how we welcome America’s immigrants, who – like all of our families if we go back far enough – made their ways here from somewhere else:

Don’t take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where you’re going don’t forget to turn back around
And help the next one in line
Always stay humble and kind

Benicia resident and author Stephen Golub, A Promised Land

Stephen Golub writes about democracy and politics, both in America and abroad, at A Promised Land: America as a Developing Country.

…and… here’s more Golub on the Benicia Independent

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Benicia High School, Democracy under attack, Donald Trump, Justice Peace & Freedom, Local vigilance

Stephen Golub: Here’s to the future and to the Benicia High students who embody it

Crowd of 400 Benicia HS students protest ICE at City Park

By Stephen Golub, February 8, 2026

This past Wednesday, February 4, 400 Benicia High students walked out of class to protest the Trump Administration’s immigration policies and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency enforcing those edicts.

At a time when hope and inspiration get crushed on a daily basis, these teenagers brought plenty of both to their demonstration at City Park.

Over the years, I’ve taught and worked with many hundreds of fine college, law and graduate students from across the country and the globe. I’ve never been so proud of any as I am of the kids in my hometown. It’s just one demonstration. But  it demonstrates that these students care deeply about the immigrants in their midst and those around the country.

This admittedly out-of-touch old fogey previously hadn’t had a clue regarding what the students were thinking about Trump’s immigration crackdown crisis. Frankly, with the exception of a couple of great kids on my block, my previous awareness of them flowed partly from the “La Migra” (slang for ICE) game played by some Benicia High students until very recent years. That exercise involved older students chasing younger ones around town and “capturing” them in imitation of immigration raids. I knew that most of the kids weren’t racist, but the game certainly was.

I now have a clearer, promising sense of where many of them stand. And it’s not just for the future, as vital as that is. They stand with the better angels in America’s past: the central, essential fact that America is a nation of immigrants, built by immigrants.

More than anything, immigration is what distinguishes this country from all others. If Trump had been in power when our parents, grandparents and ancestors came here, they likely would not have made it and we wouldn’t be here today.

Yes, there have been prior periods in our history when we’ve locked immigrants out and locked them up. Yes, we can’t afford to simply open our borders to everyone; our jobs, housing and social fabric can get seriously strained by an endless flood of foreigners. No, I’m by no means defending the flaws in Biden’s approach.

But there are practical, humane ways to handle this, and there’s Trump’s way: It bizarrely features falsely accusing Haitians of stealing and eating people’s pets – during a nationally televised presidential debate, no less – and more broadly portrays immigrants as massively fueling violent crime here.

In reality for at least 150 years, immigrants have committed crime at lower rates than people born here. Undocumented immigrants have lower felony arrest rates than legal ones or native-born Americans. Only five percent of people detained by ICE have violent criminal convictions; 73 percent have no convictions (not even traffic violations) at all.

Sadly, though, Trump’s violent anti-immigrant stances reflect broader agendas aimed at building up a domestic paramilitary force and attacking minorities. White nationalist, pro-Nazi and antisemitic messaging is emanating from various branches of the Administration, not least the White House, partly to appeal to disgruntled young men who are potential ICE agents. Trump himself recently posted a blatantly racist video depicting the Obamas as apes; it’s now been deleted after an outcry that the White House initially resisted.

But back to the positive, for other valuable lessons flow from the City Park demonstration. As reported in an excellent Vallejo Sun article, a Benicia High junior’s Instagram post prompted the event; classmates helped spread the word.

In a related vein, we should recall that another local hero, Sheri Leigh, played an instrumental  role in illuminating and halting the racist La Migra game. And of course, Minneapolis community resistance to brutal ICE raids has been facilitated by online communications.

One point, then, is that individuals and small groups can still make a big difference in Benicia and America, by taking steps to battle the nation’s worst impulses and to bring out the best in us. Another is that as much as social media can be a cesspool, it also can serve productive purposes.

We similarly  saw the positive power of social media, individuals’ initiatives and collective action on display last Sunday, when a couple of Benicians organized a post-Minneapolis Walk for Peace and Unity down First Street. People quietly came together to share the life-affirming features of our community and our country.

So, thanks to Benicia High students, our local heroes, for educating this uneducated fellow Benician about where you stand and for reminding our city about what’s at stake. There are still dark days ahead. But with people like you lighting the way, I’m looking toward the future with hope.

Benicia resident and author Stephen Golub, A Promised Land

[sta_anchor id=”below” /]Stephen Golub writes about democracy and politics, both in America and abroad, at A Promised Land: America as a Developing Country.

…and… here’s more Golub on the Benicia Independent

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Benicia Schools, Community service, Sheri Leigh

Inclusivity Includes Everyone – A Benicia Story of Endeavor

Presenting the Tyler Street Collective!

Tyler Street Collective – Quinn Bert, Elia Zuniga, Joe Farrell, and Oliver Vazquez

By Sheri Leigh, January 30, 2026

“No one chooses which life they are born into, and that’s the commonality of the human experience.”
Thomas Farrell

I want to share with you the dream of a local teacher of special education and eleven year Benicia resident, Joe Farrell.  He and several of his former students are working hard to help make Benicia a place where everyone with the desire to build community is encouraged, supported and successful.  As a teacher in special education, his students are neurologically atypical.  Some are developmentally delayed through Down’s Syndrome, others are on the spectrum, and some live with a debilitating disease, such as cerebral palsy.  Together, they are putting together a food service business that combines nutrition, creativity, entertainment, industry, and a welcome mat for everyone who wants to take part.  Presenting the Tyler Street Collective!

As Joe laid out his plans for this restaurant with me, I found his enthusiasm to be contagious.  It became clear to me that Joe’s endeavor was more than an idea, it was a calling.  And he is supported by his family.  His wife Natalie works in behavioral science, and shares his passion for encouraging those who are non-neuro typical to be a contributing part of the community.  The couple have two daughters, both of whom show compassion and concern for those with special needs.  The elder, now in middle school, is a peer leader.  

I also learned that Joe comes from a family of advocates for people with special needs.  His grandfather, Thomas Farrell, was an early modern advocate for people with disabilities and is quoted in the article opening.  After having cared for and eventually having to institutionalize his own daughter (Joe’s aunt), a woman with severe autism, Joe’s grandfather went on to fight for the rights and dignity of the handicapped.  He worked at the State and National levels under the Reagan administration, helping designate National Barrier Awareness Day, an important precursor to the American Disabilities Act.   

Tyler Street Collective – Quinn Berg, Chef Matt Beard, and Elias Zuniga

Joe is able to develop his plan because of his family and work experience, a creative mind, an enthusiastic attitude and a flexible work schedule.  After several years of working as a special education teacher in the Benicia Unified School District, Joe shifted to working with the North Bay Regional Center as an Independent Living Specialist and Supported Employment Program Provider for young adults with disabilities.  Last summer, Joe came up with an exciting idea and reached out to one of his recently graduated students, 19-year old Quinn.  Quinn was completely on board with Joe’s idea, and came up with the “The Tyler Street Collective” business title, named after the Benicia street where he lives and as a nod to his supportive family.  

The Applesauce! (See below for how to buy your jar!)

They began their endeavor with applesauce.  Joe got in contact with Kozlowski Farms in Sebastopol, where his father used to pick apples as a teenager.   Joe’s grandmother, Evelyn, prepared a decadent Gravenstein applesauce from these same apples.   Joe, Quinn, and a few other of Joe’s former students picked, and peeled, cored, crushed, and boiled the apples, and then, using Evelyn’s recipe, made over 600 hand labelled jars of organic applesauce.  They did this with help and support from a friend and colleague of Joe’s, Chef Matt Beard of Enchanted Hill Camp for the Blind in Napa, and through Joe’s supported employment services program. The young applesauce makers obtained their Food Safety Certifications and were able to use the industrial kitchen at Enchanted Hill Camp.  

The applesauce has been a hit!  It was promoted and sold at holiday events at Drift, where the owners have championed an inclusive work setting.  Additionally, Quinn and the other young talents sold many jars through Pacific Markets in Sebastopol, where the Gravensteins are grown – a true testament to the quality of the applesauce.  And this is only the beginning.  Joe and his young partners are in the process of obtaining their legal non-profit status and are looking for a permanent restaurant site in Benicia, which they hope to have up and running by 2027.  The restaurant will not only feature the applesauce, but also will be a space where customers can relax, order good, healthy, and locally grown food, listen to live music, and be served and entertained by this exceptional group of young people. 

Joe recognizes that his life has been gifted, and that he has had every opportunity to thrive.  Now he feels it is time to offer the same empowering opportunity to those who live with disabilities and have historically been shut down, rather than elevated.  Benicia is home to an abundant population of people who live their lives with physical and cognitive challenges.  Let’s support Joe and his team and help him build this inclusive endeavor that will benefit these young people and their special talents AND the community.  

[sta_anchor id=”below” /]You can buy a jar of the applesauce – March 28!

>>Applesauce tastings and jars for sale will be available at Fiestas Primavera this year on Saturday, March 28th at the Benicia Main Street (Gazebo) Park on the corner of 1st and Military between noon and 5pm.

And if you have ideas for the Tyler Street Collective gang or want to help financially or logistically, you are invited to reach out to Joe tylerstreetcollective@gmail.com.

Democracy under attack, Donald Trump, Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE)

BREAKING! Hundreds of Benicia High Schoolers protesting ICE at Gazebo Park!

I happened to drive by around 2:40 this afternoon and witnessed hundreds of Benicia HS students lifting signs and noisily protesting the Trump immigration poilicies and actions of ICE. I honked, waved a peace sign and took a quick photo…

Benicia HS students protesting ICE, 2026-02-04
  1. The country is massing! It’s not just us old-timers! Go young ‘uns!

Roger Straw
The Benicia Independent