Momma Takes the Stick
Plus the (bi) Weekly Wrap
Under direct orders from
and me, is not writing this newsletter.Go to the gym or something, son.
Hello,
,I’m Dr. Katherine Selber, a full professor of Social Work at Texas State University, where I focus on veterans issues. I’m also the Senior Editor at
.I’m also Will’s Momma. Lord, help me. This ain’t an easy assignment. As I often say about my son, “He needs a big fence.”
He created this image, not me, for the record.
I’ve been supporting veterans for over twenty years. I’ve been to court with them, testified and advocated for them, picked them up from jail and the state mental hospital, and talked many off the ledge. Men and women like my son,
, and all the other wonderful people at , are why I’m a relentless advocate for veterans. They’re working to uphold my son and his friends’ promise to the Afghan people.Afghanistan hurt me, too. When it fell, my heart sank, and I became worried for my veterans and also furious. How could the Biden administration allow this to happen? Why are my son and his friends conducting operations on behalf of the United States government? Why? Why aren’t they helping my son’s friends?
It’s infuriating. And I’m not the only one. There are tens of thousands of angry military families who are understandably enraged about Afghanistan. I’m one of them.
Not only that, but it deeply hurt my son. He’s my #1 priority in this life, and like
, I’m fierce in advocacy for him and my son’s friends. I’m honored to take on this position and write for my son’s excellent publication.Please consider supporting them. They’re working around the clock to get their friends to safety. Who knew at my age that I would get to live a life adjacent “to a life in the shadows?” Ha!
I’ve learned so much in these past six weeks living with my son again! After 20+ years away, I finally get to see him every day. I know thousands of Gold Star Moms are not that lucky. Thus, I’m dedicated to honoring their children’s stories, raw and unplugged.
With a paid subscription, you can access the Terrorism Chronicles, which features some of my son’s friends. More importantly, you’re helping pay four Afghan refugees. An Afghan refugee edits Stories From My Brothers and Voices of the Resistance. They publish multiple newsletters from young Afghan girls. By subscribing, you’re helping a cause to honor their stories.
And their stories matter.
If you want to warm this Mom’s heart, please consider becoming a Founding Member. That money goes directly to helping our Afghan allies trapped behind enemy lines.
If I’ve learned one thing these last eight weeks, it’s this: my son’s friends are impressive. But they need your support to honor their promise to their Afghan brothers and sisters.
And for those who can only read this publication, please consider sharing it widely!
Love,
Dr. S
Podcasts
My son, sat down with one of his intellectual heroes. Sorry. It won’t be out until January, but he was very excited about it!
“I did a podcast with Bill Kristol!”
It’s good to see him happy like that.
Will, also known as GCV, sat down with his good friends, Jason Howk and LTG Alizai, whom I met at Will’s retirement ceremony (that was a flex,
).
Free Articles
Okay, I’m going to list them below. I'm sorry, but I’m not as witty as my son (yes, I know he gets annoying sometimes).
For Subscribers
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Our Friends
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A Short Note From GCV
We’re very busy conducting an op, so next week, you probably won’t get much. We’re also going to stop emailing everything we publish and just post it on the website. We’ve had a few “unsubscribes,” and I fear we’re overwhelming your inbox. So, we will try it out and see how it goes.
It works for The Bulwark. Unfortunately,
Swift doesn’t produce daily wraps for us! Sniff! So, you’ll get all of our products delivered weekly on Friday.It’s an experiment. If you don’t like it or have other ideas, please speak up!
 | A guest post by
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Katherine, mother of GCV, you have my eternal thanks and condolences. I'm just glad God did not pick me for this assignment!
I'm glad Will has the strong support of his family right now, especially his mom. In this I feel a kinship with you as my son and his wife have dealt with issues of their own. And like you I'm grateful they relocated to his home city a year ago.
I know a mother's love and support can't heal all wounds. I like to think it helps our grown kids grow through their pain, though.
Best of luck to you and Will. We may not always agree politically but I strongly support the work you're doing.