Carl J. Petersen
Bio
Carl Petersen is a former Green Party candidate for the LAUSD School Board and a longtime advocate for public education and special needs families. Now based in Washington State, he writes about politics, culture, and their intersections.
Stories (320)
Filter by community
Creating Gray: The Newspeak Era
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." — The Ten Commandments This is the fourth entry in the Gray trilogy. In this installment, I examine how lies and distractions blur the lines between black and white. Few recent moments illustrate this better than the government’s response to the killing of Alex Pretti.
By Carl J. Petersen9 days ago in The Swamp
LAUSD Candidate Joseph Quintana: Answers in Full
“I want to ensure that voices from every part of our community are heard and respected." — Joseph Quintana In the recently concluded filing period for the LAUSD School Board primary in June, Joseph Quintana was one of the entrants whose candidacy had not been previously announced. Quintana, who describes himself as “a Native American community advocate, nonprofit leader, and education and workforce development collaborator,” is running in Board District 2 against incumbent Rocío Rivas and Raquel Zamora.
By Carl J. Petersen14 days ago in Education
The World Loses a Different Drummer: Remembering Rob Hirst
My life has been absolutely better than anything anyone could ever ask for, and so, if my life is attenuated by this tiny little tumour that threatens to do me in, then I will still consider myself incredibly fortunate. – Rob Hirst
By Carl J. Petersen23 days ago in Beat
The 2026 LAUSD Election Is Shockingly Uncontested — and That Should Worry Parents
“The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.” — Diogenes The 2026 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board elections are shaping up to be one of the most consequential — and least competitive — school board races in recent memory. With labor unrest rising, enrollment falling, and school closures looming, voters might expect a crowded field of challengers. Instead, they are getting the opposite: quiet races, thin opposition, and decisions that could reshape public education in Los Angeles for years to come.
By Carl J. Petersen26 days ago in The Swamp
More Shades of Gray: What Are We Really Doing in Venezuela?
“We will, in fact, be greeted as liberators” – Dick Cheney We cannot even agree on what to call the military’s forced extraction of Nicolás Maduro, the man acting as Venezuela’s leader. Was it an act of war—or a law-enforcement action carried out abroad?
By Carl J. Petersenabout a month ago in The Swamp
The Beauty of Gray: When Tragedy Becomes a Talking Point
“This is not a black and white world To be alive I say the colours must swirl” – Live, “The Beauty of Gray” Within an America divided between blue and red, there is no gray. Everything is black and white, as perceived realities are colored by how we need the world to look. Lost is the ability to see nuance, especially when it makes us question the correctness of “our side.”
By Carl J. Petersenabout a month ago in The Swamp
