The Powell House Press

The Powell House Press

My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of bigotry, of thee I sing: Land where the faggots died, land of the white man’s pride, from every mountainside let ONLY MY freedom ring!

Welcome to Dusty's America

Joshua Powell's avatar
Joshua Powell
May 07, 2025
∙ Paid
1
2
Share

I liked it better when they arrived on horseback with their face covered in white sheets and holding torches. In much the same way I like doctors and nurses to wear white lab coats. For me it is all about knowing who’s who in the zoo, as they say.

You don't want to run up to a patient's husband for help in the ER when you got your foot caught in the woodchipper – the white coat tells you "hey, I'm a medical professional." It's helpful.

In the same way, wearing a white sheet with the point neatly and proudly pointing up at Jesus with the holy glow of a torch tells you – "I'm a bigot and I'll lynch your black ass" or "I'll tie you to a fence, faggot," in, let's say, Laramie, Wyoming. Let me put it this way – it's a leg up for some of us in the "I want to live club."

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Powell House Press to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Joshua Powell
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture