Dear Friends,
LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S PROGRAM:
(00:52) Meet Gary, my #1 detractor;
(19:22) The insanity of “winning” a nuclear war, with Brian Terrell;
(37:35) An interview with Dave Gardner, candidate for president;
(53:03) Do we need an “addictive substance” food label?, with Kathy Byrnes.
[Thanks to The Des Moines Register for running my opinion piece: Vote no on airport expansion bonding. Please share it with others, as the press coverage on this important vote is ranging from very little to badly lopsided.]
Most of the feedback I receive about my radio show, podcast, and blog is positive. There’s a fair amount of criticism, too, and much of that is solid. Sometimes, it causes me to rethink my position.
Then there’s Gary. He’s my most reliable detractor. I discuss my correspondence with him on this week’s program . Here’s a sampling of our back-and-forth:
CO 2 PIPELINES
Gary: The Democrat Party is the driver behind building CO2 pipelines.
Me: It’s crystal clear to all involved that Republican mega-donor Bruce Rastetter is the leading force behind the Summit pipeline. Of course, President Biden signed the legislation that expands the tax credits for CO2 pipelines. So there’s bipartisan culpability.
Gary: Anyone can receive a fair accommodation for pipelines crossing their property … contrary to all the LIES Democrats are telling.
Me: So you’re ok with Big Government allowing a Big Corporation to forcibly take someone’s land through eminent domain as long as they receive what you determine to be “fair accommodation”?
CLIMATE CHANGE
Gary: Science is NOT on your side. When you take a look at full history of climate events your whole narrative falls to pieces.
Me: I don’t even know how to respond to statements of climate denial any more. The ten hottest years on record have all been since 2010, with 2023 on track to be the hottest yet. Nearly all climate scientists agree that the frightening changes we’re seeing are caused by human activity, specifically the burning of fossil fuels. How is science (and evidence) NOT on my side, Gary?
BOOK BANS
Gary: Let’s be clear on BOOKS. You are a liar ED. There is no effort going on to ban books. You cannot provide a single example.
Me: Hmm, how about the 374 books just one Iowa school district, Urbandale, removed from its libraries in response to legislation Republicans passed this year?
Gary: Books that are “age inappropriate” are being segregated from age appropriate material NOT banned.
Me: Who gets to determine “age inappropriate”? I guess it’s Republican lawmakers, not parents, not locally elected school board directors, not teachers and principals. So much for Republicans’ claim of supporting parental rights and local control.
Gary: Your attack on our (emphasis mine) culture is offensive and disgusting but your behavior is even worse for telling LIES with a straight face.
Me: Gary, how do you know whether I’m doing my radio broadcast with a straight face or a deeply contorted one? Seriously though, what do you mean by “our” culture? Do LGBTQ and non-White people have a place in “our” culture?
EDUCATION
Gary: Your comments about schools and teaching are lies, exaggerations and distortions. People expect the real history of slavery and racism to be taught. The Democrat version includes teaching Black children they are born victims and white children are born oppressors. Anyone who thinks thats appropriate is an idiot. Take your progressive crap somewhere else.
Me: I’d love to hear more about what you think is “the real history of slavery and racism.” To say that there is a “Democrat” version, and that that boils down to “Black kids victims, White kids oppressors,” is inconsistent with everything I’ve seen and heard about classroom instruction relevant to slavery and racism.
JANUARY 6 US CAPITOL RIOT (from an exchange two years ago)
Gary: You know Ed it reflects poorly on you that you ignore facts. The only people who died on Jan 6th were unarmed people killed by the Capital Police.
Me: And five officers, four who committed suicide after being wounded or traumatized.
Gary: Not one person has been charged with insurrection or gun violence on Jan 6th.
Me: Oops, sorry, very wrong. As of last month, 378 people have so far been sentenced to jail time for their roles in the January 6 Capitol riots.
Gary: Video footage shows the Capital Police inviting people into the Capital.
Me: I did a little digging. It didn’t take much to learn that a misleading video was posted on TikTok with the caption, “A Police Officer WAVED THEM ALL IN!!” That video was viewed millions of times. It was eventually fact-checked by Snopes, which concluded that the officer was waving at his fellow officers to fall back because of the surge of the crowd.
Gary: for months in 2020 Antifa and leftist Democrats killed tens of people and destroyed billions in property, in mostly Black neighborhoods.
Me: I’m not sure how many is “tens of people.” Thirty? Forty? I did a little digging and found a false claim alleging that “[BLM] injures 1000 police officers kills 36 people and does $8 billion in damage.” Now, it’s absolutely true that lives were lost and property damage done during the protests following the death of George Floyd. But there’s no evidence to back up these specific numbers. In fact, the actual number of dead attributed to Antifa is 1. The number of dead attributed to white supremacists and right-wing extremists is 329 (from a study by Seth Jones with the Center for Strategic and International Studies).
I’ll wrap this up in anticipation of your question, “Ed, why not invite Gary on your program?” I did. Twice. No response.
Thanks for reading, listening, and taking action!
*******
In addition to our PODCAST, listen to the Fallon Forum on these affiliates:
– KHOI 89.1 FM (Ames, Iowa)
– KICI.LP 105.3 FM (Iowa City, Iowa)
– WHIV 102.3 FM (New Orleans, Louisiana)
– KPIP-LP, 94.7 FM (Fayette, Missouri)
– KCEI 90.1 FM (Taos, New Mexico)
– KRFP 90.3 FM (Moscow, Idaho)
– WGRN 94.1 FM (Columbus, Ohio)
– KKFI 90.1 FM (Kansas City, Missouri)
Please support the local businesses and non-profits who make this program possible. Click on their logos on the Fallon Forum website and in our weekly email, and visit Bold Iowa, and Birds & Bees Urban Farm. Thanks to Des Moines Irish Session for providing our bumper music, and thank you for supporting the civil alternative to the shock jocks!
Ed Fallon