Dear Friends,
(01:15) The history of Juneteenth, with Phil Little;
(19:52) “The other side” Part 1, with Pat Bertroche (we discuss Ukraine, AI);
(38:36) “The other side” Part 2, with Pat Bertroche (we discuss plastics, the election).
I’ve heard it before and I’ll probably hear it again today: “Ed, why are you giving these right-wingers air time? Their crazy views get enough coverage already.”
Pat Bertroche
I invite Republicans on my show because dialogue is important. Critical, in fact, if we are to find a way out of the divisions rending our country.
Some may recall that, in 2021, I interviewed 13 Iowans who voted for Donald Trump. The most important truth to come out of those conversations is that all of us, regardless of political affiliation, share a lot more in common than we have differences.
For sure, there are crazies in the Republican Party. In fact, the loudest voices on the right tend to be the craziest. Unfortunately, they have some pretty powerful microphones at their disposal.
One Republican I’ve had on my program is Pat Bertroche (April 2, 2021). Pat and I may disagree on some (but not all) issues, but he’s not crazy. In fact, especially on Ukraine (check out our conversation at the 20-minute mark) Pat’s quite well-informed.
America is a hot mess right now. Lots of things need to change. One thing we can each do is not demonize those who are “different.” I accept that challenge as well, since I sometimes bad mouth those I disagree with, where simply pointing out the difference would suffice.
For the Left, it means ending hurtful generalizations about Republicans, rural people, “red state” residents, and NASCAR fans, to name a few.
For the Right, stop picking on immigrants, LGBTQ people, city dwellers, and college professors, to name a few.
I hope you’ll listen to this week’s program, either the podcast or the radio show which airs on a handful of community-owned stations. I’d be interested in your feedback on a few things:
(1) On which points do you agree with Pat?
(2) What are your strongest points of disagreement with him?
(3) What questions or comments should I have raised to assure a deeper conversation?
Thanks for reading, listening, and doing your part for a better world.
Ed Fallon
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Ed Fallon