How does everyone feel about last night’s conversations at the Operation Hope Town Hall Meeting? I feel much better, and I am glad Cenk openly listened, allowing us to discuss our thoughts and feelings honestly. I have to say that both Cenk and Ana have offered me space to discuss differences and concerns, and not everyone is willing to do that.
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@cenkuygur I honestly believe the rift between you and Francesca (and others) could be put to rest in an unrecorded face-to-face or Zoom meeting (probably best to have an impartial third party who’s not too close to either of you 
) that grew into further (unrecorded) conversations to regain trust and respect. I don’t think either of you are bad people or ever mean to hurt others; we’re all just fucking humans and say and do stupid shit. I have the utmost respect for both of you, and I fully believe neither of you would be so upset if you didn’t care about one another. We need unity right now, and, most importantly, it’s not worth losing people who care about you. Ever! Especially over minimal differences (and they really are) in politics and otherwise. (I have two MAGA brothers who can piss me off to no end, and we would do absolutely anything for each other.) Would you please be willing to talk with Francesca? My doctors told me that I could have died at least six times this year (and that’s just this year), so trust me when I say you never know what might happen. Please say you’ll consider apologizing (if you can’t think of anything to apologize for, I can help you out 
), accepting her apology, and making an honest effort to make this good again. Your relationship has an excellent chance of coming out of this even better than before. Plus, I really think it would do a lot to help heal my heart, and I know you want my heart to heal! 
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Andrea , I agree and was happy to tell him that. He gives us the opportunity to ’ sound off ’ . Where else can we as progressives do that. I know that you, Nick and Tony had honest misgivings and I think that ’ we , in the family ’ gave him pause to think through and sharpen his message. So, I think this is a good thing. I hope you are resting and getting better. Jack
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Thank you, Jack! I hope you are well. 
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I appreciated it. I was impressed by cenk’s willingness to talk about the different issues we had with his messaging without getting defensive. i didn’t think all the answers given were perfect especially the one on francesca’s educating each other comment but i was kind of amazed by how willing to talk things out he was. Like @jackc380 said it seems to have sharpened his message and i thought when he talked about it on the show friday he seemed much more clear and less divisive in his messaging. i wanted to rewatch the meeting but was unable to find it so if anyone finds it please let me know. overall I am incredibly appreciative of him taking the time to respond to many of the questions i had and very impressed. its hard to imagine other people in his position being as receptive to questioning and constructive criticism
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Regrettably, I did not attend the meeting in question. I am, however, familiar with what has transpired between Cenk and Frannie. I do know I’ve never had a job, where I would have survived, very publicly, calling my boss a “little Nazi sympathizing, bitch”. Then proceed to make a case for why I think he’s a “Nazi sympathizing bitch”. That aside, I do realize this situation is a little different, but it is the Big Dogs network. I dont blame him one bit. For the record I enjoy Frannie, myself. She’s fun, and I hope they work it out. As for the idea of it being such a public affair? Well, let’s be honest, they are in a form of show business. Cenk, in my opinion, played it right. Besides, I appreciate the transparency myself. As a bonus, I probably would have never known she called him that (not gonna lie, it was kinda funny to watch), had he not brought it up on his show. I am a huge fan of Cenk, but that was a little humorous. Mainly cuz its absurd and she sounds kinda medicated. Anyway, that’s my two cents. Thanks!!
@tonymac52 im just watching the meeting now and your first statement to Cenk is beautifully said. If i could add an example on the “being racist without knowing it” thing, its such a common saying when you get conned or something to say youve been “gypped” like being robbed by a gypsie. Everyone i inform now adays is shocked about the roots of the saying as i was when i first heard it (being a derogatory stereotype against jews) and now never say it anymore. Sometimes its about educating people about their mistakes. Thanks.
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Thank you, my brother. Yeah, I enjoy having those types of conversations. I grew up during the sixties, which gives me incentives to protect the progress that was made in regard to civil rights during that period. I have been having those conversations since I was 16. One thing I have come to understand is how important it is not to drive people away with my messaging.
When calling out racist behavior, I used to make the mistake of referring to the person as a “racist.” About 35 years ago, I heard someone on TV say, “Some people see a guy having a beer and call him an alcoholic.” A lightbulb went off in my head, and I realized that I was doing exactly that.
An alcoholic is someone who whose addiction to alcohol takes center stage in their life. A racist is someone for whom racism takes that central role. There is a continuum, of course, and people like Trump are on the extreme end of that continuum. If I lump everyone into his category, I am being unfair. If I’m being unfair, why would anyone listen to me?
I never heard that about the term “gypped.” I thought it was derogatory towards actual Gypsies. And when I learned that Hitler gassed Gypsies alongside Jews, I said “That tracks.” But I can see how people could apply it to either. Sadly, in the area where I grew up, the insult was even more direct. People would literally say “He wanted to charge more, but I Jewed him down.”
As a kid, that really bothered me, especially since I grew up in an area with a large Jewish population. It was even more distressing to hear other Black people say it, since I was learning about the pivotal role American Jews played in supporting the civil rights movement. Anyway, I’ve babbled long enough. Thank you for your kind words. I love being a member of this community, and you are one of the reasons.
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Yet another reason we love you so much. Thank you, my sister, for being the voice of empathy and reason.
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It was awesome having the opportunity to watch and listen to you all. We should start an Operation Hope class on respectful discourse!
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Thanks @burtsplurt I responded to your kind words, but forgot to tag you.
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Nah you havnt babbled enough! One thing us humans need to keep doing is passing on knowledge and wisdom that comes with living life! And as a 29 year old with little to no political knowledge im enjoying every bit of growth. That means alot though cheers 
agreed this community is such a nice place.
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So, yes, I have, of late, been of the opinion that we did go too far with the culture war issues. On more than one occasion, I have suggested Jasmine Crockett needs to resist the urge to call all Trump voters racist. I do believe she is a political superstar, in the making. Problem is we need the, entire, working class to unite. That means we have to do business with folks we dont like. It sucks, but thats where we are. Problem is, it is easy for me to say, as I am an educated (sort of 
) old white guy. As an old white dude, I know better than most, just how racist people can be. I dont “look” like a Progressive, at all. I am always shocked at what some folks will say to me, before they get to know me. They assume I am, equally, as racially bias as they are. My point is, I am blown away every time I see a person like yourself, who is willing to try and understand and reach folks that, blindly, hate them cuz melatonin. See, I am sure I would be a very angry man if the situations were reversed. If someone told me to back off the racist rhetoric, I would have a very hard time. I dont think I would trust a single white person, TBH. So, what some of us are asking, of a Jasmine Crockett, is probably something I couldnt do myself. Ironically, tho, IF she can and does, she can make a real difference. If we fix our material condition and restore it to pre-corruption era levels, the cultural divide will subside. We must win elections, if we want to influence policy. It sucks that have to ask Rep. Crockett to pocket her, very real and justified, anger on the subject. Please know, I dont take the position lightly. I cant say I fully realize how hard that must be, but I do have some idea. Either way, thank you for being so evolved!!!
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Wow! Thanks, I really appreciate your kind words. When I was 19, I was walking home one night. As I crossed a parking lot, a car with 3 white kids in it yelled the N-word at me. I made a rude gesture at them, and they began threatening me. I grabbed an empty beer bottle that was laying on the ground and threw it as hard as I could. Despite the distance, it miraculously hit the car. Now they were pissed! I was pissed too. This wasn’t my first encounter of this type.
All of a sudden I heard “Go Tony! Wail on 'em!” I recognized the voice of John Daly, a kid from my neighborhood. A few seconds later, he and another kid I knew pulled up beside me and said “Get in! We’ll get those bastards!” And we did. We chased them for over 10 minutes, and cornered them in a driveway. You can imagine what I did next (Don’t judge me, I was a kid).
Afterward, we went to a nearby bar and I bought them a couple of beers. Drinking age was 18 back then. Neither of these guys were my friends, just acquaintances, so I was surprised that they got involved. I asked them why and Bill, the other kid said this:
“They saw you walking, the only Black kid in the neighborhood, so they figured you were alone, and they could do anything they wanted to you. That pissed us off. You’re not alone. Your part of us, and we showed 'em that.”
That was 45 years ago, and it still brings tears to my eyes. So yeah, I give people a chance. Being Black is more than just walking around with black skin. It means learning to navigate the obstacle course that is our American society, with all of it’s baked in racism. It means taking precautions to avoid falling into the many traps laid out for us. It means learning to distinguish between unconscious bias and overt racism, and learning to deal with both. For me, it also means having candid talks with people about race. To do this successfully, I have to put aside my anger. No more beer bottles for me, lol!
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I admire you so much and find it impossible that anyone could think otherwise! I’m so sorry for all of the hate, unearned disrespect, and worse thrown at you that this country has made not only possible but acceptable. You truly are an amazing, inspiring, and empathetic individual, and I’m so lucky to know you!
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@russrcaldwell2 As usual, I responded to a message, but forgot to tag the person I was responding too! Thanks for your kind words, my friend. It’s great to have an ally like you.
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Thanks my sister. Your support means a great deal to me. How are you feeling? I promised Jack I would check on you.
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Um, yeah, don’t know what it says about me, but I’d do the same thing today!! I’m 56 years old and that’s just what you do, where I come from. Sometimes bad people force good people to do bad things. 
so, no judging l swear! Thanks for sharing some insight into your experiences and how they shape your perspective. It’s a little like when it dawned on me just how vulnerable many women feel, in day to day life. Half the population can and, some, will, impose themselves on them, physically, one way or another. As a pretty healthy sized white dude, I never think of anything like that. I guess, on some level, I’m grateful for my privilege, that way, but also understand that’s what it is? I hope that sounds the way I want it to. It isn’t equality for sure, but I also don’t feel threatened sharing power with any one. I know I don’t have all the answers. If you do, I sure don’t care whether or not you’re female, black, brown, green whatever!! Best person, best ideas should win….
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Tony , I admire your openness on what has happened to you. I also had to reflect and change my thinking in my own life . Say around the mid 90’s , I was attacked twice on the street by Black teenagers. I was hit in the head from behind with a beer bottle and I was so mad , I grabbed the kid so hard by his jacket, that I stopped traffic and flung him into a fence and started pummeling him. He got loose and ran to his friends. He was maybe 12-13 years old. Shopowners came out to help me and stopped the bleeding. They told me that there was a recent uptick in youth violence. This happened on a busy , popular street in New Orleans . The year before I was walking to an ATM , and halfway down the street , I noticed 3 Black teenagers dressed alike in jeans, sneakers and white T-shirts walking decisively towards me. Immediately , I saw the gun in the leader’s waistband , and my next thought was I’m going to die on the street . A second before they surrounded me, I reflexively pulled my wallet out of my pocket and said " just take it “. At the same time, the gun was directly pushed onto my forehead . I’ll never forget the feel of a gun against my head . Luckily , they grabbed my wallet while a car was approaching . He turned me around , put the gun to my side while the car came by , he said keep walking , don’t turn around .They took off down the street and I was only 2 blocks from my apartment. I didn’t have a cell phone so I called 911 , the bank , and a friend. The cops were so flippant , like, what are you complaining about, but I needed an incident report . By now , I’m shaking from shock , but my friend who has had a similar experience plied me with 2 strong drinks. Tony, I was angry and bitter for quite a while. I just couldn’t believe that these really young people had such hatred and were already manifesting violence. To me , that had to be taught. I’m telling you this because over time, I realized that the majority of Blacks aren’t like this , they want to live and prosper the same as everybody else. But there are people across the spectrum that are attracted to crime. I’m so happy to have worked myself out of this cycle of saying that " oh all these people are no good , or all of those people are worthless” , it’s not true. That’s why I enjoy our community , there are so many different and valid voices that want to make a difference. I hope I haven’t rambled too long, but it’s been ratting in my brain a long time and very few people know what I have just told you. I’m looking forward to hearing your pithy observations at the next town hall. Jack
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Oh yes, having a gun shoved in your face is not awesome. Sawed off shotguns scare me the most, but I digress. I too grew up in a time and place where violence was fairly common. I think I kinda misrepresented myself with the good guy doing bad stuff comment. In part, I was joking, but I will defend myself and, if I am able, those who cannot defend themselves. However, my first option is always de-escalation and non-violent resolution (today it is 
). I like to think I have evolved a littl bit. Its all too much to, accurately and thoroughly discuss on a public forum. Everyone has a story and everyone has reasons why they are who they are. I believe, in large part, that choice and control are illusions. Particle physics and all that seem to back that up a bit, but its just my opinion. In large part I don’t believe in good guy bad guy. Again, its way too much for this forum. Having said that, fair or not. we are responsible for the things we do. I also believe some people are simply bad. Sociopaths can be explained, for sure, but at some point you’re just a bad person. Realizing that most people want to be good, do good, etc. and most of us do our best, has softened my temper and curbed my bluster. I know the “world” is what we make of it, but I cannot deny it can be a real mean place. Crime is mostly a function of economic injustice. Safest communities have the most resources, not the most cops, etc. I did know rich kid thrill seekers who burglarized a home or two, but most of the real criminals I have met, came from hyper impoverished communities. Sometimes, with the rich ones, its drug addiction and the sizeable allowance isn’t enough. Even there, the kid had reasons. Due to recent and unforeseen upheaval in my personal life, its been a challenge to attend the weekly Op. Hope meetings. I will be there next Wednesday and I look forward to reengaging the group. Thanks for the revealing back and forth. I am an open book and have a tendency to over share. I struggled for years with on again off again addiction problems. Its been awhile now, since that was the case, but once I experienced the freedom that comes with honest and outward self expression, I became ironically addicted. It takes away all the power and fear, when I just put it out there. Nothing to hide… Again, thank you for the insightful back and forth. I look forward to hear your insights as well.
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