I am SO thankful for your strong voice, Heather. I find yours to be a voice that speaks bravely and courageously with intellectual honesty that I wish more of the leaned segment of our society were willing to commit to. I do understand that the consequences are much too weighty for some, threatening to endanger their job security which is their lifeblood.
This is why having voices such as your's and Brett's is such a gift to those of us who rely on strong role models; voices that seek first for reason and truth in your most sincere understanding.
As a conservative voter, who greatly disdained Donald Trump's often disrespectful, insensitive and outright ignorant behavior, I gave my vote to conservative values as opposed to the representative of those values.
As his first four years came to a close, I once again found myself deeply conflicted about my vote. I was very willing to consider Joe Biden's Platform, but as I observed behavior of the Democrats during Trump's Presidency and watched as they, as a whole, exposed their willingness to cater to the scary extremes of their party, for what seemed to be their manic hatred for Trump, I could not bring myself to give them my vote.
So, once again, with a greatly conflicted heart and mind, I gave my vote to Conservative Values.
After being heartbroken at the great division I was seeing in our country, I became a Member of BRAVER ANGELS. It was in listening to one of their Podcasts that I first heard and became familiar with you and Brett. I was incredulous and greatly saddened to hear about what you and your family were put through, solely for your courage in speaking with intellectual honesty.
My experience in BRAVER ANGELS has been such an encouragement in finding those brave enough to do the hard work of CIVIL DIALOGUE for the sake of curiosity and deeper understanding. With each new conversation I engage in, whether it be with "Red or Blue", I am adding to my store of knowledge and better understanding which, I pray, equips me for a richer intellect concerning the many issues we face as ONE NATION.
I am grateful to Braver Angels for many things, you and Brett being two of those. I greatly look forward to and enjoy hearing the information, insight and wisdom you both have to offer. You truly are"Braver Angels". 🙏🏻
After listening to you this morning, ON DYING, LYING, & TESTIFYING, I was compelled to become a subscriber. You also discussed that incredible article by Joomi Kim, which I sent to my daughter-in-law, a doctor in Portland....can't wait to hear what she has to say about it. In any event, I first heard you and Bret speaking on JRE several months back, and have to be up front, I was a bit of a skeptic after reading up on you both on social media. But, as the pandemic insanity continued, and none of it made sense to me, I decided to stop watching any and all news, in order to reduce my anxiety and also focus on grad school. Not even a month into school, my classmates and I were informed that we HAD to get the Covid vaccine or would be forced to withdraw from our program as SLPs. I asked the director about the peer reviewed research on the vaccine, I was met with disgust and belittlement. To this day, it still irritates the $#it out of me that this university took my hard earned money and treated me like I'm some A-hole for asking questions. The very institution that taught me to pay attention to detail and, oh, follow the F-ing science! Anyway, I got my first jab in August 2021, then got Covid right before my second shot. At the time, I was disgusted! How could I have gotten that shot, then Covid less than a month apart. Although I understood that I needed a second one to get the full affect, but something kept gnawing at me that it still didn't make a lot of sense. After I recovered, I started to do more research, and also met with my GP to ask her questions because, 1) I was concerned that the second shot would be unnecessary since I would likely have immunity for a while. 2) I wondered whether the second shot could potentially cause an adverse reaction...I just didn't know. Well, my doctor's scientific explanation boiled down to "You have to take the vaccine because people are dying," which had the opposite affect on me and my confidence in the so-called science. Well, fast forward to today. I dropped out of grad school, didn't get the second jab, went back to teaching and never looked back. So, what this very long message aims to say is the following. Like many Americans, I have lost all trust in our institutions. However, what you and Bret, Joe Rogan, Joomi Kim, and all the others are doing is restoring it. I can't imagine the cost to you and your family. But, please remember that your work is profoundly important. Especially, because it feels like the world is losing it's mind. Thank you for all that you do. Kindest regards.
Go Heather! I love you! I wish I was as articulate and brave and calm. You go girl.
Unfortunately our job security and income is at risk. But there may still come a time when enough will be enough and we will be required to speak out even more than we dare to now. At what point does that come? Right now I know that we are still helping many people and can continue to do so. But one never knows when one makes the list. Am I afraid, yes I am, but only because the world might not wake up in time. Carry on my friend.
I just finished Dark Horse Friday podcast. I share your anger whilst trying to find my Christian voice of forgiveness. What I learned from a theologian that helped me (so that I did not feel like a horribly spiteful person) is that it is entirely "ok" to pray for those involved in this wrong doing to be exposed- for the evil to be revealed and for them to face their future with the curtain pulled back. And that exposure is in effect the worst punishment they could face as darkness does not like mockery and truth. I'm not really sure if that's enough satisfaction for me but I do pray it. I also wanted to write an overdue "thank you" to both you and Brett. You have become my "Covid friends"; the ones I have listened to on miles and miles of walks, the ones I know I can trust for calm but real truths and reasonable advice and measures. I refer to you as my "smart" people when people ask what I watch and to whom I listen. I also have two near adult boys. I have shared alongside you trying to do what is best to protect my family- first from the virus and then later the crazy policies that truly upended their lives, education, etc. We also share an Ann Arbor connection- I grew up there and somehow I could just tell from your voices there was a connection. I just wanted to reach out, say "Thank You" which I should've done long ago and tell you guys to keep staying ahead of it. Sadly, this is far from "over"... just a chapter in a book that got it's start long ago and we were inserted into like "chapter 5" or something like that??
I am SO thankful for your strong voice, Heather. I find yours to be a voice that speaks bravely and courageously with intellectual honesty that I wish more of the leaned segment of our society were willing to commit to. I do understand that the consequences are much too weighty for some, threatening to endanger their job security which is their lifeblood.
This is why having voices such as your's and Brett's is such a gift to those of us who rely on strong role models; voices that seek first for reason and truth in your most sincere understanding.
As a conservative voter, who greatly disdained Donald Trump's often disrespectful, insensitive and outright ignorant behavior, I gave my vote to conservative values as opposed to the representative of those values.
As his first four years came to a close, I once again found myself deeply conflicted about my vote. I was very willing to consider Joe Biden's Platform, but as I observed behavior of the Democrats during Trump's Presidency and watched as they, as a whole, exposed their willingness to cater to the scary extremes of their party, for what seemed to be their manic hatred for Trump, I could not bring myself to give them my vote.
So, once again, with a greatly conflicted heart and mind, I gave my vote to Conservative Values.
After being heartbroken at the great division I was seeing in our country, I became a Member of BRAVER ANGELS. It was in listening to one of their Podcasts that I first heard and became familiar with you and Brett. I was incredulous and greatly saddened to hear about what you and your family were put through, solely for your courage in speaking with intellectual honesty.
My experience in BRAVER ANGELS has been such an encouragement in finding those brave enough to do the hard work of CIVIL DIALOGUE for the sake of curiosity and deeper understanding. With each new conversation I engage in, whether it be with "Red or Blue", I am adding to my store of knowledge and better understanding which, I pray, equips me for a richer intellect concerning the many issues we face as ONE NATION.
I am grateful to Braver Angels for many things, you and Brett being two of those. I greatly look forward to and enjoy hearing the information, insight and wisdom you both have to offer. You truly are"Braver Angels". 🙏🏻
My respect for you grew exponentially with this post. Well done Heather.
After listening to you this morning, ON DYING, LYING, & TESTIFYING, I was compelled to become a subscriber. You also discussed that incredible article by Joomi Kim, which I sent to my daughter-in-law, a doctor in Portland....can't wait to hear what she has to say about it. In any event, I first heard you and Bret speaking on JRE several months back, and have to be up front, I was a bit of a skeptic after reading up on you both on social media. But, as the pandemic insanity continued, and none of it made sense to me, I decided to stop watching any and all news, in order to reduce my anxiety and also focus on grad school. Not even a month into school, my classmates and I were informed that we HAD to get the Covid vaccine or would be forced to withdraw from our program as SLPs. I asked the director about the peer reviewed research on the vaccine, I was met with disgust and belittlement. To this day, it still irritates the $#it out of me that this university took my hard earned money and treated me like I'm some A-hole for asking questions. The very institution that taught me to pay attention to detail and, oh, follow the F-ing science! Anyway, I got my first jab in August 2021, then got Covid right before my second shot. At the time, I was disgusted! How could I have gotten that shot, then Covid less than a month apart. Although I understood that I needed a second one to get the full affect, but something kept gnawing at me that it still didn't make a lot of sense. After I recovered, I started to do more research, and also met with my GP to ask her questions because, 1) I was concerned that the second shot would be unnecessary since I would likely have immunity for a while. 2) I wondered whether the second shot could potentially cause an adverse reaction...I just didn't know. Well, my doctor's scientific explanation boiled down to "You have to take the vaccine because people are dying," which had the opposite affect on me and my confidence in the so-called science. Well, fast forward to today. I dropped out of grad school, didn't get the second jab, went back to teaching and never looked back. So, what this very long message aims to say is the following. Like many Americans, I have lost all trust in our institutions. However, what you and Bret, Joe Rogan, Joomi Kim, and all the others are doing is restoring it. I can't imagine the cost to you and your family. But, please remember that your work is profoundly important. Especially, because it feels like the world is losing it's mind. Thank you for all that you do. Kindest regards.
I too and very thankful for your words. Keep writing Heather! Thank you.
OMG! WHAT SHE SAID !!
Go Heather! I love you! I wish I was as articulate and brave and calm. You go girl.
Unfortunately our job security and income is at risk. But there may still come a time when enough will be enough and we will be required to speak out even more than we dare to now. At what point does that come? Right now I know that we are still helping many people and can continue to do so. But one never knows when one makes the list. Am I afraid, yes I am, but only because the world might not wake up in time. Carry on my friend.
Heather-
I just finished Dark Horse Friday podcast. I share your anger whilst trying to find my Christian voice of forgiveness. What I learned from a theologian that helped me (so that I did not feel like a horribly spiteful person) is that it is entirely "ok" to pray for those involved in this wrong doing to be exposed- for the evil to be revealed and for them to face their future with the curtain pulled back. And that exposure is in effect the worst punishment they could face as darkness does not like mockery and truth. I'm not really sure if that's enough satisfaction for me but I do pray it. I also wanted to write an overdue "thank you" to both you and Brett. You have become my "Covid friends"; the ones I have listened to on miles and miles of walks, the ones I know I can trust for calm but real truths and reasonable advice and measures. I refer to you as my "smart" people when people ask what I watch and to whom I listen. I also have two near adult boys. I have shared alongside you trying to do what is best to protect my family- first from the virus and then later the crazy policies that truly upended their lives, education, etc. We also share an Ann Arbor connection- I grew up there and somehow I could just tell from your voices there was a connection. I just wanted to reach out, say "Thank You" which I should've done long ago and tell you guys to keep staying ahead of it. Sadly, this is far from "over"... just a chapter in a book that got it's start long ago and we were inserted into like "chapter 5" or something like that??