A lot of our recent episodes have been kind of dark. We don’t want to alarm you, but…here are a few things that Trump and/or the GOP have said that you want to probably want to ignore if you’re feeling out of your depths:

• Muslims are to be ejected from the country, including students.

• Anyone who speaks against his highness will be expelled from this country.

• Pretty women can stay, but they can’t cross state lines if pregnant.

The big lie has been an established part of history for generations. We know it, talk about it, but we don’t know what it really means. Hitler used it in a very manipulative way by maligning the news sources of the day and instilling distrust between the population and the news media (sound familiar?). Trump is doing the same thing with the press and with the latest problems he has discussing the election or anything that frankly annoys him. By himself, he’s not dangerous. But throw in reputable sources — or sources deemed reputable by many — Clarence Thomas and Ginni Thomas. How do you fight against the big lie? With education. Guess what’s also happening right now?

77% of Texas teachers in Texas want to quit. It’s not just Texas. The culture wars are real and are having a devastating impact across the nation down into the PTA rooms. As they are lying to your face, America, the Trump party is also systematically dismantling the tools you need to keep common conversation and shared knowledge flowing. Education is power, and we need to understand that as a community and give it the priority it deserves.

Midterms are just around the corner. Do you know who you’re voting for? While we don’t tell you who to vote for (Beto — vote for Beto if you live in Texas), we do tell you why we support the people we do. No, it’s not a personality contest. And if you’ve learned anything about us so far, you should know that we don’t beat any single party drum religiously. Of late, we’ve been on one side of the aisle because when it comes to d*#%$ing around with the democracy and constitution that we swore to protect, one party is doing this in spades.

If that’s not enough, maybe some good old-fashioned self-interest will interest you. When it comes to policy, it also happens that (right now) one single party pushes a platform that helps society and the people in it, while the other gives tax breaks to billionaires and steals from its constituents. And there’s more…so much more. Learn a bit about policy in this podcast episode called the Midterm Hustle.

In this episode, we talk about White Replacement Theory and the people that bring it to you. There are some things that we have to consider. The backslide to authoritarianism is in full swing, book burnings abound, and disinformation streams like water from the GOP.

How do we fix it?

Well, voting. But it can't just be voting. Listen to this episode to understand the extent of the damage across the United States. We need to re-focus on local and state politics and get those friends and neighbors of ours engaged. A lot of people don't know what's happening in this country, and that's by design. Let's do something about it!