The Darrell McClain show
Independent media that won't reinforce tribalism. We have one Planet; nobody's leaving so let’s reason together!! Darrell, McClain is a Military veteran with an abnormal interest in politics, economics, religion, philosophy, science, and literature. He was born and raised in Jacksonville FL, and went to Edward H white High School where he wrestled Under Coach Jermy Smith and The Late Brian Gilbert. He was a team wrestling captain, District champion, and an NHSCA All-American in freestyle Wrestling. He received a wrestling scholarship from Waldorf University in Forest City, Iowa. After a short period, he decided he no longer wanted to cut weight which effectively ended his college wrestling journey. Darrell Mcclain is an Ordained Pastor under The Universal Life Church and is still in good standing, he's a Believer in The Doctrines of Grace Also Known as Calvinism. He joined the United States Navy in 2008 and was A Master At Arms (military police officer) He was awarded several awards while on active duty including an expeditionary combat medal, a Global War on Terror medal, a National Defense Medal, a Korean defense medal, and multiple Navy achievement medals. While In the Navy he was also the assistant wrestling coach at Robert E Lee High School. He's a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under six six-degree black belt Gustavo Machado, Darrell Trains At Gustavo Machado Norfolk under the 3rd-degree black belt, and Former Marine Professor Mark Sausser. He went to school for psychology at American Military University and for criminal justice at ECPI University.
The Darrell McClain show
Another Assassination Attempt on Trump, Pope's Call to US Voters, and Faith vs. Homelessness Debate
How safe is anyone, even a former President, in today's politically charged climate? Join us as we unravel the alarming details of yet another assassination attempt on Donald J. Trump at his Palm Beach golf course. Discover how the Secret Service's swift actions prevented a tragedy and delve into the troubled past of the suspect, Ryan Wesley Roth, whose vendetta was fueled by the Ukraine-Russia conflict. We highlight the importance of vigilance and the ongoing threat political violence poses to society.
Next, we confront the moral pressures facing American Catholic voters, as voiced by Pope Francis. His criticism spans from Trump's stringent immigration policies to Kamala Harris's stance on abortion, urging voters to navigate these difficult choices with moral clarity. The Pope's call for peace in Gaza and his efforts to mend relations with China reflect his broader mission to address critical global issues. This segment explores the weighty decisions voters face and the ethical dilemmas that influence their choices.
Finally, we examine the contentious issue of religious freedom amidst homelessness in Berean, Washington. A local church's lawsuit against the city's ordinance criminalizing homelessness raises profound questions about the intersection of faith and civic duty. Through the lens of Pastor Greg Locke and other public figures, we explore the complex relationship between religion, politics, and public perception. Wrapping up, we discuss maintaining friendships despite political differences, emphasizing respect and balanced perspectives in these divisive times. This episode encourages thoughtful engagement with diverse viewpoints while upholding our moral and ethical values.
A second assassination attempt against a former president. No society can survive a dissent into political violence. Welcome to the Derral McLean Show. I'm your host, derral McLean. Today is 9-16-2024. You're listening to episode 425, and let's get started.
Speaker 1:Journey together independent media that will not reinforce tribalism. We have one planet. Nobody is leaving. Let us reason together.
Speaker 1:Well, we are now talking about an attempted assassination of a former president of the United States, donald J Trump. This time, it wasn't in Pennsylvania, just barely two months after it took place this time in my home state, unfortunately, of Palm Beach County, florida, and, to be a too much on the nose, it actually took place on a golf course owned by the former president. The Secret Service, in this case, did not drop the ball like they did the last time. They acted very quickly in order to neutralize the threat, and in this case, it is not clear that he attempted assassin, and it has become increasingly clear, though, that he was a somebody who was a very critical person of the president. President Trump was unhurt. He was able to tweet that fact, and his campaign affirmed it very quickly. At the same time, someone was able to identify the vehicle that the attempted assassin fled in, and it was not long before law enforcement authorities had the individual in custody Now. The man arrested was born in 1966. His name is Ryan Wesley Roth. He has been identified as a man who had many brushes with law enforcement in the past, both misdemeanors and at least charges and other investigations that were felonies. He had made several public threats against President Trump, and it is also clear that this individual has a deep interest in the nation of Ukraine and particularly in the Ukrainian military effort to undertake the nation after the brutal invasion of Russia. It appears that he is upset with President Trump and he is upset about the prospect of a second Trump administration. As it relates to the war in Ukraine Now, cnn was reporting last night that the man had actually traveled to Ukraine and gone to the war front.
Speaker 1:Now there are a lot of dots that need to be connected here, but at this point the most important issue from a very serious, thoughtful Christian worldview perspective is to be very thankful that violence did not happen, that a former president and, for that matter, no one else, was injured, much less killed, in the incident. It appears that it underlines the effectiveness in this case of the Secret Service, but there are dots we still must connect. The most important issue, after just being thankful that there was no violence, is the case that all human lives involved were protected, including, of course, the life of a former president. We also need to recognize that this underlies that we live in a very violent age and that sinful human beings are capable of plotting and carrying out horrible acts. Now, what this means in the context of politics, when it comes to the 2024 campaign and all the rest, we simply don't know. But at this point, it was a disaster that was inverted and it is an investigation that will be ongoing, and so I'll be doing everything I can to be tracking this with you. But at this point, it is clearly the biggest news of the day. What it means in the big picture and in the specifics of the case, that is not just clear to me yet, but I will be following along with this issue with you. Now we're going to get into some of the stuff I actually had prepared to discuss before I woke up and saw this news, and we're going to go to a few things that I am going to talk about. It kind of in the same vein.
Speaker 1:We're going to start in Rome as the Pope weighs in and says both Trump and Harris are against life. Both Trump and Harris are against life. He said that the American Catholic voters have to choose the lesser of two evils because of Donald Trump's cruelty towards immigrants and Kamala Harris's support for abortion. Asked his advice to Catholic voters in the coming US President's election, pope Francis said on Friday that they must choose the lesser of two evils because both are against life Kamala Harris for her support on abortion and Donald Trump for him closing the door to immigrants. He said sending migrants away, not allowing them to grow, not letting them have a life, is something wrong. It is cruelty. Francis said at a news conference on a plane as he returned from Rome after his long trip to Southwest Asia and Oceania. Sending a child away from their mother's womb of the mother is murder, because there is life and we must speak clearly about these things. He also said now.
Speaker 1:The remarks came as Francis the 87-year-old, concluded a grueling 11-day tour of Asia, the Pacific region that included stops in Jakarta, east Timor, singapore, showcasing his commitment to reach out to the faithful and what he calls the Pharisees, and his goal is to build a less what we call Eurocentric church that looks to Asia. His stance on American presidential race reflects a divide amongst American Catholics voters who in previous elections have just as been split as the rest of the larger American electorate. Now the American Bishops Conference similarly advises Catholics to take the array of the church's teaching into an account into the voting booth and does not officially endorse candidates, although there are of course some bishops who weigh in more explicitly. Who weigh in more explicitly Now. Francis described the rejection of migrants as a grave sin and cruelty. And abortion is murder. He said they both are against life and are clearly wrong. But when asked whether it would be morally admissible to vote for someone who favored the right to an abortion, he responded one must vote, one must choose the lesser of evils. Which is the lesser of evil? That, ladies or that, gentlemen, I don't know? Each person must think and decide according to his or her own conscience. Now Pope Francis did not mention either candidate by name.
Speaker 1:Francis was also asked about the situation in Gaza, where more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in 11 months of the war that began after the Hamas terrorist attack to Israel on October the 7th of last year. Pope Francis said when you see the bodies of children killed, when you hear the schools are bombed because guerrillas might be inside. It's horrifying, it's horrible. It's horrible, the Pope said. It's sometimes said that this is a defensive war, but sometimes I believe that it's a war too much, too much. The Pope said his words faltering. I apologize for saying this, but I don't see steps being taken towards peace. Francis added that he spoke every day to a parish in Gaza where both Christians and Muslims attended schools. They tell me horrible stories, difficult things, he said, adding that the Holy See had been working to help mediate a ceasefire.
Speaker 1:Francis' views on abortion and migration even though it made news, it was actually nothing new, but they pertain particularly relevant in the context of the upcoming elections in the United States, in which both are central issues. Both are against life the one that throws out migrants and the ones that kill children. Now, the Roman Catholic Church considers an abortion a grave sin, and Francis has often referred to abortion as murder, even in the case of a fetus that is ill or has pathological disorders. In 2018, he compared abortion to contracting a hitman to solve a problem, and in his most recent papal document issued this year, he firmly reinstated the church's rejection of abortion, the death penalty and euthanasia. At the same time, he has made his plight of migrants a centerpiece of the papacy, urging compassion and charity for millions who have been forced to leave their homelands because of war, because of poverty or because of famine.
Speaker 1:His first trip as Pope back in 2013 was to Lampedusa, the island off of Italy that, in recent decades, has become an entry point to Europe for countless migrants crossing the Mediterranean. There, he denounced the globalization of indifference to their plight. He has since relentlessly denounced human trafficking and called for safe migration routes, as he said repeatedly that rejecting migrants is a grave sin. Last month, speaking to the last general audience before the trip to Asia and the Pacific, francis told those present in St Peter's Square it needs to be said clearly those who are systematically worked by all means to drive away migrants and this, when done knowingly, is deliberately is a grave sin. Francis has put caring for migrants and opposite to abortion on equal footing, saying in all 2018 documents that they were both holy pursuits. It is also not the first time that Francis inserted himself into the United States presidential race. In 2016, during the Republican primary, pope Francis suggested that President Trump was not Christian because of his campaign's promise to deport more immigrants, to force Mexico to pay for a wall along the border, he said. A person who thinks only about building walls, whenever they may be, and not building bridges, is not a Christian. Francis said that said at the time returning to when he was returning to Rome from Mexico on a one of the papal plains. On another in-flight news conference, he weighed in on whether communion should be given to politicians like President Biden who support abortion rights, saying that he had never denied communion to anyone.
Speaker 1:On Friday's night, francis also talked about the Vatican's relationship to China. He has sought to improve relationships with the country, but he has still not yet visited china, despite reaching despite reaching the groundbreaking and sharply criticized deal on the appointment of the bishops that is set to be renewed in october. Francis has continued his outreach to asia, uh, completing on friday his tour about a to about a dozen countries in Asia and the Asian Pacific region. China is a promise and I hope for the church, he said on Friday, adding that he was happy about the discussion they had with the country. I would still love to visit China Now.
Speaker 1:This is where I have to somewhat assert myself and say this. Assert myself and say this, and I hope that it is received, not because I am belligerently protestant, but because I think that the pope here is injecting something that, while trying to be nuanced, I think is adding a bit of moral confusion, and so I'm going to emphatically say this no, trump and Harris are not against life. In the same way, pope Francis confuses this political, theological issue. Once again. I don't do this often here by myself, but I'm going to do it in this particular juncture by myself, but I'm going to do it in this particular juncture. Proverbs 6, 16 through 19 says these six things the Lord hates yes, seven are an abomination to him A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deceives wicked plans, feet that are swift running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies and one who sows discord among the brethren. I want to focus heavily on the one that says hands that shed innocent blood.
Speaker 1:Now, the Bible does and I have affirmed over and over again have almost 400 verses that tell us how we ought to treat the downtrodden, the immigrant, the poor, etc. It does not, however, put that at the same level when you look at the frequency of it as it does the taking of innocent life. It, even before you get to this Proverbs 6, 16 through 19, you will remember thou shall not kill. In the Ten Commandments the Bible does not talk about immigration. It does not talk about how to treat the migrant. That comes later. We actually have very specific laws laid out in the Old Testament about how we are to treat these people. That does not come around until you get into the law of Moses.
Speaker 1:I think that what ends up happening is is when you try to look at the whole totality of the gospel message, you, you, and when you're having to deal with a sinful, wicked society, you, you don't want to pick one sin over another, but you have to say, to some degree there has to be a sort of this may trump, that would want to not pretend like someone's shedding their heart off and not giving to somebody in need is a sinful act. But I would also say killing that person seems to be the greater act of evil, of evil. Hands that shed innocent blood means hands that shed innocent blood, and I can't think of anything more innocent than a child. I can't think of anything more innocent than a child that is not even going to be given a chance to have a life Now, when the child is alive, doing cruel things to them to make them have a more difficult life is a different type of wickedness and that is also addressed in this verse a heart that deceives and devises wicked plans. So if you know and I do think you are captured by the knowledge that you have of a situation if you know that me shedding you out is going to cause you to freeze to death and die, I think you are going to be judged for that behavior. But I don't think that it is the same as if, when you come to my house and ask me for shelter, I pull out a gun and kill you.
Speaker 1:And I think we have to speak about these terms and and say one is bad and one is worse. Ok, and I go back to this principle when I say what I did like about the statement not everything was all awful is. This is something that I've always tried to put into my analysis when I talk about being morally consistent, when I said I don't believe in the shedding of innocent blood, and I used to always say that I also do not believe. For this reason, I should give the state the right to kill its citizens, the right to kill its citizens, and I would affirm this belief by saying things like this is actually a slippery slope.
Speaker 1:Once you decide that you can kill an innocent child and I said this on the previous show it's hard for you to find a moral justification of why you can't kill someone who's alive. And every time you will need a moral justification. There will be someone, most of the time holding some religious text, to tell you it is absolutely okay to kill a live person. You will find someone to tell you that the war is justified. And you'll go to war and you'll do what happens in a war and you'll see, like in almost all wars, the people that die the most are civilians. And then you'll be staring right at this verse that says right at this verse, it says God hates the hands that shed innocent blood, your hands. You can say all the collateral damage stuff and oh yes, if they wouldn't have been hiding behind human shield stuff, you're still going to be found guilty in the eyes of a holy and loving and just God. Ok, and so that's one.
Speaker 1:Then you have the death penalty, when you know everybody knows that the criminal justice system is not, because it cannot be, a perfect vessel for delivering justice, because it is run by people and people are flawed. And you hear time and time again about somebody spending time on death row and being exonerated by DNA evidence. And then you also hear these awful cases where somebody was on death row and they died or were killed at the hands of the state and then later on the person was innocent. Oh my, I'm so sorry, they are already gone. You will be judged.
Speaker 1:Hands that shed innocent blood. We look at other countries where they have assisted suicide, you know, and somebody is depressed. They don't want to have a life anymore. You know, I watched a documentary about it and this lady just sat in the chair and they came and they killed her while she was around her friends, and that's perfectly normal. You will be judged for that.
Speaker 1:Hands that shed innocent blood this is what God hates. Life has to be precious for it to have any meaning. All life has to be precious for it to have any meaning. So I don't like the purposeful muddying of the waters of pretending like murder is the same as poverty. Poverty is difficult, poverty is sad, homelessness is heartbreaking. It is not the same as being dead, and if we can't get that right, then we are failing the easiest moral question in the universe, and I am someone that believes we have to answer all these questions. I'm somebody that believes we're supposed to give things to the poor. I'm somebody who believes we're supposed to give things to the poor. I'm somebody who believes we're supposed to feed the sick and the shut in. I'm the person that believes we're supposed to take heed and take care of the widow.
Speaker 1:I actually wrote, before this event happened, a post on my social media, and this was four days ago. A post on my social media, and this was four days ago. So before I saw the news, I said let us draw inspiration from the over 400 Bible verses that guide us on how to treat the marginalized, the immigrants and the poor. May we emulate God's love and compassion for all his children and may our actions be a testament to our faith on judgment day. I am a die-hard what-are-you-doing-for-the-least-among-the-Christians. I am somebody that will quote Matthew to you all day long what you do for the least of these, these you do also to me. But I think that we have to. If we're being honest. We have to say killing you is worse than not feeding you, and I'm not interested in anybody who pretends like they are morally the same. Now I will say this as a matter of fact I've said this before that I'm working on a book about why I believe Christians shouldn't vote Very controversial topic and one of the reasons why I actually say that is because I think that when Christianity presents himself in a political context, it forces us to violate the last part of that A false witness who speaks lies and who sows discord among the brethren, and that, to me, me is all of politics.
Speaker 1:And when I have to pick a political party and I even have the Pope saying pick the lesser of two evils, that hits at my conscience because I'm actually not interested in evil at all. And when somebody tells me to pick the left of two evils, what I feel like is being said is I am affirming a specific type of evil and I'm actually not interested in affirming any type of evil. I am trying to reach a higher moral standard. When I read a text that says be perfect, as your father in heaven is perfect, I don't know how I can do that and constantly be in the tank for politicians who, on a daily basis, show me that they are proud, that they have ambitious looks, that they have lying tongues, that they shed innocent blood, that they are constantly devising wicked plans, that they have sweet, that they have feet that are swift in running to evil and that they have a false witness who speaks lies and they constantly want to sow discord among the brethren. I'm actually not interested in carrying the water for a Democratic Party and I'm not interested in carrying the water for a Republican Party.
Speaker 1:I don't care about the elephant or the goat, I care about the lion of Judah, I care about the lamb, and I think I think I can be consistent here, because even in my big L libertarian brain I always say there is no political solution to anything. There are just temporary trade-offs and you have to understand, in order to be an adult and to have a serious conversation, that there are always two sides of every coin. If you get the job, somebody else didn't get the job, so that means your family may get to eat that day and somebody else's family may be going hungry. I'm not telling you don't get the job, but I'm telling you that all of life is going to make you realize that things are complicated. But I don't think we help ourselves when we muddy the waters and pretend like things that aren't complicated when we purposely try to make them seem nuanced.
Speaker 1:Murder, the shedding of innocent blood, is a greater wickedness and I'll say this in connecting it to the last story and this is a sad reality that I'm afraid for this country about. Americans kill innocent children in elementary schools and we've gotten so used to it that even morally serious people like the vice presidential nominee, jd Vance, has to say it's a way of life and we're sad about it. I'm very afraid that trying to kill presidents and trying to kill politicians will also become a part. You know, we'll just become this thing in American life that we just tell people to deal with, and I'm actually not very interested in living in that type of society. When the Bernie Sanders supporter shot, you know, shot up that congressional baseball game that was wrong. When the guy, crazy guy, shot up Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, that was wrong. And when people try to attack and assassinate a president for his stance about whatever, that is wrong. This is not that complicated and we have to be morally consistent about this if we want to have any serious way of keeping this very fragile republic together. And I don't think the Pope is helping us when he is acting as if he doesn't know the difference between certain issues, and that doesn't mean that the other issues aren't important. But I think at this point in time, in the polarized way that we see and seek information, it's very important to be clear.
Speaker 1:I'm going to end the show with a question that was posed about religious discrimination. If they have been prevented for caring for the homeless and this is a question that popped up and so it's do churches have a constitutional right, which is how it would be framed Do the churches have a constitutional right to care for the homeless? So that's what one church in Berean, washington, is arguing, and they're actually suing the city over a policy which requires they obtain a temporary US permit before allowing homeless encampments on church property permit before allowing homeless encampments on church property. Is this a violation of the church's freedom of religion for the city to force them to obtain a permit? The right to do the right. So Pastor Mark Miller of Oasis Home Church says that it is his right as a Christian leader to tend to the needy and that the Washington's repeated attempts to force him to obtain a permit to hearse a homeless encampment on church property are a direct violation of his First Amendment's rights. Amendment's rights.
Speaker 1:The trouble started last September when Berean enacted an ordinance called Ordinance 827, which made overnight camping on public property a misdemeanor, and a move that many say essentially criminalizes homelessness. Now, with winter approaching, oasis Home Church set up an encampment on their property in response, sheltering roughly 100 individuals from the elements throughout the winter. Most of the church's temporary residents moved there after the city swept the popular encampment early in December. Now the city demanded that the church apply for a temporary use permit, but the church refused every request, arguing that requiring a permit is an infringement of their right to religious freedom. They also say that the city is violating the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, also known as RLUIPA, and this protects houses of worship from discriminatory zoning laws, as well as state law, which prevents cities from restricting churches from housing outdoor encampments for fewer than six months per year. Now, after repeated refusal by the church, the city began issuing them a $250 fine every day they weren't in compliance, the sum of which totals some $100,000 and counting in debt. Now the church is suing the city and asking the federal courts to weigh in.
Speaker 1:So religious discrimination are not? People left England and came here, so the government couldn't tell them what kind of religious things that they could or couldn't do, said James Lebsitz, one of the church's attorneys. Burin can pass any law that it wants, argues Lopens, but it's municipal law, it doesn't trump the Constitution and it doesn't trump the R-L-U-I-P-A. So again, that's the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. The church's argument is that they have a constitutional right to host a homeless encampment on church property because helping the homeless is an intrinsic part of their faith. But the city disagrees, arguing that even churches need the proper permits to host 100 plus people overnight, every single night. Church or the Oasis Home Church, king Sheriffs County, who refuses to enforce the new camping ordinance, as well as three homeless people who argue that the new law amounts to cruel punishment simply for being homeless. Meanwhile, oasis Home Church announced their intention of opening another encampment soon. For now, the feud between the church and the city of Berin is in the hands of the courts.
Speaker 1:But I want to know what do you think about this situation? Do you think that churches have the constitutional right to provide for homelessness, and does that include hosting a homeless encampment on church property? If you have any thoughts on this, please let me know. Of course, you can do so by either contacting me on any of the social media Facebook, instagram or Twitter either publicly or in a direct message, or you can do so by calling the show line of the Darrell McLean Show. 757-310-7303 is the phone number for the show 757-310-7303. You can leave a text message with your opinion or you can call and leave a voicemail on that question.
Speaker 1:Now let me somewhat say what I think, which I think may be obvious. I think that we have to call a spade a spade. I think that a church does have the constitutional right to practice its religions. Now, if your church is specifically told to take care of the poor, I don't really see how the government can step in and say no, you are not allowed to do so. When it comes to property, I think it's very difficult to tell an individual or church what they can do on their own property. Now, we are a nation of laws, and so we're going to see where laws collide.
Speaker 1:Jesus did say when he was being tested by the Sadducees and the Pharisees about taxes. He said whose face is this on this coin? Give to Caesar what is Caesar and give to God what is God when it comes to something like criminalizing the poor. In the church's response. This is where I think that the state is stepping into something that is mandated by God. Like I said, I want us to be morally consistent. If this is a Judeo-Christian nation and we believe in faith and so on and so forth, our faith has to be more than just beating up gay kids, which is what most religious people, at least in the American context, is known and remembered for. Our faith also has to be about taking care of the sick, the widow, the migrant and the homeless.
Speaker 1:Now, this is not a news event, but I'm going to end with something that I think is a cautionary tale bit. But I'm going to end with something that I think is a cautionary tale. So, exactly 17 hours ago, I posted a picture of the pastor Jim Jones, and I posted the picture and it says when Jim Jones was losing support, he arranged in a fake assassination attempt as a ploy to draw people back in Dot dot dot. Fifteen hours later, I got a message from a follower by the name of Keegan who said so what are you saying? I then responded to Keegan when I saw the message about seven hours after well, seven hours ago, I should say and I said listen to this. Hello, new Facebook friend. When I post a picture with no comment, it's because either I think the picture says enough on its own or I want to have people purposely draw their own conclusion. But because you're new, I'll say this.
Speaker 1:There's a very famous pastor who's prone to controversy that's regularly on the news because he likes to mix his religion and politics so much that his church is basically nothing more than a big political rally. He's prone to doing little stunts for attention, so much that I have almost no respect for him. His name is Greg Locke, and on a page that I'm often on, they shared a story that he is saying his home was shot up seconds before he arrived. Now, sadly, I don't trust Locke. I must admit I don't put it past him to be doing this just to get back in the media. He's had a similar event this year involving a fire being set by someone allegedly to destroy his trailer full of Bibles. And, just to be clear, I have my doubts about this not being a stunt as well. Now, when the local news reported on the event the shooting of Greg's home he said that he had a home video. I'll be waiting patiently to see if the video is ever released or if in a few months he'll be back in the news for something else.
Speaker 1:Keegan then responded that's why I asked For some reason it made me think of Trump, but I believe the Trump experience is an unusual circumstances. I then responded and said that's a huge no, I didn't even know about the Trump event until this morning and I'm doing a show today about the Pope's comment about Trump, harris, etc. I was looking up the news at, provided the link, christianpostcom, and I saw the Locke story. I then got a message from T-Bone from the T-Bone and Chick Brew Show, also known as Luns B that said stop, and that was about nine hours ago. So I got a 15 hour and a nine hour and then I said guess who doesn't look at the news on Sunday and now knows why you said this? And then I, you know, left an emoji of a skull. So what you saw picture says what it says.
Speaker 1:After losing support, jim Jones arranged an assassination attempt. False pastor Greg Locke 30 rounds or so, supposedly allegedly shot at his house before, seconds before he got there. What I would say is a false pastor. You would. The connection would be obviously clear. Somebody asked for more context. I gave them the exact context, rather long form, rather long form.
Speaker 1:So later on in the day, after I had already explained it to somebody on a different social media platform, and get a message from someone by the name of fat mac, so not their real name. The profile is private. Not even sure how I know this person. Your implication here is really stupid. Be smarter. So, of course, for the sake of saving time, I literally copied and pasted everything that I had said several hours before on the different platform to tell him exactly what I was talking about.
Speaker 1:So an assumption was made. The assumption was wrong, evidence was provided. Do you think that the person then changed their view based on any new evidence? Absolutely not. They went on to say yes, sure, just a coincidence, you posted this right after a major political assassination attempt, I believe you. So I had to somewhat try to dissuade this person of the grandiose assumption that I am somewhat entitled to, that I am somewhat entitled to are obligated to know whatever they happen to be having in their head at the time, actually care about it, and then be posting pictures based on what they assume to be true. So I just said the common thing that I've wanted to say to not be nice.
Speaker 1:Assumptions with no facts often make people look foolish. I also don't care what you believe and I have no interest in trying to convince you, because your opinion has no weight or value to me. In fact, mine should have no value or weight to you. But here's a fun fact, and it's been this way for about 10 years now. I don't watch the news.
Speaker 1:On Sunday, I actually didn't know anything about the event till about 30 minutes ago. I've actually still yet to look up any specifics on the event. I'm actually not shy. I say exactly what I think and I record it for everyone to hear. So then the person, of course, after being presented with a long article of name so you can actually get the name of who I was talking about, go look up the event that happened. See if what I was saying was accurate. You think they did that. Absolutely not, because the reply came in about two minutes later.
Speaker 1:No research had been done, no opinion had been changed, and they said you were posting on social media, but you didn't see anything. I'm obviously not going to believe you. I already unfollowed you and won't be responding any further. Go lie to someone else. Two things that have nothing to do with each other. I said I don't watch the news. I didn't say I don't get on social media and if you look at the trajectory of the news posts, if anybody had been intelligent enough to do a little bit of that research that people claim that they do on their own, you would have saw on social media.
Speaker 1:I was radio silent all day until I posted the picture of Jones. So then I said think to MrFatMac953. And I said my post was about a false pastor. My reply was a critique of a false pastor. What do you think I was looking at on Sunday? Dot dot dot Pastors. Now I'm not upset with Fat Mac 953 for his assumption. It is actually, after further review, a pretty decent assumption. It is actually, after further review, a pretty decent assumption. What I mean is that, as a cautionary tale, is that we all saw which I did leave it up because it's public platform. I'm a public figure. I responded to in public. I'm going to let it stay in public.
Speaker 1:The point is, after being pointed to evidence thoroughly to dissuade you of your beliefs, some people have a very difficult time erasing their pre-held assumptions. You saw a tale where one person asked a question and it was answered thoroughly. And for that person I even left the link of the article I was looking at. Then he went and looked at it himself. We had a little bit of a conversation after about said pastor moved on with my day to move on with my day.
Speaker 1:The other person was incapable of doing the elementary principle of saying I have a viewpoint, is it correct? And they did this other thing like I unfollowed you and labored under the assumption that I was going to care, which I do not. I did not even know that the person that followed me, I do not know who they are and it's just, I guess, kind of the nature of the way some people handle things in society. When they see views that they don't agree with, they try to eliminate them from their view. I have a very elementary principle, especially because of the way that I engage with people on social media Oftentimes, when I see views I disagree with, I move on with my day. I actually have no intention of engaging with the person unless I actually know the person and I know that they are interested in having a back and forward, and then I continue to see exactly what they have to say, because I do have an opinion.
Speaker 1:I have an opinion about a lot of things and I also try to check my opinions by having a lot of people around me who have different opinions. It's actually fairly easy. Actually is extremely amazing, and I'll just say this because earlier in the week, maybe yesterday or the day before I had actually posted something that I'm going to end with, and it was a little ditty about politics and what I said in my ditty that I posted and I want us to remember this in this election and in the next election and in the one after that and the one after that, and it was basically about politics, your friends and what you should do. Politics, your friends and what you should do. And we're going to end like this I said avoid compromising friendships over politicians who are unaware of your existence. It is possible to maintain differing political perspectives while still treating each other with courtesy and respect. Thank you for tuning in and I'll see you on the next episode.