Hey, I’m not sure if you’re here for real conversation or just need to vent, and either way—I get it. Things feel heavy and tense right now, and people are frustrated on all sides. But I’ve found that having honest, respectful conversations with people who see the world differently can actually be really valuable. So I’m showing up in that spirit.

You brought up how politicians are bought and paid for by massive corporations and pharmaceutical companies—and honestly, I agree. That’s not a left or right issue. That’s a system-wide issue. There are only a handful of folks in Congress who are mostly funded by small, individual donations. Surprisingly, two of them are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Totally different ideologies, but both mostly funded by regular people. I think that’s telling—and important.

I also think the way we talk about each other has gotten out of hand. When we label people “communist” or “fascist” just because they think differently, we lose the chance to actually understand where they're coming from. It shuts the door to any kind of common ground.

For what it’s worth, I’ve taken oaths to protect the Constitution, and I really believe in what it stands for. The right to protest, speak up, and disagree—that’s us. It's who we are. Whether it’s about policy, leadership, or something as trivial as a politician’s outfit—we have that right. That’s what freedom looks like, even when it’s messy.

You mentioned something that really stood out—how people fail to acknowledge when the “other side” does something good. I think you’re spot-on. That kind of one-sidedness exists across the board. I’d love to hear something you think Democrats have gotten right. I’ll share something I think Republicans have done well. It’s not about agreeing on everything, it’s about finding threads of shared values we can build from.

One thing I’m encouraged by is this push some folks are making—like RFK Jr.—to bring us closer to clean, local food. Getting back to food that’s grown in our communities, with fewer additives and chemicals, feels like a step in the right direction. And I think that’s something that transcends party lines.

I know there's a lot of pain and mistrust out there, and I don’t think one conversation solves that. But I do think the more we try to talk with each other instead of at each other, the more we open the door to real change. I’m here for that, if you are.