Millennial in the Middle

We never thought we would have to issue a Bachelor "Spoiler Alert" warning before a podcast episode, but here it is! The controversy surrounding this season of the Bachelor puts racism in America and ignorance to prejudice in the spotlight.  Emmanuel Acho, host and author of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man took the challenge of hosting this tense conservation and the evening was "uncomfortable" to say the least. In this episode Connor discusses his thoughts on conversations about race in America and how we can make steps forward in having an open dialogue about how race affects us all. 

When someone gets stressed and is looking for a way to blow off some steam, going for a walk can often do the trick. While we have all done this, none of us can say we have taken this to the extreme like our guests on the show today. James Alan Thompson and Paul Chavez decided to walk across the country for peace. Amidst the turmoil of the pandemic and social unrest they left from San Francisco and walked all the way to Washington D.C. The journey took 204 days from June 24th to January 13th. They traveled through Yosemite, the Rocky Mountains, the plains of the Midwest and the east coast (in the winter months).  Along the way they gained new insights about our country, it's citizens and themselves.

Is America the greatest country in the world? For those of you listening to this podcast I am guessing without hesitation you would answer that question with a resounding "YES!" Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what makes America great? Can you give a deeper response than a one-word answer like freedom, opportunity or democracy?

Patriotism isn't simply saying you love your country. True patriotism is having the desire to make your country better and being willing to be a part of the solution. That's what the Founding Fathers did! They weren't perfect and neither are we. In this episode Connor shares his internal debate as a Millennial patriot bound to spark some introspection of your own.

Remember Episode 29 with Erik Little telling the  story of canceling the "Protest on Halloween?" Well, if you didn't hear what went down the rest of the week you need to listen to this episode! A party happened, thousands showed up, cops were called and 9 individuals (including Erik and his business) are being charged by the Utah Attorney General. You have probably read articles or heard about it in the news. As with most things there are two sides to every story. In this episode, Connor gives Erik the mic to walk through what happened from his perspective and what he has learned from this experience.

There are a lot of ways to label each other. By naming the show "Millennial in the Middle," Connor has chosen above anything else to identify himself as a millennial. As loyal listeners you know Connor often relates history, politics and culture to the different generations. Today Jeff Kallay joins the show as our as an expert in explaining generational theories about how we interact with each other.

Jeff has spent his career working with colleges and universities understanding how to recruit Millennial and Gen Z students and understanding their Baby Boomer and Gen X parents. He studies and presents about American generations, understanding generational differences and how to best connect with each unique peer group. He is an extremely popular speaker at conferences and workshops around the country. He’s known for his booming voice and boisterous attitude. This lively conversation is bound to teach you a thing or two and make you think about how WHEN you were born has impacted your life.

Last week you probably heard lots of talk about the Stock Market, GameStop, Reddit, and RobinHood. Connor takes his turn weighing in on this situation and takes a philosophical approach to the broader issues this debate surfaces. Whether you have followed this story closely or know nothing at all you will get something out of this episode. Like most episodes you will find this story is more complex than you might think at first glance and after listening din't be surprised if you find yourself somewhere "in the middle."

The Inauguration went off without a hitch and Biden is saying all the right things. Connor gives his thoughts on the speech and call for unity, the record number of executive orders, the split Supreme Court, and Kamala Harris’ role.

Today we will inaugurate a new President. After an election year it’s easy to have big government be your only focus, but have you ever stopped to think how much the President actually affects your day-to-day life? In today’s episode you’ll see that local government often has a much larger impact on you and your family.

Connor brings Graham Mitchell on the show to give his unique perspective as a City Manager. (Not sure what a city manager is? All the more reason you should listen to this episode!) He talks about issues his city has faced and gives a real world approach to some major societal issues. For example, we have all heard the debate on defunding the police. Rather than a hypothetical conversation you will quickly see how complicated these problems are and how complex the answers may be.

Graham Mitchell - City Manager of El Cajon in San Diego County

We've reached a breaking point. Yesterday Donald Trump was banned from Facebook, Twitter, etc. The New York Times published an article posing the question "If Free Speech is a Threat to our Democracy."  While this sounds like an oxymoron this question is at the center of our current political debate. In this episode, Connor discusses what he feels is a dangerous precedent being set. 

We have been back for a day and there's already some major events to respond to. Yesterday's events of watching the Capitol be stormed by protesters was a shocking image. This was not a good day for America and one we will remember for a long time. In this reactionary episode, Connor gives his feelings on Trump's last stand and his attempt to go down in a "blaze of glory."