Millennial in the Middle

Throughout the year we will be diving into a lot of history. Most people struggle with history because we focus on dates and statistics, rather than stories and people. With that said, you have to have a general understanding of the sequence of events in our roughly 300 years of history to have a framework to view politics and the American story.

In this episode, Connor takes the challenge of giving a recap of our entire country's history in 20 minutes. Hopefully, this helps you feel more informed and allows you to expand your knowledge more easily moving forward. 

As promised in the episode:

1776

1787

1849

1861

1917

1929

1941

1960

1980

2001

In the final episode of 2020 Connor shares his experience on a humanitarian trip he went on over Christmas. The trip was put on by A Child's Hope Foundation and Board Member Brett Bailey was the trip host. Connor brings Brett on the show to discuss some of the highlights of the week and lessons learned. Brett has taken over 15 trips down to Mexico to do construction projects at the orphanages and more importantly to spend time with the kids. Brett also played a major role in building an orphanage from the ground up in his role as Director of Orphan Support.

We wish you a Happy New Year! Regular programming of the podcast will be back at the start of 2021 with weekly episodes. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us at the Millennial in the Middle this year may you "Find the Gift" and strive to "Be the Gift" in new year!

If you would like to learn more about the organization you can visit achf.org. If you are interested in going on a trip or donating please contact Connor through his social channels or email Brett directly at [email protected]

Hey everyone! It’s been a minute since our last episode. Today Connor checks in on some important topics and gives an overview of the year 2020. 

Weekly episodes will return in January! Follow @millennial_inthe_middle to stay up to date! 

Over the last several days, I have been asked more times than I can count what I think about the allegations of voter fraud. After processing all of this I share where I have landed and give some guidance for how to not get so worked up in the next couple months. Spoiler alert, I find myself somewhere in the middle!

In this episode I start with a story which involves voter fraud, looting and burning a town, violent retribution, and a congressman attacking a senator while giving a speech on the senate floor. All of this happened in the 1850s in what we now refer to as “Bloody Kansas.” The parallels in this story are clear and confirm the need for our country to lower the temperature!

It‘s been 24 hours since the first polls closed and the madness has been “par for the course.” Expect anything different from 2020?

For weeks I have had listeners ask me who I think is going to win the election. In this episode I decided to give it my best guess.

I point out some key differences between the 2016 and 2020 races and how it might come into play. We walk through some key things to watch on election night and what Trump has to do to pull off an unlikely victory. Take a listen and feel free to send me what you think is going to happen!

Erik Little runs an event company and as you can imagine 2020 has been a rough year. Large gatherings are literally illegal! Erik decided to play by the rules and planned what would be the biggest party in Utah of the year. This wasn’t going to be just any party, it was going to be a “peaceful protest.” Millennials and Gen Z coming together in support of their right and need to gather and socialize to fight feelings of loneliness, isolation and depression. This protest/party quickly got the attention of the media, local law enforcement and even the governor. In this episode, Erik tells of his experience trying to play by the rules and being shut down!

Connor explains a parallel to another costume party that was also a protest in American history that got the government’s attention.  This episode will make you think about when the government oversteps their bounds and the importance of Americans fighting for their liberties. Party on!

Even though it seems nothing is normal in 2020, there is one thing that won’t change: on election day you have to make a decision. Being in the middle doesn’t mean you vote for Kanye. Being in the middle doesn’t mean that you choose to stay home and not vote at all. You can still be in the middle and make a choice. In this episode, Connor gives some advice on how to feel good about your final decision. He then breaks down the final debate within this organized framework.

This episode also includes a story of Connor meeting President Trump and an encounter he will tell his kids and grandkids.

With the confirmation hearings of Amy Coney Barrett last week we saw an intelligent, powerful woman take center stage. This brought the topic of abortion and Roe v. Wade to the forefront of political conversation. While this argument is typically broken down to pro-life vs. pro-choice it is much more complicated than that.

In today’s interview with Morgan Reber, Connor has a serious conversation about an important topic. Morgan is very informed and passionate in her stances as a feminist and progressive democrat. With that said, she has struggled with the debate over abortion. Morgan explains to Connor her experience weighing out the arguments and where she has landed. Her answer may surprise you!

We have all heard people say things like “we have never been more divided,” “the stakes have never been higher.” You might have even heard people say “we are headed for another civil war!” Today we dive into history to look at the time our country was more divided than ever. Connor tells the history of the Election of 1860 which brought Abraham Lincoln to the White House and led 11 states to secede from the Union in between election night and inauguration day.

Connor compares this period to today and brings some rational thinking to these extreme scenarios. He also talks about why we should expect a wild November and what we can do about it.