The Mexican militias have since become cartels of sorts themselves. “When you abolish the police, or when you render the police ineffective,” John said, “you invite another armed group to come in and fill that power vacuum. Someone will exercise a monopoly on the use of force.”

Joe Watkins, Pastor of the Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, Republican media analyst, and former aide to George HW Bush, discussed his new book, The New 'PC' (link below), and the state of the country as it recovers from weeks of unrest.

Joe discussed why he is optimistic that the protests have encouraged Americans to think about the problems of their neighbors in a new way.

Turning to polarization, Joe noted that “God will not judge me as a conservative or a liberal, but if I loved my neighbor.”

Born as one of six children in Queens, New York, Joe spoke of receiving a scholarship to attend a boarding school which set him up for a life of success.

Joe discussed the concept of “privilege,” which he believes many Americans misunderstand.“Some people start on second or third base and they think they have hit a double or a triple, while most of the people are in the dugout hoping to just get the chance to bat.”

A leader within the school choice movement, Joe said conservatives need to emphasize that and similar aspects of our platform to build support from traditionally liberal communities.

Talitha Phillips, CEO of a crisis pregnancy center, Claris Health (link below), a LA based organization which many Teneans have been involved with.

Talitha opened with her own compelling story of an unplanned pregnancy as an undergraduate, and how that ignited her calling into the field of crisis pregnancy aid and resource provision.“The world is saying abortion is the answer, but we need to say ‘no’ — the anser is housing and employment and family and community,” she said.

Talitha expressed optimism that — in her experience on the front lines — Millennial mothers seem to have a much greater sense of the life they are carrying due to ultrasounds, and the ways modern technology has brought the unborn into better view.

However, there are still structural forces pushing women toward abortion, as schools like UCLA forbid pregnant women from living on campus, thereby potentially forcing women to choose their education or their child.

“We have to be there before to prevent many of these pregnancies, we have to be there during to help them make the best choice, and we have to be there after to support and love women who are left scared and alone.”

Claris Health is entirely funded by donations and is expecting an especially difficult financial year considering the economic outlook. If you are interested in helping financially or with your time and expertise, [email protected] would love Teneo’s support. She also recommended you get to know the local pregnancy center in your community to lend your support.