My brain keeps replaying one of Etel's reflections from around 22:11 -
"How do you sit in a room across from people that refuse to acknowledge your mere existence...and refuse to do that over and over and over again?"
I hear my kid's voice, who has asked me how they can respond when a classmate tells them (again) that their (nonbinary) identity is against their religion.
My heart aches for Thu and my kid and everyone else forced to endure this f-ed up climate that is frothing about "identity politics" while refusing to acknowledge the mere existence of our fellow humans.
I'm really sorry you and your kid are going through that, and yeah, the people we count on and who should be responsible to model good behavior in that situation are the adults in authority
At this point I think it's no secret that Etel is a personal friend of mine, from before politics. Etel is my personal friend for a lot of reasons, one of which is that she has been a leader and a thinker and a hard-worker for a long time. It's what led her to politics, not what developed after she became a politician.
I think there is a transcript automatically generated. if you open the post in a browser (not email) it should be right at the top above the headline. Next to “open in the app”
that said it’s AI definitely, so idk if it’s any good. I’ll look into how to attach transcripts I have more control over
Also not to put this on anyone whatsoever and I can't speak for Bill or what is technically possible with Substack but I know that there are cool weirdos that like doing actual human-made transcripts, and if one of those people wanted a little volunteer-type project to do once a week, I personally think that would rule. I can't see why we couldn't at least externally link to it even if it's not the instant the episode drops.
Thank you for this conversation. I think city council would benefit from an intervention that incorporates the tenets and practices of restorative justice. What are the benefits of restorative justice training?
It can help people feel seen, heard, and valued
It can help people develop a sense of belonging, safety, and importance
It can help people learn to work through conflicts and behavioral issues
It can help people develop skills like empathy, negotiation, and conflict management …
Thank you so much, and yes, it actually took me having this conversation with Bill and Etel in real time to sort of fully remember how much this is the case, silly as that sounds.
Not to get too personal, but I have been in an abusive relationship, and specifically one where I was expected to "move on" from things that did real emotional damage to me. It's why I am divorced and remarried to someone very different. It's why I had to tell my ex "look, the things you're doing to me cause real and permanent damage", and why one day, saying that and not seeing the results I needed became one too many times.
When I had to do that, some people kind of knew what was up, but some were shocked because we had hid the dynamic between ourselves very well. I am also thinking about that as I realize why the risk of naming it is outweighed by the benefit of naming it.
I am not the main character in this story at all, but I've been thinking about how we're all to some degree secondary characters in it. Bill started Worcester Sucks talking about a city that "punishes you for caring". What kind of relationship is that describing actually than one that tracks as being kinda low-key abusive to all of us?
Anyway I am a big believer in restorative justice. True and good restorative justice work lets all parties walk away feeling like they've learned something about how to be better and to expect better from others. The issue I see is that restorative justice also requires all parties to engage earnestly, and in good faith.
Great conversation, thank you.
My brain keeps replaying one of Etel's reflections from around 22:11 -
"How do you sit in a room across from people that refuse to acknowledge your mere existence...and refuse to do that over and over and over again?"
I hear my kid's voice, who has asked me how they can respond when a classmate tells them (again) that their (nonbinary) identity is against their religion.
My heart aches for Thu and my kid and everyone else forced to endure this f-ed up climate that is frothing about "identity politics" while refusing to acknowledge the mere existence of our fellow humans.
Shame.
I'm really sorry you and your kid are going through that, and yeah, the people we count on and who should be responsible to model good behavior in that situation are the adults in authority
Grateful for Etel’s leadership
At this point I think it's no secret that Etel is a personal friend of mine, from before politics. Etel is my personal friend for a lot of reasons, one of which is that she has been a leader and a thinker and a hard-worker for a long time. It's what led her to politics, not what developed after she became a politician.
Any chance of getting podcast transcripts? Not a big podcast listener but would love to see what was said.
I think there is a transcript automatically generated. if you open the post in a browser (not email) it should be right at the top above the headline. Next to “open in the app”
that said it’s AI definitely, so idk if it’s any good. I’ll look into how to attach transcripts I have more control over
Also not to put this on anyone whatsoever and I can't speak for Bill or what is technically possible with Substack but I know that there are cool weirdos that like doing actual human-made transcripts, and if one of those people wanted a little volunteer-type project to do once a week, I personally think that would rule. I can't see why we couldn't at least externally link to it even if it's not the instant the episode drops.
Thank you!!
Thank you for this conversation. I think city council would benefit from an intervention that incorporates the tenets and practices of restorative justice. What are the benefits of restorative justice training?
It can help people feel seen, heard, and valued
It can help people develop a sense of belonging, safety, and importance
It can help people learn to work through conflicts and behavioral issues
It can help people develop skills like empathy, negotiation, and conflict management …
Thank you so much, and yes, it actually took me having this conversation with Bill and Etel in real time to sort of fully remember how much this is the case, silly as that sounds.
Not to get too personal, but I have been in an abusive relationship, and specifically one where I was expected to "move on" from things that did real emotional damage to me. It's why I am divorced and remarried to someone very different. It's why I had to tell my ex "look, the things you're doing to me cause real and permanent damage", and why one day, saying that and not seeing the results I needed became one too many times.
When I had to do that, some people kind of knew what was up, but some were shocked because we had hid the dynamic between ourselves very well. I am also thinking about that as I realize why the risk of naming it is outweighed by the benefit of naming it.
I am not the main character in this story at all, but I've been thinking about how we're all to some degree secondary characters in it. Bill started Worcester Sucks talking about a city that "punishes you for caring". What kind of relationship is that describing actually than one that tracks as being kinda low-key abusive to all of us?
Anyway I am a big believer in restorative justice. True and good restorative justice work lets all parties walk away feeling like they've learned something about how to be better and to expect better from others. The issue I see is that restorative justice also requires all parties to engage earnestly, and in good faith.