Wish You Knew Karen Bortvedt

Mike shares his perspectives on being a 'conservative' in the United States. He talks about gun control, the current government situation, climate change, racism, taxes, student debt, leadership, parenting, and many other topics. Although he is a "Conservative Texan" his responses may surprise you as, once again, stereotypes don't necessarily hold up.


If you are interested in hearing more divers perspectives, these from around the world, check out intentionaltravelers.com/10for10-news.


If you are interested in supporting the Wish You Knew podcast on this Giving Tuesday, go to www.wishyouknewpodcast.com/add-your-voice

Lila shares her perspectives on being a 'liberal' in the United States. Her answers on policy perspectives and political motivations demonstrate the complexity of these issues and how no platform is a completely accurate representation of any one person. She also talks about her hopes and fears in this current political environment. Listen. And, consider what doesn't sit well with you. Why do you hold those perspectives?

Share your reflections with us! For some, this current political moment is one of great hope. For others, one of great fear. Want to share your hopes and fears? Leave us a message at 971-246-7606.

Christina shares her story of domestic violence as a way to help us all better understand and join her as advocates. She is a woman of great strength and we can all learn from her experiences. She also provided us with many great resources.

For those currently struggling with domestic violence, anywhere in the USA, a couple great resources are www.thehotline.org and www.211.org. Or, call 211 if you don't have access to internet.

For those in Oregon, calltosafety.org and www.dvrc-or.org, are great resources Christina has been a part of.

Christina also mentioned a couple of models or approaches to life. One was harm reduction, more information can be found here harmreduction.org/about-us/principles-of-harm-reduction

Another is this idea of heart-centered communication, a tool we can all use with those in our lives to model positive communication: gailbrenner.com/2009/11/6-heart-centered-communication-tools

To support Christina's work, you can donate through www.dvrc-or.org/donate (or find other domestic violence resource centers in your community that need help).

Being educated on the issue is always the first step to take toward better supporting those who need it.

This is part two of a two part series with Keith sharing about his Mormon faith. In this episode, we continue answering listener questions about race in the church, the Mormon welfare program, life after death, and challenges the Church faces (or the members of the church face). As always, a transcript is available at wishyouknewpodcast.com/transcripts.

If you are interested in reading more, go to www.lds.org

For information specifically about the welfare programs, visit www.lds.org/topics/welfare

Many of us have probably seen a Mormon at one time or another in our life. I have in fact seen them in almost every country I have visited. But, how many of us actually understand their faith and what they are teaching? Keith joins us today to answer all of our questions. He is a practicing Mormon, in good standing with his church. This is part one of a two part interview where he answers many of your questions. As always, a transcript is available at wishyouknewpodcast.com/transcripts.

If you are left with questions, check out www.LDS.org. Keith also mentioned GayMormon.org or northstarlds.org.

In honor of National Coming Out Day, we chat today with James who is an openly gay male. He shares his experiences growing up in a conservative area, as well as words of advice and how to be a good ally and build respect even when we disagree with others' sexualities. A transcript of this episode is available at www.wishyouknewpodcast.com/transcripts


If you still find yourself questioning the correct vocabulary to use or what all the acronyms mean, check out www.wearefamilycharleston.org/lgbt-a-z-glossary/


For those who may themselves be on a journey of coming out to themselves and others about their sexuality (or those who just want to continue learning), James mentions many great resources including:


www.1800runaway.org


www.thetrevorproject.org


Www.itgetsbetter.org


www.gaychristian.net


And, if you are the family member or friend of someone who identifies as LGBTQI, www.pflag.org is a great place to go for resources and support as you too continue along the journey of coming out with your loved one. As James says, it is a process for everyone involved.