We Live Here Now

The lack of editing in episode 4 made me nauseous - why on earth would the editor not have removed her swallows, etc?!

I’d hoped that this would stoke my empathy; that people I had demonized would be re-humanized in my mind. But after two episodes I had to stop. My feeling that Ashli Babbitt got what she deserved remains the same and I only feel rage toward her mother and friends. I truly hope they are reunited with her soon.

I loved the thought and care in this podcast. It was clear that it would have been easy to just dismiss this woman and make assumptions about her motivations and actions. But the whole point is to seek to understand and not assume anything. The people in this show are complicated and beautiful.

Ultimately, this show is just about what it means to be a good neighbor and presents a model for learning how to disagree without being disagreeable. I grew up in a small town before the rise of cell phones and “news as divisive entertainment.” We talked to each other. We had drastically different views. But because it was small, we knew it was important to be neighborly. It was refreshing to hear the other side straight from—put simply—a mom who lost a child. I found it interesting how, although she couldn’t see her own privilege because she equated that with wealth instead of race, she was able to understand why Black and Brown moms don’t trust the police (although through a distorted lens from my opinion). Very thought provoking. I live in a blue island in Texas and it’s a good reminder as I see the election signs going up in my neighborhood.