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September 26, 2025 • 19 mins

In times of national tragedy, can we resist the urge to turn our grief into political ammo? Sadly, our current leaders can't seem to find their better angels. So who's gonna do the right thing?

🧭 Episode Summary

Fair warning: Your trusty friend and host is a little hot under the collar on this one. We're addressing the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the toxic political blame game that followed. Corey dismantles the knee-jerk scapegoating by political leaders—particularly from the Trump administration—and calls for a return to civility, empathy, and individual responsibility.

Drawing inspiration from great American leaders such as Lincoln, Douglass, MLK, Reagan, and Jack Kemp, Corey urges listeners to rise above the ā€œus vs. themā€ narrative and engage in meaningful conversations across ideological divides. This isn’t just a podcast—it’s a wake-up call for moral courage and collective healing.

šŸ“£Ā Calls to Action:

āœ… TELL A FRIEND ABOUT TP&R!!! Bring more folks into the conversation.

āœ… Subscribe toĀ Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each OtherĀ on your favorite podcast platform.

āœ… Leave aĀ reviewĀ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen:Ā ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics

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āœ… Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube:Ā youtube.com/@politicsandreligion

šŸ•°ļø Timestamps & Highlights Time Topic 00:00 šŸŽ™ļø Introduction & what's bugging Corey today 01:30 āš–ļø Criticism of current leadership’s divisive rhetoric post-tragedy 03:00 šŸ”„ ā€œThey didn’t do it.ā€ – the central thesis 05:30 🧠 Why scapegoating is dangerous and lazy 06:00 šŸ—£ļø Quotes from historical leaders on unity 08:00 šŸ™Œ Remembering real conservatism and integrity in leadership 10:00 šŸ’° A quick word about sponsor: Meza Wealth Management 11:00 šŸ§ā€ā™‚ļø One-on-one conversations > tribal politics 13:00 🧘 Rejecting polarization and choosing relationship over rage 15:00 ā“ How to ask genuine questions without interrogating 17:00 āœ”ļø Tikkun Olam – the Jewish concept of healing the world 18:00 🧭 Final thoughts: Courage, not cowardice, builds bridges 19:00 šŸ™ Outro: Feedback, Substack, YouTube, and a call to respectful conversation šŸ’” Key Takeaways
  • ā€œThey didn’t do itā€: One person is responsible for a crime—not an entire political party or ideology.

  • Scapegoating is intellectually and morally lazy; real leadership seeks unity, not division.

  • History holds better role models: From Lincoln to Reagan, great leaders have called for reconciliation, not retaliation.

  • Genuine conversations with those who think differently are the antidote to political polarization.

  • Tikkun Olam: We each have a responsibility to repair the world—one action, one conversation at a time.

šŸ“¢ Notable Quotes

šŸ—Øļø ā€œScapegoating is cowardice. It’s morally and intellectually lazy.ā€

šŸ—Øļø ā€œThey didn’t do it. An individual did.ā€

šŸ—Øļø ā€œIf grief morphs into blaming anyone who voted differently than you, that’s not mourning—that’s scapegoating.ā€

šŸ—Øļø ā€œWe are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies.ā€ – Abraham Lincoln

šŸ—Øļø ā€œDemocracy without respect for the dignity of each individual is not democracy at all.ā€ – Jack Kemp

šŸ”— Connect on Social Media:

Corey is @coreysnathan on...

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And we are proud members of The Democracy Group:Ā democracygroup.org

Thanks for tuning in! Now go talk politics and religion—with gentleness and respect. šŸŽ™ļøāœØ
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