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republican national convention

After two weeks of wall-to-wall politics, we are all this baby seal being rescued from a fishing net in Australia:

Since the conventions began last Monday, it feels like we've been trapped in an endless loop of cable news kibitzing, longwinded speeches, and arguments with friends and family on social media — a feeling not unlike being tangled in a rope with no means of escape.

All images via ViralHog/YouTube.


Then, as if by magic, Friday morning rolled in, like a friendly Aussie with a bowie knife.

And cut us all free.

Sending us galloping full force into the weekend with the RNC and DNC safely behind us.

Politics are important, but they're not everything.

A well-informed citizenry is essential to a functioning democracy. But a citizenry that spends too much time watching CNN and refreshing Twitter is an exhausted citizenry. A cranky citizenry. A citizenry that needs to bike over to the Y, do some laps in the pool, and take a nap.

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

So this weekend, let's take some time off. We've earned it.

Read a book. Play a board game. Tell your children you love them.

Be free, America!

Happy weekend.

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Jon Stewart nails why there's no 'real America' in perfect Jon Stewart fashion.

"Those fighting to be included in the ideal of equality are not being divisive. Those fighting to keep those people out are."

Can you believe it's been nearly a year since Jon Stewart said goodbye to "The Daily Show"?

And what a year it's been! With election season coming down the home stretch, it feels odd not to see the former host offering his take on some of the campaigns' more absurd moments (and oh, have there been many of those).

Last night, Stewart returned to late-night TV for one night to deliver an important message to the American people.

He stopped by "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and gave an epic, 13-minute, mic-drop epilogue to this week's Republican National Convention. And no matter what party you're affiliated with, it's an epilogue you'll want to hear.


Images from "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"/YouTube.

His message was simple but necessary: Today's politics of division aren't sustainable.

And while many politicians claim they stand for unity, they undermine that with platforms built around inequity.

"You got a problem with those Americans fighting for their place at the table," Stewart said about the politics of subtraction. "You got a problem with them because you feel like the ... 'sub-groups' of Americans are being divisive. Well, if you've got a problem with that, take it up with the founders [of America]. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"

"Those fighting to be included in the ideal of equality are not being divisive. Those fighting to keep those people out are."

Stewart called out the rhetoric of the RNC specifically because of its divisive language about immigrants, racial minorities, LGBTQ people, and women.

"You feel that you're this country's rightful owners," Stewart said of the idea that the status quo enables discrimination.

"There's only one problem with that: This country isn't yours. You don't own it. It never was. There is no 'real America.' You don't own it. You don't own patriotism. You don't own Christianity. You sure as hell don't own respect for the bravery and sacrifice of military, police, and firefighters."

Stewart's words might seem a bit partisan, but arguing for inclusion is arguing for humanity, no matter what political party you're in.

Honesty, inclusion, and equality are core tenets of humankind. And like Stewart said, we should put our trust in leaders who stand for those ideals.

That's what matters in — and is missing from — the current state of politics. That's what the future children of America need.

Watch Jon Stewart's epic segment below.


On July 11, 2016, ​the Republican party got together to put the finishing touches on their platform for the upcoming election.

The platform — which outlines what the party stands for and aspires to — is a handy resource for voters and politicians alike.

It's basically a sales pitch to the electorate and a way to measure how views change among the party's members over time.


And for some people, a relatable platform may sell them on the idea of voting in favor of a party's candidates. For others, an unrecognizable or frustrating set of values might indicate the party isn't the best fit for their personal ideologies anymore. 

During that meeting, a woman named Annie Dickerson surprised everyone by offering up a passionate plea for a new set of compassionate values.

She proposed that the party act with compassion on a topic that has always been a bit controversial among Republicans: LGBTQ rights.

Historically speaking, the Republican party has never been especially LGBTQ-friendly. Whether the discussion is related to marriage, parenting, employment, housing, or public accommodations, the party line has remained firmly anti-LGBTQ over the course of time.

Dickerson, who's a member of the platform committee, hoped to change all of that with her speech.

First, she spoke out against language arguing that children of gay and lesbian couples are more likely to be involved with drugs, commit crimes, and wind up in poverty — none of which is supported by evidence.

Then she urged her colleagues to scrap language in support of "traditional marriage and the families a husband and wife create," in favor of more inclusive language simply stating that children need a "loving and stable home." She also argued against the platform's "salute" to the state of North Carolina for its anti-LGBTQ law. And she begged them to show some empathy, to take a stand on the right side of history.

Sadly, though, she mostly stood alone while giving this speech. In the end, most other members of the platform committee adopted anti-LGBTQ positions instead.

Although Dickerson didn't affect the overall 2016 GOP platform, her speech was still really important.

Support for various LGBTQ issues is on the rise across the political spectrum. As a group, Republicans are still less likely than Democrats to back rights like marriage and employment protections. But individually, it looks like change is underway.

You may not hear prominent Republicans speaking out in favor of things like gay marriage (nominee Donald Trump has promised to appoint judges he believes will overturn the Supreme Court's 2015 marriage equality ruling) or civil rights for trans people (earlier this week, RNC speaker Ben Carson referred to transgender people as the "height of absurdity"). But it's important to remember that there are people like Dickerson within the Republican Party offering passionate arguments for change.

Maybe it takes people like Dickerson who will continue to step up and ask for compassion and empathy to change the party line. By 2020, maybe the party will reverse course on some of the more explicitly anti-LGBTQ positions. And maybe, following this fall's election, it'll become clear to those in power that political success cannot be built on the exclusion of others.

No matter what happens, I'm thankful for people like Dickerson.

You can watch Dickerson's speech to the RNC platform committee below.

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There was more to Third Eye Blind's RNC-related performance than just 'trolling.'

Whether or not you agree with their message, their willingness to take a stand speaks volumes.

Do you remember the band Third Eye Blind? (Don't lie; you know you do.)

GIF from Elektra/YouTube.


Well, they were in Cleveland to play a show at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while the Republican National Convention was taking place down the street. Playing for an RNC-friendly audience, the '90s alt-rockers decided to use the platform to speak up for their own personal beliefs.

Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind performs during a 2012 concert in New York City. Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images.

But in what many are calling an act of "trolling," the band's Cleveland show didn't feature many of the band's hits. Instead, it featured something much more heartfelt: truth.

"To love this song is to take into your heart the message and to actually have a feeling to arrive and move forward and not live your life in fear and imposing that fear on other people," Jenkins told the crowd before strumming the opening chords of "Jumper," a song about a gay friend of his who jumped from a bridge to his death.


He called on the audience to welcome LGBTQ people such as his gay family members "into the American fabric."

Some cheered and some booed, but everyone, for that brief moment in time, had a chance to reflect on where they stand on these important issues. Maybe if society would have been more accepting at the time, Jenkins' friend wouldn't have lost his life to suicide. While it's too late to change the past, a more welcoming world is still deeply needed today.

Four years ago, singer Jenkins blogged about the band's invitation to the 2012 RNC and why they declined.

"This is not my mom's Republican Party anymore," Jenkins wrote for The Huffington Post, criticizing the party's stance on things like LGBTQ issues, voter ID laws, disaster funding, and reproductive health.

"If I came to their convention," he later wrote, "I would Occupy their convention."

Fast forward four years, and Jenkins got his chance to do just that.

Jenkins performs during a 2014 concert in Dover, Delaware. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Firefly Music Festival.

And whether or not you agree with Jenkins on political issues, you really have to respect the fact that he's willing to stand up for what he believes is right.

He's willing to put his career and reputation on the line to get across what he believes is an important message. Did he alienate some fans? Possibly. Still, he had the bravery to take a stand, and that's worthy of applause.