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"When I realized I was wrong, I didn’t instantly conclude that everything I’d been taught throughout my life was a lie. Instead, it just stirred in me the desire to be more vigilant and informed. I educated myself. I read the research—not just skimmed, but studied—and I started to listen to people, smart people, outside of my bubble."

Best paragraph I've read in ages. I'm about to post it on the wall in my office. Thank you, Jamie Reed.

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I signed up for the Free Press as a Christmas Gift to myself.Bari Weis’s podcasts were so superb I had to do it. So I am new at this . As I read this article I cannot help but think Bari herself with all her so called “liberal credentials” was shunned by the Leftist media for stepping out of line. Which led to this wonderful publication.

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Thank you Jamie!

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Of course, sometimes, we're not wrong. And it requires great courage to tell others than they are. Even when the "others" are legion and we are only a few.

The "left" is so obviously wrong about so many things... but they have no interest in being right. They only care about feeling righteous.

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Jamie, I recommend reading Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay on Self Reliance. It’s a bit of a slog to get through, although you will find many Emerson quotes therein you will recognize from posters, etc. I read this in high school (during Vietnam Nam war), while as a teenager was struggling with grasping many issues of the day, believing in one thing and then the next day perhaps the opposite. I found in Emerson’s words the courage to speak my truth today as passionately as I dared, then perhaps the next day my truth changed and I had confidence to speak to it even if it contradicted what I believed yesterday. Basically, it’s ok to change your mind as you learn and grow and your life evolves. And the tricky part is letting go of what others may say or believe about you because you did. So many, too many, people today are locked into their beliefs, so fearful of seeking knowledge or being open minded enough to challenge their own beliefs — not simply to admit they may be wrong about something, but to even entertain the possibility they may be.

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The author claims that the radical left follows the science. That is the most absurd claim as the radical left can't stand the truth. In fact the Truth and therefore science is like Krypton to superman its to be avoid at all costs. No thinking person would have ever believed that castrating young males chemically is a good thing or cutting off the breasts of 12-14 year girls is a good thing. This whole trans lie is as true as the statement I found that in 1949 99% of the doctors agreed that lobotomies were good things for the patients. It was a lie in 1949 and the trans activists are lying now. In fact the whole radical left side of any political spectrum can only lie. Its the lies of communism that has killed 94 million worldwide in the 20th Century. Today the radical left is lying about the whole trans gender issue so it can mutilate a whole generation of young kids which is as evil and vile as you can be.

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Jamie Reed, Thank you again for your voice and honesty. You took on the Progressive zealots and the least accountable part of US society, the Healthcare Complex.

The commonality is both lie with impunity. They hold little regard for hurting children as long as their dogma is upheld.

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This is just a personal observation, confirmed by the reactions of progressives to Jamie's story—they'd rather be tortured on a medieval rack than be found to be wrong! I'm not sure what's behind this but, when they were liberals, one could discuss issues with them. As progressives, they're always right, (Just like the far right) and any discussions are reduced to name calling etc. No diversity of thought allowed! These times sadden me. I believe if we retain our freedoms of speech, press, assembly and faith we'll survive them. I'm not so sure we'll retain those rights though. My hope is in The Free Press and other alternatives and ultimately, in the SOTUS to protect those rights from the self-righteous.

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I can imagine that world because of courageous people like Jaime Reed. I live in St. Louis County.

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As a very conservative engineer and Philosophy teacher, I would LOVE have a coffee with you, and just listen for a couple of hours. I would probably disagree with much or more of your positions, but you elucidated what I worked to instill in my students and interns!!

I had the deep privilege of teaching Philosophy and Worldviews (imagine getting to teach Christianity or Plato in China!)… I had atheists, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, and others in my class, along with political views across the spectrum. As mostly Asian students, they were more likely to provide an answer that accorded with my preferences.

However, I would start my semesters telling them that merely by virtue of their being in my classroom, they were accepted and cared for.

Armed with the above, we had a section on constructing arguments. And then, I challenged them to immediately start reviewing their worldview, and to study it, and to begin to build an apologia for what they found they believed.

My finals included an essay question, where they would lay out their arguments for their worldview. They were clearly notified: “Do NOT answer how you think I want you to answer! Yes! I am a Western-thinking, politically conservative, devout follower of Jesus Christ. But I want to read such compelling arguments in your essays, that you who see differently - make me seriously think about my own views.”

Nothing more exciting than seeing international students getting armed up before university.

Keep doing what you are doing. Grace to you, and Peace throughout this new year!

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Re: "I respectfully disagree"

While I appreciate the need for civil exchanges of views, attacks like those launched by the Regressives clearly did not warrant or deserve a disagreement marked by respect.

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I hope that Jamie Reed can at least take solace in the fact that her views are actually majority views.

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Oh, so it was only that ONE belief in her leftist belief system that was deluded and was harming other people. The rest remain 100% accurate and require no further examination. Got it.

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The journey is taken one step at a time

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Well, I have to admire the willingness to say "I was wrong", but what level of narcissism and toxic naiveite did it take to be part of this horrific movement to begin with? A murderer may later admit to his crimes, and discourage others from becoming murderers, but he still needs to take responsibility for the suffering of innocents that he caused.

Saying “I was wrong. I’ll do better” does not wash away the horror of the ruined lives for which this person chose to be an uninformed enabler.

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She has been very outspoken on the harms being done and will save many youth moving forward. I’ve seen and heard her on many podcasts. Chastising her for not understanding the problems sooner really isn’t fair.

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I am a confirmed registered nothing. Early on I learned to basically not trust either party. Early on I learned that all politicians lie and their core values float like the Monarch Butterfly. They of course say they have matured. What that actually means is they want to stay in power and will do what ever it takes. To be clear I do vote always and try to be educated on the issues. I truly admire Jamie for her stance and her story and agree it takes courage to change from a life long position like hers and actually publicly shout it out. Can anyone state what the core values of either party is now? The powerful slow moving mass of what the progressives say is best for us has smothered what I consider a core value, Freedom of Speech. Jamie is clearly a victim of this. The disgusting display of this was put on national television when we watched the three presidents of our so called intellectually elite universities make fools of themselves. Hypocrisy to the tenth degree was on full display. They tried to tell us they knew what freedom of speech was. However, they revealed that they are the arbiters of freedom of speech and if it differs from yours then you are either ignorant, racist ( that always seems to be included ) or perhaps a bad person. To me this sums up the entire political landscape today. Of course we have freedom of speech but it has become almost a joke when you have organizations and large groups formed all over including in our universities that have as their "Core Value" to decide what will be passed by their agust body as allowable to be heard by us mere mortals.

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It is a hard thing to go against your group. Going against those who hold station over you, those who are your friends. Its like stepping onto an invisible bridge over the deep black.

I commend your stand, thank you.

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