Tag: USA

Average Mohamed Freedom Fighter… DTH Episode 150 with Mohamed Ahmed

๐‘จ๐’—๐’†๐’“๐’‚๐’ˆ๐’† ๐‘ด๐’๐’‰๐’‚๐’Ž๐’†๐’… ๐‘ญ๐’“๐’†๐’†๐’…๐’๐’Ž ๐‘ญ๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‰๐’•๐’†๐’“ (๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’ƒ๐’๐’๐’Œ)
Those who have listened to the DTH podcast for awhile are probably familiar with my friend Mohamed Ahmed, a.k.a. Average Mohamed. I first had Mohamed on the podcast way back in episode 49 and that is when I first learned of his work battling extremism with an alternative narrative. Mohamed joined me again in episode 71 to discuss the 20 year anniversary of the attack on 9/11/2001. Mohamed Ahmed, my friend, works tirelessly in the battle against extremism of all kinds, and now he’s written a book to better tell his story and how it all began. The book is Average Mohamed: Freedom Fighter.

๐‘จ๐’ƒ๐’๐’–๐’• ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ฉ๐’๐’๐’Œ ๐‘จ๐’—๐’†๐’“๐’‚๐’ˆ๐’† ๐‘ด๐’๐’‰๐’‚๐’Ž๐’†๐’… ๐‘ญ๐’“๐’†๐’†๐’…๐’๐’Ž ๐‘ญ๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‰๐’•๐’†๐’“
Ideas make the world go round. So, imagine a world in which we championed ideas of freedom and equality for all? For author Mohamed Ahmed, promoting peace and human rights has become a mission. In Average Mohamed Freedom Fighter, Ahmed chronicles his journey from immigrant to activist. Constructing a safe space for difficult conversations on identity, race, religion, and sexuality, Ahmed recounts his experiences while traveling the globe to speak to thousands of young people with the goal of countering biases with tolerance and inclusion. Challenging our assumptions, Ahmed’s inspiring life story will empower future generations of freedom fighters. From freedom comes peace.

A Country At Odds With Its Own Identity… DTH Episode 126

Is our country atย  odds with it’s own identity? What is our country’s true identity? My guest this week, James E. Palombo, makes the claim that there is not enough dialogue about the character and culture of our great nation.

Who is James E. Palombo?
Jim Palombo was a self-described drug dealer and wise-guy who while being incarcerated back in the 1970’s came to the realization that he didn’t want to spend his life in and out of prison and fighting the powers of our justice system. At the suggestion of a mentor while in prison, he began receiving an education. It was through this education and his own life experiences that Jim gained a unique understanding of the American experiment.ย 

My conversation with Jim on this episode of the DTH podcast is such an important one, because while Jim and I don’t agree on some things with regard to our country, we both want to make the case that many in our country lack ideological clarity and without an informed citizenry, our country is in big trouble. Check out this great DTH conversation and be sure to share it with your network of friends!

Don’t Believe The Lies, Believe Your Life… Episode 118 with Brian Echevarria

“Don’t Believe The Lies, Believe Your Life”… it wasn’t but a few months ago when I first heard of Brian Echevarria. Nationally, he was little known with respect to politics but then a video of him speaking in front of his local school board went viral. This episode is not about politics, but about Brian’s story. Family is his story…

Who is Brian Echevarria?
On February 14, 2022, Brian Echevarria was to be the 25th speaker at his local school board meeting in Cabarrus County, NC. Brian is passionate with regard to the controversial issues facing our children in the public school system today. Taboo issues like CRT and transgender athletes can quickly derail school board meetings, but Brian’s impassioned & sensible speech got the country talking. The video quickly went viral and he became known as CRT Dad. Brian is much more than the name would imply.ย  Brian is a Republican candidate for NC House District 73 – Christian, Conservative, Husband, Father, Small Business Owner, and Community Leader.

I am incredibly grateful to welcome my new friend Brian Echevarria as this week’s guest on the Derate The Hate podcast!

Episode 82: From Widow to Warrior, Adversity to Awesomeness… with Gold Star Wife Barbara Allen

Friends, I have talked about it time and time again on the DTH podcast, the victim mentality just produces more victimhood. This week’s guest knows all to well what it’s like to be a victim, be stuck in the warm waters of victimhood, and the results that brings. She is also one that knows how to pull herself out of that pool and become a warrior, and inspiration to others that no longer wish toย  be a victim. Her story is truly one of adversity to awesomeness…

Barbara Allen is someone who has more than a few reasons she could play the perpetual victim card, could be bitter at her country, and could wallow in the depths of pity, but that is not the path she has chosen. Instead, after periods of being both actively, and passively suicidal, and most certainly self-destructive after the murder of her husband by another soldier while deployed in Iraq, Barbara one day had enough of being “the victim”. This is such a powerful and inspiring conversation with a true patriot that is doing incredible things to better the lives of others and the country she loves. DO NOT MISS THIS EPISODE!!

Episode 73: Can We Come Together Again Like The Days Following the Attacks on 9/11/2001?

Can we come together again the way we did in the days following the attacks on 9/11/2001? If you’re old enough, do you remember that time? There is now a whole generation that does not remember, but for those that do, think about that brief period of time after the towers fell, before the conspiracy theorists started with their nonsense and the majority of the main stream media started blaming then President Bush for everything that was wrong in the world. Do you remember how we came together as a nation? Do you remember all the American flags that were flying high and proud? Do you remember that period of time when we had differing opinions, but we were Americans, and Americans stood together in solidarity?

I’m asking the question. Can we come together again like the days following 9/11? I dream of a day when we as Americans can stand together again, in solidarity, with differences and differing opinions, but a common bond that provides for a civil discourse. I dream of a future where my children, and theirs, can live in a country who’s citizens are proud of their country, civil to one another, safe from the evils that plague the world, and still believe in the fundamental unalienable rights that made this country the strongest and proudest nation on God’s green earth.

I believe this is possible, and that is why I do this podcast. Do you, and if so, what are you doing to make that happen? I believe, that with open hearts and open minds, we as individuals have the ability to see past our differences, Derate The Hate, and make the world a better place.

This episode is about revisiting your mindset in the days following 9/11, and thinking about what you can do to get us back to the times of pride and unity? If you’re too young to remember, ask your parents, ask your neighbor or ask a co-worker. Have that conversation. It’s important that we get back to that mindset without a horrific event like those on 9/11. If we don’t, there’s surely more horrific events to come.