Judge Lina Hidalgo made it clear she would not tolerate Mattress Mack’s buffoonery. Why hate works and how we mitigate it. NAM’s Brian Carr visits to discuss their important work in helping the needy.
Hidalgo dings Mattress Mack
NAM’s Brian Carr speaks
I normally get this newsletter out before the show to give our listeners, watchers, and followers a heads-up about the upcoming Politics Done Right program on KPFT 90.1 FM Houston. Last night, however, we had a 6+ hour Pacifica National Board which I had to attend to discuss important issues regarding our organization. Above that, it was a full day with the internet version of PDR and two interviews to be aired next week. I was officially spent. I woke up after three hours of sleep and started preparing for the KPFT program. I knew I could not get it all written and somewhat edited for release (as my own copyeditor, I am trying to be a bit more careful). I was ready to do it all from the head. Ultimately, I am glad I did not finish preparing the show. When my guest from Northwest Assistance Ministries came into the studio and started talking, I knew I would change the program to center more on his organization, his politics, and much more.
Brian L. Carr is the Chief Advancement Officer of Northwest Assistance Ministries. We discussed his organization giving a hand up to those in need in our vast Houston Metropolitan area. We also got into some politics. He is very conservative, and I am very progressive. Yet we had so much in common I wanted to air our genuine conversation with the expectation that it would be a catalyst for those always at each other’s throats to just pause and just be human. I enjoyed our conversation pre, during, and post the program.
Right Wing hate can be turned against them.
Mattress Mack should have stayed in his lane. He is no match for Lina Hidalgo in politics, just as she will not try to save you money on furniture today. Houston Chronicle reported the most recent skirmish.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo had sharp words Thursday for “the mattress guy” in response to a lawsuit against the county filed by Houston furniture magnate Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale.
McIngvale filed a lawsuit this week accusing the Harris County Elections Administrator’s Office of refusing to turn over public records related to the November 2022 election.
Hidalgo argued McIngvale’s lawsuit is about more than just public records, calling it part of a trend of denying election results following in the footsteps of former President Donald Trump and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell.
“It’s almost comical,” Hidalgo said. “In Harris County, we’re not only enduring the pillow guy, but we’ve got to deal with the mattress guy, too.”
The impacts of the litigation are not funny, Hidalgo added.
“It’s real democracy. It’s real people who came out and voted, and real folks who were duly elected. And it’s important to protect our democracy. We’ve got now the mattress guy attempting to sow doubt in the election with a bogus lawsuit to prop up election denialism in order to — I don’t know what — finance his profits? Get some free press? Ultimately, those that are harmed are the residents of the county and the faith in our democratic process,” Hidalgo said.
Why hate works and how we mitigate it.
My wife went to her church, The Luke, last night for their monthly meeting of their “Be The Bridge Project” initiative. It’s a monthly ongoing dialogue between a predominantly black church, The Luke, and the predominantly white church, Kingwood Christian Church. I am proud of the two pastors, Pastor Timothy Sloan, and Pastor Chad Mattingly. Professor Dr. John J. Theis, a well-known community organizer and head of the Lone Star College Center for Civic Engagement, is the facilitator of this program among the many types of engagement activities he organizes.
The churches formed an alliance to sustain substantive and intentional discussions on racial issues and unity. These great community leaders understand Dr. Martin Luther King’s statement about the most segregated hour in America.
An attendee from Kingwood Christian Church gave my wife a flier and asked her to give it to me. She said she was very concerned about these types of fliers. I included the entire flier at the end of this post.
Have you ever wondered why so many predominantly white people vote for a man as un-intellectual, morally defective, selfish, and narcissistic as Donald Trump and many of his cohorts? Our plutocracy, our oligarchy, and many of our wealthy understand that they can only continue their legalized thievery if they create maximum polarization. They turn misunderstanding and ignorance into existential differences that shut down the critical thinking of many. And if you are not thinking critically and acquiesce to the false messages they put out, then you will fail to see the culprits actually causing us harm.
The fliers were very expensive to create and mass mail. As a progressive political activist, I know we cannot match the money that the wealthy plutocrats and oligarchs have. But we have a bigger weapon, community engagement, personal attributes, and more if we choose to innoculate ourselves from the hate they sell and just show others we care. If we stop just preaching to the choir, wondering why the others just won’t change, and instead engage the other, we could accomplish more in the aggregate.
See the fliers here,
Viewers are encouraged to subscribe and join the conversation for more insightful commentary and to support progressive messages. Together, we can populate the internet with progressive messages that represent the true aspirations of most Americans.