Catch and Release Part 2

There are so many unfathomable events happening in the United States every week, no one news story receives the attention it deserves. I genuinely wonder how historians will look back on this time, and what conclusions they’ll draw from a world gone absolutely off its rocker. Catch and Release is about the disease of hatred. The thing that happens when we loathe a certain segment of our neighbors to such a degree, there’s a constant fire burning in our hearts. That fire grows, and it starts to blaze through rational thought. You know it when you see it because people start to say and do incomprehensible things.

I saw it during the wildfires in Los Angeles this fall, when friends of mine lost their homes, the children’s artwork, their photo albums, their children’s sense of security and innocence…and people online said things like, Good! You and your celebrity friends can buy new mansions next week. Boo-hoo, get Gavin Newscum to help you! Those were just a couple of actual things actual people said, and they were not the worst.

The political assassination of Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman - who was tragically and horrifically killed alongside her husband Mark and their family dog Gilbert a couple of weeks ago, and the attempted assassination of Senator John Hoffman, his wife Yvette and their grown daughter Hope the same night - are already out of the news cycle. That isn’t normal or okay.

What is even less okay is that a few hours after it happened, Utah Senator Mike Lee posted “Nightmare on Walz Street” on X, and the always lovely Marjorie Taylor Greene posted a picture of herself aiming an assault weapon. That is a pathological lack of empathy. A vicious, cruel, wholly un-funny level of cruelty with zero thought about the Hortmans’ children, other family members, friends and colleagues in shock. Mike Lee and MTG simply did not care, because Democrats fall outside their circle of compassion. Screw those people, who cares if they suffer, I’m going to laugh while they try to process what has just happened. That is a disease none of us want, friends, and that’s what Part 2 of this podcast is about.

Sadly, the Hortmans and the Hoffmans and the entire story is being overshadowed by the Budget Bill, the horror-show happening in the Everglades right now à la the POTUS, Noem, DeSantis - and some sadistic fantasy they’re playing out using our tax dollars to create Alligator Alcatraz - the ongoing feud with Musk, and the latest grift of a presidential fragrance line. More on all that later this week.

Trump’s latest financial disclosure showed he made $57,355,532 last year from his cryptocurrency stake in World Liberty Financial, $2.8 million from his watches, $3 million from his “Save America” coffee table book, and $50 million from Mar-a-Lago and his members-only club. Ummm, what?

I wouldn’t be talking about this now, but in light of the Budget Reconciliation Bill being pushed through by Republicans in the Senate (with the tie-breaking vote provided by Vice President JD Vance earlier today) - which would gut Medicaid to fund even more ICE, and make billionaires even wealthier - it seems pretty pertinent, and also disgusting. Aside from the fact that it’s wildly illegal because of the Emoluments Clause. But his supporters do not care. I wonder if they will care when they don’t have health insurance.

I suppose it’s understandable that there isn’t time to process, to grieve, or even to integrate all the terrible things that are happening, and yet - we’ve never seen anything like the planned assassinations of 45 lawmakers belonging to one political party (in this case, Democrats) in the history of our country. Never before have we had a person so poisoned by political extremism, he has a list of lawmakers in his car, along with their addresses - guns and ammo at the ready. This is not a thing that happens in a healthy, functioning society, and the Hortmans’ grown children are only just beginning to grieve the loss of their parents.

The fact that this man was stopped is not the story. The fact that the current level of vitriol has risen to such a degree that this story does not even make it through one news cycle, is. I know we are all swimming in so much grief and stress. Keep reassuring yourself this is not how things should be, and know that if you’re struggling, it makes sense. It means you’re sane and compassionate. Surround yourself with people who understand that, and keep raising your voice. We aren’t built for this kind of chaos and violence.

No good person wants to see someone else suffer. So strange the things you have to assert these days. It matters that we acknowledge when decent, kind, hardworking people are harmed. It makes a difference when a lot of us are saying this is not right. You might not think it matters, but the kids are watching. If someone shot me in my doorway, I’d want my children to see the grownups continue to say that wasn’t okay for more than a week, wouldn’t you?

Hang in there, friends. I can’t promise everything is going to be okay, but I can promise you aren’t alone. There are a lot of people who want the world to be a lot kinder than this. I truly think the thing to do is hold the line. Keep saying the true things out loud. Keep showing up with love for the people who need it. For the people who are cruel, who laugh while you cry - my god I would never want to be them. Ever.

Here is part two of the podcast I recorded the week of the assassinations, and I dive right in, because I hadn’t intended to break this into two parts. So you’ll notice I’m pretty fired up right out of the gate - because I’m not okay with cruelty, and I know you aren’t, either. Maybe I should mention I am so fired up I drop a few f-bombs, so if you tend to listen with your little ones around, this might not be the episode. I’m sorry.

If you’re in a position to donate to the Hortmans’ grown kids, here is the gofundme created by their uncle. Sending you so much love.

Come As You Are is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit allyhamilton.yogisanonymous.com/subscribe