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CNN host and commentator Van Jones spoke at South By Southwest (SXSW) the first weekend about current political events and the importance of understanding both liberals and conservatives’ points-of-view in order to come together and function fully as a democracy. Jones currently works on his CNN show, “The Messy Truth,” where he travels to conservative-leaning states to understand the political divide with the working class.
Van Jones talks partisanship https://t.co/7hZ30dBRRl
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2017
Jones is most recently known for “decoding” Donald Trump and his supporters in the past year and presidential election.
"I got very good at saying 'Donald Trump sucks'… in various, clever ways." – @VanJones68 #sxsw #sxsw2017
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2017
But the objective of Jones’s speech was not to decode Trump and his supporters, but rather urge both liberals and conservatives to understand and empathize each other. Jones points out that it is critical to do this for our future generations.
"All [the kids] saw was grown folks fighting… not sharing, not making friends." – @VanJones68 #sxsw #sxsw2017
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2017
Jones starts talking about some of the Trump supporters he had met before.
Van Jones talks about people he met and what he learned from it #sxsw #sxsw2017 https://t.co/sfmi7ZWKCX
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2017
During the presidential election campaigning, Jones persisted in telling his peers and colleagues that Donald Trump is not to be underestimated.
"I was afraid of him from the beginning. I was warning about him from the beginning." – @VanJones68 #sxsw #sxsw2017
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2017
"In reality tv, the bad guy becomes the star, and Trump knew that." #sxsw2017 https://t.co/dCnhXLbPEA
— Socialnn Austin (@socialnn) March 10, 2017
He explains the perspectives of the coal miners and why it is important to try to understand their reasoning for supporting Trump.
"I'm an environmentalist. [coal miners] are supposed to hate me and I'm supposed to hate them. But I don't." – @VanJones68 #sxsw #sxsw2017
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2017
"I've met men who work down in coal mines & now their paychecks are taken & nobody cares… you've got sick, retired heroes." – @VanJones68
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2017
"I don't care who they vote for. I don't want them to die because they can't see a doctor." – @VanJones68 #sxsw #sxsw2017
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2017
Ultimately, Jones points out that we have all reached a point where we need to recognize that “something is wrong” and that it takes everyone in the country to pull their weight given the current political climate.
"Everyone has more data, more information but less wisdom than 10 years ago. Something is wrong." – @VanJones68 #sxsw #sxsw2017
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2017
"We don't have to agree. That's the point in a democracy. We should learn to understand." – @VanJones68 #sxsw #sxsw2017
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2017
Jones speaks to liberals to recognize “the messy truth” about Trump’s presidency.
"Every liberal thinks he'll be impeached in half an hour… not gonna happen. Messy truth." – @VanJones68 #sxsw #sxsw2017
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2017
However, it is also crucial that we do more than resist, Jones says.
"The resistance gives me hope but if that's all we do, it's not going to work." – @VanJones68 #sxsw #sxsw2017
— Shuffle Online (@shuffleonline) March 10, 2017
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