635: Slandering Haitians & Parents for Peace in Israel/Palestine with Robi Damelin

During last week’s presidential debate, Donald Trump amplified a false rumor about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. Since then the community, which was already facing significant challenges, has been shaken by deepening divisions, racism, and even bomb threats. We look at how church leaders in Springfield are responding, what’s really behind the pet-eating lie, and why some of Trump’s Christian supporters are embracing the demonstrably false story. Then, Skye talks with Robi Damelin, an 80-year-old peace activist he met during his recent trip to Israel. Robi’s son was killed by a Palestinian sniper in 2002, and since then she’s been partnering with grieving parents in both Israel and Palestine to advocate for peace despite growing resistance from leadership in both communities. Also this week—magic Dorito dust makes mice disappear.

0:00 - Intro

1:56 - Show Starts

4:40 - Theme Song

7:15 - Invisible Dorito Mice

15:15 - The Presidential Debate

22:57 - Why We’ve Accepted Lying

30:51 - Christians Repairing Divides in Ohio

49:29 - Interview

53:20 - Robi’s First Act of Social Justice

1:01:28 - Vengeance and the Cycle of Violence

1:12:36 - Freed from Victimhood

1:19:17 - Where Are Things Now?

1:24:03 - End Credits

Links Mentioned in the News Segment:
The Dye in Doritos Can Make Mice Transparent:

Trump’s Lie is Another Test for Christian America:

Ohio Haitians Feel Panic, Local Christians Try to Repair Divides:

Other resources:

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[shellyrogers]

10, 000 Holy Post Points to Skye for "Does he not understand what seeking asylum means?" My coworkers wondered why I laughed so hard. Thankfully I wasn't drinking anything!

[chuckthompson]

Kaitlyn's response from 35.00 - 38.00 is fire and needs to be made a stand alone clip.

[helgmelia]

“Disturbingly transactional and fairly Machiavellian.” There it is: you described Trump’s way of interacting with the world. That’s why I don’t want him in a leadership position.

[WannabeTesla]

As a left liberal atheist and former Southern Evangelical, I would like to say that enjoy these podcasts, and my heart has been warmed to learn that the Veggie Tales guy is such a kind and level-headed person.

[kamalastromwall]

Yes Skye, I do think Trump conflates asylum seekers with people from insane asylums. Tommy Vietor from pod save America has also made that observation. I think that is where all the Hanibal Lector nonsense comes from.

[jgunn]

I am still in the process of watching this, so it might be touched on. But I have to go to work soon and might not be ablet o comment this (but it's super-important that I do):

About that hideous lie about our Haitian population: We need to vocally and Twitterly and Instagramly and TikTokly and YouTubely DEBUNK the story of the pet-eating nonsense.
BECAUSE (this is the super-important part) Haitians all over the country are being tormented and threatened and otherwise treated horribly because of the nonsense Donald started.
I see it on all SM. I see people chiming in with their own lies of 'I saw my neighbour eating a dog' or something else as lying as that.

We need to start a SM campaign like we do other campaigns where we make our profile photo a Haitian flag or a purple dot or something to show solidarity with Haiti and our Haitian population.
Our Haitian population isn't currently living in a democracy. In a democracy, we all have a say in our existence and we feel safe. In a democracy, no one is being demonized or lied about by our political leaders.

The Haitian community is currently being lied about by our leaders. And this is leading to them being unsafe. There could be a lynching happening soon if us regular people (meaning, us who don't believe the lies) don't stand up and support the Haitian community and debunk the lies and speak loudly and type loudly.

I repeat: Haitians lives are being threatened by people who follow Trump. We need to stand up and shout from the rooftops that we don't' believe the lies and we support our Haitian community. And we will defend them from harm.

[susandailey]

Not just people from another country, but people from black and brown countries. We get lots of immigrants from Asian countries, European countries and other none African diaspora, but no attacks on them.

[MichaelTBalonek]

Speaking of Doritos, I still show people the "How Doritos Gave Us Donald Trump" video 😅❤😂 I love it!

[fmoovmkr]

Just realized this is like a Christian Only Muderers in the Building 😅

[Gameroomschoolhouse]

My daughter’s hobbies include Minecraft and crochet- they can coexist!

[Chrysandthemum]

My 9yo will definitely crochet/knit/needlecraft out in the woods. 😂 Childhood isn't dead yet!

[apolloniapythia]

When Amundsen fought Scott to the South Pole he took sledge dogs instead of motor sledges because he distrusted the new technique in an extrem inviroment but he planed them as emergency food if something went wrong. In extrem powerty in Europe often these animals had been eaten. It is a complet new - "woke" - invention that some animals are pets. And some think tigers or aligators are, too!

[battlejitney]

The interview with Robi Damelin has to be one of the most moving, inspirational, hope-filled interviews ever aired on this podcast. Thank you for bringing her voice to our collective consciousness.

[bethprather]

I remember, " Mr Goodbody, out of a way back file in my brain. " I'm 57, I think he was on tv

[JanetHill-ct]

Had the privilege to sit with Robi and the parent circle group she leads when we went on a IP trip with Telos (you should interview them if you haven’t)
She and her group are doing beautiful amazing things and I wish US would report on that even more.

[bethprather]

I'm still praying and in awe, too. I pray for the war, but we get all involved here and don't have a clue. When you start puttting yourselves in others' shoes, is similar to a study about seeing others, the broken ones, like Jesus. Another study, One at a Time by Kyle Idleman... Really changed my life here as in the struggles. Do they need to just be acknowledged... Then we are all clueless and hate hearing the stories of little kids dying and taken . None of us can put ourselves in those shoes of Gaza kids because of cluelessness. Your entire story about the ones living in Gaza strip since they were small and moving every two years . All the chaos, no we can't even put ourselves there. But we can keep praying . That entire story did relate again to what so many need to get in America on the gloom and doom time and end of time. They act like this is the worst time ever. Idk if they watch the news like Fox fear factor or just see all the mess here or what??. But an awesome pastor I have stated recently, " The worst days ever and gloom and doom predictions need to stop and think because we have people that are in the middle east and other parts of the world, that have never known a day of peace.😢😢.... Their entire lives. There has been fighting, moving., and JUST WE ARE SO CLUELESS... And Skye thank you for this. I am broken and praying but even more I do know we are blessed in America. His story is so deep, much more than any issues here. THEN we have so many that I can't understand, that should know better when election again comes up. I guess I'm to try and put myself in their shoes. ? I listen to a few explain and it never fails it Mayne ok then worse than I can stand
Sadly if we don't calm down and Good Lord help so many understand the horridness of Jan 6 that all the world saw. We are in trouble. Dear Lord keep us close to uou and humbly helo this man in Jeus name amen

[MichaelTBalonek]

I remember hooking threads in the 1980s as a kid too!

[bkucenski]

The OT is so woke, a lot of pastors struggle to apply it because they refuse to read it. It's one of the clues you need a new church if the pastor can only read from the NT and never refers to the OT stories or laws. Or when they only talk about what God can do for you instead of what God expects you to do for others. So many Christians make themselves the punchline of Jesus' parables because they just refuse to believe anything Jesus said. Much less, realize he's just repeating the OT.

[-_-DAVe]

"Listen to the other person's story, and understand why."

[joykeebler]

- well like bringing in cavity spotting tablets as health class in elementary school, kinda thing maybe