Welcome to a powerful special episode of the Speak and Flow Podcast, where we delve into a recent shocking incident – the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. This event not only shook the nation but also highlighted the deep polarization in our media and communication systems.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
The implications of information dissemination revolving around Donald Trump’s recent assassination attempt, and the urgent need for more balanced and respectful communication practices.
Key Takeaways:
1. Recap of the Incident
On July 13, 2024, Donald Trump is speaking at an event in Pennsylvania when shots are fired. Secret Service and local authorities quickly contain the situation. The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, a registered Republican, is apprehended. Were his likely motives born from information and media influence?
2. Polarization of Information and Communication
How media outlets actually contribute to the deepening political divide by presenting imbalanced, and sometimes inaccurate, views. Then, there’s social media with its impact of polarized media consumption on our beliefs, emotions, and actions, leading to heightened tension and potentially dangerous outcomes.
3. Importance of Changing How We Communicate
We talk about media consumption and the emotions it triggers, and why it’s necessary to seek multiple viewpoints - even those that challenge our beliefs, to foster understanding and reduce polarization. How can we promote active listening, respectful speaking, and engaging in constructive debates to bridge divides?
Memorable Quotes:
“I implore you to really take a deep dive and assess how you really take in information as well as disseminate information.”
“Are you getting balanced perspectives, multiple perspectives - even if it's different from what you're used to? Getting curious about the other side, getting curious about what they think, what their beliefs are, what their stories are.”
About Melinda:
Melinda Lee is a Presentation Skills Expert, Speaking Coach, and nationally renowned Motivational Speaker. She holds an M.A. in Organizational Psychology, is an Insights Practitioner, and is a Certified Professional in Talent Development as well as Certified in Conflict Resolution. For over a decade, Melinda has researched and studied the state of “flow” and used it as a proven technique to help corporate leaders and business owners amplify their voices, access flow, and present their mission in a more powerful way to achieve results.
She has been the TEDx Berkeley Speaker Coach and has worked with hundreds of executives and teams from Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Caltrans, Bay Area Rapid Transit System, and more. Currently, she lives in San Francisco, California, and is breaking the ancestral lineage of silence.
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Transcripts
Melinda Lee:
Welcome, dear listeners, to the speak and flow podcast where we dive deep into the art and science of effective communication to help you and your team unleash their leadership voice and achieve maximum potential together.
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Melinda Lee: Today, we're going to talk about a critical incident.
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Melinda Lee: the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
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Melinda Lee: Imagine sitting in an audience. There's buzz in the air.
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Melinda Lee: Pennsylvania.
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Melinda Lee: July 13, th 2024.
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Melinda Lee: Donald Trump goes to speak.
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Melinda Lee: and as he's speaking, you hear shots getting fired at him.
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Melinda Lee: People are screaming.
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Melinda Lee: Donald Trump puts his hands up to his ear.
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Melinda Lee: Bullets
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Melinda Lee: barely missed his head.
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Melinda Lee: Secret service jumps in.
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Melinda Lee: and local authorities
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Melinda Lee: act quickly
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Melinda Lee: the incident is contained.
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Melinda Lee: We find out that the shooter.
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Melinda Lee: who's only 20 years old.
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Melinda Lee: He's a registered Republican.
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Melinda Lee: Thomas Crooks.
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Melinda Lee: students at his school say that he's a loner.
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Melinda Lee: Some say that he's nice.
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Melinda Lee: We still don't know the exact motives
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Melinda Lee: for me. I wonder
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Melinda Lee: what was he reading?
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Melinda Lee: What information was he getting?
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Melinda Lee: What
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Melinda Lee: was he digesting to cause so much anger.
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Melinda Lee: fear
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Melinda Lee: to
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Melinda Lee: to create
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Melinda Lee: a moment like this?
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Melinda Lee: That's unthinkable.
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Melinda Lee: to actually attempt to kill somebody else
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Melinda Lee: now, leading up to this moment there's been lots of tension
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Melinda Lee: political tension, especially as the election comes up.
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Melinda Lee: It seems like we're more divided as a country than ever.
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Melinda Lee: And I wonder
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Melinda Lee: if it's because of the media.
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Melinda Lee: We have media outlets, such as Fox Msnbc
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Melinda Lee: that portray specific political ideology.
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Melinda Lee: And as we watched the news
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Melinda Lee: and continue to watch one over the other.
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Melinda Lee: Our opinions deepen.
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Melinda Lee: We start to form beliefs.
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Melinda Lee: possibly hatred.
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Melinda Lee: anger
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Melinda Lee: against the other side.
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Melinda Lee: especially because
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Melinda Lee: what they portray is imbalanced.
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Melinda Lee: it may be inaccurate.
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Melinda Lee: and and then there's fear there's anger. And then social media allows us to post
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Melinda Lee: whatever we're feeling and thinking there's misinformation amplified
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Melinda Lee: across our country
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Melinda Lee: more divide than ever, and
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Melinda Lee: I think that the media has a lot to do with it.
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Melinda Lee: I wish that
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Melinda Lee: someday there's more balance views, balance perspectives in the media.
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Melinda Lee: they could do a lot to influence people's opinions and perspectives.
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Melinda Lee: Now, what can we do about it? Though.
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Melinda Lee: as we're reading all this information and digesting it.
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Melinda Lee: Notice what is happening within yourself.
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Melinda Lee: become highly self-aware.
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Melinda Lee: Is it creating more fear and more anger?
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Melinda Lee: And are you getting balance perspective multiple perspectives.
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Melinda Lee: even if
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Melinda Lee: it's different from what you're used to
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Melinda Lee: getting curious about the other side.
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Melinda Lee: getting curious about what they think.
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Melinda Lee: what their beliefs are, what their stories are.
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Melinda Lee: and when we speak, are we speaking
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Melinda Lee: with respect.
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Melinda Lee: active listening, listening to other people.
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Melinda Lee: I encourage you to go, participate in forums, debates.
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Melinda Lee: get multiple perspective balance perspective.
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Melinda Lee: The BBC guidelines offer
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Melinda Lee: guidelines on how to get accurate
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Melinda Lee: fair information.
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Melinda Lee: I don't think we do that enough.
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Melinda Lee: We're all we're on the go where we're doing so many different things. And so taking this time to have critical thinking skills.
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Melinda Lee: getting information that is more balanced and accurate. That's how we're going to change the way this world communicates. And it starts with us, starts with you.
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Melinda Lee: taking a step back to do this
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Melinda Lee: so that we can create more respectfulness
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Melinda Lee: and solve the complex problems that we have today.
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Melinda Lee: The environment issues
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Melinda Lee: health issues. When we're speaking out of fear or anger, our creativity goes down.
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Melinda Lee: we need to be able to speak with more openness.
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Melinda Lee: respectfulness. Listen with curiosity. That is, when
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Melinda Lee: creativity goes up
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Melinda Lee: and solutions start to happen.
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Melinda Lee: But if we continue to stay in our fear, stay in our own echo Chamber
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Melinda Lee: and digesting information
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Melinda Lee: that repeats what we want to hear, we're never gonna be able to.
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Melinda Lee: I don't wanna say never. But it's just gonna be even more challenging for us to come together.
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Melinda Lee: We're all one country.
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Melinda Lee: We're all in the same country where you need to do this together.
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Melinda Lee: As we continue to navigate the challenges
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Melinda Lee: of our world challenges of our community.
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Melinda Lee: I implore you to really take a deep dive and assessment of how you take in information as well as disseminate information
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Melinda Lee: until I see you in the next episode. I'm your sister in flow. May prosperity flow to you, and through you
