A Really Tough Conversation, And How We Keep Moving Forward

Good Morning All,

Yesterday, I received a tough text from an old friend I had not chatted with in years:

Friend: “I am very upset with you. I am likely going to cancel my subscription. Look, I get it - the Gazans are starving, mass death happening - it is awful, but it is really hurtful when you say “genocide”...”

Me: “I completely understand. The truth is very difficult and deeply disturbing. Honestly, please know though, in the future, I will be bringing even more tough topics of all kinds and perhaps, more controversial at times, to our subscribers, because I feel it is needed. But, let’s keep talking. ”

So here’s the hard truth I’m sharing with all of you. In less than 24 hours since my conversation with renowned journalist Ryan Grim about the ground realities of genocide in Gaza, more than 600 people unsubscribed (paid and unpaid) from my newsletter.

You likely now know, backlash does not scare me in the least. I share this only because it is important to me that you know that despite…