The Issues You Don't Talk About Cafe Mid-Month Meetup

As usual there is a lot to talk about.

You can all look forward to the regular appearance of the "Flying 800 Pound Gorilla." The egg timer that can't seem to keep time and the "One Minutes."

"One Minutes" are an opportunity for you to introduce yourself and tell us for approximately one minute, what is on your mind. You can talk for one minute or less about anything from a hang nail that's been bothering you, to your explanation of the meaning of life, but you only have one minute.

Remember the rules:

Bring your voice and passion, but leave your anger and condescension at home.
Be respectful to everyone during discussions.
If you get angry at differing opinions, please realize that this is not the place for you and kindly do not attend.
Eat, drink and be merry and tip well if you can.
We don't have to leave as friends, but we can't leave as enemies.

Here are some examples of the topics we could explore:

1. The U.S. and Israel are pounding targets deep inside Iran, and Trump says the war ends only when Iran “unconditionally surrenders.” Are you more worried that America is doing too much in this war, or not nearly enough?

2. Iran is hitting back at Israel and U.S. interests across the region while Israel openly talks about “many surprises” still to come. At what point does “self-defense” turn into reckless escalation, and who do you blame most for crossing that line?

3. The Epstein files keep trickling out: tens of thousands of pages, names from tech, finance, and politics, plus a huge trove of emails and documents. Should the government dump everything—names, rumors, and all—into the public record in the name of transparency, or is there such a thing as too much truth for the public good?

4. The Epstein documents reportedly include unverified gossip about powerful people, as well as material that could expose victims and bystanders. Do we have a right to satisfy our curiosity about who did what, or does that curiosity turn us into a kind of online lynch mob?

5. Trump has gone all‑in on culture wars, pressuring museums, arts institutions, and public broadcasters he calls “woke” and threatening their funding. Is this finally a healthy pushback against elite left‑wing propaganda, or is it a dangerous step toward government‑approved art and speech?

6. The administration is reshaping grants for the arts and humanities to favor “patriotic” projects and cutting money for work on race and gender. Should tax dollars reflect the values of the voters who won the election, or should publicly funded art and scholarship be protected from politics altogether?

7. The FCC is investigating media outlets and even threatening local TV licenses over what it calls biased or offensive content. When, if ever, is it acceptable for the government to financially punish or regulate speech that a lot of people simply hate?

8. Some argue that in an age of terrorism, war, and polarization, free speech has to be limited to keep the peace; others think clamping down guarantees more anger underground. Are speech restrictions a pressure valve that keeps society safer, or a lid on a boiling pot that is bound to explode later?

9. With presidents openly pressuring universities, museums, and foundations, many institutions are rewriting their missions to survive politically. Do you want cultural institutions to mirror the people currently in power, or to resist them—even if that means losing your tax dollars?

10. Between wars abroad, sex‑abuse scandals at home, and a media environment that monetizes outrage, a lot of people say they’re “checking out” of politics altogether. Is choosing not to care a sane act of self‑preservation, or a selfish refusal to take responsibility for the world you live in?

11. Missouri has taken control of the St. Louis police department away from the city and is forcing a big increase in the policing budget over local objections. Is this the state finally stepping in to keep people safe in a city that can’t get its act together, or is it an anti-democratic power grab that tells St. Louis voters their voice doesn’t matter?

12. From Trump’s Iran war rhetoric to Christian nationalism at home, more politicians are talking about America’s battles in explicitly religious terms and casting them as part of God’s plan. Is mixing faith and state power a way to restore moral clarity in a confused culture, or does it turn religion into just another weapon in a never-ending political war?

I look forward to talking to you all.

Glenn