Episode 158 - Bradley Onishi

Rundown -

 

Troubadour Dave Gunders - 06:20

 

"Hard of Understanding" by Dave Gunders - 21:38

 

Bradley Onishi - 29:40

 

Brad Onishi is a social commentator, scholar, writer, teacher, coach and co-host of the Straight White American Jesus (SWAJ) podcast. Raised in Orange County and deciding to commit himself to Jesus and the local evangelical church as an eighth grader, he ended up in their clergy.

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/

 

Onishi became Oxford educated and saw things differently. As neither fully white nor originally Christian, Onishi appreciated the otherness that Christian nationalists would just as soon not put on their same upper level. Power corrupts and White people now feel threatened. 

 

White people have rebelled against racial integration since the 1960’s and much of the Republican resistance was centered in Orange County, CA, where Nixon and Reagan lived. Republicans made a fateful choice when they chose Goldwater in 1964. A new "extremist" GOP emerged.

 

In Preparing for War – The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism and What Comes Next, Onishi provides evidence backed insight about America’s long road to Christian nationalist violence on Jan. 6, and what happens next.

https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-War-Extremist-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1506482163

 

Learn about Onishi’s upbringing, and the reasons Orange County became an epicenter for white grievance church going. New territory with many transplants and not yet home to Catholics, Jews or others, Onishi explains the attraction of patriotic Christianity wrapped in an USA flag.

 

Reviewed is the rise of the Klu Klux Klan from 100 years ago in Anaheim and cities in Colorado, as well as Klan-like modern MAGA reincarnations. Racism is at the heart of Onishi’s argument against MAGA. Evangelicals and too many Catholics stick with Trump as their leader.

 

As a youth minister and student before that, Onishi was fed a constant diet of Mel Gibson in Braveheart. The violence defending one’s people was revered at his Orange County church. Back in 1964, Orange County loved Barry Goldwater.

 

In 1980, many religious Christian voters preferred divorced actor Ronald Reagan to pious military veteran Jimmy Carter. Nowadays, many Christians prefer Trump to Biden, the committed Catholic.

 

Onishi argues that the evangelical anti-abortion position was developed to gain power joining forces with fundamentalist Catholics. The power to keep white Christians on top in America was the true motivation.

 

Discussed is modern media and Salem Media in particular. Salem’s game plan is not just to save souls for Jesus, but to get MAGA policies into law ASAP.  We discuss Hugh Hewitt and Dennis Prager.

 

#DenverTrumpRadio hosts are also described for their faux religiosity and willingness to tout racist lies about birtherism and rigged elections in cities with large African-American voting populaces.

 

The United States is becoming the Divided States of America and the show contemplates how far and low it can go and how to battle back. Listen to Brad Onishi and you’ll want more at his website.

https://www.bradonishi.com/

 

We always want more from Troubadour Dave Gunders who kicks off the show with a great discussion of Jason Aldean’s controversial music video, Try That in a Small Town. Is it good old boy entertainment or something worse? And if so, so what?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1_RKu-ESCY

 

Hard of Understanding is a better song than Aldean's, composed and performed by Dave Gunders and would be a perfect project for a music video retort. Fellas respond to Jack Smith looming indictment number two and Judge Cannon’s mid-May trial setting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw7o6KmtiDk

 

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