Send us a text

I’m Gen X. Which means I didn’t grow up reading about history. I watched it happen live.

On CNN. On Channel One. In classrooms where world events interrupted algebra, and cable news ran nonstop in the background of our lives.

At the same time, I was learning journalism. The difference between fact and opinion. Why sources matter. Why a free press, trusted expertise, and respect for evidence are essential to a healthy democracy.

Growing up in suburban Texas while listening to NWA and watching CNN, I learned early that power doesn’t treat everyone the same, that justice is often negotiable, and that identity and fear can override facts if you know how to activate them.

This episode traces a Gen X media memory arc through Rodney King, Waco, Ruby Ridge, the Oklahoma City bombing, the OJ trial, 9 11, and the collapse of information gatekeepers that once separated reporting from rumor.

It’s a radio essay about watching history unfold in real time, the fine line between healthy skepticism and conspiracy thinking, and what happens when shared truth disappears.

This is not a hot take.
 It’s a witness statement.