186. Smiles Matter, Problems With COVID Lockdowns

186. Smiles Matter, Problems With COVID Lockdowns

Author: Nick Jamell January 12, 2021 Duration: 46:30

The Covid lockdowns have ruled our lives for nearly a year. Still, there seems to be no end in sight. Despite the issues with the lockdowns, we can still have many people supporting them. But, we know there are many harmful effects with the lockdowns.  So, check out my latest interview with Ronni Peck, aka Think Too Much Mom about the Smiles Matter movement, homeschooling, Covid overreactions and more.

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Problems With The Covid Lockdowns

Many studies have found that deaths due to drugs, suicide, or forgoing care have led to many deaths. In fact, some even show that the lockdowns are deadlier in many places than Covid. With all these issues, why do we continue to lock down? Why not find a better solution? Well, I argue we should use political systems to fix this issue, and Ronni and I discuss just that.

Life Changes Due To Covid Lockdowns

We've all had to adjust to the current state of things. But, parents may have more to adjust to. Both their lives and their children's lives have been disrupted due to lockdown restrictions, and they need to figure that out. So, Ronni and I talked about what it was like for her making the adjustment. You can find out more at her blog here.

What is Smiles Matter?

Basically, Smiles Matter is a movement started to remind people that we're human beings. Instead of seeing your neighbor as a danger or vector of transmission, we should remember each other's humanity. Not only that, but we should actively seek to share human moments with each other and find ways to connect person-to-person.


Nick Jamell hosts Conversation of Our Generation, a space where urgent contemporary questions meet enduring ideas from history and philosophy. Rather than reacting to the noise of daily headlines, this podcast deliberately steps back to examine the deeper currents shaping our society and culture. Each episode is a long-form dialogue that treats topics like politics, religion, and social change not as fodder for debate, but as puzzles to be understood with patience and intellectual humility. The aim is to move beneath entrenched partisanship and surface-level takes, searching instead for clearer perspectives and foundational truths. What you’ll hear are thoughtful explorations that connect modern dilemmas to the wisdom of ancient and modern thinkers, asking how we might navigate today’s complexities with a more grounded sense of principle. This isn’t about quick answers; it’s about cultivating a more meaningful and less reactive way of engaging with the world. For anyone feeling adrift in a polarized age, this podcast offers a sustained, earnest conversation that values depth over speed, and understanding over winning an argument. Tune in for a respite from the frantic news cycle and a chance to consider what it means to be part of this particular moment in time, armed with the best ideas from across the ages.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 245

Conversation of Our Generation
Podcast Episodes
112. Time To Do The Things You've Wanted To Do [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:09
With the lockdown continuing and even the prospects of a reopen small, it would be a good time to do the things you've wanted for a while. I've tried to take advantage of a little extra time at home to clean the house an…
111. Book Review - Discrimination and Disparities by Thomas Sowell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:46
Discrimination and Disparities by Thomas Sowell is a great look into how economic disparities that we hear a lot about play out in the real world. Statistics are a snapshot at a certain time, in a certain place, of a cer…
110. The Economy Is People [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:46
We have a lot of talk today that "It's worth saving one life, even if we ruin the economy." People who say this overlook the fact that the economy is a collection of individuals and the decisions they make when interacti…
109. Book Review - Walden & Civil Disobedience [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:00
In these times of social isolation and government encroachment, we can take some lessons form Henry David Thoreau's Walden and essay Civil Disobedience. Walden is a journal Thoreau wrote as he lived off on his own on the…
108. Die Free Or Live As A Slave? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:30
We are in the middle of a real threat that I don't want to underplay. I do, however, fear that our solution is untenable. We cannot violate our principles as a country and the rights of individuals and call that a soluti…
106. A Time For Rebirth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:42
Spring is a wonderful time of year. Gardens, trees, forests come to life and emerge from their slumber. Today, as we are in our mandatory hibernation to prevent the spread of COVID, we can look to the inklings of spring…
105. Basics Of Money And The Problem Of Government Spending [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:33
We just passed the largest stimulus bill in American history by a long shot. And while people may celebrate their $1,200 check or complain about the pending bailouts, I think it's important to get to the basics of money…
104. Coronavirus Rules Everything Around Me [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:32
Over the last couple of weeks and months I’ve avoided putting out an opinion on the Wuhan Flu, But with the reactions we’ve seen from authorities, I think it’s important to have different ideas out there There is a lot o…
103. Irish Influence in America [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:18
I’ve recently been reading a book about Irish immigrants in the American West during the westward expansion. This open my eyes to the role Irish immigrants played in the American story outside of the role they played on…