Greg grew up in Twin Bridges, Montana, reading everything he could get his hands on. He realized early on in life that he was gay, but chose to shut that part of himself down to be socially accepted. Later in life, he decided to enter the seminary for the Roman Catholic Church and served as a priest at a cathedral in Helena, Montana.  He ultimately took a sabbatical from the church to more fully embrace his identity while becoming an activist in Seattle's LGBTQ community.  He's since started a counseling practice and is an advocate working to make sure LGBTQ kids growing up in Montana feel safe in their homes and schools. 

Greg believes it's God's directive and our moral imperative to take care of the immigrants and refugees seeking sanctuary in our borders. He describes his compassion as having no bounds and believes if we lose in the long run if we are so entrenched in our opinion that we fail to see the humanity of our opponents. Living with AIDS since 2007, he also embraces universal healthcare for its practical implications in his life - as well as another extension of our responsibility to take care of each other.

I Am Interchange

#34: Father Gregory Smith

Paul Nachman is featured in this episode, examining the duality of Compassion Vs. Practicality.  Paul grew up in the 50s and 60s in Chicago, attending public schools in the heart of the city. As a young man, he was a voracious reader and taught himself the foundations of astronomy and scientific study that would help inform his career as a Physicist.  He's currently an Associate Research Professor of Physics at Montana State University here in Bozeman.
 
As an adult, he became active in the anti-illegal-immigration political movement while living in California. He believes unchecked immigration is an invitation for chaos, with cultural and language differences creating a divide between citizens. In particular, he sees the lack of assimilation of ethnic groups into American culture, causing conflict and a lack of community - or as he describes it as "a bunch of warring tribes" within our nations. 
 
For Paul, collective or systemic compassion is a set up for failure - causing us to overextend our resources and create policies that make us feel good instead of bringing order to society. During this episode, we'll dive into his beliefs that a certain degree of separation and a considerable measure of practicality makes us stronger as a nation.

Cover photo by Ben Johnson

#36: Paul Nachman

Over the past decade, our nation’s political landscape has become progressively polarized, with each side finding increasing comfort in standing its ground rather than finding a common one. In addition, greater pressure on natural and financial resources in light of political strife, violence, and the climate crisis is accelerating global refugees. 

In this episode, we’ll take an honest look at how the divide between the head and the heart influences perspective on major social issues and policy development. We’ll explore compassionate versus practical approaches to two key issues of national debate: healthcare and immigration. And, perhaps most importantly, we’ll talk honestly about where the lines get blurry, how that gray area provides an opportunity to have conversations about divisive issues based on mutual respect and understanding.

#37 Compassion Vs. Practicality

I Am Interchange, is a must-hear movement that immerses you in the world of adventure journalism, where we fearlessly explore the monumental global challenges of our time. Through raw, unfiltered storytelling, we dive into the tension and share the stories from the front lines of systems change.
THIS SEASON:  It seems, now more than ever, that we have found ourselves on the cusp of monumental worldwide change. Whether we consider the environment, politics, infrastructure, health, economics, or equities across a broad swath of social constructs, the consensus is clear and urgent: all is not as it should be. The United Nations (UN), a consortium of 193 Member States from around the globe, agrees. In 2015, the UN unanimously adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calling for urgent action in global partnership to secure “peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.” In alignment with the goals, HATCH — a curated network of innovators, artists, activists, and entrepreneurs working together to accelerate positive global change — focused its fall summit impact labs on topics related to their four impact pillars: EQUITY, EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENT, and EMPOWERMENT This series will explore those on the frontlines of transformational systems change, accelerating solutions for these human challenges.

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