Veterans, residents convene in Carrboro for ‘Pints and Patriotism’ conversation

On Thursday, December 4th, Dingo Dog Brewing hosted an event called Pints and Patriotism aimed at bringing veterans and their neighbors together to talk about what’s at stake for our country right now. The idea is to create a space not only for meaningful conversation between veterans and civilians but also inspire action. 

A similar event, under the same name, came to Carrboro last spring and was hosted by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and democracyFIRST. On Thursday, the event was facilitated by The Justice Project, a non-partisan organization founded by veterans of war and aimed at creating a more humane and just world. Much of the conversation centered around the importance of the NC State Supreme Court races and their impact on NC residents, and frankly, the country as a whole. 

The event featured a conversation between two speakers, Allison Jaslow, an Iraq War Veteran and dedicated public servant (who was previously the CEO of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America), and Tysen Moy, a 10-year army veteran and currently in his second year at the UNC School of Law. After their conversation, the floor opened to an informal, facilitated conversation with the audience. 

Jaslow and Moy stressed that veterans’ voices must be central to U.S. politics, expressing frustration that they defend democracy abroad while seeing it erode at home. For example, during Justice Riggs’s election earlier this year, overseas military ballots were delayed or dismissed, raising serious concerns about voter disenfranchisement. Another example cited was redistricting. The North Carolina first district has the highest proportion of veterans of any congressional district in the country, yet the recent state redistricting effectively diluted their votes. 

“What has been a struggle for me as of late is to know that we worked so hard to give that to other people in another country, to give them the right [to a fair democracy] that we have to also see threats to that same right here at home,” Jaslow said. 

Both speakers emphasized that the North Carolina Supreme Court and the upcoming elections are critical for the state’s democracy. They highlighted recent issues with redistricting, including the 2022 map changes that shifted North Carolina from a roughly 50/50 delegation to a highly skewed 10-3-1 (one battleground) district split. 

“There is almost a super-majority for the party that lost the popular vote”, Moy said, “I’m not a big math guy, but that is an easy problem to see and we need to fix it.” 

These redistricting decisions have broader national consequences. Had North Carolina’s maps been redrawn fairly in 2022, there could be a divided Congress today, serving as a check on federal power. 

Despite current challenges in the U.S., both speakers highlighted positive aspects of military service. When asked by another veteran and attendee whether they would recommend military service to young people, both said yes. Jaslow explained the feeling of patriotism that serving can create, and the community it can build among people from wildly different backgrounds and parts of the country, which we need in a divided time. 

“I think we need people to actually say, ‘put me in, coach,'” Moy said, “To be willing to endure, even in complicated times, for the sake of serving, to make sure there are good people who are serving,’” Moy said. 

He noted that while the nomination of Pete Hegseth was very frustrating and unfortunate, noting especially his attacks on good members of the military based on identity, many generals and lower-ranking officers are still dedicated patriots trying to build the military the country deserves. He also mentioned the National Guard, which, though unfortunately deployed domestically, acts with professionalism and respect toward citizens during deployments. 

Jaslow closed by emphasizing the importance of veterans’ voices and the need for them to lead by example in strengthening democracy. Both speakers stressed that open conversations—especially among people who disagree—are essential. They, along with Julian Wolff from The Justice Project, urged attendees to research and vote in the upcoming Supreme Court races to help ensure North Carolina remains a fair state.