Democracy on the Move

A Conversation About Law Enforcement

Happy New Year from Democracy on the Move! In this podcast, we review the top podcast from 2021; an interview with Olayemi Olurin, Staff Attorney at The Legal Aid Society's Criminal Defense Practice in Queens, New York. We discuss the systemic issues in law enforcement. Though this podcast was originally recorded in February 2021, the issues are just as relevant today as they were last year.

Reality for 2021 and Hopes for 2022

In this very short podcast, we discuss just a few of the hopes we experienced going into 2021 and how they turned out over the year. And then we discuss renewed hopes for 2022.

The Cult of Trump?

The title asks an intriguing question: Is Trump a cult leader? Listen to some ideas on this topic, along with examples of how manipulation through the media can mobilize a nation.

Meet Candidate Jim Hogan

Jim Hogan, candidate for the 126th House District in Missouri, stops by to talk about politics in Missouri. The 126th district encompasses Bates and Vernon counties on the west side of the state, south of Kansas City and up against the border with Kansas. It’s a rural district with strong Midwestern values and common sense.

In this podcast we discuss the effects of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (factory farms) on rural areas, our challenged education system, Critical Race Theory, government corruption, worker’s rights and the second amendment.

Tune in for an interesting discussion of contemporary topics as viewed through the lens of the American Heartland!

Heather Fleming Discusses MoEEP

Heather Fleming, founder of the Missouri Equity Education Partnership, or “MoEEP,” drops by to talk about topics related to equity in education. She started MoEEP as a grassroots non-profit organization that promotes an equitable community by supporting anti-bias and anti-racist approaches to education. MoEEP believes that diversity and equity education belong in our schools as much as math, science and language arts. MoEEP seeks to engage all students in active listening, belonging, cooperation and critical thinking. They believe in empowering teachers to teach - and students to learn - accurate history as well as gain skills needed to engage with people from different experiences and backgrounds.

MoEEP pushes back on the narrative that conflates equity with Critical Race Theory. They point out that Critical Race Theory is not the same thing as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. They fight back against the opponents who attack any lessons and ideas they disagree with and instead push the notion of “school choice.” They fight back against any legislation that censors curriculum, threatens teacher and student free speech and removes local control. In short, they fight back against vilification of the teachers that attempt to include the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion in their lessons.

Damon Davis on Social Justice

Today’s guest, Damon Davis, talks about social justice and criminal justice reform. Damon is a Juris Doctor candidate who expects to graduate in May and take the bar exam shortly afterward. His life’s journey included several years in federal prison, which gave him deep insight into repressive societal issues. To act on his passion for criminal justice reform, Damon plans to work within a Public Defender’s office and has already received an offer.
We start by talking about Damon’s personal challenges but quickly dive into a deep discussion about societal issues that sustain injustice. For example, the incarceration rate in the U.S. is the highest in the world - even higher than El Salvador, Cuba, Rwanda and Turkmenistan. Why? To a large degree, the answer is based on systemic inequities in our culture that perpetuates through the generations. While it makes sense to address social injustice by examining our past, there’s tremendous pushback on that idea, because, as Damon puts it, “If you teach the truth, now you have to deal with and confront the wrongs that have been done, and things like equity, injustice and restitution . . . come into play.”

Deb Lavender

Deb Lavender, a previous member of the Missouri State House of Representatives, stops by to talk about some of the more urgent political issues of the day. While in the house of representatives, Deb sponsored a number of bills on healthcare, firearms and finance. Her priorities include the expansion of medicaid, protecting women’s reproductive freedom and strengthening our public schools. In this podcast, we discuss the toll of extreme partisanship, gerrymandering, voter suppression, voter nullification, education and the infrastructure bill.

Meet Tim Shepard, Candidate for US Senate

Tim Shepard drops by to discuss his candidacy for US Senator from Missouri. As a Democrat, he has an uphill battle for this position, as he would replace outgoing Republican Senator Roy Blunt. Missouri overall is deeply Republican and can be outright hostile to Democrats. Yet the issues that Democrats advocate are popular in the Show Me State. In this podcast, we discuss many of these issues including health care, education, the climate crisis, the economy, the corrupting influence of money in politics and the January 6 insurrection. Tune in for an hour of insight and perspective from someone who may become Missouri’s next senator.

Meet Henry Martin, Candidate for US Congress

Henry Martin, candidate for US Congress, joins us on the podcast to talk about politics in the northern third of Missouri. Henry is passionate about Missouri and is keenly aware of the issues in both rural and metropolitan areas. He is a native Missourian that joined the US Army and served in the Desert Shield and Desert Storm operations. After returning from combat duty, he enlisted in the National Guard and worked directly with Missourians impacted by the flood of ‘93. His experience taught him a lot about people and the issues they face, particularly in the heartland.

Listen in as we discuss the things that need to be fixed in our government, the importance of our governmental institutions, the need for healthcare, the nature of politics over the past few decades, and the ultimate sense of betrayal felt by veterans while watching the events of the January 6 insurrection unfold.

The Sin of Human Trafficking

In this episode, we talk about the sin of human trafficking. It’s an international problem filled with stories of horror, terror and heartbreak. Yet governments the world over largely ignore this issue, and some governments even participate in it.

We talk with Cetvies (not her real name) about this issue. Cetvies blogs extensively on human rights, environmental issues, animal rights, LGBT, politics, philosophy and spirituality. She holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees, and she shares her knowledge and opinion on many subjects, but focuses most of her attention on human trafficking.