Democracy on the Move

Fascism in America?

It's been 77 years since the D-Day landing. America, and her allies, fought a principled war against fascism. But now we must look at ourselves and ask whether we are becoming a fascist nation. This podcast provides some interesting ideas, based on the book by Jason Stanley, called "How Fascism Works - The Politics of Us and Them"

Thoughts About Memorial Day

Some thoughts to keep in mind as we celebrate Memorial Day, 2021

Open Primaries

Russell Daniels, the Digital Communication Manager at an organization known as Open Primaries, drops by to talk about how the election system in many states shuts out all but a select group of people when voting for political representatives. How can this be? Isn’t this profoundly anti-democratic? Indeed it is.

Because of gerrymandering, the selection of representatives doesn’t take place during the November election; rather, the real action takes place during the primaries. But many states require you to join a political party in order to vote in a primary, even though your tax dollars are being used to run the election. You heard that right; you’re paying for an election in which you are prevented from participating. This is not only inherently unfair, but it is, at its core, highly undemocratic.

Russell Daniels explains how the primary system works and what us ordinary citizens can do to make these primaries inclusive and fair. While a number of states have already implemented the policies being advocated by Open Primaries, there is still much more work to be done.

Listen in and learn how you can participate to open our primary system and make our nation a more perfect union. 

An Update on Bobby Bostic

We’ve been following the case of Bobby Bostic, and in this short podcast, we provide a recent update regarding a possible parole hearing.

Purity at the Ballot Box?

Voter suppression bills are being proposed and passed at state legislatures across the nation. Many of these bills may be racially motivated, as their language uses phrases that resonate with the Jim Crow era. One such term, "Purity at the ballot box," was codified into a state house bill in Texas.

Listen in as two state representatives debate this matter on the Texas State House Floor.

Manufactured Issues

The business of politics runs on manufactured issues. These issues keep us separated and fighting. If the issues were to actually get resolved, the duopoly would go bankrupt, so the fighting continues.

But there is hope. Organizations dedicated to changing this never-ending cycle of division need your help. Stop yelling at your TV and volunteer your time!

Readings from Bobby Bostic

In this special podcast episode, Bobby Bostic reads some of his material from prison: "The Terrible Bullet" and "A Note to my Younger Self." Listen in as a man, sentenced at the age of 16 to die of old age in prison, reveals his thoughts on violence and the high price paid for a single horrific decision at a very young age.

Missourians for Ranked Choice Voting

Larry Bradley drops by to talk about an organization that promotes Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in Missouri. While RCV may be portrayed as a progressive idea, it still resonates in the Midwest. As in the rest of the country, people in the Midwest are increasingly fed up with the types of political representation we get election after election. RCV offers a way to break out of the status quo and put legislators and executives in office that actually represent our views.

As a Missouri native, our guest Larry Bradley knows this state - and the midwest in general. He earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Missouri State University and then spent several years as an Army Infantry Officer. During his Army career, he studied and earned an MBA in Management from the University of Tennessee. In his army career, he not only commanded a Mechanized Infantry unit in Europe, but he took the deep dive into the Army’s Research and Development side of procurement. That journey exposed him to the political and economic dynamics of national defense. After leaving the military, Larry became involved in sales, earning himself the informal title of “Doctor of Sales” at a Fortune 500 company.

Over the years, Larry developed a passion for this country and became concerned with its future. He learned a lot about how our country works and how it doesn’t work. His concerns over our nation’s future drove him to found an organization known as “The Center Strikes Back.” He also wrote a book, “Neither Liberal Nor Concervative Be.” And he released a DVD of one of his more popular speeches, “Why The Two Party System Isn’t Working Anymore: And What to Do About It.”

In addition, Larry has become the driving force behind efforts to ensure the will of the majority prevails by bringing Instant Runoff Voting and other voting reforms to elections in all fifty states.

You can learn more about Larry Bradley and order his book at The Center Strikes Back.

Short Term Gain vs Long Term Pain

Commentary: Our politicians have become short-term thinkers. This is setting us up for a long term disaster, because critical problems are not being solved. These problems accumulate over time and are starting to do long-term damage to our nation. If we don't start thinking about long-term solutions, we will eventually implode and lose everything.

Bobby Bostic

In our modern democracy here in the United States, can a 16-year-old boy be sentenced to serve 241 years for armed robbery? Is it in our common interest to lock up a child and tell him that he won’t be eligible for parole until he has reached the age of 112? If this doesn’t seem possible in our society, think again.

Meet Bobby Bostic. In 1995 he and a partner robbed people at gunpoint, actually shooting at one victim and grazing his leg with the bullet. After his capture, Mr. Bostic “entered the system,” where a judge essentially - but not technically - sentenced him to life in prison.

Now that Mr. Bostic is 42 and still sitting in prison, people are looking at this case and wondering whether the sentence was too harsh. The sentencing judge has since changed her mind and now lobbies for Mr. Bostic's release. The ACLU has taken on this case as well. State politicians on both sides of the aisle, lead by Representative Nick Schroer, have appealed to the governor. So far, all efforts to win Mr. Bostic's freedom have been unsuccessful, but the fight continues.

In the meantime, Mr. Bostic has earned a college degree, has read over 1,000 books and has written several books of his own. He studies, reads and writes to make good use of his time. He hopes - and plans - to get out of the system some day and use his experience to help troubled youth from following his path - a path that leads to never-ending days of the monotony and cruelty of prison life.

After listening to this podcast, you’ll come to appreciate how Mr. Bostic - despite his dire situation - still finds meaning and beauty in life. He has come to terms with his crime; he owns up to it and takes responsibility for it. And he has apologized to his victims. He keeps his days filled with projects and goals that he sets for himself. And he keeps his dreams alive by planning for the day when, through the compassion of a true democratic society, he finds his freedom.

To a large degree, the worth of a society can be measured by the degree to which it treats its citizens with compassion. After listening to this podcast, decide for yourself whether Bobby Bostic deserves compassion.

To help, you can start by looking at his website at www.freebobbybostic.com. Then you can write your representative. If you live in Missouri, you can contact Missouri Representative Nick Schroer and offer to help. Finally, you can write the Governor of Missouri, Mike Parson.