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Episode 4: Nuclear Weapons and Free Speech

12/30/2016

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Segment #1 - Nukes for Days!!

Why are we talking about this?
1. Trump’s tweet
2. Putin’s recent moves
3. Because Nukes are always important
4. http://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/

What do we want?
1. A world without nukes
  1. Is this practical?
2. If it’s not, what do we want instead?

How do we move forward?
1. Advocate for American politicians who agree with us
2. Be vocal in our communities about the issue of nuclear weapons
3. Strengthen international organizations to police nuclear weapons
4. Divest in companies involved in the production of nuclear weapons

Segment #2 - Free Speech

Reading of the First Amendment?
1. Should we do this? Yes if we assume that most people will listen to last week’s episode, no if we assume most people won’t listen to last week’s episode

Case Law
1. https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendments/amendment-i/the-freedom-of-speech-and-of-the-press-clause/interp/33
2. Public/Private distinction
3. Content vs Context
  1. The government can limit the context of speech but not the content of speech
    1. Can’t yell fire in a crowded movie theatre
4. Can limit “low speech”
  1. Fighting Words, Obscenity
Case Studies
1. Burqa - Freedom of Expression
2. Flag Burning flag burning texas v johnson
3. SOPA AND PIPA

How do we protect our right to speech?
1. Just do it
2. NET NEUTRALITY

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Episode 3: Trump's Swamp-Ass And The Women's March On Washington

12/16/2016

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Segment #1 - Draining the Swamp?

Intro of phrase - One of Trump’s Campaign slogans

Examples of tweets, quotes, etc.
Four Liberals Try to Define “The Swamp”
1. What does that mean to Us?
2. What does that mean to Trump voters/supporters?
3. What does that mean to Trump?
How do we move forward?
1. What do we do if he doesn’t?
2. How do we know if Trump is actually keeping this promise?
3. Probably not controversial to say we have a corrupt system, so how do we “drain the swamp”?

Segment #2 - The Right To Peacefully Assemble

Reading of the First Amendment
1. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
History of Assembly/Protest in America
1. Pre-revolution - puritans
2. The Revolution, duh
3. Abolitionists
4. Progression Era - Labour
5. Civil Rights Era
6. AIDS and Marriage Equality
Current Context - Women’s Right To March On Washington
How do we protect our right to party protest?
1. Just do it
2. Tolerate other’s right’s - KKK March in Washington
3. Protester Ethics - do it the right way (Pro Tip: Don’t be a dick)

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Episode 2: The “First Amendment Rocks Edition” Edition

12/9/2016

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Segment #1 - The Appointment of Jeff Sessions as AG

Assertion: Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (real name) is definitely going to make America sad

Bio:

Senator from Alabama
Served as U.S. District Attorney for Southen Alabama from ‘81-’93 (Albert Turner)
Elected Attorney General of Alabama in ‘94
Elected to U.S. Senate in ‘96

Definitions:

Attorney General: The chief law enforcement officer and lawyer for federal gov’t.
- The Attorney General, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defence inner cabinet

Relevant Info:

Trump’s First Cabinet Pick (in the batch with Priebus and Bannon)
Role of the AG
On Immigration - Led opposition against 2013 “Gang of Eight” comprehensive immigration reform (REF)
Two Thumbs up for the KKK - except they smoke weed : (
Opposes efforts to end mass incarceration (REF)
Prosecuted Albert Turner for voter fraud after Turner helped black people register to vote (REF)
- Has called the Voting Rights Act a “piece of intrusive legislation”

Issues to Hit on:

Immigration
Civil and Voting Rights
Mass Incarceration
Marijuana

Segment #2 - Fuck Yeah The 1st Amendment (pt. 1)

Over the next four or five weeks we will focus each action segment on a single freedom in the 1st amendment

History of 1st Amendment

Constitution (yay!), but what about freedom says the Anti-Federalists??
- Deal made to:
Pass Bill of Rights in first legislative session of the New Congress
Ensures 5 freedoms
- Religion
- Speech
- Press
- Assembly
- Petition

Always Start With The Text:

Amendment I. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances

Today’s Topic (Press)

History of Press (REF)
- Newspapers/pamphlets big deal in Revolution (Think Common Sense and Federalist Papers)
- Newspapers sponsored by political parties -> James Callender, Hamilton, and Jefferson
- First Independent Newspaper was the New York Heard, 1835. NYTimes founded in 1851
- Yellow Journalism - Doin’ clickbait like it’s 1891
- Progressive era - Muckracking (investigative journalism) and Professionalization (Journalism Schools - U of Miss and Columbia)
- Broadcast Journalism - big three networks
- Cable News - Jon Stewart Bones Crossfire
- Internet and the start of mass media sharing
Today:
- Social Media: biased and fake news
- Satire as truth tellers
- Balkanized journalism

Why do we care?

Facts/Truth make the modern world possible
- The scientific method dies without the ability to explore questions openly
- Can’t hold leaders accountable
- Know more about your world/enrich your life/more agency (Sports, Travel, Life sections)
- Marketplace of ideas

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Episode 1: American Global Leadership And The Situation At Standing Rock

12/2/2016

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Segment 1: American Global Leadership

Assertion: America has been the defacto “leader” (superpower) in the world since 1945 and Trump looks to bring that era to an end.

How We Got To Now:

Post WWII almost everywhere in the world was either not industrialized or totally blown to shit, leaving the U.S. with 50% of world’s GDP.
Because of above, and unique geographic conditions the U.S. was in a singular position to act as world leader
Post WWII U.S. spearheaded institutions like the U.N., the IMF, and the World Bank to act as scaffolding for a liberal global order (reinforced by the Fall of the USSR)

Now:

Isolationism is on the rise in the U.S. - response to failed interventions and pressing needs at home
Trump - looks to reorienting the U.S. differently in two respects:
- Toward traditional adversaries, like Russia
- More Isolationist, relevant to the norm of the Post WWII U.S. order → Kennedy “Bear any burden”

Questions to Explore:

Are we all on the same page with the history above?
Has global U.S. leadership been “good” or “bad”? What the hell does that even mean?
What do we think of today’s current conditions?
Where do we go from here?

Segment #2: ACTION - Standing Rock

How we got to now:

Energy Transfer Partners is building a pipeline from the Bakken oil field in North Dakota to Patoka, IL
Pipeline route goes just upstream from The Standing Rock Indian Reservation resulting in major concerns about oil spill implications for the drinking water
- Also, Pipeline goes through recently discovered sacred/burial ground

Now:

There have been protests for several months, several which turned violent
Lawsuit to end halt the pipeline filed by the tribe is currently winding its way through the courts.
- DC court denied injunction but Obama stepped in saying Army Corps of Engineers is looking at alternative routes
Energy Transfer Partners CEO donated $100,000 to the Trump campaign and company said they expect Trump to approve pipeline in Jan.

What you can do about it:

Immediately
1. Donate money
2. Some debate about physically going to the camp
3. Talk with friends and family about the issue - seems small ball but has been proven to be wicked effective
4. Volunteer with organizations support native rights or environmental causes
Long-term
1. Climate activism

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Episode 4: Nuclear Weapons and Free Speech

Episode 3: Trump's Swamp-Ass And The Women's March On Washington

Episode 2: The “First Amendment Rocks Edition” Edition

Episode 1: American Global Leadership And The Situation At Standing Rock

What the HELL is an AmeriPod?

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