Democracy on the Move

This week we talk with candidate Mia Livas Porter about gun violence prevention. Mia is running for the 52nd district of the California State Assembly, which covers much of the area to the immediate north and east of downtown Los Angeles. As a gun violence survivor, Mia is dedicated to bringing common-sense regulations into the California State House. During this podcast, we discuss the impact of...

“Civil Discourse” is a concept meant to diffuse the force of hatred in politics. At the center of our nation’s path to success, you’ll find countless people committed to discussing our differences using the rules of common civil discourse, such as respect, patience and a genuine sense of care for each other. Lately, however, civil discourse has become uncivil discourse, where politicians compete f...

What is the opposite of love? Is it hate? Or is it indifference? If you really want to hurt someone, act with indifference toward them. Our argument is that on a grand scale, actions of indifference will tear our nation apart. The only way to stop it is to become a nation again - a nation of people who acknowledge each other, whether or not they agree with each other.

What does it mean to Immanentize the Eschaton? It’s an expression by which the United States falls under the rule of a Christian-based belief in the end of days. Senator Josh Hawley, when starting out his political career penned an article that advocates for such a system of government. Such attempts throughout history have had disastrous and tragic endings, and we would be wise to understand Mr....

Greg Coleridge, the co-director at Move to Amend, talks about the importance of removing corporate influence, money and corruption from our government. Move to Amend calls for the “We the People” Amendment (HJR-48) to the US Constitution that unequivocally states that inalienable rights belong to human beings only, and that money is not a form of protected free speech under the First Amendment and...

Aaron Lerma drops by to talk about the struggle to dismantle systems of oppression in rural areas. Aaron grew up in a small town in a rural area near the border of the Midwest and the South. As a non-binary, trans femme, disabled, white and Latinx organizer, Aaron has experienced oppression first-hand. But rather than dwelling on personal experiences, Aaron organizes for a type of solidarity that...

In this short podcast, we briefly discuss the concept of wokeism and how it conforms to the idea of “Righteous Indignation.” We also suggest ways to overcome our differences by making an effort to see each other as humans, rather than being objectified within an “Us” and “Them” narrative.

Candidate Marcus Flowers drops by to talk about his campaign to replace Marjory Taylor Greene in the U.S. House of Representatives. Marcus describes how the January 6 insurrection motivated him to resign his post the very next day and begin campaigning against Greene, whom he considers a threat to our democracy. He also discusses his experiences overseas, most notably how he observed - firsthand -...

The concept of wokeism goes deep into the soul of America, where a history that’s often cruel, unfair and unjust tries to reconcile with what we desire to be a modern, just society. The concept speaks of systemic racism and Critical Race Theory as it wrestles with a shifting demographic, where rule by old white men is no longer a given. In this podcast we’re joined by Dr. Michael Karson, who offer...

Phillip Caldwell stops by to discuss his campaign for the Board of Education at one of Missouri’s top public school districts. We talk about the difficulty that school boards across the nation face in the era of Covid, Critical Race Theory and budget challenges. Unfortunately, school boards have recently found themselves ducking for cover in the political crossfire of an increasingly polarized soc...

If information is the currency of democracy, then transparency is the means by which information reveals itself. Transparency is enshrined in our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), but such transparency doesn’t necessarily mean that our government is forthright and honest. Citizens must participate and demand answers. In today’s podcast, we examine a specific instance of transparency in action and...

Trish Gunby, candidate for U.S. Congress - 2nd district in Missouri, drops by to discuss the Democratic party and the important issues in her campaign. Trish currently serves in the state house of representatives; she turned her district from red to blue back in 2019. During this podcast, we discuss voting rights, healthcare, justice reform, building for the future and workers’ rights. The U.S. Co...

Jason Szeftel, a political and economic writer and podcaster stops by to talk about China. Jason has always been fascinated with China; he learned the language, studied in Beijing and traveled extensively throughout the country. He is familiar with China's culture, its people, its economics and its politics. His upcoming book, China Unraveled, chronicles the story of China’s many cycles of order a...

This week we examine how Critical Race Theory affects state legislation on education. We include audio clips from various legislators in the Missouri State House as they describe their fears and concerns that Critical Race Theory teaches indoctrination and sets the stage for young minds to accept the idea that racial identity dictates destiny. We at Democracy on the Move don’t buy into this mindse...

Kenny Xu, author of the book An Inconvenient Minority - The Attack on Asian American Excellence and the Fight for Meritocracy, stops by to talk about the Asian American struggle. Kenny’s book discusses the rise of Asian Americans to nation-wide prominence in attaining technical and intellectual expertise; yet at the same time, they become the victims of numerous policies, ostensibly written in the...

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.

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 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.

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 Oper...

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, scien...

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 D...

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...

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 inclu...

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 Nation...

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, politic...