This is the true story of Kenny as told by my friend Mark. Kenny married Mark’s aunt a number of years ago and at the time Mark had no idea of Kenny’s background, Eventually Kenny shared his story with Mark and Mark shared the story with us. Prejudice can be overcome and unlearned. We can learn to love one another and that’s what I call progress. Hope you’re planning to vote!

This episode briefly discusses the story of Flint Michigan. Flint was a very important town in Michigan as a hub of General Motors automobile manufacturing in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Before that the workers made thousands of bombers and tanks that helped the allies win World War II. Before that the auto workers began unionizing in a way that allowed General Motors to become a world leader in automobile maker and the workers to live a good life with dignity and a living wage. By 2014 those days were long gone and the local politicians decided that it was time to “improve” the city by switching the city water supply from clean Lake Huron to the terribly polluted Flint River. By 2020 the problems that have plagued the residents have not been corrected and the people of Flint have suffered massive damage. We believe that progressive thinking would not only lead to the correction of the problems and begin to undo a little of the damage, but it could signal a change from apathy, cover-up, and denial of the public damage that is happening all over America due to crumbling infrastructure, We need to proactively eliminate the many toxic threats in our communities and build an environmentally sustainable infrastructure that can become a model for the many disasters that are currently threatening people and the planet around the world. For more information on the Flint story there are many documentaries on the subject. One of the best is “Here’s To Flint” (the internet link is YouTube.com/watch?v=x7ULFSaMooA. Hope you are registered to vote and will go out and cast your vote, Exercise your franchise!

Progress presumes that we take science into account and we use reason to help us in decision making. Science helps us not be driven in our decision making by emotion, but we must also be sensitive to our higher intuitive reasoning because science does not give us the ultimate truth—science is relatively true but those on the forefront of any branch of knowledge will remind us that just when we think we’ve arrived at the ultimate realization then BOOM there is a fresh new and improved view of what we thought was so well known. But, we must try to keep ourselves grounded in the best understanding possible so we can make the wisest decisions regarding any given situation. Take COVID-19 for example. You may not have known much about viruses before this year other how to get through the common cold or annual flu, but finding out the latest understanding on this virus will pay off as you seek to protect yourself and your family. The same goes for climate change and any number of other issues that we confront today. So Apolitic will help you get ready to understand the intersection of science and politics all ‘in a brief moment of time’.

This episode begins the discussion of how we in the USA have an opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of progressive thinking and promoting the value of respecting the humanity and cultures of people of all nations. We return to a more humble attitude of member nation of the world community rather than the unquestioned leader of the world economically, militarily, technologically, and in all other ways. We are not the world leader in all ways. We do not have to disparage our experiences and achievements or devalue the ways in which we have done good things. At the same time we will make more effort to include humility and openness to learn from others, treat others in all other countries with respect. We are not better than others and no one is better than us. Just as we treat all of our citizens as equally valuable and significant, so we treat others as valuable and significant. The time has long past for anyone in this earth to think of themselves as better or more significant than anyone else. While there are differences in the activities that we engage in, and society or the marketplace provides different benefits for different activities, we must reorient ourselves to a new values system that de-emphasizes materialism and material accumulation or material consumption as our greatest goals. The top 10 conflict zones identified in the 2019 article “10 Conflicts To Watch In 2020”(https:///www.crisisgroup.org/global/10-conflicts-watch-2020) give us some places to focus our attention to see if progressive or regressive thinking is predominating and we will be able to communicate with our leaders political and non-political what we care about. People power goes through cycles of empowerment—we need more focus and action from Mr. And Mrs. And Ms. America to get used to expressing ourselves publicly and privately to promote progress. Register to vote! Vote!!!

This episode concludes our initial discussion of Principle 8–Racial and Economic Integration throughout our society. People who study our genetic structure find that there really is no such thing as race. Skin color is only 1/1000 of an inch of our outer layer. Cultural differences are real, but progressive thinking indicates that embracing our diversity is a healthier approach to life. We want to feel good about ourselves and loving all other people is the best way to view others. In this episode Steve tells the rest of the story of his experience with bigotry in high school. Maturity brings about a positive resolution to Steve and his attacker. Another data point in our discussion is the 2016 study by Devah Pager entitled “Are Firms That Discriminate More Likely to Go Out of Business?” The study showed that when two groups of employers were compared (I.e., racial discrimination in hiring policies vs. pro-racial diversity policies) the pro-racial diversity firms were much more likely to survive in business when surveyed after 6 years. This study is not meant to be more than a first look at the issues of hiring practices in business, but the promotion of racial and economic integration and diversity are important values and principles of progressive thinking in social policy. We want to promote healthy functioning in our country and in the world. Register to vote by tomorrow (October 5, 2020). Early voting begins October 6 for the November 3, 2020 election! See you at the polls! Vote and express yourself!!!

If you haven’t watched the YouTube video https://YouTube.be/ELQ1hAjMFmk you should really take 10 seconds to watch it. It’s really what we are talking about in a progressive society. This Apolitic episode focuses on the point that we cannot enjoy a truly progressive society until all people of all races, colors, national origins can have the freedom to work together, live together in the same neighborhoods, and our children go to the same schools. What we are not talking about is everybody living in identical homes and identical looking homes, but that our communities consist of a mixture of options. Not everyone wants the same things. Some people choose a simpler lifestyle and some choose more grand. We can’t all afford to live in a mansion on the top of a hill—not many can. But that’s Ok. The point is that nothing in our community should be below a certain level of decency. No family or individual should feel ashamed of their situation. The progressive view of society is that racial and economic justice should promote integration of the the people—segregation should not be tolerated. Edddie Glaude Jr. wrote about this in his book ‘Democracy In Black: How Race Still Enslaves The American Soul’ (2017) where he notes “In his last book, ‘Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?’, Martin Luther King Jr. argued, among other things, that white supremacy stood in the way of democracy in this country, that it was an ever-present force in America frustrating the dreams of the nation’s darker citizens and undermining any pretense to racial justice. He wrote: “Negroes have proceeded from the premise that equality means what it says, and they have taken white Americans at their word when they talked of it as an objective. But most whites in America...proceed from a premise that equality is a ‘loose expression for empowerment.’ White America is not even psychologically organized to close /the gap—essentially it seeks only to make it (equality) less painful and less obvious but in most respects to retain it (power and privilege).” Steve ends the episode by coining the term “social vaccine” in which perhaps the young people can finally eliminate the racial, sexual and class distinctions in our society. One can HOPE. In the mean time Register to Vote! Vote!!! The deadline in Ohio to register for the November 3, 2020 election is October 5. Early voting starts October 6, C U THERE!

Today’s episode marks the beginning of a new phase of the podcast—we are shortening the length of episodes. We RESPECT you and your time. We will shoot for quality information and interesting stories in 5-10 minute time frames. We hope that you will follow the flow of explaining progressivism. We want you to feel empowered to reclaim your citizenship and the power of your vote. The YouTube video of the two boys: https://youtu.be/EIQ1hAjMFmk. The important part of the video is really only 10”. We recommend if you’ve seen the video to watch it again with a view to putting yourself into the place of one of those kids and ask yourself “How might my life be different if I had grown up in a world where people of all colors could really love and respect each other?” Progressive thinking makes the integration of people at work, in neighborhoods, and schools. Such integration has been slowed by income inequality which we believe will be improved by increasing education achievement by students who will be given more years of publicly supported education (from the current K-12 system to the future pre-K beginning at age 2 when language skills are at peak potential through grade 16 when students can complete college or trade school mastery). Another strategy to increase integration by improving economic functioning of all people will be helped by the increasing of the minimum wage to $15 an hour. People will be more able to mix, live, and go to school when they are not separated by finances. Register to vote! THEN VOTE!

2020 has been a year of some of the most extreme examples of police abuse of people of color on the street: George Floyd being choked to death, Breonna Taylor, and Jacob Blake being fatally shot (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/09/09/george-floyd-breonna-taylor-jacob-blake-what-we-know/5753696002/). The ongoing legal cases will take much time to resolve (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/breonna-taylor-settlement-good-step-activists-say-more-can-be-n1240261), but in the meantime we must vote for a process of change. The US Congress has tried to negotiate a next level of changes (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-minneapolis-police-congress/republican-senator-sees-effort-this-week-to-revive-police-reform-debate-in-u-s-congress-idUSKBN23Z0QV) but the fall election seems to give the people in office a sense that they can do nothing while conditions in our country deteriorate. We must take back our sovereignty and use our vote to encourage the people who are trying to work for improvement such as the “problem solvers caucus” (https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2194). Change laboratories such as in Newark, New Jersey demonstrate that viable improvements are possible. The current system in most cities in our country can no longer stand. Progress is mandatory! Register to vote!! Vote and make your voice heard.

This is the 5th episode of our discussion of Principle 6 of the Progressive political philosophy. We are not favoring any political party, but we do wish to promote progressive ideas that will help all people to improve their prosperity and lead to a healthy and sustainable society. These progressive ideas and policies are aimed at eventually improving conditions for all people around the world. We look at the following sources: 1) https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/02/08/for-the-fifth-time-in-a-row-the-new-congress-is-the-most-racially-and-ethnically-diverse-ever/ 2) https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-next-covid-19-relief-bill-must-include-student-debt-cancellation/ 3) https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/181#:~:text=Lilly%20Ledbetter%20Fair%20Pay%20Act%20of%202009%20%2D%20Amends%20the%20Civil,individual%20is%20affected%20by%20application 4) https://www.payscale.com/data/gender-pay-gap https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/02/27/examining-the-black-white-wealth-gap/ 5) https://apps.urban.org/features/wealth-inequality-charts/ 6) https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/11/01/how-wealth-inequality-has-changed-in-the-u-s-since-the-great-recession-by-race-ethnicity-and-income/ 7) https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2020/04/21/about-half-of-lower-income-americans-report-household-job-or-wage-loss-due-to-covid-19/ Ohio Registration Voter Deadline: Mon October 5! Early voting begins Tues October 6! Register!!!! Vote!!!!!

This is the 5th episode of our discussion of Principle 6 of the Progressive political philosophy. We are not favoring any political party, but we do wish to promote progressive ideas that will help all people to improve their prosperity and lead to a healthy and sustainable society. These progressive ideas and policies are aimed at eventually improving conditions for all people around the world. We look at the following sources: 1) https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/02/08/for-the-fifth-time-in-a-row-the-new-congress-is-the-most-racially-and-ethnically-diverse-ever/ 2) https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-next-covid-19-relief-bill-must-include-student-debt-cancellation/ 3) https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/181#:~:text=Lilly%20Ledbetter%20Fair%20Pay%20Act%20of%202009%20%2D%20Amends%20the%20Civil,individual%20is%20affected%20by%20application 4) https://www.payscale.com/data/gender-pay-gap https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/02/27/examining-the-black-white-wealth-gap/ 5) https://apps.urban.org/features/wealth-inequality-charts/ 6) https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/11/01/how-wealth-inequality-has-changed-in-the-u-s-since-the-great-recession-by-race-ethnicity-and-income/ 7) https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2020/04/21/about-half-of-lower-income-americans-report-household-job-or-wage-loss-due-to-covid-19/ Ohio Registration Voter Deadline: Mon October 5! Early voting begins Tues October 6! Register!!!! Vote!!!!!