Randi McCallian drops by to talk about her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 8th District of Missouri. This is a largely rural district that has proven difficult for Democrats in past elections. But why is this so? Randi talks about the issues that rural America faces and what she plans to do to turn this deeply red district blue. We discuss the importance of family, healthcare, the role of good government in our lives and more.

Recently the Supreme Court has indicated it will cut back on rights they clarified 50 years prior. The issue today is abortion, but in the long run, all our rights are at risk.

Henry Martin, candidate for U.S. Congress representing the 6th District in Missouri, stops by to update us on his campaign. He was a guest on Democracy on the Move last November, but a lot has changed since that time, giving us a lot to talk about. We discuss a wide range of topics including inflation, the recent SCOTUS leaked document on Roe v Wade, charter schools, the war in Ukraine, the role of NATO and more.

This week we return to the topic of gun violence prevention in our discussion with Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Dr. Andrews has first-hand experience dealing with child victims of gun violence, and she cares enough about preventing this violence that she is running to represent South Carolina’s 1st congressional district in the U.S. Congress. South Carolina is a deeply conservative state, where the second amendment resonates loudly among the people. Yet, there is a rising tide of folks who readily acknowledge the problem of gun violence and would like to see some common sense guidelines put in place. In this podcast, Dr. Andrews discusses her plan to address this urgent issue and help prevent an ever-growing tragedy among our nation’s children.

This past week we saw Governor DeSantis punish dissent. Though the legitimacy of the reasons he provided are up for debate, the action of punishing dissent is not in line with the true principles of democracy; rather, they echo motivations of autocracy. 

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 gun violence on society, the need for common-sense regulations, the problem of inconsistent gun laws in other states that bleed into California and 2nd Amendment issues.

“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 for attention in a society that’s becoming increasingly indifferent to the lack of civil discourse and its ensuing violence. Such periods in the past proved to be harbingers of widespread violence and war. In this podcast we talk about this recent disturbing trend and what we - ordinary citizens - can do about it.

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. Hawley’s true motivations as he attempts to ascend to the highest office in the land.

You may find the article discussed in this podcast here. 

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 can be regulated in political campaigns. In a nutshell, Move to Amend proposes an amendment that says corporations are not people.