On Saturday, I and my family joined others in Denton on the Courthouse lawn to protest the Trump administration's policy of separating children from their parents at the Mexico Border.  I talked with seven other protestors on why they were there, and what they plan to do about it.  

The protest in Denton

Pictures!

The Movement 

The Season 2 Finale is here!  It's all about Talking Across the Divide with serious Listening Skills and giving Mutual Respect.  We have a DFTP first - TWO interviews with and old and a new friend, and lastly, a snapshot of what's to come in Season 3.  

Thank you to you - the listener - this has been a wild ride.

Here are the promised links, also posted on our Facebook page:

https://www.better-angels.org/

http://www.civilconversationsproject.org/

https://crooked.com/podcast-series/majority-54/

https://www.amazon.com/Dressed-Prostest-Protest-Podcast-Tshirt/dp/B079791RF7/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1526842698&sr=8-3&keywords=dressed%2Bfor%2Bthe%2Bprotest&customId=B07538GWTL&th=1 

This week I had the opportunity to talk with Andrew White, candidate for Governor.  He shared the story of his choice to run for office, and how he believes we can use moderate methods to achieve progressive goals.  

This was our first remote recording - lean in and give it a listen.

Andrew is in the primary run-off election on May 22nd.  Check out his policy agenda on his website, and sign up to get involved on his campaign on his Facebook page.

 The #RedLipoftheWeek goes out to Dawn Marter, a grassroots leader with courage, dedication, and humor!  

I sat down with Deb Armintor, candidate for Denton City Council, to chat about city governance details like waste management, utilities, and positive growth.  Also, what to do about the damn roads!

Denton City Elections are happening now - get out and vote!

Find your polling location here.

I had the pleasure to chat with Indivisible member and podcast host Tom Moss.  We chatted about the political climate in our respective cities and how we can all support one another.  

His podcast has great guests, including Illinois senators Duckworth and Durbin - listen in!

I talked with Paul Meltzer, Denton City Council candidate, about his vision for Denton.  Smart growth, careful planning, and building coalitions to solve our community's problems - it was a great chat!

Early voting begins Monday, April 23, and Election Day is Saturday, May 5.  Make a plan, grab a friend, and VOTE!

Voting Information 

In Episode 3 of our Talking Across the Divide series, we dig into taking the conversation off the playing field.  We'll talk about real-life skills, as well as some personal examples.  Then, the #RedLipoftheWeek goes to Mario Caraballo, one of the whistle-blowers at the EPA calling out Pruitt for his outrageous expenses.  

We close with an interview with Michael Callaway, candidate for JP in south Denton County.  He brings compassion and heart, as a moderate Democrat, to his community, and invites us to do the same.  

Check out Michael's info and sign up to volunteer here:

https://www.facebook.com/CallawayForDenton/

We sat down with Denton resident and new activist Parker Hicks to talk about his leadership in the March For Our Lives.  We talk activism, preparation, and nerves before his TV interview!  

Parker also made a how-to guide to planning an event in Denton; it's the most complete I've seen yet!  Here it is, open source, for everyone. 

In episode 2 of the Talking Across the Divide series, Olivia digs into the words we can use to start a conversation on track, keep it on track, and what to do when it starts to go awry.  

Later on, she is joined by grassroots leader and who Olivia wants to be when she grows up, Sharon Kremer!

Better Angels organization on MSNBC:

https://www.msnbc.com/hallie-jackson/watch/republican-and-democrat-voters-look-to-overcome-differences-at-unique-program-1192558147775 

We kick off our Talking Across the Divide series with a Look Inside; we take apart why this even matters, what makes us ready for civil political dialogue, and even ways to practice.

Our interview is with Michele Helfrich, local grassroots leader and friend.  

Episode links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QY5pLQqIYM

https://www.better-angels.org/  

http://www.civilpolitics.org/