Free & Equal Network Podcast with Christina Tobin

On December, 18, 2013, Christina Tobin interviewed Diane Goldstein, board member and spokesperson for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). Goldstein is a retired lieutenant from Redondo Beach who believes we need to reform our criminal justice system and move our drug policy under a public health model. She talks about how critical resources for fighting crime are being diverted to the drug wars and how people struggling with substance abuse and/or mental health issues are not getting the help they really need.

Goldstein notes that some may think that the idea of law enforcement against prohibition is something of an oxymoron, but over 5,000 current, retired, and former criminal justice professionals, from police officers and supreme court justices, are members of LEAP.

Goldstein talks about how criminal justice system lobbyists tend to focus on self-serving agendas, growing the system, rather than serving the people. She also talks about how her own brother’s struggles with substance abuse helped her see that the way the drug problem is being addressed in American is not working. “If we ground our government in compassion we would be better off as a society in general.”

For more information go to www.LEAP.cc

On December 24, 2013, Christina Tobin interviewed David Bronner, CEO of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, a 100% organic & non-GMO company that makes the world's bestselling natural soaps, in addition to other products like coconut oil. David discusses the founding of Bronner's Soaps by his grandfather, Emanuel Bronner, and his story of escaping Nazi Germany. He discusses his grandfather's ultimate protest against the petro-chemical industry, using petroleum-based soaps and products, mixed in with many other harmful chemicals, and the impact it had not only on our bodies but our environment too. Dr. Bronner's Soaps is 100%-plant based. David Bronner has been key in getting the company certified organic, non-GMO, and Fair Trade. He even helped reform some of the many loopholes in the USDA Organic standards. Dr. Bronner's implemented the use of hemp seed oil in many of their products. He discusses his support of the legalization of cannabis and hemp, the importance of Fair Trade practices, the Fair Trade olive oil he gets from both Israel & Palestine, the need to realize the oneness of humanity in the face of a nuclear-armed world, the benefits of psychedelic medicine, his fight for GMO labeling in CA & WA (taking on the Goliath of Monsanto), leading by example using his company as a larger vehicle for good in the world, and the need for more choices in our electoral process so we can restore the free, peaceful, and harmonious society we all want.

Please find Dr. Bronner's at www.DrBronner.com

During an interview on December 16, 2013, Christina Tobin talks with New York Times best-selling author, lecturer, spiritualist, activist Marianne Williamson, who has recently announced that she will be running as an Independent, seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives, California’s Congressional District 33.

According to Williamson, “The average citizen is locked out, locked out politically, locked out educationally, and locked out economically…. Looking to the political status quo to fix this situation has become absurd, because they created it, and they depend on it, and they work within it. That’s why I’m running as an Independent candidate.” She notes that the major successful social justice movements came from the people. They didn’t come from a major political party, a “calcified institutional corner that is only looking to protect its own power. That’s not where we are going to find deliverance from the problem… and so I’m running.”

Get more information at http://www.marianneforcongress.com

On December 10, 2013, Christina Tobin interviewed Lee Camp, writer & comedian-turned-activist whose twice weekly webseries “Moment of Clarity” has a massive YouTube following. Infamous for having called Fox News a “Parade of Propaganda” while appearing as a guest on the network, Camp talks to Christina about the need to say what you really think about political issues. They discuss how the old rule of etiquette to avoid political issues and controversial topics is in itself an equally political stance defending the status quo. According to Camp, “We’re in dire times. We’re in the middle of something very serious going on in this world.”

Camp describes his various “rants” on the NSA, “the largest surveillance infrastructure created in history,” the NDAA, third party candidates being arrested for trying to attend debates, and how he once got Chris Hedges to smile.

On December 18, 2013, Free & Equal’s Christina Tobin talked with Michael Levitin, journalist and activist, former correspondent with Newsweek, Time, LA Times, and Daily Telegraph, currently editor of Occupy Wall Street Journal and Occupy.com, a central hub of the occupy movement across the world. Levitin talks about how when he was writing for corporate media, although he was able to cover worthwhile subjects such as protests and environmental issues, he was never able to use the “appropriate vocabulary.” Working now in the alternative media, he is able to use a new language, not a corporate language, that is more appropriate for the 99%.

Levitin discusses a new campaign he is working on called Fed Up 100, launching on December 23rd on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Federal Reserve. Levitin explains that the Fed issue was a foundational grievance of Occupy protests. He explains that the Fed is a private bank, not part of the Federal government. With a truly Federal central bank, we the people could create our own money debt-free. Visit http://tinyurl.com/fedup100

Levitin also speaks about the commons.occupy.com project, which is a forum for discussion allowing different people to collaborate on specific projects. He will be speaking at Free & Equal's upcoming “United We Stand” Festival at UCLA on May 10th.

On 12/3/2013, Christina Tobin interviewed Cindy Sheehan, peace & social justice activist. They discussed how Cindy was born & raised in California, and was thrusted into "politricks" after her son Casey was killed after only a short while of deployment in Iraq in 2004. She tells stories of camping outside George W. Bush's Texas ranch, her journey for peace throughout the years, and running for office as an independent candidate against Nancy Pelosi in 2008, the Peace & Freedom Party candidate for Vice President in 2012, and now the Peace & Freedom Party candidate for Governor of California in 2014.

On 9/3/2013, Christina Tobin interviewed May Alhassen, Syrian-American journalist, artist and activist. She grew up in Southern California, got her bachelor's degree at UCLA, her master's degree at Columbia in New York and is working on her PhD at USC. The two discuss Syria in the world and the truth of what is going on in the country.

On 6/26/2013, Christina Tobin sat down with Richard Gage, founder of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, discussing his organization and the missing dialogue about the events of 9/11. Richard Gage has worked as an architect for twenty years in the San Francisco Bay area and is a member of the American Institute of Architects.

Christina Tobin on 4/3/2013 interviewed Hesham El-Meligy, who represents Muslims For Liberty, an organization whose purpose is educating individuals about the freedom ideas in Islam. Hesham El-Meligy was born in Cairo, Egypt, but lives in New York.

On September 16th, 2013, The Financial Survival Network interviewed Free & Equal Founder and Chair Christina Tobin. Christina described the goals, the philosophy and initiatives of Free & Equal to the network’s listeners in the context of current events, beginning with Christina’s blog “The Coming Shift in American Awareness.”