Freedom Loves Company

I am trying out some radio essays. Ten to fifteen minute essays about topics on my mind. These are my thoughts about COVID. DISCLAIMER: Be warned. These are viewpoints that you will NOT hear on television. Transcript at www.johnshuck.com

Dr. Foad Izadi is Assistant Professor of American studies, American foreign policy and Public Diplomacy at University of Tehran. In this program, we discuss the Coronavirus situation in Iran, the effect of the US sanctions on Iran’s ability to respond to the pandemic, the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani, the nuclear weapons treaty, and the effect of the demonization of Iran by the US media. The interview was recorded Tuesday, March 24th, 2020. 

Dr. Foad Izadi is a member of the World BEYOND War Board of Directors. He is a faculty member at the Department of American Studies, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran, where he teaches M.A. and Ph.D. courses in American studies. Izadi received his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University. He earned a B.S. in Economics and an M.A. in Mass Communication from University of Houston.

Sermon for Sunday, March 22, 2020, the Fourth Sunday of Lent. 

"We have one but one task. We are here to bear witness to what is real. Your courageous bearing of witness can help awaken others. This is how God will defeat evil by awakening us all to Truth. Regardless of what others think. Regardless of what others do. Regardless of the powers of darkness. Seek what is real for yourself. Bear witness to what is real. Do not be afraid. Center yourself. Remember who you are. You are love. You are strength. You are a child of God."

https://www.johnshuck.com

My first sermon since leaving my last church position. I will, inshAllah, write a record a sermon every Sunday. This is for March 15, 2020, the first Sunday, churches around the country closed due to coronovirus. You can listen here as well as read the text at my website, www.johnshuck.com

One of the most fun things that happened at KBOO was an impromptu live show with Paul Roland when due to a communication mix-up the scheduled host didn't show. We took over and opened it up to phone calls. We talked about the world-wide protests, the military-industrial complex, and much, much more. Enjoy.

In March 2018 I had a live interview scheduled with Dr. Kevin Barrett on my monthly show, "The Beloved Community" on KBOO. Through a smear campaign led by Rose City Antifa complete with name-calling, character assassination, and a deluge of tweets and phone calls, the station staff and management were pressured to stop the interview and actually ban Kevin Barrett from being on the air. (Staff and management claim they were not pressured.) I appealed the decision but my appeal was never addressed. Dr. Barrett never had an opportunity to defend himself. Volunteers or the membership never had an opportunity to review this process. 

On December 13th, 2019 I broadcast a pre-recorded show that included audio from the last sermon I gave to my church, an interview with Dr. David Ray Griffin and a speech Dr. Kevin Barrett delivered at a KBOO-sponsored event at Portland State in February 2018 about US-Saudi relations. Staff, in response to phone calls, stopped the broadcast in the midst of Dr. Barrett's speech and played Christmas music! In protest to this personal disrespect and censorship, I decided to take a sabbatical from my volunteer duties and support of KBOO and move my show to a platform that respects the spirit of the First Amendment. You can read my story here.

Over Christmas, Dr. Barrett interviewed me for his radio show, Truth Jihad, and gave me permission and encouragement to rebroadcast that interview on my program.

In this special pre-recorded edition of The Beloved Community, you will hear John Shuck's final sermon to his church plus reflections on truth, truth-telling, and the importance of creating space and protecting truth-tellers, particularly those who expose the empire's war machine. You will also hear an interview with Dr. David Ray Griffin about his book, "Bush and Cheney: How They Ruined America and the World" plus an address by Dr. Kevin Barrett that was given at the KBOO sponsored event, "The US/Saudi Coalition: Bringing Peace or War?" that was held at Portland State in February 2018.

Last Sermon at Southminster. 

Audio includes a wonderful tribute by my colleague and friend, Rev. Don Ludwig.

And a beautiful blessing from the children.

The choir sang “A New Day” perfect for “Christ the King” or “Reign of Divine Values” Sunday.

November 24, 2019

Order of Worship 2019 November 24

John Shuck speaks with Chris Hedges about his book, "America the Farewell Tour"

Chris Hedges wants us to face the reality that our society is unraveling. He speaks with John Shuck about his latest book.

In his latest book, America: The Farewell Tour, Chris Hedges shows how the effects of America's decline and decay affects its citizenry. As America sinks further into poverty and despotism, and as corporations and the military-industrial-media complex pirate the remaining assets of a nation that has lost its industry save weapons manufacturing, human beings suffer from gambling addiction, hatred, and violence in the streets. Hedges announces a spiritual call to resist.Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for fifteen years for The New York Times where he served as the Middle East Bureau Chief and Balkan Bureau Chief for the paper. He previously worked overseas for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor, and NPR. He writes a weekly column for the online magazine Truthdig out of Los Angeles and is host of the Emmy Award­–winning RT America show On Contact. Hedges, who holds a Master of Divinity from Harvard University, is the author of the bestsellers American Fascists, Days of Destruction­, Days of Revolt, and was a National Book Critics Circle finalist for War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. He has taught at Columbia University, New York University, Princeton University, and the University of Toronto. He currently teaches college credit courses in the New Jersey prison system.

Per Fagereng's novel explores America and Portland after Peak Oil

 

John Shuck speaks with radio host and author, Per Fagereng, about his novel, Jack Moloney's Century. The novel covers the 100 year life of Jack Moloney (1980-2080) as he moves from Ireland to Portland with many stops along the way through the world's transition from abundant energy to Peak Oil and beyond.

Per hosts the radio show, "Fight the Empire" on KBOO. Per says of himself:"I’m old enough to remember the Brooklyn Dodgers. Worked at a gold mine in Alaska and a Norwegian freighter. Hanging out at a San Francisco tavern got me started in a newspaper career. I’ve been involved with KBOO since around 1980."

From the back cover of Jack Moloney's Century:

WHAT HAPPENED TO AMERICA? When young Jack Moloney jumped ship in New York in the year 2000 the United States was the world's great power. When Jack died 80 years later the United States was in pieces, and his long life came to an end in a place called Cascadia. Jack Moloney grew up in Derry, in British-occupied Ireland. One night he helped some friends lob a mortar round into an army camp, and the IRA got him out of town. From Ireland to a job on a cruise ship, to New York, Chicago, the Great Plains and Oregon -- Jack lived through a dangerous time in history. Gone were cheap oil, banks and mighty war machines. Now wars were fought by roving bands of armed people on foot. Old nations broke apart and new ones were born in rebellion. Nature itself fought back at human folly. As always, life depended on good land and water, and people to do the work.