Lawful Assembly

Lawful Assembly

By Cecil Cicirello and Craig MousinNewsPolitics
Download on the App Store

Lawful Assembly episodes

  • The Revised January 6th Indictment, Judge Luttig Endorses Harris

    We cover several stories in the news this week:

    The information regarding Georgia Governor Eugene Talmadge removing more that one million voters from his state's voter registration came from political scientist Rober Mickey in "American Needs Georgia Republicans to Defend Democracy Again," Mary Gay, The New York Times, August 29, 2024: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/29/opinion/georgia-election-board-certification.html

    "Top Military officer says he was wrong to accompany Trump on church walk through Lafayette Square," June 11, 2020: https://m.abc3340.com/news/nation-world/milley-says-he-was-wrong-to-accompany-trump-on-church-walk

    The photo with the words "All Are Welcome" at St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, DC, can be found at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/04/opinion/trump-st-johns-church-protests.html

    Stephen Carter was quoted from "Trump Isn't Going to Like the Supreme Couirt's Immunity Decision," (Bloomberg News, July 1, 2024: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-07-01/supreme-court-immunity-ruling-is-not-a-gift-to-trump

    Eric Foner's quote is from Reconstruction, America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1870, (N.Y., Harper & Row, 1988) at p. 423.

    Trump special counsel files new election interference indictment

    A new rule in Georgia could allow local election boards to refuse to certify results

    Conservative Republican Luttig endorses Harris, calls Trump a threat to democracy | CNN Politics

    Others Have Politicized Arlington, but Trump's Approach Has No Precedent - The New York Times

    32 min
  • The Immigration Blueprint in Project 2025

    Today we read the section of Project 2025 on the restructuring of the Department of Homeland Security and what that has to do with the future of immigration in possible Trump presidency.

    Show notes:

    Current USCIS Mission Statement: https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/mission-and-core-values

    Project 2025: https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf (Mission Statement is on page 134).

    Hannah Arendt discusses Germany's enhanced power of police (p. 287) and the impact of denaturalization (p. 296) in, The Origins of Totalitarianism (New York: Harcourt, 1976). I compare her discussion with the contemporary impunity of the Border Patrol and ICE in "Constantine's Legacy: Preserving Empire While Undermining International Law," in Slotte, P., & Haskell, J. (Eds.). (2021). Christianity and International Law: An Introduction (Law and Christianity). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3960335

    Information on Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ: https://www.pilgrimoakpark.org/

    Democracy Now podcast for August 28, 2024 regarding the Central Park 5 and Yusef Salaam: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/democracy-now-2024-08-29-thursday/id73802554?i=1000667140197 Here is the original podcast on Haiti: https://works.bepress.com/craig_mousin/107/
    34 min
  • Historical Connections - 1968 and 2024 Democratic National Convention

    Today I ask Craig about the year 1968 and the Democratic National Convention. He gives me a history lesson on the year leading up to the riots in Chicago.

    References:

    Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 2024 DNC speech.

    Senator Raphael Warnock's 2024 DNC speech.

    The Executive Summary of the "Rights in Conflict" report regarding indiscriminate police violence at the 1968 DNC.

    The dates discussed in 1968 came from "1968" from Wikipedia.

    The Catonsville 9 issued a report on their actions.

    Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. addressed both the civil rights movement and his opposition to the Vietnam War in his April 4, 1967 speech at Riverside Church in New York City.

    Robert Reich describes the Social Security cap on payroll taxes which corrects Craig's statement about the cap in our previous podcast.

    39 min
  • Summer Break!

    Craig took a week off recording to head to the woods of Maine to enjoy this summer. I have a short message for our listeners to help the show grow. Full show next week!

    4 min
  • Election Season Immigration Myths Debunked

    Today we talk about immigration myths and debunk the most common ones that will crop up this election season.

    The Refugee Convention and Protocoal Relating to the Status of Refugees (quote from page 5): https://www.unhcr.org/media/convention-and-protocol-relating-status-refugees For information on non-citizens voting and how few cases have been found, see: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/four-things-to-know-about-noncitizen-voting/ NBC Chicago produced a documentary on the issues related to finding housing for newly arrived asylum-seekers in Chicago when the state of Texas refused to coordinate with the City of Chicago: "Desde Cero: The Migrant Journey in Chicago," at: https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/so-many-people-in-tents-new-documentary-follows-migrant-families-struggles-triumphs-in-chicago/3446095/

    Correcting the Record: False or Misleading Statements on Immigration - The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS)

    Law Abiding Immigrants - Stanford Law School

    Paul Krugman: "Immigration is Great for Jobs, Actually," July 23, 2024: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/23/opinion/immigration-unemployment-inflation.html

    36 min
  • Biden Suggests Ways to Rein in Supreme Court, How to Stay Positive

    Today we talk about President Biden's plan to reform the supreme court. We also field a question on how to remain positive in a world that inundates us with negativity.

    Democrats May Have a Real Chance to Reform the Supreme Court

    FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Bold Plan to Reform the Supreme Court and Ensure No President Is Above the Law | The White House

    You can find information on the Lamp, Lifeboat, Ladder at: https://lamplifeboatladder.org/
    38 min
  • US vs Rahimi Case and How to Reconsider Gun Policy
    We finish our conversation on recent gun decisions in the supreme court. We also talk about what we might consider good gun law. United States v. Rahimi (June 21, 2014); https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/22-915new_ihdk.pdf Sophie Sherry's article in the July 23, 2024 Chicago Sun Times,

    "Domestic violence deaths spiked 110% in Illinois last year, adding to calls for passage of Karina's Bill," can be found at:

    https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2024/07/23/domestic-violence-deaths-spiked-illinois-last-year-passage-karinas-bill?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=072424%20Morning%20Edition&utm_content=072424%20Morning%20Edition+CID_8dd80202dd4aa1da542e049db79332bd&utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&utm_term=Domestic%20violence%20deaths%20spike%20110%20in%20Illinois%20adding%20to%20calls%20for%20passage%20of%20Karinas%20Bill&tpcc=cst_cm

    Craig's op-ed, "Where Does One Stand on a Slippery Slope" discusses state laws prohibiting the concealed carry of guns in most states in the late 19th Century: https://via.library.depaul.edu/omvpubs/58/

    41 min
  • McDonald, Bruen, Gun rights, and A Dismissal by Judge Cannon

    We contiune our second ammendment discussion in light of the recent attempt on the life of the former president. We also talk about the dismissal of the documents case.

    New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, 142 S.Ct.2111 (2022): https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-843_new_m648.pdf To review Justice Breyer's list of scholars who have documented the historical errors within the Heller decision, see Bruen at pp. 2177-2179. McDonald v. City of Chicago, 561 U.S. 742 https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/561/742/ For more information on the decision by Judge Aileen Cannon, see Joyce Vance, "A Bad Decision" at: https://joycevance.substack.com/p/a-bad-decision?utm_campaign=email-half-post&r=3en6fu&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

    https://www.npr.org/2024/07/15/g-s1-10379/trump-documents-case-dismissed

    47 min
  • The Bedrock of Second Amendment Cases: DC vs. Heller (2008)

    Today is the first part of a series on recenct Supreme Court cases on the Second Ammendment. Today we talk about the District of Columbia vs Heller

    District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008): https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/boundvolumes/554bv.pdf

    Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence: https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/litigation/

    Craig has previously written on gun control issues: "Where Does One Stand on A Slippery Slope?" at: file:///Users/cmousin/Downloads/Slippery%20Slope_stamped-3.pdf

    37 min
  • Presidential Immunity

    We are releasing a little early this week because this is an important episode and much of the week is a holiday.

    Trump v. United States: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2pg.pdf "The Man for All Seasons" (Final Scene): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODejZPHC9vU&t=2s Dr. Susan Thistlethwaite "Fight On" on Substack: https://susanthistlethwaitewaite.substack.com/p/fight-on?publication_id=1360431&post_id=146086140&isFreemail=true&r=3ag8ix&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email Cuyahoga River fire: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/cuyahoga-river-caught-fire-least-dozen-times-no-one-cared-until-1969-180972444/
    48 min

About Lawful Assembly

From the publisher's feed

The Lawful Assembly podcast teams up two divergent activists, a Secular Humanist Political Activist with an immigration lawyer and an ordained clergy to dissect politics, important legal issues facing…