More than 20 years ago, sociologist Barry Glassner wrote his bestseller The Culture of Fear, where he explains why Americans tend to be unreasonably afraid of things like crime, drugs, people of color, immigrants, teenagers, etc. He writes, "The short answer to why Americans harbor so many misbegotten fears is that immense power and money await those who tap into our moral insecurities and supply us with symbolic substitutes." This week on Sea Change Radio, the second half of our discussion with San Francisco deputy public defender, Peter Galloway. We delve further into the danger of cherry-picked crime statistics, look at the upcoming recall election of San Francisco’s relatively new District Attorney, Chesa Boudin, and examine the recent recall trend in the nation’s most populous state.

Narrator: This is Sea Change Radio covering the shift to sustainability Alex Wise.

Peter Calloway: So their support of all of these things that chase dean has done yeah there's a contingent that does not support him generally because they've been misinformed right they've been told that he's responsible for increasing crime but we know that increase isn't even happening we know that he's also not responsible for the decrease in crime that I've described in in that thread and on the show.

Narrator: More than twenty years ago sociologist Barry Glassman wrote his best seller the culture of fear where he explains why Americans tend to be unreasonably afraid of things like crime drugs people of color immigrants teenagers at cetera he writes the short answer to why Americans harbor so many misbegotten fears is that immense power and money await those who tap into our moral in securities and supply us with symbolic substitutes. This week on Sea Change Radio the second half of our discussion with San Francisco deputy public defender Peter Calloway. We delve further into the danger of cherry picked crime statistics look at the upcoming recall election of San Francisco's relatively new district attorney chase a blue gene and examine the recent recall trend in the nation's most populous state.

Alex Wise: I'm joined now on Sea Change Radio by Peter Calloway - Peter is a public defender in San Francisco. Peter, welcome to Sea Change Radio.

Peter Calloway: Alex, thank you so much I'm happy to be here.

Alex Wise: So as a public defender in the city the size of San Francisco Peter you work with people who have crimes perpetrated against them and perpetrate them and the idea that you would be quote unquote soft on crime I think it's pretty preposterous and as you mentioned but we can't be offended if we want to change hearts and minds can we own.

Peter Calloway: No certainly not and I don't I I really don't let it bother me I was actually somewhat pleased by the extent to which the responses to this thread you know which were which were numerous right I got much more attention than I ever would have predicted but that the responses to this even the ones that were sort of hateful and not in good faith didn't affect me I wasn't sure that that would be true but it was and maybe part of that is because I'm sort of as a public defender and somebody with politics like I do around these issues I'm used to. As a starting point having people react negatively to some of the positions that I hold right and I've spent a long time with family and friends and others having conversations around these issues and with some time I think people who are acting in good faith will come to understand the realities that those of us who have studied this have come to learn right which is again that you can't prosecute o...