The Dissidents

In recognition of Banned Books Week (September 22-28) we’re reading James LaRue's On Censorship: A Public Librarian Examines Cancel Culture in the US. Join us for a live meeting with the author on Wednesday, Oct 2 at 7pm ET. (https://youtube.com/live/8IGf08uvIK4?feature=share)

We left our Critical vs Classical Social Justice in Social Work panel discussion wanting more and were inspired to do a series of follow ups!

The third week each of the upcoming months, we will focus on a related topic, with guests, personal stories, and the latest research on the state of social work education.

In case you missed it, we are re-releasing the panel discussion as a Bonus episode of the Dissidents Podcast. Our co-host is panelist and LSW Matt Watson from our ILV partner, ProSocial Workers.

In this bonus episode, we share the recording of our Liberal Values in Practice livestream about the state of social work practice and education. You will hear panelists answer a series of questions, including whether the dominance of left-leaning practitioners and narratives of oppressed/oppressor groups are compatible with The National Association of Social Workers’ Code of Ethics.

*ProSocial Workers is committed to creating a viewpoint inclusive and politically diverse environment for social workers and other helping professionals. Professionals can find support and continuing education at ProSocialWorkers.com.*

In recognition of Banned Books Week (September 22-28) we are launching our inaugural book club with James LaRue's On Censorship: A Public Librarian Examines Cancel Culture in the US. Join us for a live meeting with the author on Wednesday, Oct 2 at 7pm ET.

Join ILV Director, Jennifer Richmond, and ILV Advisor, Jason Littlefield every month for Reformation Radio's live conversation on ILV's X (⁠@ilvalues). Each month we explore current and unfolding events with the aim of finding strategies for uniting people for the cause of liberty. Bring a cup of coffee, a headful of thoughts and a heart full of hope.

This bonus podcast is the inaugural recording from our conversation on Empowered Humanity Theory. Follow us on X and be a part of our future conversations.

Podcast Resources:

ILV: https://ilvalues.org/

ILV on X: https://x.com/ilvalues

EmpowerED Pathways: https://www.empoweredpathways.org/

In recognition of Banned Books Week (September 22-28) we are launching our inaugural book club with James LaRue's On Censorship: A Public Librarian Examines Cancel Culture in the US. Join us for a live meeting with the author on Wednesday, Oct 2 at 7pm ET.

In preparation for the live stream, read along with our ILV advisors who will discuss the book in 4 brief special episodes of the Dissidents Podcast to be released on Wednesdays, September 4-25. This is the second episode, but you can find our first conversation here.

This week we discuss the last 20 or so pages of Part 1, starting with “What Do Libraries Buy, and Why?” through “How to Respond to Library Challenges.”

In On Censorship James LaRue issues a balanced and reasonable call to action for all citizens. It is a combination of personal reflection and deep dive into specifics of book banning.

James LaRue has been a public library director for many years, and was director of the Freedom to Read Foundation, and ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. He has written, spoken, and consulted extensively on intellectual freedom issues, leadership and organizational development, community engagement, and the future of libraries. He lives in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

This year the theme of Banned Books week is "Freed Between the Lines." The annual event is a reminder that the freedom to read is a liberal value worth defending. Learn more about banned books here: https://ala.org/bbooks/banned

Join us for today’s episode with Joia and Chris in conversation with Cherise Trump, the Executive Director of Speech First. Cherise discusses the unique free speech protections in the United States and the need to educate the public on the value of free speech. She points out how the United States Supreme Court has ruled time and time again, as recently as 2019, unanimously that there is no offensive speech or hate speech exception to the First Amendment. Cherise emphasizes how students should take ownership of their free speech rights and engage in debates and discussions, even if they face opposition or disagreement. She also highlights the work of Speech First in advocating for free speech on college campuses and the need for responsible politicians to promote open and substantive debates.

In this week's episode Elizabeth and Professors of Sociology Mark Horowitz and Anthony Haynor talk about the pitfalls of trying to publish research findings that challenge progressive orthodoxy. They describe their own experiences with editors and reviewers (one of their papers about grade inflation was the topic of prior episodes). We also discuss public complaints about the editorial process at Frontiers and Perspectives on Psychological Science. In our view, editors and reviewers are doing their fields an injustice by judging papers on their conformity with ideology instead of focusing on quality and scientific merit.

Podcast Notes:

Uttl, Bob & Violo, Victoria & Gibson, Lacey. (2024). Meta-analysis: On average, undergraduate students' intelligence is merely average. Available here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378173544_Meta-analysis_On_average_undergraduate_students'_intelligence_is_merely_average

One summary of the Perspectives on Psychological Science Controversy: https://www.chronicle.com/article/i-am-the-victim-a-journal-editor-is-under-fire-after-a-diversity-debate-is-derailed?sra=true

Mertonian Norms of Science Wikipedia Mertonian Norms

In recognition of Banned Books Week (September 22-28) we are launching our inaugural book club with James LaRue's On Censorship: A Public Librarian Examines Cancel Culture in the US. Join us for a live meeting with the author on Wednesday, Oct 2 at 7pm ET.  

In preparation for the live stream, read along with our ILV advisors who will discuss the book in 4 brief special episodes of the Dissidents Podcast to be released on Wednesdays, September 4-25.

We begin our discussion with the first half of Part I, which is entitled “The Role of the Library.”  If you are following along, we read the sections “My Censored Life” through the end of the section labeled “Why People Challenge Library Resources.” 

In On Censorship James LaRue issues a balanced and reasonable call to action for all citizens.  It is a combination of personal reflection and deep dive into specifics of book banning.  James LaRue has been a public library director for many years, and was director of the Freedom to Read Foundation, and ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. He has written, spoken, and consulted extensively on intellectual freedom issues, leadership and organizational development, community engagement, and the future of libraries. He lives in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

This year the theme of Banned Books week is "Freed Between the Lines."  The annual event is a reminder that the freedom to read is a liberal value worth defending.  Learn more about banned books here:  https://ala.org/bbooks/banned

Writer and activist Helen Raleigh has paired up with Professor and economist Paul Prentice to provide “three counterpunches” to socialism. The first counterpunch is about defining our terms. What is Democratic Socialism? According to Helen and Paul, it is a oxymoronic term we simply made up to “soften” socialism. However, when they ask others what it means the typical response is sharing and caring, versus capitalism that is equated with greed. Through political, economic and personal examples, they show how government sharing, much like Democratic Socialism, is just another oxymoron.

Podcast Resources:

Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation: https://victimsofcommunism.org/

Helen Raleigh: https://www.helenraleighspeaks.com/about

Paul Prentice: https://i2i.org/about/our-people/paul-prentice/

Today’s episode features what turns out to be a succinct masterclass in public speaking as Chris and Joia chat with Zander Keig, one of the senior leaders of the Institute for Liberal Values and an expert public speaker with over 30 years of experience. Zander discusses his early involvement in advocating for gay and lesbian rights in the 1980s (and the importance of freedom of speech in articulating those demands) as well as his experience as a conscientious objector in the military. He provides a framework and tips for effective communication and encourages listeners to find like-minded individuals and organizations to support their advocacy for free speech.

Listen to Zander’s podcast, The Umbrella Hour, at: https://ukhealthradio.com/program/the-umbrella-hour/