Emily Dievendorf on the ‘top down’ battle for equality in Michigan

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Our guest today is Emily Dievendorf, Managing Director for Equality Michigan. Today we talk about: Employment Non-Discrimination Act and how it effects Michigan The ‘top down’ battle for equality in Michigan The Safe Schools Improvement Act The Student Non-Discrimination Act Bullying as a larger school climate issue The importance of enumeration in an anti-bullying law [...]

Michigan Legislature’s Big Government overreach

For years Republicans have been calling for “common sense” regulatory reform. On GOP.gov, Indiana Governor Mike Pence says that “the House Republican Regulatory Reform plan is a common sense solution that puts taxpayers first.” Well, good news, Michigan Republicans – Bill Lucas and his organization, Voters for Fair Use of Ballot Referendum, have a petition [...]

After the Boston bombings: Islamophobia and immigration reform

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Today we talk to Dawud Walid about the environment since the Boston bombings. Today we talk about: The impact of the Boston tragedy on immigration reform Bullying incident in Oakland County The importance of adults to be aware of their influences on young people The Muslim Students of America Marginalized groups such as Muslims, LGBTQ, [...]

Republicans rewrite Michigan history

Last week, my colleague at the Detroit News Joshua Pugh took aim at the Michigan House Republicans for a right-wing agenda that runs counter to citizen’s interests. In his critique, he also called out Jase Bolger which brought a response from Speaker of the House Jase Bolger’s press secretary, Ari Adler. Outside of the campaign [...]

Walt Sorg on the 2014 races

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Today we talk to our dear friend Walt Sorg. Walt & I speculate on who’s in and who’s out in 2014. The conversation started with Gary Peters v Debbie Dingell but that question was resolved over the weekend, so I cut that bit out. You may still find some references to that topic in the [...]

Lonnie Scott on the shameful US Senate and the power of the NRA

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Today we talk to our old pal Lonnie Scott about guns, guns, and more guns. Today we discuss: What was really in the gun bill The Senate defies the American people We need to continue to talk to legislators and let them know that we are watching The importance of grass roots organizing in defeating [...]

GOP ‘Skunk Works’ document calls for Michigan Education Card to be used at any public ‘Value School’

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This pdf is the Oxford Foundation “Skunk Words” Designed Value School Document. Oxford Skunkworks document (pdf) “The following is a concept outline to design and implement a prototype “Value School,” a public school that is designed to maximize the educational performance and value of a public school through technology and the implementation of new teaching [...]

Housekeeping, headlines, and activism

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Today I am hogging the mic. Headlines & things we talk about: Welcome Flint Talk Radio listeners Google Reader shutting down July 1 Snyder language – “fair” and “shared sacrifice“ Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) Wow. Rep. Mike Rogers just said opponents to CISPA are probably “14-year-old tweeters in the basement.” His handle [...]

Dawud Walid on Islamophobia in Michigan

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Today we talk to Dawud Walid from CAIR Michigan about Islamophobia, racism, and more. Dawud is the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Michigan. Today we talk about: The non-partisan nature of CAIR Michigan The CAIR Michigan legislative scorecard Success in stopping the anti-Sharia law proposed by Dave Agema The role of [...]

Regulations: The enemy of no one

A key plank in the Republican platform is the elimination of government regulations. The rationale is that government regulations cost jobs. But the jobs argument is a red herring. The actual impetus has more to do with corporate profits and campaign donations. The reality is that even if one product is deemed unacceptable, the market [...]

Walt Sorg on GOP destruction of environmental protections and Michigan’s natural resources

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Walt Sorg joins us to discuss the way that the Republicans in Lansing are gutting the bejoobers out of our environmental protections. It’s scary and heart-breaking. We talk about the content in Walt’s recent article in the Lansing City Pulse – The pendulum has swung Today we talk about The history of environmental protections in [...]

The case for gay marriage – not bestiality or polygamy

One of the queerest arguments I’ve heard against gay marriage is the slippery slope idea that if gays are allowed to get married then a man marrying an animal – or a man having multiple wives – is next. It should be noted that zoophilia and polygamy are both illegal while being gay is not. [...]