Lawful Assembly

We cover multiple stories this week here are the articles:   Samuel Alito's snide denial of his Jan. 6 flag is just as ugly as flying it in the first place Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin Calls On Samuel Alito To Recuse From Jan. 6 Cases Key Senate Democrat doesn't plan to probe Justice Alito over upside-down flag Louisiana becomes 1st state to require the Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms As conservatives put religion in schools, Satanists want in, too Trump trial judge scolds attorney Robert Costello: From the transcript - The Washington Post    

Today we talk about the protests on college campuses and Craig tells a story similar to today, when he protested the Vietnam War.  Articles used: Report on some of the agreements negotiated on college campuses in Spring 2024.  Report on all universities destroyed in Gaza during this war. MLK, Jr. "Beyond Vietnam" speech.  NPR story on Dr. Orest Ranum's files burned   Orangeburg Massacre Kent State Deaths    Since the recording of this podcast on civil disobedience, we have learned that the Prisoners of Conscience that have served time for crossing the line at the then Ft. Banning, Georgia was under-reported in this episode.  The SOAW website states that, "Since the beginning of the movement, 300 people have collectively served over 100 years in federal prisons and county jails, with another 50 people serving probation and house-arrest sentences."   https://soaw.org/soa-watch-then-and-now

This week we talk about a proposed rule from the Biden Administration that may change asylum proceedures and allow adjudicators to turn away people without proper research on their background. Read the proposed rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/05/13/2024-10390/application-of-certain-mandatory-bars-in-fear-screenings Read the NIJC's breakdown: https://immigrantjustice.org/press-releases/nijc-denounces-new-biden-rule-adding-restrictions-already-compromised-asylum-system Contact your Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative Contact your Senator:  https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm Craig's paper he mentions: Health Inequity and Tent Court Injustice   Next week we should have a call to action with templates for you to help submit your comment. Watch this space! 

We contiune to listen to the oral arguments from the supreme court on April 25th where they argued that the president is immune to prosecution for public acts. Craig reads some amicus curiae briefs to help us understand the arguments.    https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-939/307029/20240408130715170_No.%2023-939bsacRetiredFour-StarAdmiralsAndGenerals.pdf https://www.alabamaag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024.03.19-AL-Amicus-Br-ISO-Trump-FINAL.pdf https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/2024-04/23-939%20Brief.pdf   There is a mistake in this podcast. Cecil mentions Article 3 of the consistution. It is actually article 2. 

We listen to the oral arguments from the supreme court on April 25th where they argued that the president is immune to prosecution for public acts. Craig reads some amicus curiae briefs to help us understand the arguments.    https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-939/307029/20240408130715170_No.%2023-939bsacRetiredFour-StarAdmiralsAndGenerals.pdf https://www.alabamaag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024.03.19-AL-Amicus-Br-ISO-Trump-FINAL.pdf   Photo by: Michael Vadon 

Here is Craig's opening paragraph framework: Although this unscripted podcast began as a discussion of difficult conversations, it soon veered into how to engage in conversations about racism and war. We soon realized that the tools needed to engage fully may differ when conversations occur with friends, within a family, a community, a library board, a university, or a national dialogue. We acknowledge that the tragedy of slavery in this nation and the ongoing debates on how to resolve the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow have caused substantial harm to individuals and communities. We offer this podcast as an initial effort to broaden the conversation. One podcast’s ideas for one type of dialogue, however, can never address all issues. We will offer subsequent podcasts to seek multiple opinions and ideas of how to seek the common good and a more perfect union. Resources for Ongoing Dialogue: Rhonda MaGee, The Inner Work of Racial Justice, Healing Ourselves and Transforming our Communities Through Mindfulness, (Tarcherperigree, N.Y., 2019), 29. She writes, “This is a moment of racial discomfort. Such moments are common in a world shaped by racism. I deserve kindness in the moment. And I offer kindness to others impacted by this movement as well.” Andrea Medea, Conflict Unraveled, Fixing Problems at Work and in Families, (Pivot Point Press, Chicago, Il, 2004), (citing Rev. Bevel at p.64). Kerry Patterson et. al., Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when Stakes are High, Second Edition, (McGraw-Hill, 2002), (shared pool at p. 22). Agents of Change: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3325282/ We mistakenly identified one of the universities in the podcast. Agents of Change tracks the responses from San Francisco State and Cornell University. “Stumbling Upon a Signed Pulitzer Prize Winning Photo:” http://alleghenyarchivesmedia.com/blog/2019/1/3/stumbling-upon-a-signed-pulitzer-prize-photo Roger Fischer et al., Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (3rd Edition) (Penguin Publishing Group, 2011). Douglas Stone et. al., Difficult Conversations, How to Discuss What Matters Most, (Penguin Books, N.Y., 2000)

Today we talk about the documents case and the judge overseeing it, and the judge appointed by Donald Trump in 2019, Judge Cannon.    https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/22/us/politics/trump-trial-documents-cannon.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/09/us/politics/trump-documents-witnesses.html   https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/04/us/politics/judge-trump-dismissal-classified-documents.html  

We talk about the tension between states rights and federal power. How does a court decide which to lean more heavily on?  Articles referenced: Valor The myth of ‘open borders’ For additional description of how state laws impacted the travel and work of African-Americans or freed slaves in the years before the Civil War, see e.g., Kate Masur, Until Justice Be Done, America's First Civil Rights Movement From the Revolution to Reconstruction, (N.Y.: W. W. Norton & Company, 2021), 123-126 and 157-59).    

We answer several listener questions this week. We talk about a lot of different issues and here are some of the links we suggested in the episode:   https://immigrantjustice.org/ https://cmsny.org/ https://trac.syr.edu/immigration/ https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/        

Today we talk about lying in the political discourse. We used the following news articles for reference “Can’t make it up”: Experts say transcript shows special counsel Robert Hur “lied” about Biden | Salon.com Biden special counsel Robert Hur’s resignation from DOJ makes his testimony “even more problematic” | Salon.com Anti-sex trafficking advocate accuses GOP Sen. Katie Britt of distorting her story Journalist says Katie Britt’s story about child sex abuse ‘out-and-out lie’ | Republicans | The Guardian We also talked about this book:  How Civil Wars Start AND HOW TO STOP THEM By Barbara F. Walter https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/624156/how-civil-wars-start-by-barbara-f-walter/

For more information on antebellum state migration laws, see, "The myth of ‘open borders.’ Even before the U.S. government regulated migration, states did. Here’s why" by Anna O. Law, the Herbert Kurz Chair in Constitutional Rights and associate professor of political science at CUNY Brooklyn College. (September 21, 2021), The Washington Post Heidi Altman, the Director of  Policy at the National Immigrant Justice Center (https://immigrantjustice.org/ ) presents ten points of humane border solutions.  They can be found at:  https://immigrantjustice.org/staff/blog/humane-solutions-work-10-ways-biden-administration-should-reshape-immigration-policy Read Steve Vladeck's blog post: https://stevevladeck.substack.com/p/72-30-hours-of-sb4-whiplash

The supreme court listened to oral arguments on the bump stock ban and we talk about those arguments and the briefs submitted to the court.    https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/22-976.html https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/22-976  

Today we talk about 10 points to reshape and improve immigration policy in the USA. We used the National Immigrant Justice Center's 10 points as a backdrop for our discussion: https://immigrantjustice.org/staff/blog/humane-solutions-work-10-ways-biden-administration-should-reshape-immigration-policy https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-02-29/immigration-crisis-border-migrants-united-states-mexico-election-biden-trump    

Both Craig and Cecil are religious separationists, meaning religion should have no role in government, Here they discuss several topics and cover some groundwork on the subject.    Craig directed the Midwest Immigrant Rights Center for six years, the pro bono program that later  became the National Immigrant Justice Center:  https://immigrantjustice.org/ .   If you would like more information on Craig's work at MIRC, check out his digital story at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9VTkjhzIcI  

https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-719/299107/20240129171610494_23-719_Amici%20Brief.pdf https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/23-719 http://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-719/295761/20240116095552269_23-719%20tsac%20Lash.pdf http://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-719/298122/20240118165315506_Trump%20v.%20Anderson-Amici%20Brief%201.18.24.pdf http://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-719/295994/20240118094034746_Trump%20v%20Anderson.pdf https://www.citizensunited.org/citizens-united-files-scotus-amicus-brief-in-trump-v-anderson-with-u-s-attorneys-general-and-law-professors/ https://www.supremecourt.gov/casehand/AmicusGuide2019.pdf      

Articles referenced:    Judicial Vacancies | United States Courts Opinion | A Republican senator smeared a Biden nominee — and Democrats cowered - The Washington Post Most of Biden’s judge appointees are women, racial or ethnic minorities | Pew Research Center Senate confirms Biden's 150th judge Biden has successfully appointed 166 federal judges through January 1 of his fourth year Opinion | Biden is filling the federal bench as promised - The Washington Post  

Trump warns of ‘big trouble’ as Supreme Court agrees to hear Colorado ballot case | The Hill “Unprofessional”: Experts blast Trump lawyer for saying Brett Kavanaugh “quid pro quo part out loud” | Salon.com CHICAGO TONIGHT Terrorism Expert on Dangers Facing American Democracy  

Pro-Trump anti-immigrant ad makes it seem as if Haley coddles ‘criminals’ Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Texas Gov. Greg Abbott rebuffed his plea to pause migrant transports to Chicago area during freeze Supreme Court Backs Biden in Dispute With Texas Over Border Barrier - The New York Times Nobody is Protected: How the Border Patrol Became the Most Dangerous Police Force in the United States Photo by Tomas Castelazo, www.tomascastelazo.com

Justice Department sues Texas over law that would let police arrest migrants who enter US illegally Here is the lawsuit: https://www.justice.gov/media/1330861/dl?inline=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery Haley had a good point about immigration — but no one wants to hear it right now | Opinion A Clear View from the Prairie: Harold Washington and the People of Illinois Respond to Federal Encroachment of Human Rights 29 S. Ill. L. J. 285 (Fall, 2004/Winter, 2005).  https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2997657    

Donald Trump is removed from the ballot in Colorado and other states.   Your Questions About the Colorado Trump Ruling, Answered | TIME Takeaways from Colorado’s historic ruling that Trump is ineligible for office based on 14th Amendment’s ‘insurrectionist ban’ | CNN Politics What to Know About the Efforts to Remove Trump From the 2024 Ballot   Opening music, "Don't Fade Away" from the Voices CD Dare the Untried written by Matt Yanny-Tillar and Chris Inserra and arranged and performed by Voices: https://open.spotify.com/track/1wc0BD0aPLT2jbeYpKYSim   Closing music: "Green Leaf Rain" arranged and performed by Matt Yanny-Tillar from the Voices CD "Tearing Down Walls": https://soundcloud.com/mbyannytillar/09-green-leaf-rain   Either CD can be purchased from Voices for $5.00, (including mailing); email lawfulpod@gmail.com with request.   Image by Jeffrey Beall