Category Archives: Culture

Andrew Seidel AMERICAN CRUSADE: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom

Andrew Seidel is a constitutional and civil rights attorney and the author of two books: The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American and American Crusade: How the Supreme Court is Weaponizing Religious Freedom. He’s also co-editor of an academic text, Law and Religion: Cases and Materials 5th Edition, with Prof. Leslie Griffin of UNLV law school.

He has been fighting to keep state and church separate for more than a decade. Currently, Andrew is the Vice President of Strategic Communications at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the largest organization fighting for that founding principle. Previously, he served as a constitutional attorney at the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) beginning in 2011 and later as the Director of Strategic Response, running a nimble unit known as the Strategic Response Team.

Andrew Seidel is a Senior Correspondent at Religion Dispatches, a prolific author of op-eds and scholarly articles. He organized and contributed to the groundbreaking report “Christian Nationalism at the January 6, 2021, Insurrection,” which was published by the Baptist Joint Committee and FFRF and which aroused considerable congressional interest. He has appeared on Fox News to debate Bill O’Reilly, MSNBC, and hundreds of other media outlets.

Andrew graduated cum laude from Tulane University (’04) with a B.S. in neuroscience and environmental science and magna cum laude from Tulane University Law School (’09, part of the first post-Katrina class), where he was awarded the Haber J. McCarthy Award for excellence in environmental law. He studied human rights and international law at the University of Amsterdam and traveled the world on Semester at Sea. Andrew completed his Master of Laws at Denver University Sturm College of Law (’11) with a perfect GPA and was awarded the Outstanding L.L.M. Award for his work as the Erik Bluemel International Environmental Law Fellow.

Before dedicating his life and law degree to keeping state and church separate, Andrew was a Grand Canyon tour guide and an accomplished nature photographer.

Tennessee Pastor burning **THE FOUNDING MYTH: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American**

Articles pertinent to this interview:

What Ginni Thomas and Leonard Leo wrought: How a justice’s wife and a key activist started a movement https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/10/ginni-thomas-leonard-leo-citizens-united-00108082

Another Right-Wing Supreme Court SHAM RULING is Exposed for FAKE FACTS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZEh5R3Bkf4

Oklahoma’s Religious Public Charter School Would Be an Affont to Taxpayers Everywhere https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/01/opinion/religion-schools-constitution-oklahoma.html

Oklahoma sued for funding US’s first ‘state-sponsored’ religious charter school https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/13/oklahoma-lawsuit-religious-public-charter-school

Religious identity and Supreme Court justices – a brief history https://theconversation.com/religious-identity-and-supreme-court-justices-a-brief-history-146999

CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM AND THE JANUARY 6, 2021 INSURRECTION https://ffrf.org/uploads/legal/Christian_Nationalism_and_the_Jan6_Insurrection-2-9-22.pdf

Clarence Thomas’ 38 Vacations: The Other Billionaires Who Have Treated the Supreme Court Justice to Luxury Travel https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-other-billionaires-sokol-huizenga-novelly-supreme-court

Trump’s assault on American justice gives inspiration to authoritarians everywhere https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/06/donald-trump-assault-american-justice-gives-inspiration-authoritarians-everywhere

Americans United applauds updated federal guidance on religion and prayer in public schools https://www.au.org/the-latest/press/guidance-religion-prayer-public-schools/

COURT FOR SALE Supreme Court Corruption | Don Caron https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fXwDifHPds

This lawmaker and rabbi was scheduled to deliver an invocation. His colleagues replaced him with a Christian https://forward.com/news/547677/montana-lawmaker-rabbi-invocation-prayer-legislature-ed-stafman-legislature-house/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20was%20never%20given%20a,the%20rest%20of%20the%20session

Montana Rep (And Rabbi) Confronts Christian Lawmakers after Invocation Cancellation https://momentmag.com/montana-rep-and-rabbi-confronts-christian-lawmakers-after-invocation-cancellation/

Thom Hartmann The Hidden History of American Democracy & Robert Pape ‘The Dangers to Democracy’

This edition of Forthright Radio is in in two parts. In our first segment, radio& TV host/journalist and author, Thom Hartmann, returned with the latest in his Hidden History series, THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY: REDISCOVERING HUMANITY’S ANCIENT WAY OF LIVING, published by B-K, Barrett-Kohler Publishers. This is the 8th book in the series and the 32nd of the books he has written. He has hosted his nationally syndicated show, The Thom Hartmann Program, since 2003. We spoke with Thom via Skype on July 24, 2023.

In our second segment, we spoke with University of Chicago Political Science Professor, Robert Pape, about the Project on Security and Threats (CPOST). You may recall their initial study published a few months after the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection, analyzing those who had been arrested & the surprising details they discovered. They have published a follow-up study and report from their most recent of 7 surveys since then, from this June, 2023, titled “The Dangers to Democracy.”

Robert Pape has been studying and writing about the causes and solutions to political violence since 1992 during the Bosnian War; and the 1999 War in Kosovo. In the 2000s, he studied suicide terrorism, as well as humanitarian intervention centering on appropriate international responses to political violence related to the Arab Spring in Libya and Syria. Professor Pape has testified before Congress, briefed the National Security Council and the UN Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate. In 2020, he published the results of his analysis of the impact of the deployment of Homeland Security agents on political violence in Portland, OR, during the George Floyd demonstrations. In 2021, he published the first systematic study of the demographic profile and political geography of individuals arrested for assaulting the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Project on Security and Threats, has continued the surveys, and recently released the report on their 7th survey, titled The Dangers to Democracy. We spoke with Professor Pape on July 26, 2023 via Skype.

What the Glorification of Luigi Mangione Reveals About America https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/opinion/luigi-mangione-united-healthcare-ceo-shooting.html

You can see THE DANGERS TO DEMOCRACY report here: https://d3qi0qp55mx5f5.cloudfront.net/cpost/i/docs/2023-04_CPOST-NORC_Survey_Report.pdf?mtime=1690380798

Articles pertinent to these interviews:

‘Anger and radicalization’: rising number of Americans say political violence is justified https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/25/us-political-crisis-radicalizing-republicans-democrats-alike

Understanding American Domestic Terrorism https://cpost.uchicago.edu/publications/understanding_american_domestic_terrorism_mobilization_potential_and_risk_factors_of_a_new_threat_trajectory/

How Trump’s Plan for the Military Could Topple America https://hartmannreport.com/p/how-trumps-plan-for-the-department-b10

Trump and Allies Forge Plans to Increase Presidential Power in 2025 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/17/us/politics/trump-plans-2025.html

How Democracy Dies the First Month of the Next Trump or GOP Presidency https://hartmannreport.com/p/how-democracy-dies-the-first-month-6a3

Trump’s plans for 2025 sound like a vengeful disaster https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-presidential-power-second-term-2024-autocracy-rcna95098?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

How Long Will Politicians Be Able to Ignore the Planet Becoming Unlivable? https://hartmannreport.com/p/how-long-will-politicians-be-able-ed4

DeSantis’s Apartheid Pedagogy in the Age of Fascist Politics https://www.laprogressive.com/election-reform-campaigns/apartheid-pedagogy

The Redneck Army Refuses to Stay Buried https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/21/opinion/culture/west-virginia-strike-coal-miner-history.html

Everything They Owned Burned, and They Still Can’t Get Restitution 102 Years Later https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/28/opinion/tulsa-race-massacre-reparations.html

“Anonymous” Miles Taylor: Trump Second Term Would Focus Solely on Revenge | Amanpour and Company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Eqm5wuSN9s

David Neiwert THE AGE OF INSURRECTION: The Radical Right’s Assault on American Democracy

This interview was originally broadcast on July 14, 2023, Bastille Day, when the French celebrate the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. It was a day of insurrection, so it was fitting that we shared our interview with award winning journalist and author, David Neiwert, that day discussing his latest book, THE AGE OF INSURRECTION: THE RADICAL RIGHT’S ASSAULT ON AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, published by Melville House.

For over four decades he has worked in newspapers, television, the blogosphere, as well as having been the Pacific Northwest correspondent for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Among his nine books are RED PILL, BLUE PILL: HOW TO COUNTERACT THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES THAT ARE KILLING US; ALT-AMERICA: THE RISE OF THE RADICAL RIGHT IN THE AGE OF TRUMP; and OF ORCAS AND MEN: WHAT KILLER WHALES CAN TEACH US. We spoke with David Neiwert on July 9, 2023 via Skype.

© 2023 Clay Bennett / Chattanooga Times Free Press / dist. by Counterpoint Media. Used with Permission

Articles pertinent to this interview:

More of Clay Bennett’s editorial cartoons here: https://www.gocomics.com/claybennett/2023/07/11

Fourteenth Amendment song by Don Caron https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJcW-BEpgGk

Rise of the Freemen https://www.montanapbs.org/programs/rise-of-the-freemen/

US white supremacists found guilty of gay pride riot plot https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66271505

Republican women learn the hard way: Complicity will not protect you https://www.salon.com/2023/07/11/women-learn-the-hard-way-complicity-will-not-protect-you/

The Age of Insurrection review: how the far right rose – and found Trump https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/05/the-age-of-insurrection-review-far-right-trump-david-neiwert

As Trump is arraigned, Republicans honor the insurrectionists https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/06/16/house-gop-trump-indictment-reaction-jan-6

Republicans reignite the red scare in service of Trump https://www.salon.com/2023/06/28/reignite-the-red-scare-in-of/

“Trump thinks he has this big army out there still”: A MAGA movement betrayed has now morphed https://www.salon.com/2023/06/27/trump-thinks-he-has-this-big-army-out-there-still-a-maga-movement-betrayed-has-now-morphed/

Family of activist killed in alleged ‘spray of bullets’ by US police files lawsuit https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/13/michael-reinoehl-activist-killed-police-family-lawsuit

“Unfriending” America: The Christian right is coming for the enemies of God — like you and me. Rising far-right Christian movement linked to GOP calls for “kingdom revolution” led by an “army of believers” https://www.salon.com/2023/06/17/unfriending-america-the-christian-right-is-coming-for-the-enemies-of-god–like-you-and-me/

How Europe’s far right is marching steadily into the mainstream https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/30/far-right-on-the-march-europe-growing-taste-for-control-and-order

Trump Denies Inciting The Capitol Attack, But 174 Jan. 6 Defendants Blame Him For It https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-jan-6-incitement_n_64a717a1e4b0e5efaada8926

Moms for Liberty is part of a long history of rightwing mothers’ activism in the US https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/06/moms-for-liberty-long-history-rightwing-activism

A Jan. 6 “Moms” Group Funded by Big Lie Donors Is Stoking Voter Suppression https://truthout.org/articles/a-jan-6-moms-group-funded-by-big-lie-donors-is-stoking-voter-suppression/?utm_source=Truthout&utm_campaign=fb7a46e5e2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_3_20_2023_13_41_COPY_05&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbb541a1db-fb7a46e5e2-651106009&mc_cid=fb7a46e5e2&mc_eid=f9703b4752

Major ”Grassroots” Parents’ Rights Group Rakes in Big Right-Wing Money https://www.importantcontext.news/p/major-grassroots-parents-rights-group

School boards get death threats amid rage over race, gender, mask policies https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-education-threats/

Moms for Liberty Uses Hitler Quote To ‘Scare’ Parents https://www.vice.com/en/article/ak3kz5/moms-for-liberty-hitler-quote

Inside Moms for Liberty’s Close Relationship With the Proud Boys https://www.vice.com/en/article/5d93qd/moms-for-liberty-proud-boys

Held v State of Montana Day 7 Closing Arguments

This special edition of Ecotones is the final daily audio digest of the historic Held v State of Montana trial.

On the final day of this trial, one day before the summer solstice, on June 20, 2023, closing arguments were given before Judge Kathy Seeley, presiding judge of the Lewis and Clark District Court in Helena, MT.

Our Children’s Trust Senior Staff Attorney, Nate Bellinger, delivered the plaintiffs’ closing arguments, followed by Montana Assistant Attorney General, Michael Russell, delivering closing arguments for the State.

Judge Kathy Seeley presides as plaintiffs’ attorney, Nate Bellinger, delivers closing arguments.

Before these remarks, plaintiffs’ attorney Philip Gregory, offered further information attacking the credibility of the State’s lone outside expert witness, economist Dr. Terry Anderson, submitting a report documenting errors of his sources and information, and asking the court to take judicial notice, which the court granted. The audio of this portion of the proceedings, which came before the closing arguments was problematic, and our best efforts only made marginal improvements, so we have put this portion at the end of this recording after the closing arguments.

Held v State of Montana – Day 5 Daily Digest Dr. Lise Van Susteren & Lander Busse

We have been recording and producing daily audio digests of the historic Held v State of Montana trial, brought by 16 youth plaintiffs asserting that their constitutional rights are being violated by the State of Montana, which began on June 12, 2023, in the Lewis and Clarke County District Court in Helena, MT, Judge Cathy Seeley presiding.

We share the testimony of the final two witnesses for the plaintiffs, Dr. Lise Van Susteren, an internationally recognized psychiatrist and expert on how climate change affects the physical and mental health of youth differently and more drastically than adults. http://kgvm.org/show/held-v-state-of-montana-lise-van-susteren-testimony-6-16-23/

We end with the final words of the plaintiffs’ case given by youth plaintiff, Lander Busse, after which the Plaintiffs rested their case. http://kgvm.org/show/held-v-state-of-montana-lise-van-susteren-testimony-6-16-23/

We will continue to record and produce these daily audio digests of the Held v State of Montana trial as it continues on July 19, 2023 as the Defense presents their case with witnesses Terry Anderson, Christopher Dorrington and Sonja Nowakowski.

Dramatic week in Montana climate trial as youngsters tell of toll on lives https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/17/montana-climate-trial-helena

Climate change is harming my mental health https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-65633082

Held v State of Montana – Day 4 Daily Audio Digest

Welcome to this special edition of Ecotones. We continue our coverage on this fourth day of the historic Held v State of Montana proceedings, sharing this audio daily digest from June 15, 2023. In this edition, we feature three witnesses, but not in the order in which they actually testified on Thursday June 15th. Testifying first was youth plaintiff, Kian Tanner, followed by Montana Environmental Information Center Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs, Anne Hedges, and then youth plaintiff, Claire Vlases.

Claire Vlases testifies on 6-15-23, while Judge Kathy Seeley listens intently

Our digest begins instead with Bozeman youth plaintiff, Claire Vlases. We include the link to our October, 2018 interview with Claire when she was a Bozeman High School sophomore. http://kgvm.org/show/claire-vlases-solar-makes-sense/ http://kgvm.org/show/held-v-state-of-montana-claire-vlases-testimony-6-15-23/

Next is testimony from Anne Hedges, who is the Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs at the Montana Environmental Information Center, including cross examination by Defense Attorney for the State of Montana, Bain Johnson (apology if his name is misspelled). http://kgvm.org/show/held-v-state-of-montana-anne-hedges-testimony-6-15-23/

Youth plaintiff, Kian Tanner is the final witness we feature in this digest. http://kgvm.org/show/held-v-state-of-montana-kian-tanner-testimony-6-15-23/

Due to radio broadcast time restraints, we were not able to include the testimony of the final witness on June 15, 2023, Peter Erickson, a climate change policy researcher for the Stockholm Environment Institute in Seattle, Washington. He provided expert testimony on Montana’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions – via fossil fuel consumption, extraction, and infrastructure that the state of Montana permits – and how these emissions are both nationally and globally significant. “We are at a decision point about taking action on climate change,” Mr. Erickson said. “The world community has decided we must. Montana continues to issue fossil fuel permits.” http://kgvm.org/show/held-v-state-of-montana-peter-erickson-testimony-6-15-23/

We will include audio of his testimony, as well as those of others we could not previously share, in later programs.

Meet the kids behind the historic Montana climate trial https://www.eenews.net/articles/meet-the-kids-behind-the-historic-montana-climate-trial/

Experts in Youth Climate Trial Say Montana’s Legislative and Executive Branches Favor Fossil Fuel Industry https://flatheadbeacon.com/2023/06/16/experts-in-youth-climate-trial-say-montanas-legislative-and-executive-branches-favor-fossil-fuel-industry/

Indigenous experiences headline third day of Held v. Montana trial https://montanafreepress.org/2023/06/15/indigenous-experiences-headline-third-day-of-held-v-montana-trial/

Young People in Historic Climate Trial Rest Their Case https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/young-people-in-historic-climate-trial-rest-their-case/

Held v State of Montana – Day 3 Daily Digest

We continue our coverage of the historic Held v State of Montana proceedings with this audio daily digest of the hearing from June 14, 2023. Dr. Lori Byron continued her testimony from June 13th, discussing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and human generated catastrophic climate change. http://kgvm.org/show/held-v-state-of-montana-dr-lori-byron-testimony-6-13-23/

After cross examination of Dr. Byron by Defense Attorney for the State of Montana, Mark Stermitz, attorneys for the plaintiffs called Dr. Shane Doyle to the witness stand, testifying on behalf of his daughters, two of the youth plaintiffs, Ruby and Lillian Doyle. http://kgvm.org/show/held-v-state-of-montana-shane-doyle-testimony-6-14-23/

They then called Michael Durglo, Jr., head of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Tribal Historic Department. http://kgvm.org/show/held-v-state-of-montana-michael-durglo-jr/

Our Children’s Lungs Are Uniquely Vulnerable to All This Wildfire Smoke https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/02/opinion/wildfire-smoke-air-quality-kids-children-health.html

Chai Vasarhelyi WILD LIFE

From Oscar-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, WILD LIFE follows conservationist Kris Tompkins on an epic, decades-spanning love story as wild as the landscapes she dedicated her life to protecting. After falling in love in mid-life, Kris and the outdoorsman and entrepreneur, Doug Tompkins, left behind the world of the massively successful outdoor brands they’d helped pioneer like Patagonia, The North Face, and Esprit, and turned their attention to a visionary effort to create National Parks throughout Chile and Argentina. WILD LIFE chronicles the highs and lows of their journey to effect the largest private land donation in history.

WILD LIFE will screen at the Mendocino Film Festival on Friday, June 2nd at 10:00 a.m. in the Festival Tent, as well as Sunday, June 4th at 10:20 a.m. at Coast Cinemas.

Screen shot from **WILD LIFE** showing five national parks created by Kris and Doug Tompkins in Chile and Argentina.

‘It’s like a plague’: land buying by outsiders threatens Patagonia’s peace https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/oct/27/its-like-a-plague-land-buying-by-outsiders-threatens-patagonias-peace