The Dissidents

"You're not allowed to say that." Those four words changed everything for Joshua David "JoDavi" Washington, Director of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel (IBSI) and world-touring recording artist. Sharing what he thought were just "fun experiences" about Israel with college friends, Josh watched conversations shut down cold: "It went from 'I disagree with you' to 'you're not allowed to say that.' And that would rub me the wrong way,” he explains, “what do you mean I can't say that?"Now he's built an entire ecosystem of artists who've found a space to share unpopular opinions expressed through music. Josh argues that free speech "protects speech that's not popular," and that artists' jobs are "to hold a mirror to society.” Unfortunately, much of today's creative class seems to just practice mass virtue signaling —the opposite of icons like James Brown, who "had the integrity to stand on their convictions."Josh’s recent album Zion tackles everything from the Masada defenders' last battle against Rome to abortion's impact on the Black community—controversial topics that will get pushback when he posts about them online, but that audiences love in song form.Music, he explains, "can't be translated to a tweet"—it's a richer medium, one that reaches people differently. Josh's advice for artists afraid to speak up? "There are a lot more of us who are like-minded than you would think. We just think we're so small in number, and I don't think we are."Learn more about Josh’s work with IBSI at: https://ibsi.org/

Lawrence Reed, President Emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education and longtime liberty advocate, tells how a 1968 Prague Spring moment sparked his lifelong work. He discusses the Declaration as a thunderclap of revolutionary ideas, how ideas and character underpin freedom, the centrality of free speech as freedom to think, and why we should avoid presentism when judging the founders.

Why do we celebrate America's birthday on July 4th and not July 2nd when the Declaration was actually voted on, or 1775 when shots were fired at Lexington and Concord, or 1783 when Britain finally acknowledged our independence in the Treaty of Paris?In this special episode, co-hosts Chris and Joia dive into why the Declaration of Independence—an act of speech—became the defining moment of America's founding."America began with an act of free speech," Chris observes, noting that this "shows how foundational speech is to freedom and to this country and why, therefore it was included in the First Amendment." The Declaration wasn't just theory—it was "planting a flag firmly in the ground," a statement that transformed British colonists into rebels declaring their identity to the world.Joia and Chris explore how the Declaration served as both America's "vision and mission statement" (while the Constitution became "the business plan"), calling the founders "the ultimate entrepreneurs" who created something purposefully new. They argue that its endurance for 250 years—making America's government structure among the longest-lasting modern governments—proves the Declaration contains "fundamentally good ideas in accord with human nature at our best."Drawing inspiration from Jefferson's inclusion of the people's right to change government when it oversteps its bounds, they see an "entrepreneurial spirit" that calls each generation to "constantly renew and experiment in new ways to better live up to the ideals it lays out."Their challenge for this semiquincentennial year? According to Joia, "this is the year for declarations"—for each person to stake their own claim about timeless principles and announce to the world, "this is what matters, let me give you clarity on my identity." Because, as Chris notes, "we inherited this great gift and it's incumbent upon us to live up to those ideals if we're to preserve it for the next generations."Happy birthday, America!

"The other side of the free speech coin is listening well." Shaka Mitchell, senior fellow at the American Federation for Children and creator of the Come Together Music Project, believes we've "forgotten how to listen"—and music is his solution. A Nashville-based lawyer and education reform leader, Shaka uses songs to bridge political divides by asking simple questions: What song reminds you of being 21? What song reminds you of your dad? "Every memory has a soundtrack all its own," and when strangers share their musical stories—from Led Zeppelin's eight-minute "Cashmere" to whatever gets you through hard times—something remarkable happens: "we're sort of saying… that person, that's not an enemy, turns out, that's just another human." Shaka argues that free speech and conscience are "inextricably linked" in education, pointing to cases where school districts tried to silence parents who wanted to opt out of lessons that conflicted with their values. He warns that "squelching speech in that way is really dangerous" regardless of whose beliefs are at stake. His advice for finding your voice? "Lead with the pathos and not the logos"—start with your story, practice relentlessly, and use solitude (he's a runner) to workshop ideas. But most importantly, remember that music "forces us to actually sit in silence" for 45 seconds at a time in a world where "if things aren't happening in 12 second increments, we just lose attention." By humanizing one another through shared soundtracks, Shaka believes we can then "have the next conversation about something that's maybe a little more heavy, a little more fraught." Because education is nothing if not speech—and speech requires someone willing to truly listen.Find out more about Shaka’s work with the Come Together Music Project at: https://www.cometogetherpodcast.com/

"Is this going to be in my neck or in my back? And will it be fast?" Those were Carob Marcelle Bartholomew's thoughts as she lay on the ground during Charlie Kirk's assassination listening for bullets whizzing overhead that tragic day in Utah.A homeschool teacher to 83 students and Utah State Director for Moms for America, Carob had been assaulted in the past in Seattle for holding a sign that said "character matters, reject CRT"—punched in the face by someone who "could have been a relative." Now she teaches her students that "the first place that you are enslaved is in your mind" and uses Peter Boghossian's techniques to get them debating everything from armed teachers to gun control, often keeping them 90 minutes past dismissal because "they're hungry for real conversation." After witnessing Charlie Kirk's murder, Carob organized a walk for students back to the shooting site, telling them to wear "I am Charlie" shirts because "another thing that we're constantly saying is our kids are resilient while we're watering them down and making them so weak and mentally fragile." Her message to anyone self-censoring: "I believe you have a right to say even the ugliest things. In fact, I want you to say the ugliest things because it gives me proof that it's happening." With her Mom's group declaring "I'm more in than ever" despite the violence, Carob's rallying cry is simple: "I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees." Check out Carob’s YouTube channel “Be Not Afraid” at: https://www.youtube.com/@CarobMarcelle

This week Ryan Tsapatsaris is back and joins Elizabeth for discussion about bullying behaviors.  A recent study of Middle and High School aged participants revealed that bullied students admitted to also engaging in bullying behaviors.  The relationship was stronger for gender non-conforming students than for cisgender students.  Transgender identities were also more strongly associated with perpetration of bullying than subjection to bullying.  Ryan and Elizabeth describe the study and findings.  We also discuss some interesting aspects of the data set, which becomes a jumping off point for a summary of recent trends in gender identification: As of 2023, Generation Z survey respondents have been much less likely to identify as either trans or queer.  We also talk about the risks involved in doing this kind of research and secondary analysis of data.  Social scientists should be able to pose difficult and unpopular questions, and extend research and theory to contemporary social issues, without constant worries about interpersonal and professional cancellation campaigns.Podcast notesTopic article:Heino, E., Ellonen, N., & Kaltiala, R. (2021). Transgender identity is associated with bullying involvement among Finnish adolescents. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 612424.  https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.612424/fullMentioned articles:Sex and the census: why surveys should not conflate sex and gender identityhttps://www.queermajority.com/essays-all/academia-in-an-age-of-assholeshttps://unherd.com/newsroom/why-are-fewer-young-people-identifying-as-trans/ (Kaufmann)https://www.heterodoxcentre.com/research/chss-report-no-5/ Trans identification really is in free fall: New data (Twenge) 

"If you can't state the truth, you can't really pursue it either." Scott, project coordinator with the Atlas Society and partner with the Free Society Coalition, left his comfortable career in financial services after a health scare made him realize it was "worth spending my time left advocating for the future I hope for." Drawing parallels between Thomas Paine's revolutionary Common Sense and today's censorship crisis, Scott argues the Declaration of Independence isn't just nostalgia—it's "a kind of reset button for dialogue" that can help us overcome our increasingly fractured society. He explores how John Locke's "life, liberty and property" evolved into Jefferson's pursuit of happiness, why "at a certain point, you're a slave" if you can't say what you want, and how the wars of religion ultimately birthed the Enlightenment ideas that shaped America's founding. Scott envisions massive "Liberty Revival" gatherings where citizens hash out ethical principles and free speech guidelines—holding everyone to a single standard without double standards based on historical grievances. **Note: Scott also wants to clarify that in his comments on Michael Jordan that he “was making a point about how a health or any other kind of scare can sometimes be useful to reassess our values.”From the financial services industry to blues band frontman to freedom advocate, Scott reminds us that sometimes you need to get yourself "worked up" and ready to fight for the world you want to live in, because waiting for perfect conditions means liberty loses by default. Learn more about the Free Society Coalition at: https://www.freesocietycoalition.org/

This week the Dissident's Podcast highlights our partner, Prosocial Workers, ProSocial Podcast. ProSocial Workers executive director and ILV senior advisor Matt Watson invites licensed clinical social worker Paul Stayback to discuss the intersection of social work, gun violence, and mental health. They explore the challenges of engaging with firearms owners in therapy, the importance of viewpoint diversity in social work, and the need for nuanced conversations about gun control and safety. Paul shares his journey into social work, his experiences with veterans, and the cultural barriers that prevent effective dialogue around firearms. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding and humanizing different perspectives to foster productive discussions and ultimately enhance community safety.

This week Mike Burke is back and joins Elizabeth for discussion about the neuroscience of polarized attitudes.  A recent article suggests that regardless of which side of the political aisle we inhabit, those with more extreme views may experience similar neural activity and physiological responses to the same political content and emotionally charged language. Research participants who self-identified on the most extreme ends of the ideological spectrum exhibited the most so-called  "neural synchrony effects."  Mike and Elizabeth talk about the implications of these similarities as well as other examples of what is often called the horseshoe theory, which suggests that those at the far ends of the political spectrum may view the world through a shared lens and that their behaviors and strategies are nearly indistinguishable. Mike describes his relevant article in which he argues that too often "those who claim to be the defenders of Western civilisation seem not to notice that they are the ones burning it down from within." Podcast notesTopic article: de Bruin, D., & FeldmanHall, O. (2025). Politically extreme individuals exhibit similar neural processing despite ideological differences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.A brief description of horseshoe theory appears here: https://vanderbiltpoliticalreview.com/12168/us/horseshoe-theory-in-american-politics/Mike's recent article can be found here: https://www.queermajority.com/essays-all/the-kremlins-lgbt-smokescreen

This week Elizabeth is joined by librarian and frequent contributor, Pamela Hayes-Bohanan who, in anticipation of Banned Books Week, gives us the latest news on attempts to remove books from our libraries. The majority of book censorship attempts now originate from organized movements, pressure groups, and government entities, including elected officials. While concerns about content or appropriate category for shelving used to come from individuals, book bans are now most commonly initiated by activists who may never have seen the book or patronized the library they've targeted.  The titles most frequently targeted for censorship appear on partisan lists. Websites provide a forum for sharing author names, book titles, and tools to demand censorship of more titles in more libraries.  Pam helps us understand what that means for our public, private, K-12 and college libraries.  We also discuss what it means for education and society more broadly.  Pam encourages us to celebrate the right to read.Podcast notesThe American Library Association sponsors Banned Books Week annually to promote awareness, remind us that censorship has no place in contemporary society, and most of all to celebrate the right to read. More information about Banned Books Week can be found here:  https://www.ala.org/bbooks/banned Since our podcast this happened: Texas School Administrators Use A.I. To Ban Books.  Read about it here: https://bookriot.com/leander-sb-13/A couple of reports from PEN America can be found here:Cover to Cover: An analysis of titles banned in the 23-24 school yearhttps://pen.org/report/cover-to-cover/The Blueprint State: Lessons from Parents Left Behind by Parental Rights Policies in Floridahttps://pen.org/report/the-blueprint-state/