The Dissidents

The Dissidents
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Welcome to the Dissidents podcast from the Institute for Liberal Values (formerly the Counterweight Podcast), where we talk about how we can strive for a world in which freedom and reason are at the forefront of all human society.

  1. FSF Ep. 40: Every Memory Has a Soundtrack: Music, Listening, and Free Speech | Shaka Mitchel

    11/15/2025 · BONUS

    FSF Ep. 40: Every Memory Has a Soundtrack: Music, Listening, and Free Speech | Shaka Mitchel

    "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/

    25 min
  2. FSF Ep. 39: "I Am Charlie”: Free Speech After Witnessing Charlie Kirk's Murder | Carob Marcelle Bartholomew

    11/01/2025 · BONUS

    FSF Ep. 39: "I Am Charlie”: Free Speech After Witnessing Charlie Kirk's Murder | Carob Marcelle Bartholomew

    "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

    38 min

  3. 10/24/2025

    S5 E29 | The Bullying Pulpit: Practice what You Preach or Preaching to the Choir

    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 notes Topic 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/full Mentioned articles: Sex and the census: why surveys should not conflate sex and gender identity https://www.queermajority.com/essays-all/academia-in-an-age-of-assholes https://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)

    57 min
  4. FSF Ep. 38: Celebrating the Declaration: Free Speech & Liberty’s Reset Button | Scott Schiff

    10/17/2025 · BONUS

    FSF Ep. 38: Celebrating the Declaration: Free Speech & Liberty’s Reset Button | Scott Schiff

    "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/

    23 min

  5. 10/17/2025

    S5 E28 | Mental health and the Second Amendment

    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.

    1h 13m

  6. 10/10/2025

    S5 E27 | Face Off: Exploring Neural Symmetry in Political Affiliation

    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 notes Topic 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

    1h 2m

  7. 10/03/2025

    S5 E26 | Don't get on the Banned-Wagon: Recent Trends in Library Censorship

    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 notes The 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/

    1h 3m
  8. FSF Ep. 37: Free Speech and Being “That Person You Hate” | Kofi Montzka

    10/01/2025 · BONUS

    FSF Ep. 37: Free Speech and Being “That Person You Hate” | Kofi Montzka

    "I'm that person you hate." That's what attorney and activist Kofi Montzka says when coworkers start ranting about conservatives—and it stops them in their tracks. After being told she couldn't speak anymore at a mandatory anti-racism training (despite being one of only two Black people in the room), Kofi fought back by organizing a political civility presentation that drew over 350 state employees. Now she's on a mission to prove you can "hold your strong convictions and still come here and be loved and accepted."    Kofi shares her strategy of tackling the strongest arguments from the other side, why personal stories matter more than she ever wanted to admit, and how simply being present with people who disagree with you—whether in a running group or at school board meetings—creates change that grand speeches never could. Her advice on counting the cost before speaking up, being "faultless in disputes," and the power of getting to know people before revealing your views offers a roadmap for anyone tired of choosing between their principles and their relationships. If we can't figure out civil discourse, Kofi warns, "we're going to be at civil war"—making free speech and diversity of thought not just ideals worth fighting for, but essential survival skills.   Find out more at: https://freeblackthought.com/voices/kofi-montzka

    26 min
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Welcome to the Dissidents podcast from the Institute for Liberal Values (formerly the Counterweight Podcast), where we talk about how we can strive for a world in which freedom and reason are at the forefront of all human society.

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  • Creator
    The Dissidents
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    276
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Dissidents
  • Show Website
    The Dissidents