Radio Curious

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Few moments in American history have held the tension of the early 1970s. The nation was fundamentally divided between the jaded counter-culture and Nixon’s ‘silent majority,’ a rupture particularly connected to the still-escalating Vietnam War. The release to the public of the Pentagon Papers by Daniel Ellsberg in 1971 focused national attention on US foreign policy and on our right as individual citizens to freedom of the press.

Daniel Ellsberg recommends “Our War,” by David Harris.

Originally Broadcast: March 19, 1997

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Don’t Know Much About History, Everything you Need to Know About American History But Never Learned

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” These words may sound radical today, but in fact come from the Declaration of Independence drafted in 1776. In this edition of Radio Curious, broadcast during Independence Week of 2005 we talk with Kenneth C. Davis, author of “Don’t Know Much about History,” and review some of the issues of 1776 from our perspective now. This interview was recorded on July 2, 2005 with Kenneth C. Davis from his home in southern Vermont. He began by commenting on the role religion played the declaration of the Independence.

Kenneth C. Davis recommends “Diane Arbus, A Biography” by Patricia Bosworth.

Originally Broadcast: July 5, 2005

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Genocide is the intent to exterminate in whole or in part a specific group of people often based on nationality, ethnicity, race or religion. For the past two years, in the Darfur region of the nation of Sudan, located in north central Africa and populated primarily by black Africans, the Sudanese government has been committing racial genocide. Reports are that as many as 400,000 black African civilians have been murdered by the Sudanese government together with Arab rebel groups in Darfur. Professor Sam Totten, a scholar in Genocide Studies at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, visited the Darfur area in the fall of 2004 and has been examining this present day massacre that most of the world has chosen to ignore. I spoke with Professor Totten from his home in Arkansas and asked him to explain the reasons behind the genocide.

www.savedarfur.org

Sam Totten recommends “Shake Hands With the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda,” by Romeo Dallaire.

Originally Broadcast: June 7, 2005

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The Hidden Jury, and Other Tactics Lawyers Use to Win

What happens when a guilty person is acquitted of crime? Or worse, when an innocent person is convicted of a crime? This injustice can sometimes be prevented with the help of jury consultants, people who assist lawyers in picking juries in all types of trials, not just criminal trials. Paul Lisnik, the author of “The Hidden Jury and Other Tactics Lawyers Use to Win” is an attorney, jury consultant and journalist, who advised and assisted in the O.J. Simpson other trials. He debunks the myth that juries are fair and impartial; that if someone commits a crime, they get convicted; that only guilty people are ultimately put to death; and that only the wealthy or famous can afford a trial consultant. In this interview recorded in March 2005 Paul Lisnik begin with his interpretation of the jury system.

Paul M. Lisnik recommends “Bush World, Enter At Your Own Risk” by Marueen Doud.

Originally Broadcast: June 28, 2005

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The American Folklife Preservation Act of 1976 directed the Library of Congress to gather stories and art of everyday people to reflect the identity of America, which is recognized as the core of family and community life. The thought is that by linking us to the past we are better able to develop our understanding of the present. The Story Corps is a current project of the American Folklife justify of the Library of Congress. Two air stream trailers, retrofitted with state of the art recording equipment, will visit towns and cities throughout the United States for about a year beginning in June 2005, to collect recordings of every day people interviewing each other about their lives. Anyone will be welcome to visit the Story Corps trailer that may be near where you live, by signing up on line at www.storycorps.net. Each participant receives a copy of the interview, and may donate a copy to the Library of Congress. This interview with Dr. Peggy Bulger, the Director of the American Folklife justify at the Library of Congress was recorded in her office at the Library of Congress on May 20, 2005. She began by reviewing the history of the American Folklife and the purpose of Story Corps project. You can locate the Story Corps on the internet at www.storycorps.net, and the Library of Congress at www.loc.gov.

www.storycorps.net and www.loc.gov

Peggy Bulger recommends “Ireland, A Novel” by Frank Delaney.

Originally Broadcast: May 31, 2005

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Nixon at the Movies, A Book About Belief

Richard Nixon, and the movies he watched while he was president… On his third night in office, January 22, 1969 Nixon saw The Shoes of the Fisherman in the White House movie theater. From then until August 1973, when he resigned the presidency Nixon watched over 500 movies in the White House, at Camp David, and other places he frequented. This is an average of 2½ movies per week during his presidency. The book, Nixon at the Movies, A Book About Belief, by Boston Globe journalist Mark Feeney examines the role movies played in forming Nixon’s character and career, and the role Nixon played in the development of American film. Ronald Reagan may have been the first movie star president, but Feeney argues that Nixon was the first true cinematic president. In this program, recorded in January 2005, Mark Feeney begins by commenting on the effect that the 500 plus movies that Nixon watched had on him and his presidency.

Mark Feeney recommends “The Whole Equation,” by David Thompson.

Originally Broadcast: February 22, 2005

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Alienable Rights: The Exclusion of African Americans in a White Man’s Land, 1619 to 2000

“Alienable Rights: The Exclusion of African Americans in a White Man’s Land, 1619 to 2000” is a book in part written by Francis Adams, an independent scholar living in Los Angeles, California. The book posits that the drive for equal rights for black people in the United States has never had the support of the majority of America. Rather, racial progress has been made in brief historic bursts, lead by the committed militant minorities of abolitionists, radical republicans, and civil rights activists. In this program, we visit with Dr. Francis D. Adams. I asked him to explain the importance of the trial of James Somerset that took place in England in 1772.

Dr. Francis Adams recommends “Collapse,” by Jared Diamond.

Originally Broadcast: January 29, 2005

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The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11

The forces behind the disasters of September 11, 2001 are said to be unclear and undefined, notwithstanding the Official Report of the 9/11 Commission. David Ray Griffin, a Professor Emeritus from the Claremont School of Theology, and the author of “The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11,” casts doubt on the official version, as well as the role of the Bush Administration. In a two-part interview, we discussed these issues.
Dr. David Ray Griffin recommends “Cover Up,” by Paul Lance & “The Terror Timeline, Year by Year, Day by Day, Minute by Minute: A Comprehensive Chronicle of the Road to 9/11 and America’s Response,” by Paul Thompson.

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In May 1954, the United States Supreme Court, unanimously declared, ”segregation in public education is a denial of the equal protection of the law.” This is a two-part discussion about the aftermath of that decision. Our guest is Dr. Elizabeth Allen, a Professor of Nursing at the University of Michigan. As a high school student, Dr. Allen was one of the first African-American students to integrate West Virginia high schools in 1957.

Dr. Elizabeth Allen recommends “The Price of Loyalty,” by David Suskind with former US Secretary of Treasury Paul O’Neil.

Originally Broadcast: May 4, 2004 & May 18, 2004

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