Meetup is LIVE in our LR in West Orange, NJ (address sent to NEWBIES 3-7 days ahead of the event)
We gather at 7:30 for 30 min of refreshments (and wine) and talk and then spend 90 min in an informal facilitated discussion based on the assigned podcasts

WE MADE IT THROUGH THE 2024 ELECTION, HOPEFULLY WITH THE POSITIVE RESULTS WE ALL HOPED FOR.... WITH THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION COMES THE JOB OF REPAIRING THE DAMAGE DONE / RESTORING THE SECURITY WE EXPECT FROM FREEDOMS THAT ARE A PART OF OUR CONSTITUTION
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Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
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• What would the founding fathers think of the issues of speech and religion we now face?
• How have politics, cultural movements, and technology affected our freedoms, and how can we fix the damage done for all people?
• Do you feel that your freedoms are still protected in this country?
• Please listen to both podcasts before the meetup (they are a bit long but interesting and intellectually challenging!

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[1] NPR Throughline
Freedom of Speech (54 min)
Book bans, disinformation, the wild world of the internet. Free speech debates are all around us. What were the Founding Fathers thinking when they created the First Amendment, and how have the words they wrote in the 18th century been stretched and shaped to fit a world they never could have imagined? It's a story that travels through world wars and culture wars. Through the highest courts and the Ku Klux Klan. What exactly is free speech, and how has the answer to that question changed in the history of the U.S.?

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/24/1177936377/the-freedom-of-speech

OPTIONAL 2nd PODCAST --- This one is a bit dry and 4 years old--

[2] Aspen Ideas
Freedom For All - Not Just The Majority (61 min)
Most Americans see religious freedom as an important right. Yet how that freedom is defined and applied isn’t consistent, and efforts to safeguard the religious freedom of some may be discriminatory to others. Experts say it is critical to address this issue politically, socially, and culturally or risk alienating people from all backgrounds. Religious liberty lawyer Asma Uddin works for the protection of religious expression for people of all faiths. She speaks with Montse Alvarado of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, The Sikh Coalition’s legal director Amrith Kaur, and political and religious strategist Michael Wear. They discuss the causes of political and religious polarization, tribalism, and ways to find a path forward and a common cause while advocating for equal freedom and fairness for all. They also talk about the role religious freedom played in motivating the mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6.

https://www.aspenideas.org/podcasts/religious-freedom-for-all-not-just-the-majority?utm_source=google&utm_medium=adgrant&utm_campaign=DSA&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw97SzBhDaARIsAFHXUWAAqzMFGOx9WgGAaknmUJys6HsL4ves-y5k0A9XZ7m0Ml25ve9vsnkaAotKEALw_wcB-

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For newbies:
the street address will be sent to you ~3-7 days before the event (lots of street parking)

Only sign up if you plan to show up (or risk being tarred and feathered).

• If you can't make it-- please change your RSVP from YES to NO as early as possible so that others can get in
• $2 on-site for refreshments/cover the annual fees for the meetup site.