WEBVTT - Democracy is Not a Given 0:00:11.760 --> 0:00:15.000 Good morning, peeps, and welcome to wok F Daily with 0:00:15.160 --> 0:00:19.279 Meet your Girl Danielle Moody recording from the Home Bunker. 0:00:19.440 --> 0:00:24.599 As today it is MLK Day, and you know, I 0:00:24.640 --> 0:00:27.560 will say this first of all, like how fast is 0:00:27.640 --> 0:00:31.840 January going? It blows my mind because I just feel 0:00:31.880 --> 0:00:35.199 like we're just getting started with the new year, and 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:39.760 it's like we're already in the third week. Nonetheless, folks, 0:00:41.080 --> 0:00:46.400 MLK Day is an obnoxious day in America. It's the 0:00:46.479 --> 0:00:50.320 day when Republicans and white supremaists love to pull out 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:54.720 the one or two quotes plucked perfectly from Martin Luther 0:00:54.840 --> 0:01:00.160 King's life, a man that they had assassinated, and talk 0:01:00.240 --> 0:01:04.720 about upholding you know, King's dream and all of those things, 0:01:04.760 --> 0:01:11.400 knowing good, goddamn well that for those Octanagerians, Martin Luther 0:01:11.480 --> 0:01:16.160 King should still be alive. But because of hateful, vindictive 0:01:17.160 --> 0:01:22.560 racist people like them, like the MAGA supremacists, he is not. 0:01:24.600 --> 0:01:30.360 And everything that their party is working to do is 0:01:30.400 --> 0:01:36.360 to absolutely go against every single thing that that man fought, 0:01:37.200 --> 0:01:41.400 was jailed for, beaten for, and eventually was murdered for. 0:01:44.800 --> 0:01:49.560 You know, people forget that just because you see pictures 0:01:49.600 --> 0:01:53.600 which I believe now have been purposely made to be 0:01:53.760 --> 0:02:00.080 black and white. We had color photographs, folks. Ruby Bridges 0:02:00.720 --> 0:02:06.840 is sixty five years old, the little girl who integrated 0:02:08.160 --> 0:02:11.359 schools after Brown versus the Board of Education. She's sixty 0:02:11.400 --> 0:02:17.960 five years old. So when you're looking at the Mitch McConnell's, 0:02:18.080 --> 0:02:22.320 the Joe Biden's, the Donald Trumps, looking at these people 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:28.679 that are in their eighties, understand that Martin Luther King, 0:02:28.919 --> 0:02:35.160 on top of many many black leaders that were resistance fighters, 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:40.000 didn't make it out of their teens, of their twenties, 0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:45.240 of their thirties, or saw their forties. And had it 0:02:45.320 --> 0:02:54.320 not been for this blood soaked hate that they are 0:02:54.480 --> 0:03:02.480 right now stirring and stewing in, these would be our 0:03:02.720 --> 0:03:10.160 elder statesman. And so I offer that today because I 0:03:10.280 --> 0:03:15.920 believe that we are in the fight for our lives. 0:03:17.120 --> 0:03:25.360 I can't overstate it enough. It isn't about parties, it 0:03:25.400 --> 0:03:33.000 isn't about people. It is about freedom, It is about liberty, 0:03:33.280 --> 0:03:39.720 It is about justice, It is about dignity. It is 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:49.200 about hope. And so I hope as today that you 0:03:50.320 --> 0:03:54.960 reflect on this day off, if you are lucky enough 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:58.440 and privileged enough to have it, that you think about 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:02.600 what your role in response is in this movement, because 0:04:02.600 --> 0:04:06.840 that is what we are trying to create, a movement 0:04:06.960 --> 0:04:10.240 that is not about again a party or a man, 0:04:11.200 --> 0:04:16.320 but about our collective belief and the possibility of different 0:04:16.360 --> 0:04:21.320 people from different groups and communities and religions and genders 0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:25.480 and gender identities and orientations being able to live side 0:04:25.520 --> 0:04:32.479 by side, being able to coexist peacefully, not from a 0:04:32.520 --> 0:04:36.280 place of tolerating one another, not even from a place 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:40.240 of accepting one another, but from a place of celebrating 0:04:40.400 --> 0:04:46.159 one another. Because the more I learn, the more open 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:52.120 my heart is, the more human I am, and the 0:04:52.120 --> 0:05:00.080 more that I see our faiths intertwined. So you're suffering 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:07.800 is my suffering. My win is your win. And think 0:05:07.839 --> 0:05:13.600 about how we are going to advance that cause, how 0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:20.120 we are going to expand that movement. Coming up next, friends, 0:05:20.360 --> 0:05:26.960 my conversation with Sky Perriman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. 0:05:27.360 --> 0:05:31.840 Democracy Forward is a leading the legal fight against the 0:05:31.920 --> 0:05:36.400 extremist policies you've seen in the headlines recently, from defending 0:05:36.440 --> 0:05:42.080 President Biden's student alone forgiveness program to keeping medication abortion available. 0:05:42.360 --> 0:05:45.800 I can think of no better conversation to have today. 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:51.640 Than this one, which indeed was pre recorded, but really 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:57.039 important and salient about why the legal fight is just 0:05:57.120 --> 0:06:00.880 as important for us as we understand and our own 0:06:01.440 --> 0:06:08.240 fight and part in this movement for justice. Folks, I 0:06:08.279 --> 0:06:13.200 am very excited to welcome back to wok F Daily, 0:06:13.360 --> 0:06:18.240 Sky Perryman, who is the president and CEO of Democracy Forward. 0:06:19.680 --> 0:06:24.680 You know when I even just the name makes me 0:06:24.880 --> 0:06:29.360 happy because I need people that want to move democracy forward, 0:06:30.200 --> 0:06:35.440 and you all, as a national legal organization try and 0:06:35.560 --> 0:06:40.600 advance democracy, which I can only imagine in this climate 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:47.000 where every case, whether it's at the state level federal level, 0:06:48.800 --> 0:06:53.120 is just so consequential. So Sky, first give us you 0:06:53.120 --> 0:07:00.359 know your your thoughts on twenty twenty three the Eagle 0:07:00.440 --> 0:07:06.000 News the fight that we had and are having around 0:07:06.080 --> 0:07:08.520 holding on to our democracy. 0:07:09.880 --> 0:07:13.320 I think it was a really consequential year. I agree 0:07:13.360 --> 0:07:16.160 with you there. I mean, look, the year started off 0:07:16.600 --> 0:07:23.120 with litigation that extremists had filed in Texas late last 0:07:23.200 --> 0:07:27.800 year seeking to remove the approval of a reproductive health 0:07:27.840 --> 0:07:30.880 medication mif of pristone, which is known by some by 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:36.720 the abortion pill, questioning FDA's authority. We had extremist groups 0:07:36.760 --> 0:07:40.240 that were seeking to promote the big lie and the 0:07:40.280 --> 0:07:45.600 independent theory of state legislatures to suppress votes, seeking to 0:07:46.120 --> 0:07:50.600 bring their cases to the Supreme Court. A range of 0:07:51.240 --> 0:07:56.520 extremist organizations, including led by individuals who served in the 0:07:56.560 --> 0:08:01.840 prior administration, that sought to roll back racial equity measures 0:08:01.920 --> 0:08:05.680 for higher education at the Supreme Court and then throughout 0:08:05.680 --> 0:08:10.520 the country, we saw while voters are showing up in 0:08:10.640 --> 0:08:16.240 record numbers voting on issues, voting in states like Ohio 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:21.360 to protect abord access, to protect healthcare access, while people 0:08:21.360 --> 0:08:25.440 are trying to make their voices heard in ideologically and 0:08:25.720 --> 0:08:29.080 geographically diverse areas of the country. These are not all 0:08:29.560 --> 0:08:33.120 places that you might think are the bastion of every 0:08:33.200 --> 0:08:37.400 progressive policy. You have people of many different views, but 0:08:37.520 --> 0:08:39.920 all coming together to say, this is democracy, this is 0:08:39.960 --> 0:08:43.240 about people's rights. We may disagree that there's some foundational 0:08:43.240 --> 0:08:45.840 things here, and at the same time, we have state 0:08:45.880 --> 0:08:50.520 attorneys general and local officials and others throughout the country 0:08:50.559 --> 0:08:53.800 really seeking to undermine the ability of people to vote 0:08:53.840 --> 0:08:56.160 and to make their voices heard. And so I think 0:08:56.200 --> 0:09:00.600 we saw some triumphs for democracy in this last year. 0:09:01.080 --> 0:09:06.400 The voters in Ohio showing up against many attempts to 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:12.000 mislead on that ballot, to provide misinformation, and yet they 0:09:12.120 --> 0:09:16.959 showed up and voted overwhelmingly to protect reproductive freedom for all. 0:09:17.320 --> 0:09:19.160 So I think we saw some things like that that 0:09:19.200 --> 0:09:22.440 are really encouraging. The Supreme Court did not endorse this 0:09:22.600 --> 0:09:27.400 extreme independent theory of the state legislature. The Supreme Court 0:09:27.440 --> 0:09:32.959 did stay, which means, you know, pause this extremist ruling 0:09:32.960 --> 0:09:36.680 out of Texas that would have removed approval for medication 0:09:36.720 --> 0:09:39.640 abortion with myth of christone. But then at the same time, 0:09:39.640 --> 0:09:41.720 I think we saw really what the stakes are because 0:09:41.760 --> 0:09:44.840 there were a number of places where there was a 0:09:44.920 --> 0:09:49.680 rollback of rights on racial equity in higher education. A 0:09:49.760 --> 0:09:54.600 number of states continued to ban or otherwise restrict abortion 0:09:54.760 --> 0:09:57.559 access even though we know that the vast majority of 0:09:57.600 --> 0:10:00.400 people in this country support it. And we're seeing this 0:10:01.520 --> 0:10:05.839 constellation of extremist, far right groups really seeking to push 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:08.360 their views even though they don't represent the majority of people. 0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:11.040 So I think twenty twenty three showed a lot of 0:10:11.080 --> 0:10:13.840 what's at stake, and there were some good wins, but 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:19.680 there were some really unfortunate losses, and we're learning, you know, 0:10:19.720 --> 0:10:22.800 democracy has never been a given and it's only as 0:10:22.800 --> 0:10:24.400 good as those of us that are going to do 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:27.680 the work to continue it, and that that works for 0:10:27.720 --> 0:10:28.200 all of us. 0:10:29.240 --> 0:10:34.320 You know, Sky, thank you for laying out that picture, 0:10:34.440 --> 0:10:38.840 because I think that you're right. We did see some wins, 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:43.200 but we actually saw some devastating losses. Right at the 0:10:43.240 --> 0:10:47.560 Supreme Court with the affirmative Action case. We saw, you know, 0:10:48.200 --> 0:10:51.840 I'm in New York and one hundred year old ban 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:56.959 on guns was overturned, you know, in a densely populated 0:10:57.800 --> 0:11:02.400 city and area. Were watching, and I love the imagery 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:07.600 that you conjured by saying a constellation of these right 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:14.000 wing groups that are putting their clause, their stamp all 0:11:14.000 --> 0:11:19.000 over this country. And I wonder, you know, where I 0:11:19.040 --> 0:11:24.760 am concerned is that the courts are have always been 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:30.960 our pathway to liberation in this country for groups that 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:36.000 have been traditionally marginalized. We also know that during the 0:11:36.040 --> 0:11:42.640 Trump administration, that man placed hundreds of right wing judges 0:11:43.280 --> 0:11:46.600 sprinkling them all over the country, in some instances to 0:11:46.679 --> 0:11:51.120 protect himself and in other instances to further the cause 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:54.679 of these right wing groups. And so when you look 0:11:54.880 --> 0:11:57.920 right now at the comparison in terms of what the 0:11:57.920 --> 0:12:03.240 Biden administration has been able to do around judgeships and 0:12:03.600 --> 0:12:06.800 how you know, this Department of Justice has been taking 0:12:06.840 --> 0:12:13.120 on a kind of web you know, of of of 0:12:13.280 --> 0:12:19.040 attempts to try and overturn a lot of decisions that 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:22.679 have been made or bring you know, legal cases. How 0:12:22.760 --> 0:12:27.319 confident are you in the courts still being the pathway 0:12:27.960 --> 0:12:32.679 to not even holding democracy? I won't even talk about 0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:33.480 expanding it. 0:12:34.320 --> 0:12:38.319 Well, here's the thing. The courts are both a frontline 0:12:38.920 --> 0:12:42.160 in the battle for democracy, whether they are good or 0:12:42.240 --> 0:12:45.280 whether they are ill, whether they are promoting the rights 0:12:45.320 --> 0:12:47.240 of people, which is what the courts are supposed to 0:12:47.320 --> 0:12:50.120 do in a democracy, or whether they are rolling back 0:12:50.160 --> 0:12:54.040 the rights at the invitation of far right and extremist groups. 0:12:55.320 --> 0:12:58.120 The courts are where the fight is in many cases, 0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:00.800 I mean communities are too, but the court that is 0:13:00.840 --> 0:13:03.080 the place that the far right is going to seek 0:13:03.160 --> 0:13:06.680 to go to try to win battles that they cannot 0:13:06.679 --> 0:13:10.040 win among the vast majority of people, and it is 0:13:10.040 --> 0:13:13.000 the place that we all must be At the same time, 0:13:13.280 --> 0:13:16.679 it is also a great backstop and last resort we 0:13:16.720 --> 0:13:21.040 see the courts deliver for people even amidst some of 0:13:21.080 --> 0:13:24.240 the trends that you have cited and devastating things that 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:26.320 I forgot. And when you first asked me the question, 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:28.560 I mean student loan debt. I was just reading about 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:32.920 how people are not able to afford their holiday expenses 0:13:33.040 --> 0:13:36.200 because of the student loan payments that are coming back. 0:13:36.240 --> 0:13:39.239 And of course the Supreme Court stopped the President's initiative 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:45.959 to relieve student debt, and economic pressures are rising out 0:13:45.960 --> 0:13:48.040 of the pandemic, which was something that we represented a 0:13:48.120 --> 0:13:51.119 range of legal scholars it said was completely lawful and appropriate, 0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:54.400 but the Supreme Court disagreed. So I think at the 0:13:54.440 --> 0:13:57.920 same time, the courts are a backstop. I mean this 0:13:58.040 --> 0:14:02.439 year in Arkansas, we saw Governor Huckabee Sanders sign a 0:14:02.520 --> 0:14:06.640 law that was going to criminalize librarians. Our team took 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:10.320 that law of court on behalf of librarians and others 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:13.520 in the state and alongside a broad coalition, and we 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:17.679 want a court order that is temporarily blocking that that 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:22.000 unlawful violation of the First Amendment and protecting libraries and 0:14:22.040 --> 0:14:24.560 librarians in Arkansas. And so we see in our work 0:14:24.600 --> 0:14:28.320 every day how the courts are still important and can 0:14:28.400 --> 0:14:31.920 serve a very protective purpose for democracy. But we also 0:14:32.080 --> 0:14:34.400 see how they're a place where the fights really are 0:14:34.880 --> 0:14:38.240 and where there is a coordinated attempt to misuse our 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:41.280 courts to have them do something other than justice, to 0:14:41.320 --> 0:14:43.760 have them roll back the rights of people. And so 0:14:43.880 --> 0:14:48.160 I think my takeaway is that regardless of whether you 0:14:48.240 --> 0:14:52.520 believe in change the courts or not, you've got to 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:57.240 be there because that's where these fights are, and that's 0:14:57.240 --> 0:15:00.960 where democracy is it's arising in these case and I 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:03.440 think there is some reason to be optimistic. We've seen 0:15:03.440 --> 0:15:08.640 a number of judges confirmed, federal judges confirmed that reflect 0:15:08.720 --> 0:15:11.520 the diversity, the rich diversity and strength of our diversity 0:15:11.560 --> 0:15:14.360 as a country. We see judges in some of our 0:15:14.520 --> 0:15:20.960 work that we're appointed by individuals who might not agree 0:15:21.080 --> 0:15:26.560 with an expansive vision of civil rights or of constitutional rights, 0:15:26.560 --> 0:15:30.920 but nevertheless that apply the rule of law. And then 0:15:30.960 --> 0:15:34.000 we also see extremists like what we've seen in Texas 0:15:34.560 --> 0:15:36.840 and what we've seen in a number of places, where 0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:39.240 there are judges actively rolling back the rights of people 0:15:39.240 --> 0:15:41.520 at the invitation of these groups. And it's really important 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:43.560 that we be there with the full power of the 0:15:43.560 --> 0:15:47.360 American people and the communities that are impacted, to use 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:48.720 our voice to push back. 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:58.760 I mean, Texas has been a petri dish of the 0:15:58.800 --> 0:16:03.320 Republican extreme US for for quite some time. But their 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:08.360 recent headlines. First it was you know, the the the 0:16:08.440 --> 0:16:12.200 buoys that they wanted to put out to like physically 0:16:12.280 --> 0:16:16.200 harm migrants that are trying to cross. Then it was, 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:19.360 you know, most recently the case of the of the 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:22.440 woman that needed to flee the state because the Texas 0:16:22.440 --> 0:16:27.360 Supreme Court denied her and an abortion with a with 0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:30.760 a fetus that was unviable. You know, now it is 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:35.520 it is uh, the governors have now the governor has 0:16:35.600 --> 0:16:38.600 now said that it is okay for law enforcement to 0:16:38.760 --> 0:16:44.160 arrest migrants or or those rather that they suspect of 0:16:44.200 --> 0:16:48.800 being migrants. And so when we see these things taking place, 0:16:48.800 --> 0:16:50.480 and then I want to add on top of that, 0:16:51.480 --> 0:16:54.920 Donald Trump uh most recently saying that he's going to 0:16:54.960 --> 0:16:59.040 be a dictator on day one. Uh most recently saying that, 0:17:00.120 --> 0:17:01.680 you know, we're going to take back the White House 0:17:01.680 --> 0:17:07.080 in twenty twenty four and then will negotiate afterwards because 0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:11.760 I'm owed, you know, years, and then I will weaponize 0:17:12.080 --> 0:17:17.679 and be your retribution. Do you think that people understand 0:17:17.720 --> 0:17:21.520 the stakes that we are that we are up against 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:25.960 that democracy held and is holding on by a thread 0:17:26.040 --> 0:17:30.280 right now. But that if if a Donald Trump or 0:17:30.320 --> 0:17:34.800 any frankly body word to take on outside of a 0:17:34.880 --> 0:17:40.919 Democrat this election in twenty twenty four, that we don't 0:17:40.960 --> 0:17:46.639 have the backstops anymore. We don't have the fall safes 0:17:46.840 --> 0:17:49.720 or the guard rails. Do people? Do you feel like 0:17:49.840 --> 0:17:51.800 people recognize what is at stake? 0:17:52.720 --> 0:17:55.640 We have to hope they do. I mean, look, democracy 0:17:55.920 --> 0:17:58.840 did hold in many ways because of the work that 0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:01.720 people like you and your community and the listeners that 0:18:02.119 --> 0:18:04.680 tune into your show, because of the work that legal 0:18:04.760 --> 0:18:10.520 organizations and other advocates did in the prior administration. But 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:15.080 people lost out there. I mean, it held on, but 0:18:15.119 --> 0:18:16.760 as you said, it held on by a thread. And 0:18:16.800 --> 0:18:18.919 we have a number of communities in this country that 0:18:19.000 --> 0:18:23.680 were worse off after the prior administration, after their prior 0:18:23.720 --> 0:18:27.280 administration's assault on democracy. And we have a number of 0:18:27.280 --> 0:18:29.840 communities in this country that are worse off now that 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:33.840 we have extremist legal organizations seeking to misuse our courts 0:18:33.880 --> 0:18:36.160 to roll back the rights of people, to deprive people 0:18:36.160 --> 0:18:38.720 of basic human rights and civil rights. And so I 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:42.840 think they're really high stakes and One of the things 0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:45.600 we're focused on at Democracy Forward is making sure that 0:18:45.640 --> 0:18:49.280 people know that we all have a role to play here. 0:18:49.640 --> 0:18:53.760 I saw a depiction the other day of a picture 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:55.919 that had a single individual saying, you know, I'm a 0:18:55.960 --> 0:18:58.960 single individual, what am I supposed to do here? And 0:18:59.000 --> 0:19:01.720 then there was one that six million. You know, we're 0:19:01.720 --> 0:19:04.960 all single individuals, and it's our collective power in coming 0:19:05.000 --> 0:19:07.840 together that can really be important in this time in 0:19:07.920 --> 0:19:11.359 demanding that our government work for all people, that the 0:19:11.400 --> 0:19:13.840 people that are entrusted to represent us, the people that 0:19:13.840 --> 0:19:17.800 are entrusted to be interpreting our constitution and our laws 0:19:17.800 --> 0:19:22.040 in our courts, that they believe in democracy and want 0:19:22.080 --> 0:19:24.360 to move it forward. A lot of what we're doing 0:19:24.400 --> 0:19:26.720 at Democracy Forward as we look to twenty twenty four 0:19:26.840 --> 0:19:29.760 is not only fighting the fights of today. And by 0:19:29.800 --> 0:19:34.199 the way, we were representing the nation's medical community in 0:19:34.240 --> 0:19:37.480 the Texas Supreme Court last weekend in Kate Cox's case, 0:19:37.480 --> 0:19:39.919 which is a really tragic case and shows you what's 0:19:40.280 --> 0:19:43.280 at stake here for so many families and people across 0:19:43.320 --> 0:19:46.720 the country. But we're going to take on those fights, 0:19:46.920 --> 0:19:50.840 but we're also looking at what needs to be done 0:19:50.920 --> 0:19:53.679 when you have public reports coming out on an almost 0:19:53.800 --> 0:19:57.760 weekly basis about quote, shadow governments that are being formed 0:19:57.800 --> 0:20:00.840 to undermine the independence of our civil so servius, to 0:20:01.040 --> 0:20:06.080 roll back lawful policies that help protect people, to politicize 0:20:06.119 --> 0:20:09.480 our institutions, and so there's a lot of that work 0:20:09.480 --> 0:20:14.040 that needs to be happening to really understand the stakes 0:20:14.040 --> 0:20:16.080 and communicate about that. And so I'm really happy that 0:20:16.359 --> 0:20:18.760 you're having me on today for us to have this conversation, 0:20:19.080 --> 0:20:21.439 but also that your listeners, hopefully as they're reflecting on 0:20:21.520 --> 0:20:23.560 the end of twenty twenty three in the beginning of 0:20:23.560 --> 0:20:27.159 twenty four, that we can really look together ahead and 0:20:27.200 --> 0:20:28.800 see what we need to do, because it is the 0:20:28.840 --> 0:20:32.320 responsibility of all of us to be informed to show up. 0:20:32.720 --> 0:20:34.960 But think about individual people in Ohio might not have 0:20:35.000 --> 0:20:38.399 thought they had the power, and they have won a 0:20:38.520 --> 0:20:41.320 right for people in that state that many thought was 0:20:41.640 --> 0:20:44.760 impossible because of the collective power that people can build. 0:20:44.800 --> 0:20:47.560 So I do believe that if we come together when 0:20:47.560 --> 0:20:50.480 we fight, we know that democracy will win. That people 0:20:50.520 --> 0:20:51.520 have to have the fight in them. 0:20:53.320 --> 0:20:57.679 What are you at democracy forward? Paying attention to what 0:20:57.760 --> 0:21:02.000 is on your radar twenty twenty four in terms of 0:21:02.440 --> 0:21:07.200 legal cases that you are on that you are going 0:21:07.280 --> 0:21:11.600 to be defending, like what is what's on your radar? 0:21:12.880 --> 0:21:16.240 Well at the Supreme Court, of course, there are a 0:21:16.320 --> 0:21:19.040 number of cases that the Court is hearing this term 0:21:19.240 --> 0:21:22.840 that could really radically alter the way that government functions 0:21:22.880 --> 0:21:26.600 and its ability to function for people in our country. 0:21:26.600 --> 0:21:29.679 There are a variety of cases in a category of 0:21:29.800 --> 0:21:32.960 law called administrative law, which is really how federal agencies 0:21:33.000 --> 0:21:36.560 are able to implement policies that Congress passes to help people, 0:21:37.560 --> 0:21:40.600 and the extremists and far right legal movements are seeking 0:21:40.680 --> 0:21:42.880 to undermine the ability of government to work for people. 0:21:42.920 --> 0:21:45.160 So we're weighing in and a lot of those cases 0:21:45.520 --> 0:21:48.359 on behalf of small businesses, and on behalf of scholars, 0:21:48.400 --> 0:21:51.000 and on behalf of many folks that have a stake, 0:21:51.359 --> 0:21:54.359 and we'll be watching those a lot. Of course, given 0:21:54.400 --> 0:21:57.480 the stakes of the twenty twenty four election, We'll be 0:21:57.560 --> 0:22:01.480 watching activity and communities throughout the country where there will 0:22:01.560 --> 0:22:04.520 be efforts to suppress votes, efforts to try to keep 0:22:04.560 --> 0:22:07.760 people from participating in the political process, and where there 0:22:07.800 --> 0:22:10.200 is a need, you will find us there. You will 0:22:10.200 --> 0:22:14.040 find us supporting organizations that will be there. And then 0:22:14.040 --> 0:22:17.720 of course We represent the generic manufacturer of mythipristom, which 0:22:17.760 --> 0:22:20.600 is the abortion pill, and it's the majority of the market, 0:22:21.240 --> 0:22:24.280 and the Supreme Court just last week has agreed to 0:22:24.359 --> 0:22:28.600 hear to get again here a case it is a 0:22:28.640 --> 0:22:30.920 resident of Texas, and so we'll be on the front 0:22:30.920 --> 0:22:33.160 lines of that fight as well as fighting against state 0:22:33.280 --> 0:22:37.720 laws that are seeking to override the federal government's authority 0:22:38.440 --> 0:22:41.760 to regulate medication abortion and make it available to all people. 0:22:42.960 --> 0:22:45.800 You know, there's no shortage of work in twenty twenty four, 0:22:45.880 --> 0:22:49.560 but I think really focusing on how we make sure 0:22:49.600 --> 0:22:53.280 that people are empowered to participate in their government, to 0:22:53.400 --> 0:22:56.480 show up, to show up for their communities, to show 0:22:56.560 --> 0:22:58.880 up for democracy. We're going to be really focused on that. 0:22:59.000 --> 0:23:00.320 And then we're also going to folks us on a 0:23:00.359 --> 0:23:01.600 lot of these legal fights. 0:23:06.440 --> 0:23:09.280 And last question for you. You know you mentioned that 0:23:09.440 --> 0:23:13.600 you know the individual you know, recognizing that they have power, 0:23:13.640 --> 0:23:16.880 and as a collective we have more powered them. We know, 0:23:17.400 --> 0:23:20.160 what can people that are listening to this show do? 0:23:20.280 --> 0:23:23.360 How can they get involved with democracy forward? How can 0:23:23.400 --> 0:23:26.040 they offer support? Please? 0:23:26.880 --> 0:23:28.639 Well, first of all, let me say, I think if 0:23:28.760 --> 0:23:32.639 if we in twenty twenty four, if every day we 0:23:32.760 --> 0:23:35.240 woke up, or maybe not even every day, once a week, 0:23:36.000 --> 0:23:39.160 we ask that question of ourselves and of our families 0:23:39.160 --> 0:23:41.960 and of our communities. I think democracy would be in 0:23:41.960 --> 0:23:44.200 a great place at the end of next year, and 0:23:44.240 --> 0:23:46.119 so I think one is we've got to ask that question, 0:23:46.600 --> 0:23:49.639 what can we do for us? Specifically, I would encourage 0:23:49.640 --> 0:23:53.120 our listeners to go to Democracyforward dot org, to sign 0:23:53.200 --> 0:23:55.520 up to get our newsletter, to follow us on social media. 0:23:55.600 --> 0:23:58.080 We have a lot of opportunities for people to get involved. 0:23:58.320 --> 0:24:02.040 We will be around the country this year. We're going 0:24:02.080 --> 0:24:04.280 to be in Tennessee doing some work. We're going to 0:24:04.280 --> 0:24:06.240 be in Texas, We'll be at south By Southwest. You know, 0:24:06.280 --> 0:24:08.119 we'll be around the country. We'd love to connect with 0:24:08.160 --> 0:24:10.879 you when we're in your community. But also you can 0:24:10.920 --> 0:24:13.600 get in touch with us through our work and stay 0:24:13.640 --> 0:24:16.119 informed about these fights, and we really need that in 0:24:16.160 --> 0:24:18.879 the days ahead. But even more broadly, I think people 0:24:18.920 --> 0:24:22.000 need to reflect on democracy is about all of us, 0:24:22.000 --> 0:24:23.840 and it's about a way of life, and it's about 0:24:23.880 --> 0:24:27.119 an affirmation that it's people need to be able to 0:24:27.119 --> 0:24:30.280 pursue their happiness and to pursue their dreams here in 0:24:30.280 --> 0:24:32.000 a country, and we need a country that creates the 0:24:32.000 --> 0:24:35.080 conditions for that. And so whether you go and get 0:24:35.080 --> 0:24:38.160 a public library card and start supporting your public library, 0:24:38.520 --> 0:24:42.520 whether you start supporting a local community effort that's seeking 0:24:42.560 --> 0:24:46.720 to inform people about efforts, whether you go buy a 0:24:46.760 --> 0:24:50.320 subscription to a reputable news source and pay for some 0:24:50.359 --> 0:24:53.760 of that content that's created that's fighting misinformation. I think 0:24:53.800 --> 0:24:55.280 there's a lot of things we can do in our 0:24:55.320 --> 0:24:57.240 daily lives. You don't have to be a lawyer, you 0:24:57.240 --> 0:25:01.320 don't have to consider yourself an advocate an activist. There's 0:25:01.400 --> 0:25:03.280 so much that we can do. We certainly need to 0:25:03.320 --> 0:25:05.919 vote and make a plan and get our friends to 0:25:06.000 --> 0:25:07.679 make a plan, but there's a lot that we can 0:25:07.680 --> 0:25:10.439 do in our daily lives, from supporting our libraries to 0:25:10.480 --> 0:25:13.280 supporting our communities, showing up at a school board meeting 0:25:13.520 --> 0:25:16.000 and listening. I mean, we have extreamists that are infiltrating 0:25:16.000 --> 0:25:17.800 these school board meetings and we're on the front lines 0:25:17.840 --> 0:25:20.800 with parents and teachers all across the country. That's another 0:25:20.800 --> 0:25:22.480 thing we're going to be doing in twenty twenty four 0:25:23.200 --> 0:25:26.320 on these fights. You know, show up, even if you 0:25:26.320 --> 0:25:28.240 don't have a kid in the school, this is your 0:25:28.280 --> 0:25:30.880 community and this is what's happening, and so I think 0:25:30.920 --> 0:25:33.399 that there's a real power in that. We've seen that 0:25:33.480 --> 0:25:38.399 throughout this country's history, we have seen times of course, 0:25:38.480 --> 0:25:41.920 the democracy has not delivered for people, for all people 0:25:41.960 --> 0:25:44.960 in this country because of systems and structures that we're 0:25:44.960 --> 0:25:49.359 trying to keep democracy from many folks, from women, from 0:25:49.400 --> 0:25:52.320 people of color, from people with low incomes, from folks 0:25:52.400 --> 0:25:55.760 that look different or spoke a different language, or worship differently. 0:25:56.200 --> 0:25:58.159 And so these are fights that this country has been 0:25:58.200 --> 0:26:00.960 through before, but they're high stakes and we've got to 0:26:01.000 --> 0:26:03.280 pay attention. So I would just encourage your listeners to 0:26:03.280 --> 0:26:06.520 ask that question every week, and then, of course, very simply, 0:26:06.560 --> 0:26:09.000 you can go to democracyforward dot org and if you 0:26:09.040 --> 0:26:10.920 sign up, you'll at least get a piece of mail 0:26:11.040 --> 0:26:13.680 once a week with a lot of great ways that 0:26:13.720 --> 0:26:15.199 you can get involved. 0:26:15.240 --> 0:26:18.360 Sky Perryman, thank you so much for the work that 0:26:18.400 --> 0:26:21.760 you are doing over at Democracy Forward, and you know, 0:26:21.880 --> 0:26:25.120 for amplifying the issues for fighting on behalf of all 0:26:25.160 --> 0:26:28.640 of us and on democracy. We appreciate you and hope 0:26:28.640 --> 0:26:31.400 to have more conversations with you and the coming year. 0:26:31.640 --> 0:26:33.879 Well, yes, and thank you for everything that you do, 0:26:33.920 --> 0:26:36.000