The Ice Cream Line

Wednesday, August 20 2008 | Send to a friend

THE ICE CREAM LINE

Bill Myers

Back in the 1950s, Bill Myers endured racism on a daily basis - he once stood in line for ice cream on a hot day, only to be turned away at the counter. He tells Dick Gordon about a similar indignity he faced at the polls.

Homeless No More

Tuesday, July 15 2008 | Send to a friend

Homeless No More

David Pirtle

Many Americans experience their political awakening when they cast their first vote or become inspired by a rousing speech. David Pirtle found his when he was homeless, living on the streets of Washington, D.C. When the city announced plans to close down the shelter where he was living, he joined a group of other homeless men to fight City Hall.

David talks with Dick Gordon about how his new-found activism not only helped save the shelter but also helped change his life.

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Awakening through Protest

Monday, July 07 2008 | Send to a friend

Awakening Through Protest

Graymon Ward

Dick has asked listeners for moments in their lives when the political became personal. For Graymon Ward, that moment came when he took part in a protest against the School of the Americas. That protest earned him a month-long jail sentence in a county prison where he was brutally beaten by other inmates. Graymon insists he would risk arrest again, even if it meant another stint in prison and another attack.

Janet Goes to Washington

Wednesday, July 02 2008 | Send to a friend

Janet goes to Washington

Janet Krueger

Janet Krueger's father worked for IBM. IBM paid for her college education. After graduating, Janet also took a job at IBM and thought she'd work there until retirement - at which point she expected that IBM would take care of her just as it had her father.

When she learned about drastic changes in IBM's pension plan, however, she lost faith in the company. She went to Washington to make her case and, to her surprise, developed a belief in the power of the American political system to help ordinary Americans. At the age of 49, Janet left IBM. She developed a friendship with Sen. Paul Wellstone, who once suggested she'd make a good lawyer. After he died in a 2002 plane crash, Janet went to law school.

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A Change of Heart

Monday, June 30 2008 | Send to a friend

A Change of Heart

Kristen Kaszynski, photo: Matt Moyer, National Geographic, larger >> 

Kristen Kaszynski has always considered herself a patriot. She listens actively to political discussions, and her husband even worked for the Secret Service, occasionally guarding political figures. But when her husband was killed in Iraq, Kristen's views changed completely. She joins Dick to tell her story of political transformation.

Alonzetta and Alonzo

Thursday, June 26 2008 | Send to a friend

Alonzetta and Alonzo

Alonzetta Huey's dad Alonzo voted in any and all elections. As an African American born in Arkansas, Alonzo lived through harassments and threats on many a voting day. Alonzetta never quite "got" her dad's commitment to the political process until he told her one story from his own past. These days, Alonzetta herself never misses an election. It's a way to honor her father's memory and his political dedication.

Growing into Politics

Tuesday, June 03 2008 | Send to a friend

Growing into Politics

Andy Shapero

Nobody can ignore the youth vote this year. Younger people now comprise a quarter of the electorate, and they're more engaged with politics than ever.

Andy Shapero had his political awakening when he was talking politics with his father after years of estrangement following his parents' divorce. Andy carried his new-found confidence to college, and used it to become a campus leader and self-confessed "Deaniac" during the 2004 campaign of Howard Dean.