Adult RE Discussion Group - Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem

Join us Wednesday nights through August 19 for a TED Talk Watch Party and Discussion Group on topics of interest related to Current Events. Each week, a new TED Talk or similarly styled video presentation will be chosen for group viewing. Participants may watch the presentation on their own, or as part of a Watch Party preceding the Discussion portion of the meeting. . Watch party at 6 pm; Discussion at 7 pm. Registration is free; click here to register. Join anytime. Email Lily Walker at dlre@uusalem.org if you have questions.

For August 5, topics are Antifa, Protests and Defund the Police

There is a growing list of places to research these topics. Register (above) to receive the final word on the Watch Party Video.

Here are those so far:

Olly Thorne’s overview of the philosophy of fascism and Antifa:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgwS_FMZ3nQ&

Ian Danskin’s The Alt-Right Playbook, perhaps for these topics/audiences placing specific emphasis on his Endnotes, which tend to focus on directly exploring Danskin’s research:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJA_jUddXvY7v0VkYRbANnTnzkA_HMFtQ

And the entire first season of Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas, which focuses on accessibly explaining the current state of policing in the United States:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO79iP69FaZNwKCVkjpz2HA9zwZin6vfT

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Shared by Megan Roller

https://youtu.be/Wf4cea5oObY

John Oliver on the Police

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Shared by Sharon Pierson

From the Brookings Institution:

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/06/19/what-does-defund-the-police-mean-and-does-it-have-merit/

From Police1:

https://www.policeone.com/community-policing/articles/the-problems-with-defunding-the-police-I9WamGx5W34asSJi/

I spent almost 2 hours trying to find a video that I thought contained anything insightful. I gave up on that. Then I found this really wonderful article in The Atlantic. It’s not really about “defunding” as such. It’s a white paper on what needs to be done to reform policing in the US. It presents things that can be done at the federal, state and local level. It’s very long, but (imo) worth the time. (Probably less time than a 50 minute video…)

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/how-actually-fix-americas-police/612520/

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Shared by Beth Ann Huffine

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/watch-live-what-is-the-defund-the-police-movement-answering-your-questions

PBS Newshour video on defunding the police

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Shared by Lily Walker

https://www.ted.com/talks/erin_marie_saltman_how_young_people_join_violent_extremist_groups_and_how_to_stop_them/discussion

This one is a TED Talk on Extremest Groups. It is interesting to notice their marketing campaigns and how they are using them

https://youtu.be/escyBSIQBpo

Antifa vs Proud 2019 summer vice interview

https://youtu.be/IjDLXxtRzag