https://www.spreaker.com/show/justice-counts_1
That’s our guidepost on “Justice Counts”, where the conversation goes beyond the law to issues that are important – like equal access and fair treatment for everyone.

Justice Counts is a bi-weekly podcast featuring legal thriller author/justice advocate Mark M. Bello and political activist/author Bob Gatty discussing the important cultural, social justice, and political stories of our time. The podcast features interviews with lawyers, activists, journalists, authors, police officers, and everyday people with concerns about justice.

Bello is an attorney, civil justice advocate, and award-winning author of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series, and is emerging as an important voice in social justice today. He draws upon
over 40 years of courtroom experience in his Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series and this podcast.

A Michigan native, Mark received his B.A. in English Literature from Oakland University and his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. After working extremely high-profile legal cases, Mark wanted to give the public a front-row glimpse of what victims face when standing up for justice.

Combining his legal experience and passion for justice with a creative writing style, Mark not only brings high-quality legal services to his clients but captivating novels to his readers. When Mark’s not writing legal and political novels, he writes and posts about fairness and justice in the civil justice system on his website, Legal Examiner and NotFakeNews.biz.

Bob Gatty is a political and human-interest writer who hosts the NotFakeNews blog and website, and the NFN Radio News podcast. He’s co-author of Hijacked Nation: Donald Trump’s Attack on America’s Greatness.

For many years, Bob has worked as a writer, editor and communications consultant, focusing on government and politics. He began as a home town journalist, then worked for United Press International in its heyday covering state politics in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He got his start at the Black weekly, The Pittsburgh Courier, covering crime and the courts.
​
Tempted by the allure of Washington, DC and big-time politics, Bob became press secretary and chief of staff for two Congressmen -- first the late Edwin B. Forsythe (R_NJ) and then James J. Florio (D-NJ), who later became governor. Florio is a regular co-host of the NFN Radio News podcast with Bob.
​
After seven years on Capitol Hill, Bob opened a communications business in Washington, first providing political media consulting to candidates and then Washington coverage for national business magazines and communications consulting services for trade associations.
​
His passion now is the Not Fake News network, which includes two podcasts, a video channel, and books.
​
Not Fake News includes commentary on timely topics from the perspective of someone who once was a political insider, but is now on the outside looking in. Mark Bello is part of the NFN team of talented writers who contribute to Not FakeNews, which generally trend with "A Little Lean to the Left."]]>enNews CommentaryCopyright Mark M. Bellohttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/5d87d963e42062cf651637d4745e251f.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/show/justice-counts_1Mon, 08 Jul 2024 01:22:06 +0000Mark M. BelloMark M. Bellolegalthrillerauthor@yahoo.comThe dictionary describes "justice" as meaning “Just or fair behavior or treatment.” That’s our guidepost on “Justice Counts”, where the conversation goes beyond the law to issues that are important – like equal access and fair treatment for...
That’s our guidepost on “Justice Counts”, where the conversation goes beyond the law to issues that are important – like equal access and fair treatment for everyone.

Justice Counts is a bi-weekly podcast featuring legal thriller author/justice advocate Mark M. Bello and political activist/author Bob Gatty discussing the important cultural, social justice, and political stories of our time. The podcast features interviews with lawyers, activists, journalists, authors, police officers, and everyday people with concerns about justice.

Bello is an attorney, civil justice advocate, and award-winning author of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series, and is emerging as an important voice in social justice today. He draws upon
over 40 years of courtroom experience in his Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series and this podcast.

A Michigan native, Mark received his B.A. in English Literature from Oakland University and his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. After working extremely high-profile legal cases, Mark wanted to give the public a front-row glimpse of what victims face when standing up for justice.

Combining his legal experience and passion for justice with a creative writing style, Mark not only brings high-quality legal services to his clients but captivating novels to his readers. When Mark’s not writing legal and political novels, he writes and posts about fairness and justice in the civil justice system on his website, Legal Examiner and NotFakeNews.biz.

Bob Gatty is a political and human-interest writer who hosts the NotFakeNews blog and website, and the NFN Radio News podcast. He’s co-author of Hijacked Nation: Donald Trump’s Attack on America’s Greatness.

For many years, Bob has worked as a writer, editor and communications consultant, focusing on government and politics. He began as a home town journalist, then worked for United Press International in its heyday covering state politics in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He got his start at the Black weekly, The Pittsburgh Courier, covering crime and the courts.
​
Tempted by the allure of Washington, DC and big-time politics, Bob became press secretary and chief of staff for two Congressmen -- first the late Edwin B. Forsythe (R_NJ) and then James J. Florio (D-NJ), who later became governor. Florio is a regular co-host of the NFN Radio News podcast with Bob.
​
After seven years on Capitol Hill, Bob opened a communications business in Washington, first providing political media consulting to candidates and then Washington coverage for national business magazines and communications consulting services for trade associations.
​
His passion now is the Not Fake News network, which includes two podcasts, a video channel, and books.
​
Not Fake News includes commentary on timely topics from the perspective of someone who once was a political insider, but is now on the outside looking in. Mark Bello is part of the NFN team of talented writers who contribute to Not FakeNews, which generally trend with "A Little Lean to the Left."]]>falseaabc8e26-ca81-5d51-a599-e345c6a8116eepisodichttps://markmbello.com
In the aftermath of that, many states – mostly led by Republicans – are making it harder for people of color to vote on the assumption that they would vote in favor of the Democrats. Even the courts are getting in on the act.

Justice Counts podcast host Mark Bello and I are delighted to welcome author, lawyer Fatimah Gilliam to discuss all of that. So, stay with us. --Fatimah Gilliam, is an author, lawyer, consultant, public speaker, and entrepreneur whose career combines expertise in the law, diversity, human capital, leadership, stakeholder engagement and negotiations. She holds a law degree from Columbia Law School, a master’s in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and an undergraduate degree from Wellesley College.

Gilliam is the founder and CEO of The Azara Group, which provides diversity and inclusion, leadership development, negotiation and strategy consulting services to Fortune 500 corporations, senior executives of billion-dollar businesses and industry thought leaders. She is the author of a new book, “Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won’t Tell You.”

So, Fatimah, thanks for joining us today for the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts.


Mark: So, there’s a case in the 8th Circuit in Missouri that might severely limit voter access. I understand it might be headed to the Supreme Court. What’s it all about? Should our listeners be concerned?

Bob: What’s the make-up of the 8th Circuit panel? In Missouri, it must lean Republican, right?

Mark: Why do Democrats seem to be for more freedom and access to voting, while Republicans want to restrict access?

Bob: Are these efforts racist? Are we talking about blatant bigotry here?

Mark: In general, we have a voting rights act, right? Why isn’t it enough to protect us?

Bob: You speak about what you call “Jim Crow 2.0.” You say that the strategy will strip freedoms and suppress votes of people of color and younger, urban, elderly, and disabled Americans. What’s the strategy and what can people do about it?

Mark: In the materials you provided us, you mention Supreme Court cases of Shelby County v. Holder (2013) and Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee (2021). What do these holdings say and how did they skirt around the voting rights act?

Bob: Do we need a new voting rights act? Will that ever happen if we continue to have divided government?

Mark: There is a big election coming in 2024. Because of the Dobbs decision, abortion will be on the ballot. People will want to vote. It may be the most important election of our lifetime. Talk to us about the law of voting. Do you consider voting a right or a privilege? If it’s a right, what can people do to assure that they can vote in upcoming elections?

Bob: Even if state and local governments put barriers in front of lower and middle-income voters, what can they do to assure that they can vote in 2024? Where do they go to find out what they must do to qualify for a voter registration card?

Mark: Talk to us about “Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won’t Tell You.” Does the book answer some of the questions we’ve been asking today? Is it a blueprint for citizen’s who want to assure that they have the right to vote in 2024?

Bob: You say that the book provides rare access to what many Black people won’t say to White people, what Black people secretly think and feel about White people’s behaviors and choices. What do Black folks say and feel about White folk’s behaviors and choices?

Mark: You also argue that self-education without behavioral change is half stepping? What behavioral change is needed and what does appropriate self-education look like?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58282012Fri, 12 Jan 2024 20:17:44 +0000Mark M. BelloWe’re living in a time when a former president refuses to acknowledge his re-election defeat, falsely claiming that thousands of votes were cast illegally. In the aftermath of that, many states – mostly led by Republicans – are making it harder for...
In the aftermath of that, many states – mostly led by Republicans – are making it harder for people of color to vote on the assumption that they would vote in favor of the Democrats. Even the courts are getting in on the act.

Justice Counts podcast host Mark Bello and I are delighted to welcome author, lawyer Fatimah Gilliam to discuss all of that. So, stay with us. --Fatimah Gilliam, is an author, lawyer, consultant, public speaker, and entrepreneur whose career combines expertise in the law, diversity, human capital, leadership, stakeholder engagement and negotiations. She holds a law degree from Columbia Law School, a master’s in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and an undergraduate degree from Wellesley College.

Gilliam is the founder and CEO of The Azara Group, which provides diversity and inclusion, leadership development, negotiation and strategy consulting services to Fortune 500 corporations, senior executives of billion-dollar businesses and industry thought leaders. She is the author of a new book, “Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won’t Tell You.”

So, Fatimah, thanks for joining us today for the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts.


Mark: So, there’s a case in the 8th Circuit in Missouri that might severely limit voter access. I understand it might be headed to the Supreme Court. What’s it all about? Should our listeners be concerned?

Bob: What’s the make-up of the 8th Circuit panel? In Missouri, it must lean Republican, right?

Mark: Why do Democrats seem to be for more freedom and access to voting, while Republicans want to restrict access?

Bob: Are these efforts racist? Are we talking about blatant bigotry here?

Mark: In general, we have a voting rights act, right? Why isn’t it enough to protect us?

Bob: You speak about what you call “Jim Crow 2.0.” You say that the strategy will strip freedoms and suppress votes of people of color and younger, urban, elderly, and disabled Americans. What’s the strategy and what can people do about it?

Mark: In the materials you provided us, you mention Supreme Court cases of Shelby County v. Holder (2013) and Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee (2021). What do these holdings say and how did they skirt around the voting rights act?

Bob: Do we need a new voting rights act? Will that ever happen if we continue to have divided government?

Mark: There is a big election coming in 2024. Because of the Dobbs decision, abortion will be on the ballot. People will want to vote. It may be the most important election of our lifetime. Talk to us about the law of voting. Do you consider voting a right or a privilege? If it’s a right, what can people do to assure that they can vote in upcoming elections?

Bob: Even if state and local governments put barriers in front of lower and middle-income voters, what can they do to assure that they can vote in 2024? Where do they go to find out what they must do to qualify for a voter registration card?

Mark: Talk to us about “Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won’t Tell You.” Does the book answer some of the questions we’ve been asking today? Is it a blueprint for citizen’s who want to assure that they have the right to vote in 2024?

Bob: You say that the book provides rare access to what many Black people won’t say to White people, what Black people secretly think and feel about White people’s behaviors and choices. What do Black folks say and feel about White folk’s behaviors and choices?

Mark: You also argue that self-education without behavioral change is half stepping? What behavioral change is...]]>2953areallwhitepeopleracist?,canblackpeopleberacist?,missourivotingrightscase,republicanslimitvotingaccess,votingrightsruling,whatisracism?,whygoprestrictsvotingrightsfalsefullhttps://markmbello.com
Today, thriller author Mark M. Bello and I are pleased to present legendary feminist and bestselling author Phyllis Chesler to discuss all of this on the Justice Counts and Lean to the Left podcasts.

Chesler is a psychotherapist and Professor Emerita of Psychology at City University of New York. She has authored 20 books including A Politically Incorrect Feminist, The New Antisemitism, An American Bride in Kabul, and the groundbreaking Women & Madness. She has lectured and organized political, legal, religious, and human rights campaigns in the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, Central Asia, and the Far East.

Since 9/11, Dr. Chesler has focused on the rights of women, dissidents, and gays in the Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim communities; the rights of women in prison; the rise of anti-Semitism/anti-Zionism, the demonization of Israel, the nature of terrorism, forced veiling, forced marriage, polygamy, and tribal psychology.

Dr. Chesler has conducted four studies about honor killing that have appeared in Middle East Quarterly. She has submitted affidavits for Muslim and ex-Muslim women who are seeking asylum or citizenship based on their credible belief that their families will honor kill them. In 2021-2022, Dr. Chesler co-led a team which rescued 400 women from Afghanistan. That work continues.

Here are some key questions we discussed with her:

BOB: You’ve been able to bridge the great divide between the Muslim community and the Jewish community. Why is it that the peaceful Muslim community is incapable of speaking out against Islamic terror? Why, for instance, won’t the Palestinian people welcome Israel as liberators from a terrorist regime?

Mark: A foreign invader comes into your country illegally and viciously and inhumanely murders and dismembers an entire community of your citizens, men, women, children, and even infants. Not surprisingly, you wage war against the vicious terrorists at fault. Many citizens and countries around the world, including citizens of the United States, are condemning you and your government instead of the terrorists who are responsible for the atrocities and who use their own people as human shields. Two-part question: 1. Would this be happening to any other modern democracy other than Israel? 2. Is the world’s response appropriate or an example of modern anti-Semitism?

Bob: You’ve commented that “Western academics, including feminists, have completely lost their reason and their morality; that they are revealing more openly who they really are and gloating about Israelis who have been raped, burned alive, shot dead, or kidnapped. Or, you say, “they are maintaining a pained and awful silence.” Why is that? Is this causing divisions among key women’s organizations?

Mark: Since the holocaust, the cry, especially in the Jewish community has been “Never Again!” Countries have built Holocaust memorials and museums all over the world. It seems, however, that the civilized world has a short memory. Aren’t these “Never Again” crimes? What’s the difference in 2023?

Bob: in a blog you published on your website, you write that “Because Israel has dared to fight back, Jews around the world are being “punished” for Israel’s alleged “crimes.” Jews everywhere are being verbally harassed, demonized, threatened, physically attacked and sometimes murdered. Visibly Jewish students no longer feel safe in their classrooms or on the street. “We are all hostages,” you say. Can you please comment further?

Mark: In my writing, I often quote the Martin Niemoller poem, “First They Came.You have written that: “If we don’t act, they will come for all of us sooner rather than later. Israel alone cannot be expected to fight the battle for Western civilization.” Please explain what’s at stake.

Bob: President Biden’s approval ratings have plummeted since the war began. I don’t quite understand it. The way things are going, the only alternative will be Trump. Which of the two is the better person to manage this crisis and why?

Mark: Is the Israeli response to October 7, 2023, any different than America’s response to September 11, 2001? If not, why did the United States receive international support, including military support, while Israel is widely condemned?

Bob: On Nov. 14, you published a piece in The Hill stating that “Israel will likely be victorious in its war of self-defense against the Hamas terrorists who perpetrated the Oct. 7 massacre. But the expected victory will not truly resolve the situation.” What will resolve the situation?

Mark: 20 years ago, you wrote a book called “The New Anti-Semitism.” Here we are, 20 years later, and it seems to be getting worse. What conditions in 2003 caused you to write the book, and how do those conditions compare to what’s happening today?

Bob: This is the 21st century, not the middle ages. You have done heroic work in the area of women, gays, and dissidents' rights in the Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh communities, where forced marriage, forced veiling, and polygamy are huge problems. Why is almost no action taken to stop these human rights violations? How does the world stop these atrocities?

Mark: What is the future of the feminist movement in these archaic religious communities? Why aren’t feminists speaking out about this? Are we making progress? What can people do to help?

Mark: As you know, some of these archaic practices exist in Orthodox Judaism, too. While these are not as extreme as those in the Muslim, Sikh, or Hindu communities, they do exist. Women are confined to subsidiary roles in the bedroom and kitchen—they wear scarves or wigs on their heads. Their access to education and social growth are restricted. Care to comment?

Mark: When the war is over, I believe we need a Nuremberg-style trial against Hamas for crimes against humanity. What’s your view?

Bob: Let’s talk about the UN. After WW 2, the UN helped to create the State of Israel. Today, all I see are comments critical of Israel. What can and should the UN be doing in 2023?

Mark: On November 3, you wrote an interesting op-ed about the NY Times coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, very critical of the Times coverage. I was shocked when the only place I could watch the protest in support of Israel was, of all places, FOX News. These are only two examples of many. What’s going on? Why doesn’t the extreme left, or even]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57820493Mon, 27 Nov 2023 15:48:21 +0000Mark M. BelloWhy is it that so many Americans continue to justify, even celebrate, Hamas’ slaughter of Israelis, attending rallies in support of Palestinians and calling Hamas terrorists “freedom fighters?” Today, thriller author Mark M. Bello and I are pleased...
Today, thriller author Mark M. Bello and I are pleased to present legendary feminist and bestselling author Phyllis Chesler to discuss all of this on the Justice Counts and Lean to the Left podcasts.

Chesler is a psychotherapist and Professor Emerita of Psychology at City University of New York. She has authored 20 books including A Politically Incorrect Feminist, The New Antisemitism, An American Bride in Kabul, and the groundbreaking Women & Madness. She has lectured and organized political, legal, religious, and human rights campaigns in the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, Central Asia, and the Far East.

Since 9/11, Dr. Chesler has focused on the rights of women, dissidents, and gays in the Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim communities; the rights of women in prison; the rise of...]]>3811antisemitismintheus,anti-zionism,feministsandantisemitism,fightingantisemitism,forcedmarriage,forcedveiling,hamas,hamasisraeliwar,honorkillings,islamicterror,joebiden,muslims,muslimwomenasylum,palestine,palestinianpeople,phyllischeslerauthor,polygamy,tribalpsychology,usfeminists,women'srightsfalse3fullhttps://markmbello.com
But according to licensed clinical psychologist and extremism expert Dr. Emily Bashah, the lack of understanding around what causes extremism is simply adding fuel to the fire. She is our guest for the second time on the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts.

Dr. Bashah was awarded the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Policy Fellowship and served within the American Psychological Association’s Public Interest Government Relations Office in Washington, D.C. She is co-author of the highly-praised book Addictive Ideologies, which we discussed in some detail in our initial episodes, which are still available on both the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts.

She frequently serves as an expert witness in civil and criminal court sand has worked on high-profile cases covering issues of domestic terrorism and capital offenses.

Here are some questions we discussed with Dr Bashah:

Mark: Do you consider anti-Semitism an “addictive ideology?”

Bob: What can America do to combat anti=Semitism?

Mark: Do you consider recent pro-Palestinian protestors on college campuses anti-Semites in search of a cause, or is something else going on?

Bob: Any other country that experienced a terrorist attack by its next-door neighbor would be encouraged to stamp out terror, yet Israel is portrayed as the aggressor rather than the defender. What are your thoughts about that?

Mark: We should add Islamaphobia to this discussion. American Muslims are not Hamas nor even Hamas sympathizers. Yet they are subject to abuse as well. Your thoughts?

Bob: You say that more and more seemingly reasonable individuals are falling into the trap of violent extremism, and are lured in by compelling conspiracy theories and a feeling of control they have when they engage with extremist ideologies. Can you elaborate?

Mark: You’ve said that by not working to understand extremists, we are actually encouraging extremism to continue. Please explain.

Bob: What are some common misconceptions about violent extremists?

Mark: What do you believe are the factors that contribute to a rise in violent extremism around the world?

Bob: You say that fragility feeds extremism. What do you mean? How do you teach anti-fragility?

Mark: What are some strategies for raising children in this atmosphere today? How is that crucial to fighting extremism?

Bob: Why is treating ideological extremism as an addiction important for stopping this violence?

Mark: Can you offer some tips to help someone who has fallen into the trap of addictive ideologies?

Bob: Remind our audience about your book, Addictive Ideologies. Can you give us the cliff notes version of the highlights? When can people find it?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57632825Tue, 14 Nov 2023 17:52:33 +0000Mark M. BelloWith violent extremism on the rise in the U.S. and around the world, many of us are tempted to simply write off extremists as beyond help. But according to licensed clinical psychologist and extremism expert...
But according to licensed clinical psychologist and extremism expert Dr. Emily Bashah, the lack of understanding around what causes extremism is simply adding fuel to the fire. She is our guest for the second time on the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts.

Dr. Bashah was awarded the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Policy Fellowship and served within the American Psychological Association’s Public Interest Government Relations Office in Washington, D.C. She is co-author of the highly-praised book Addictive Ideologies, which we discussed in some detail in our initial episodes, which are still available on both the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts.

She frequently serves as an expert witness in civil and criminal court sand has worked on high-profile cases covering issues of domestic terrorism and capital offenses.

Here are some questions we discussed with Dr Bashah:

Mark: Do you consider anti-Semitism an “addictive ideology?”

Bob: What can America do to combat anti=Semitism?

Mark: Do you consider recent pro-Palestinian protestors on college campuses anti-Semites in search of a cause, or is something else going on?

Bob: Any other country that experienced a terrorist attack by its next-door neighbor would be encouraged to stamp out terror, yet Israel is portrayed as the aggressor rather than the defender. What are your thoughts about that?

Mark: We should add Islamaphobia to this discussion. American Muslims are not Hamas nor even Hamas sympathizers. Yet they are subject to abuse as well. Your thoughts?

Bob: You say that more and more seemingly reasonable individuals are falling into the trap of violent extremism, and are lured in by compelling conspiracy theories and a feeling of control they have when they engage with extremist ideologies. Can you elaborate?

Mark: You’ve said that by not working to understand extremists, we are actually encouraging extremism to continue. Please explain.

Bob: What are some common misconceptions about violent extremists?

Mark: What do you believe are the factors that contribute to a rise in violent extremism around the world?

Bob: You say that fragility feeds extremism. What do you mean? How do you teach anti-fragility?

Mark: What are some strategies for raising children in this atmosphere today? How is that crucial to fighting extremism?

Bob: Why is treating ideological extremism as an addiction important for stopping this...]]>3459americanoptimist,antisemitism,hamas,hamasattack,hamasattackisrael,hamasmurderschildren,mayorpaulpodcast,optamerican,pauljohnson,psychopaathylecture,psychopath,psychopaths,psychopathy,psychopathysymptoms,psychopathytest,psycopathychecklist,psycopathyexplained,psycopathyvsnarcissism,psycopathyvssociopathy,traitsofapsycopathfalse3fullhttps://markmbello.com
She wrote about her journey in an award-winning memoir, “From Junkie to Judge: One Woman’s Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction.” Mary Beth will share her story with us in just a moment, so stay with us. --

Within a week of being born, Mary Beth was dropped off at a convent. Then, she moved in with her mom, but she was more focused on her own needs and desires than her young child. At age nine, her stepfather kicked her in the stomach for spilling milk, beat her when she displeased him, and molested her at age twelve.

A few months later, she took a sip of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill wine, which made her feel euphoric and relaxed. So, she drank as much as possible, added pot, then pills, then acid. At sixteen, she found methamphetamine and experienced joy, but when this high was no longer sufficient, she turned to the needle and shot up.

That began 16 years of severe addiction, resulting in destroyed relationships, problems at work, and damage to her physical and emotional health.

But, today, Mary Beth O’Connor is a retired federal administrative law judge. She is director, secretary, and founding investor for the She Recovers Foundation, a director for Life-Ring Secular Recovery, and a member of the advisory council for the Hyer Calling Foundation. Her opinion pieces have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Recovery Today, and other publications.

Six years into her recovery, Mary Beth attended Berkeley Law. She worked at a large firm, then litigated class actions for the federal government leading to her appointment as a federal administrative law judge in 2014, a position from which she retired in 2020.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57382165Wed, 25 Oct 2023 15:57:02 +0000Mark M. BelloAccording to the National Institutes of Health, 20 million Americans suffer from substance abuse at some point in their lives. Mary Beth O’Connor, our guest today, was one of those, but since 1994 has been sober from methamphetamine use disorder. She...
She wrote about her journey in an award-winning memoir, “From Junkie to Judge: One Woman’s Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction.” Mary Beth will share her story with us in just a moment, so stay with us. --

Within a week of being born, Mary Beth was dropped off at a convent. Then, she moved in with her mom, but she was more focused on her own needs and desires than her young child. At age nine, her stepfather kicked her in the stomach for spilling milk, beat her when she displeased him, and molested her at age twelve.

A few months later, she took a sip of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill wine, which made her feel euphoric and relaxed. So, she drank as much as possible, added pot, then pills, then acid. At sixteen, she found methamphetamine and experienced joy, but when this high was no longer sufficient, she turned to the needle and shot up.

That began 16 years of severe addiction, resulting in destroyed relationships, problems at work, and damage to her physical and emotional health.

But, today, Mary Beth O’Connor is a retired federal administrative law judge. She is director, secretary, and founding investor for the She Recovers Foundation, a director for Life-Ring Secular Recovery, and a member of the advisory council for the Hyer Calling Foundation. Her opinion pieces have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Recovery Today, and other publications.

Six years into her recovery, Mary Beth attended Berkeley Law. She worked at a large firm, then litigated class actions for the federal government leading to her appointment as a federal administrative law judge in 2014, a position from which she retired in 2020.]]>2185fromjunkietojudge,legalizedrugs,marybetho'connor,marybetho'connorauthor,overcomingaddictionfalsefullhttps://markmbello.com
Since then, more than two thousand people have been killed, thousands more injured, and over a hundred are being held hostage by Hamas, which is threatening public executions. You would think that would be enough to prompt immediate condemnation here in the U.S. of those actions. But not so fast.

Today we welcome my podcast partner and fellow author Mark M. Bello to discuss some of the reactions to those terrorist acts by Hamas. Mark’s just published a blog at LeantotheLeft.net urging Americans to speak out against the Hamas atrocities.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57229687Fri, 13 Oct 2023 23:49:26 +0000Mark M. BelloEarly on Saturday, October 7, Hamas invaded Israel, firing thousands of rockets from Gaza into the Jewish State while also launching an incursion into Israeli border towns, killing and kidnapping residents as they celebrated the Jewish holiday of...
Since then, more than two thousand people have been killed, thousands more injured, and over a hundred are being held hostage by Hamas, which is threatening public executions. You would think that would be enough to prompt immediate condemnation here in the U.S. of those actions. But not so fast.

Today we welcome my podcast partner and fellow author Mark M. Bello to discuss some of the reactions to those terrorist acts by Hamas. Mark’s just published a blog at LeantotheLeft.net urging Americans to speak out against the Hamas atrocities.]]>1065jan62021capitolattack,jan6insurrection,trumpdenieselectionloss,trumpinsurrectionfalse2fullhttps://markmbello.com
She’s the author of an award-winning environmental justice comic book series, The Environmental Justice Chronicles. The three books, Mayah’s Lot, Bina’s Plant, and Troop’s Run, are designed to bring environmental literacy to a new generation of environmental leaders.

Mark Bello and I are delighted to welcome Rebecca to our podcast. She is an award-winning author, scholar, and speaker, and as I said, executive director of the Center for Urban Environmental Reform. That’s a social justice Initiative of the City University of New York School of Law, where Bratspies is a professor of law.

Her most recent book, Naming Gotham: The Villains, Rogues and Heroes Behind New York Place Names, uses the names New York gives its roads and bridges to tell bigger stories about racial and class politics, and to highlight who has the power to name things and who gets to define what counts as history.

Bob: Please tell us about the Center for Urban Environmental Reform. You’re the founding director of the Center. Why was it established?

Mark: What’s its goal?

Bob: As a law professor, why are you making environmental justice comic books? Tell us about them.

Mark: How are you using the books to build a next generation of environmental leaders?

Bob: A Montana court recently ruled that the state’s constitution guarantees the right of all citizens to live in a clean, safe, and healthy environment. Efforts are underway to convince other states to enact such guarantees in their constitutions. What are your thoughts about this?Mark: How would you characterize the state of our climate today and the importance of moving our energy sources from fossil fuels like coal to renewable sources like wind and solar?Bob: Nearly 150 million Americans were under heat alerts just yesterday, after July marked the planet’s hottest month on record. Devastating downpours dumped two months of rain on Vermont in two days. Smoke from Canadian wildfires choked East Coast skies, causing the worst air quality on record for some locations. And Hawaii is reeling from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century.Yet, a new Washington Post-University of Maryland poll, only 35 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents think climate change is a major factor, compared to 85 percent of Democrats.What will it take to convince the doubters that the extreme weather patterns that we are now experiencing are caused, at least in large measure, by man and our reliance on fossil fuels?

Mark: Why did you write a book about New York City history and what did it teach you about racial justice?

Bob: What are some of your favorite stories from the book?

Mark: How did writing Naming Gotham lead you to get involved with the Renewable Rikers project, which I understand is a restorative environmental justice plan to close the jail at Rikers and convert the island to renewable energy to remove the polluting infrastructure from overburdened communities?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56889185Thu, 21 Sep 2023 20:48:45 +0000Mark M. BelloToday we’re focusing on the environmental challenges facing our world today with Rebecca Bratspies, founding director of the Center for Urban Environmental Reform. She’s the author of an award-winning environmental justice comic book series, The...
She’s the author of an award-winning environmental justice comic book series, The Environmental Justice Chronicles. The three books, Mayah’s Lot, Bina’s Plant, and Troop’s Run, are designed to bring environmental literacy to a new generation of environmental leaders.

Mark Bello and I are delighted to welcome Rebecca to our podcast. She is an award-winning author, scholar, and speaker, and as I said, executive director of the Center for Urban Environmental Reform. That’s a social justice Initiative of the City University of New York School of Law, where Bratspies is a professor of law.

Her most recent book, Naming Gotham: The Villains, Rogues and Heroes Behind New York Place Names, uses the names New York gives its roads and bridges to tell bigger stories about racial and class politics, and to highlight who has the power to name things and who gets to define what counts as history.

Bob: Please tell us about the Center for Urban Environmental Reform. You’re the founding director of the Center. Why was it established?

Mark: What’s its goal?

Bob: As a law professor, why are you making environmental justice comic books? Tell us about them.

Mark: How are you using the books to build a next generation of environmental leaders?

Bob: A Montana court recently ruled that the state’s constitution guarantees the right of all citizens to live in a clean, safe, and healthy environment. Efforts are underway to convince other states to enact such guarantees in their constitutions. What are your thoughts about this?Mark: How would you characterize the state of our climate today and the importance of moving our energy sources from fossil fuels like coal to renewable sources like wind and solar?Bob: Nearly 150 million Americans were under heat alerts just yesterday, after July marked the planet’s hottest month on record. Devastating downpours dumped two months of rain on Vermont in two days. Smoke from Canadian wildfires choked East Coast skies, causing the worst air quality on record for some locations. And Hawaii is reeling from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century.Yet, a new Washington Post-University of Maryland poll, only 35 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents think climate change is a major factor, compared to 85 percent of Democrats.What will it take to convince the doubters that the extreme weather patterns that we are now experiencing are caused, at least in large measure, by man and our reliance on fossil fuels?

Mark: Why did you write a book about New York City history and what did it teach you about racial justice?

Bob: What are some of your favorite stories from the book?

Mark: How did writing Naming Gotham lead you to get involved with the Renewable Rikers project, which I understand is a restorative environmental justice plan to close the jail at Rikers and convert the island to renewable energy to remove the polluting infrastructure from overburdened communities?]]>2454environmentalinjustice,environmentaljustice,environmentaljusticechronicles,mayaslot,naminggotham,rebeccabratspies,rikersisland,troopsrun,venusplantfalsefullhttps://markmbello.com
On this podcast, Dr. Regina Lark, author of the new book, Emotional Labor: Why a Woman’s Work Is Never Done and What to Do About It, traces developments over the years that were intended to close the gap, but explains why inequality still exists and what can be done about it.

In 2008, before founding her 7-figure company, Dr. Lark excelled in a career in higher education. When budget cuts eliminated her position at UCLA at age 50, Regina started over and created A Clear Path from scratch. Today, Lark and her ninja organizers provide professional physical, emotional, and psychological support to people who wish to clear clutter and chaos from their lives.

Dr. Lark holds a Ph. D. in Women’s History from the University of Southern California. Her work in that field informs her third and most recent book, Emotional Labor: Why a Woman’s Work Is Never Done and What to Do About It.

The author of Psychic Debris, Crowded Closets: The Relationship Between the Stuff in Your Head, and What’s Under Your Bed, Dr. Lark helps women rid their lives of emotional labor by offering concrete ways to identify and mitigate the costs of women’s unseen, unnoticed and unwaged work at home, and to unleash women into the full potential in the paid workplace.

She delivers keynote addresses, retreats and corporate speaking engagements on women’s leadership, emotional labor, time management, productivity, hoarding and ADHD.

With the podcast hosted by legal thriller author Mark Bello and Lean to the Left podcast's Bob Gatty, here are some questions that we covered in the show:

Mark: Quite the resume. Bob and I are proud to have you on our show. This is 2023 and this is a show about justice and injustice. Historically, women have not been treated equally in the workplace. However, here we are, almost a quarter into the 21st Century. Women have finally achieved equality in the workplace, right?

Bob: You’ve often used the term “household management.” What is it and why is it considered “women’s work?” And, if you can, please give our audience some historical context.

Mark: You also use the term “emotional labor,” especially in your Ted Talk. Please define the term in the context of the inherent inequities women still face in the workplace.

Bob: How is emotional labor performed at home? What does it look like?

Mark: The saying goes “a woman’s work is never done.” Is that still true? And, if so, what can society do about it?

Bob: What are some reasons for the unequal distribution of work in the home? Are men inherently better at certain things and women better at others?

Mark: If you could wave a magic wand, how would you create equity in your own household and in society’s unequal, unjust workplace?

Bob: If couples and their children thought of their home as a business, would the structure and delegation of the work inside the home change? If so, how?

Mark: A person out there is what society still calls a “stay at home Mom.” She’s frustrated by the burdens of Emotional Labor. What can she do to stop the never-ending cycle?

Bob: Why is delegating and outsourcing so integral to lifting the burden of emotional labor?

Mark: How do we become better delegators?

Mark: I believe that men have had since the beginning of time their chance to rule the world and they’ve screwed it up. It is high time for woman to ascend to the throne—I believe that will do a far better job. Is that possible sometime soon? Is there any hope for true equality or a world led by women?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56752406Sun, 10 Sep 2023 15:08:56 +0000Mark M. BelloDo you believe equity has finally come to the workplace, that women are now being treated equally with men? On this podcast, Dr. Regina Lark, author of the new book, Emotional Labor: Why a Woman’s Work Is Never Done and What to Do About It, traces...
On this podcast, Dr. Regina Lark, author of the new book, Emotional Labor: Why a Woman’s Work Is Never Done and What to Do About It, traces developments over the years that were intended to close the gap, but explains why inequality still exists and what can be done about it.

In 2008, before founding her 7-figure company, Dr. Lark excelled in a career in higher education. When budget cuts eliminated her position at UCLA at age 50, Regina started over and created A Clear Path from scratch. Today, Lark and her ninja organizers provide professional physical, emotional, and psychological support to people who wish to clear clutter and chaos from their lives.

Dr. Lark holds a Ph. D. in Women’s History from the University of Southern California. Her work in that field informs her third and most recent book, Emotional Labor: Why a Woman’s Work Is Never Done and What to Do About It.

The author of Psychic Debris, Crowded Closets: The Relationship Between the Stuff in Your Head, and What’s Under Your Bed, Dr. Lark helps women rid their lives of emotional labor by offering concrete ways to identify and mitigate the costs of women’s unseen, unnoticed and unwaged work at home, and to unleash women into the full potential in the paid workplace.

She delivers keynote addresses, retreats and corporate speaking engagements on women’s leadership, emotional labor, time management, productivity, hoarding and ADHD.

With the podcast hosted by legal thriller author Mark Bello and Lean to the Left podcast's Bob Gatty, here are some questions that we covered in the show:

Mark: Quite the resume. Bob and I are proud to have you on our show. This is 2023 and this is a show about justice and injustice. Historically, women have not been treated equally in the workplace. However, here we are, almost a quarter into the 21st Century. Women have finally achieved equality in the workplace, right?

Bob: You’ve often used the term “household management.” What is it and why is it considered “women’s work?” And, if you can, please give our audience some historical context.

Mark: You also use the term “emotional labor,” especially in your Ted Talk. Please define the term in the context of the inherent inequities women still face in the workplace.

Bob: How is emotional labor performed at home? What does it look like?

Mark: The saying goes “a woman’s work is never done.” Is that still true? And, if so, what can society do about it?

Bob: What are some reasons for the unequal distribution of work in the home? Are men inherently better at certain things and women better at others?

Mark: If you could wave a magic wand, how would you create equity in your own household and in society’s unequal, unjust workplace?

Bob: If couples and their children thought of their home as a business, would the structure and delegation of the work inside the home change? If so, how?

Mark: A person out there is what society still calls a “stay at home Mom.” She’s frustrated by the burdens of Emotional Labor. What can she do to stop the never-ending cycle?

Bob: Why is delegating and outsourcing so integral to lifting the burden of emotional labor?

Mark: How do we become better delegators?

Mark: I believe that men have had since the beginning of time their chance to rule the world and they’ve screwed it up. It is high time for woman to ascend to the throne—I believe that will do a far better job. Is that possible sometime soon? Is there any hope for true equality or a world led by women?]]>2949awoman'sworkisneverdone,diyorganization,emotionallabor,equityintheworkplace,homemaker,howtoorganize,humanities,lifecoach,organization,organizationhacks,organizeyourlife,organizingproducts,personalorganizer,reginalark,reginalarktedxtalk,supermom,tedxid51325,tedxtalk,thesuperorganizer,women'sworkisneverdonefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/jonathan-fisher-participatory-photography-reforming-probation--56619741
What transpired was an exercise in "participatory photography*" now represented in a book and PBS documentary called, In A Whole New Way: Undoing Mass Incarceration By A Path Untraveled.

Introduced in the book are tools and possible ways to transform a system that comprised 4 million people in 2020. Jonathan is with us today. So, stay tuned.---The focus of “In a Whole New Way” is keeping people out of jail and informing readers and viewers about probation, a sorely misunderstood and effective alternative to incarceration.

It’s both a film and book by the nonprofit Seeing for Ourselves, charting a whole new way to criminal justice reform.In this visually powerful medium,

Fisher and Carrano share the intriguing history of probation which dates to the 19th century. Prior to producing In a Whole New Way, the duo applied participatory photography inside of NY's project housing. Seeing For Ourselves is the non-profit umbrella. and the former book and documentary were called Project Lives.

Jonathan, thanks for joining Mark Bello, host of the Justice Counts podcast, and myself today.---

Bob: You guys wrote “In a whole New Way” to shine a light on problems involved in our probation system today, right? Tell us about that.Mark: The book talks about probation reform, but isn’t much more needed when it comes to our system of criminal justice?

Bob: Can you explain for us generally how the probation system works and why it needs reformed?Mark: In the book’s preface, you write that “By reforming probation and re-establishing it as a viable option for many ordinarily bound for jail or prison, we Americans will have embarked on one of the most promising paths toward this end.” So, are you advocating an expansion of probation to replace incarceration, at least in some cases?

Bob: What piqued your interest in working on this project? What's your background; how did you get into this practice of participatory photography?

Mark: What exactly is participatory photography and how is it used in this project?

Bob: You were working in the NYC housing projects. What was that initiative like?

Mark: How did you wind up serving New Yorkers on probation? What did you do?

Bob: What surprised you most about probation as a criminal justice sanction?

Mark: How are you leveraging the film and book for criminal justice reform?

Bob: Who were the photographers and where are they now? Mark: You have a new initiative planned. Tell us about that.

Mark: Tell us about the film, where it can be seen, and where your book can be purchased.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56619741Mon, 28 Aug 2023 20:28:37 +0000Mark M. BelloTo counter negative stereotypes afflicting probation clients across the country, award-winning filmmakers/editors, Jonathan Fisher and George Carrano handed cameras to people in the probation system including its officers. What transpired was an...
What transpired was an exercise in "participatory photography*" now represented in a book and PBS documentary called, In A Whole New Way: Undoing Mass Incarceration By A Path Untraveled.

Introduced in the book are tools and possible ways to transform a system that comprised 4 million people in 2020. Jonathan is with us today. So, stay tuned.---The focus of “In a Whole New Way” is keeping people out of jail and informing readers and viewers about probation, a sorely misunderstood and effective alternative to incarceration.

It’s both a film and book by the nonprofit Seeing for Ourselves, charting a whole new way to criminal justice reform.In this visually powerful medium,

Fisher and Carrano share the intriguing history of probation which dates to the 19th century. Prior to producing In a Whole New Way, the duo applied participatory photography inside of NY's project housing. Seeing For Ourselves is the non-profit umbrella. and the former book and documentary were called Project Lives.

Jonathan, thanks for joining Mark Bello, host of the Justice Counts podcast, and myself today.---

Bob: You guys wrote “In a whole New Way” to shine a light on problems involved in our probation system today, right? Tell us about that.Mark: The book talks about probation reform, but isn’t much more needed when it comes to our system of criminal justice?

Bob: Can you explain for us generally how the probation system works and why it needs reformed?Mark: In the book’s preface, you write that “By reforming probation and re-establishing it as a viable option for many ordinarily bound for jail or prison, we Americans will have embarked on one of the most promising paths toward this end.” So, are you advocating an expansion of probation to replace incarceration, at least in some cases?

Bob: What piqued your interest in working on this project? What's your background; how did you get into this practice of participatory photography?

Mark: What exactly is participatory photography and how is it used in this project?

Bob: You were working in the NYC housing projects. What was that initiative like?

Mark: How did you wind up serving New Yorkers on probation? What did you do?

Bob: What surprised you most about probation as a criminal justice sanction?

Mark: How are you leveraging the film and book for criminal justice reform?

Bob: Who were the photographers and where are they now? Mark: You have a new initiative planned. Tell us about that.

Mark: Tell us about the film, where it can be seen, and where your book can be purchased.]]>2212jonathanfisher,participatoryphotographyfalse249fullhttps://markmbello.com
Robert Kesten has worked globally promoting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and furthering democracy. His work has taken many forms, including writing and producing an award winning documentary on the Holocaust and Concentration Camps in Poland. He worked on the Ghanaian Constitution, produced events leading to Ukrainian independence, and events for AIDS day and decriminalization of homosexuality in Ukraine, which was the first Soviet Republic to do so.

He is currently the Executive Director of Stonewall National Museum and Archives which we will discuss. He is actively engaged in the LGBTQ+ community and committed to using history as a tool to make sense of the present and form a community response for today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Born and raised in New York, Lesley Abravanel covered the amusingly vapid celeb scene in So Flo for the Miami Herald and several illustrious supermarket mags since the Kardashians were fetuses. She also wrote about restaurants, nightlife and travel for such outlets as the Miami.com and the Daily Mail.

After 2016, she took a major left turn and started using her platform to speak up about politics, especially after being blocked on Twitter by a certain one-term, twice-impeached former "president" who has recently been indicted. She parlayed that into her current position as Managing Editor for Occupy Democrats and Washington Press, two of the internet's most followed left-leaning websites.
She sometimes covers antisemitism in Palm Beach County for The Forward.

When she's not fighting fascism, she collects hot sauces, raises twins, and attempts to learn Swedish from her Stockholm-born husband. I strongly recommend that you follow her twitter page. @lesleyabravanel

For the first time in its history- only one teacher from the state of Florida is registered to attend the 10th annual Stonewall National Education Project (SNEP) Educators' Symposium next week (April 13-16) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. One teacher. No administrators, no government employees.

I’m joined on this program by co-host Mark M. Bello, who also hosts the Justice Counts podcast, which also is streaming this episode. Robert & Lesley—Welcome to Justice Counts. Thanks for being here. Mark, you have the first question.

Mark: I’d like to start with Robert. As I just mentioned, there is only one Florida teacher registered for the Educators’ Symposium this year. But this event is in Florida and SNEP was started ten years ago in partnership with Florida's Broward County Public Schools. What the heck is going on? Please tell our audience what SNEP is and why only one teacher is registered to attend the event?

Bob: That’s outrageous. Worse, I understand that Florida-type attacks on literature, arts, and music are spreading to other states. Tell us about that.

Mark: If the goal is to protect kids, why do the same groups who seek to ban books, also seek to permit assault rifles? Why is the 2nd Amendment sacrosanct, but the 1st not so much? I wrote an OP ED in the Washington Press called “a book never killed 6 people including 3 children in less than 15 seconds. They protect the guns but ban the books. What’s going on?

Bob: Lesley, I’d like to turn to you for a second. Hearing Mark read your bio, I think it’s a badge of honor to be banned from Twitter by a certain former president, but I also heard that you were the Managing Editor for Occupy Democrats and Washington Press, two of the internet's most followed left-leaning websites. What caused your twitter ban, and please tell us about your websites and left-leaning advocacy?

Mark: I’d like to talk education for a second. In Delray Beach, FL, I belong to a small group that is focused on educating people about anti-Semitism. As a small group, we struggle with finding the right way to approach community outreach. With regard to anti-Semitism or LGBTQ issues, which are near and dear to both of our guests, why do some people feel threatened by alternative lifestyles or non-Christian religions and what can we do to educate them?

Bob: I know that Jews represent roughly 2% of the US population. Muslims are about 2%. About 6% is LGBTQ. About 14% is Black. These four groups combined are less than a fourth of the population as 44% identify as white Christian. Obviously, there is some overlay between the LGBTQ community and the other communities, but where are these numbers heading in the future? Are minorities any kind of real threat to White Christians, or is all of this just nonsense meant to divide us? What’s perception and what’s reality?

Mark: Robert—I saw that you produced an award-winning documentary on learning about the Holocaust and concentration camps. I have a 3-part question about this. 1st, are you receiving Florida type pushback on Holocaust education in this country? 2nd, could you please compare or contrast the current anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ movements going on today to 1930s and 40s eastern Europe? And 3rd, how can citizens of goodwill and good faith, turn this around?

Bob: What advice do you guys have for children who are struggling with these issues and who may feel bullied or out of place in school or in their community?

Mark: I did a little research on you guys. I found out that Robert once ran for the state senate in NY and that he did so because his son asked him: “How can you ask someone to do something you won’t do yourself.” You want to tell the story?

Bob: And I read, Robert, that you have connections with both Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. You don’t look that old. Please tell us those stories. Bob: I also heard that you were once a performer, performing in 5 films, true?

Mark: And in one of those films, you played a lawyer. Talk to me. Did you like being a lawyer?

Mark: Robert- a little Rapid Fire Q & A if you don’t mind. I’d like a comment on each little snippet: You’ve advocated for: A Universal Declaration of Human Rights Walking in someone else’s shoes to be able to truly understand human rights. Every single story gets told. The fact that LGTBQ is the only community that represents a piece of every other community

Bob: Lesley: About Ron Desantis. Gov. White Power. That’s what you call Ron DeSantis on your Twitter feed. So how do you really feel about him?

Mark: Lesley: My three favorite quotes on your Twitter page are 1. DeSantis taking credit for people moving to Florida from so-called Blue states, like it is because of his policies–not the weather or tourists easing the tax burden. 2. That Florida is a “law & order” state when advocates for open carry, and 3. The number one quote? Florida is # 1 in education (unless you want to “say gay” or talk about slavery, the Holocaust, or any other dark period in our history.) What did you do with yourself before DeSantis became governor?

Bob: Lesley: According to your LinkedIn page, you were once a gossip columnist, a restaurant columnist, and a travel guide author. How did you transition to politics?

Mark: This is for either of you. Have you guys been following legal challenges to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay Law” in Florida? I understand there’s a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law. Where does it stand?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56005326Wed, 05 Jul 2023 18:29:59 +0000Mark M. BelloMany states in America are now restricting, even banning, books that discuss important social issues that can be used in our schools. It’s a misguided attempt to somehow protect children. Our guests today will explore those developments and their...
Robert Kesten has worked globally promoting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and furthering democracy. His work has taken many forms, including writing and producing an award winning documentary on the Holocaust and Concentration Camps in Poland. He worked on the Ghanaian Constitution, produced events leading to Ukrainian independence, and events for AIDS day and decriminalization of homosexuality in Ukraine, which was the first Soviet Republic to do so.

He is currently the Executive Director of Stonewall National Museum and Archives which we will discuss. He is actively engaged in the LGBTQ+ community and committed to using history as a tool to make sense of the present and form a community response for today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Born and raised in New York, Lesley Abravanel covered the amusingly vapid celeb scene in So Flo for the Miami Herald and several illustrious supermarket mags since the Kardashians were fetuses. She also wrote about restaurants, nightlife and travel for such outlets as the Miami.com and the Daily Mail.

After 2016, she took a major left turn and started using her platform to speak up about politics, especially after being blocked on Twitter by a certain one-term, twice-impeached former "president" who has recently been indicted. She parlayed that into her current position as Managing Editor for Occupy Democrats and Washington Press, two of the internet's most followed left-leaning websites.
She sometimes covers antisemitism in Palm Beach County for The Forward.

When she's not fighting fascism, she collects hot sauces, raises twins, and attempts to learn Swedish from her Stockholm-born husband. I strongly recommend that you follow her twitter page. @lesleyabravanel

For the first time in its history- only one teacher from the state of Florida is registered to attend the 10th annual Stonewall National Education Project (SNEP) Educators' Symposium next week (April 13-16) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. One teacher. No administrators, no government employees.

I’m joined on this program by co-host Mark M. Bello, who also hosts the Justice Counts podcast, which also is streaming this episode. Robert & Lesley—Welcome to Justice Counts. Thanks for being here. Mark, you have the first question.

Mark: I’d like to start with Robert. As I just mentioned, there is only one Florida teacher registered for the Educators’ Symposium this year. But this event is in Florida and SNEP was started ten years ago in partnership with Florida's Broward County Public Schools. What the heck is going on? Please tell our audience what SNEP is and why only one teacher is registered to attend the event?

Bob: That’s outrageous. Worse, I understand that Florida-type attacks on literature, arts, and music are spreading to other states. Tell us about that.

Mark: If the goal is to protect kids, why do the same groups who seek to ban books, also seek to permit assault rifles? Why is the 2nd Amendment sacrosanct, but the 1st not so much? I wrote an OP ED in the Washington Press called “a book never killed 6 people including 3 children in less than 15 seconds. They protect the guns but ban the books. What’s going on?

Bob: Lesley, I’d like to turn to you for a second. Hearing Mark read your bio, I think it’s a badge of honor to be banned from Twitter by a certain former president, but I also heard that you were the Managing Editor for...]]>3894antisemitism,banningbooks,bullying,bullyinginschool,donaldtrump,dontsaygaylaw,govwhitepower,humanrights,lgbtqissues,occupydemocrats,rondesantis,theholocaustfalse2fullhttps://markmbello.com
Before joining Dream.org JUSTICE, Amanda was a Policy Strategist at the ACLU of Kentucky. Amanda was a leader of Kentucky Smart on Crime, a broad-based coalition working for common-sense justice reforms that enhance public safety, strengthen communities, and promote cost effective sentencing alternatives.

Prior to policy work, Amanda served as program director of The Healing Place for Women in Louisville, KY. Amanda graduated from the University of Louisville with a Masters degree in Social Work.

Here are some questions we discussed with Amanda:

MARK: Does an incarcerated person automatically receive help with addiction and treatment, or does it depend on where you are or what you request it?

BOB: What about gender differences and medical treatment, do women in prison receive the care that is necessary or appropriate for their gender?

MARK: A prisoner is serving his or her time. What steps are taken to in prison and during the release process to help a prisoner re-integrate into society?

BOB: Is that a universal process? Are prisoners everywhere offered the same assistance for reentry to society? If not, what are some of the differences?

MARK: Are there any statistics about whether prisoner are more successful upon reentry if they have received assistance than those who have not?

BOB: Are there differences in this reentry process for men and women? Are women treated differently in and out of prison?

MARK: You have faced this process yourself, obviously. What are some of the injustices or discrimination you have faced when trying to reintegrate into society?

BOB: What are the injustices faced by former inmates that you are most focused on and why?

MARK: What can the average person, those who have not experienced prison or been involved with the system do to help alleviate discrimination?

BOB: If you haven’t done so already, please check out Mark Bello’s ripped-from-the-headlines legal thrillers, all available online at Amazon and other major online booksellers. He has quite the hero in Attorney Zachary Blake, who fights for justice on all fronts.

His books are Betrayal of Faith, Betrayal of Justice, Betrayal in Blue, Betrayal in Black, Betrayal High, Supreme Betrayal, Betrayal at the Border, You Have the Right to Remain Silent and his latest, and his latest, “The Final Steps – A Harbor Springs Cozy Legal Mystery.

Also, he’s written a wonderful children’s book about bullying, “Happy Jack, Sad Jack.” For more info, just check markmbello.com.

Until next time, this is Bob Gatty for Mark Bello signing off from Justice Counts.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/55958346Mon, 03 Jul 2023 18:01:14 +0000Mark M. BelloAmanda Hall is the Campaign Director at Dream.org JUSTICE. She has been directly impacted by the criminal legal system having been imprisoned following conviction on drug charges, and has a personal passion and drive to end mass incarceration and to...
Before joining Dream.org JUSTICE, Amanda was a Policy Strategist at the ACLU of Kentucky. Amanda was a leader of Kentucky Smart on Crime, a broad-based coalition working for common-sense justice reforms that enhance public safety, strengthen communities, and promote cost effective sentencing alternatives.

Prior to policy work, Amanda served as program director of The Healing Place for Women in Louisville, KY. Amanda graduated from the University of Louisville with a Masters degree in Social Work.

Here are some questions we discussed with Amanda:

MARK: Does an incarcerated person automatically receive help with addiction and treatment, or does it depend on where you are or what you request it?

BOB: What about gender differences and medical treatment, do women in prison receive the care that is necessary or appropriate for their gender?

MARK: A prisoner is serving his or her time. What steps are taken to in prison and during the release process to help a prisoner re-integrate into society?

BOB: Is that a universal process? Are prisoners everywhere offered the same assistance for reentry to society? If not, what are some of the differences?

MARK: Are there any statistics about whether prisoner are more successful upon reentry if they have received assistance than those who have not?

BOB: Are there differences in this reentry process for men and women? Are women treated differently in and out of prison?

MARK: You have faced this process yourself, obviously. What are some of the injustices or discrimination you have faced when trying to reintegrate into society?

BOB: What are the injustices faced by former inmates that you are most focused on and why?

MARK: What can the average person, those who have not experienced prison or been involved with the system do to help alleviate discrimination?

BOB: If you haven’t done so already, please check out Mark Bello’s ripped-from-the-headlines legal thrillers, all available online at Amazon and other major online booksellers. He has quite the hero in Attorney Zachary Blake, who fights for justice on all fronts.

His books are Betrayal of Faith, Betrayal of Justice, Betrayal in Blue, Betrayal in Black, Betrayal High, Supreme Betrayal, Betrayal at the Border, You Have the Right to Remain Silent and his latest, and his latest, “The Final Steps – A Harbor Springs Cozy Legal Mystery.

Also, he’s written a wonderful children’s book about bullying, “Happy Jack, Sad Jack.” For more info, just check markmbello.com.

Until next time, this is Bob Gatty for Mark Bello signing off from Justice Counts.]]>2118amandahall,bobgatty,incarceration,jail,justicecounts,markmbello,prison,prisonfees,prisonreform,prisonsentencing,probation,sentencingreformfalsefullhttps://markmbello.comOur guest today is Joseph Purpura, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist, patient safety expert, and award-winning faculty member at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. He lives in Santa Barbara, CA. He has also been an Associate Vice President and Executive Director-Head of Medical Device Safety with Allergan for the last 11 years. Joe is AAMI Certified in Quality Systems and is known as an approachable, authentic and inspiring leader, developing and perfecting risk-based patient safety oversight for a wide variety of basic and complex medical devices and drug-device combination products. On top of all that, he is a licensed, board-certified OB-GYN with surgical and primary care clinical experience and a Master’s degree in Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality. I don’t know how he found the time, but Joe recently branched out to writing novels—he recently released his first novel, Code Crisis, a medical thriller, now available in ebook and hardcover. It’s a fast-paced thriller that follows a lonely gynecologist who risks everything for love and his country. Dr. Joseph Purpura, welcome to Justice Counts. MARK: Welcome, Joe. My own fictional character, attorney Zachary Blake, features a bit of me in his personality. Your protagonist is, like you, an Ob-Gyn. Tell us about your character, Dr. Vince Deluca. How much of yourself did you put into the character?

BOB: What motivated you to jump from medicine to fiction? Have you always been a fan of thrillers?

MARK: The medical expertise showcased in the book helps ground the story in reality, but was it difficult to limit the science for the benefit of the reader's understanding?

BOB: How did you strike the right balance between being true and accurate to your expertise, but also create fictional entertainment for all to enjoy? Was that difficult?

MARK: The book is more than just a thriller. You also deal with subjects like trauma and grief. Was there any particular reason you decided to tackle those subjects in Code Crisis?
BOB: Did anyone in particular inspire you in your career, either as a doctor and as a writer?

BOB: I understand that Code Crisis received a glowing endorsement from author T.C. Boyle. Many of our listeners might remember his novel and the movie adaptation, The Road to Wellville, starring Anthony Hopkins as a doctor who had, shall we say, unusual methods of maintaining patient health. He also wrote the PEN/FAULKNER winning novel, World’s End. How did you get on Boyle’s radar? MARK: Talk to us about medical device safety Obviously, there have been mistakes made with certain medical devices, defective hips and breast implants come to mind, that have resulted in class action litigation. How does the industry deal with these mistakes and how do we prevent them going forward? MARK: Same question as to women’s health— In the book, DeLuca experiences a ruptured ectopic pregnancy nearly flatlines a patient. Much of the medical mistake cases I saw when I practiced were in that field. How is the profession doing these days, and how does it improve? BOB: Is there too much red tape or not enough? Thanks everyone for listening. If you haven’t done so already, please check out Mark Bello’s ripped-from-the-headlines legal thrillers, all available online at Amazon and other major online booksellers. He has quite the hero in Attorney Zachary Blake, who fights for justice on all fronts. His books are Betrayal of Faith, Betrayal of Justice, Betrayal in Blue, Betrayal in Black, Betrayal High, Supreme Betrayal, Betrayal at the Border, You Have the Right to Remain Silent and his latest, and his latest, “The Final Steps – A Harbor Springs Cozy Legal Mystery. Also, he’s written a wonderful children’s book about bullying, “Happy Jack, Sad Jack.” For more info, just check markmbello.com. Until next time, this is Bob Gatty for Mark Bello signing off from Justice Counts.
]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/54554804Tue, 20 Jun 2023 18:32:53 +0000Mark M. BelloOur guest today is Joseph Purpura, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist, patient safety expert, and award-winning faculty member at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. He lives in Santa Barbara, CA. He has also been an Associate Vice...Our guest today is Joseph Purpura, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist, patient safety expert, and award-winning faculty member at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. He lives in Santa Barbara, CA. He has also been an Associate Vice President and Executive Director-Head of Medical Device Safety with Allergan for the last 11 years. Joe is AAMI Certified in Quality Systems and is known as an approachable, authentic and inspiring leader, developing and perfecting risk-based patient safety oversight for a wide variety of basic and complex medical devices and drug-device combination products. On top of all that, he is a licensed, board-certified OB-GYN with surgical and primary care clinical experience and a Master’s degree in Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality. I don’t know how he found the time, but Joe recently branched out to writing novels—he recently released his first novel, Code Crisis, a medical thriller, now available in ebook and hardcover. It’s a fast-paced thriller that follows a lonely gynecologist who risks everything for love and his country. Dr. Joseph Purpura, welcome to Justice Counts. MARK: Welcome, Joe. My own fictional character, attorney Zachary Blake, features a bit of me in his personality. Your protagonist is, like you, an Ob-Gyn. Tell us about your character, Dr. Vince Deluca. How much of yourself did you put into the character?

BOB: What motivated you to jump from medicine to fiction? Have you always been a fan of thrillers?

MARK: The medical expertise showcased in the book helps ground the story in reality, but was it difficult to limit the science for the benefit of the reader's understanding?

BOB: How did you strike the right balance between being true and accurate to your expertise, but also create fictional entertainment for all to enjoy? Was that difficult?

MARK: The book is more than just a thriller. You also deal with subjects like trauma and grief. Was there any particular reason you decided to tackle those subjects in Code Crisis?
BOB: Did anyone in particular inspire you in your career, either as a doctor and as a writer?

BOB: I understand that Code Crisis received a glowing endorsement from author T.C. Boyle. Many of our listeners might remember his novel and the movie adaptation, The Road to Wellville, starring Anthony Hopkins as a doctor who had, shall we say, unusual methods of maintaining patient health. He also wrote the PEN/FAULKNER winning novel, World’s End. How did you get on Boyle’s radar? MARK: Talk to us about medical device safety Obviously, there have been mistakes made with certain medical devices, defective hips and breast implants come to mind, that have resulted in class action litigation. How does the industry deal with these mistakes and how do we prevent them going forward? MARK: Same question as to women’s health— In the book, DeLuca experiences a ruptured ectopic pregnancy nearly flatlines a patient. Much of the medical mistake cases I saw when I practiced were in that field. How is the profession doing these days, and how does it improve? BOB: Is there too much red tape or not enough? Thanks everyone for listening. If you haven’t done so already, please check out Mark Bello’s ripped-from-the-headlines legal thrillers, all available online at Amazon and other major online booksellers. He has quite the hero in Attorney Zachary Blake, who fights for justice on all fronts. His books are Betrayal of Faith, Betrayal of Justice, Betrayal in Blue, Betrayal in Black, Betrayal High, Supreme Betrayal, Betrayal at the Border, You Have the Right to Remain Silent and his latest, and his latest, “The Final Steps – A Harbor Springs Cozy Legal Mystery. Also, he’s written a wonderful children’s book about bullying, “Happy Jack, Sad Jack.” For more info, just check...]]>2028codecrisis,codecrisisbook,drjosephpopura,fda,foodanddrugadministration,hospitalsafety,joepopura,joepopuraauthor,medicaldeviceregulations,medicalthriller,patientsafetyfalse235fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/james-brosnahan-justice-at-trial--54104252
During his career, Brosnahan tried 150 cases ranging from anti-trust to wire fraud and from patent litigation to white collar crime and murder. Some made national headlines, including those that helped provide important First Amendment free speech protections.

Brosnahan recently completed a book on notable trials from his career, "Justice at Trial: Courtroom Battles and Groundbreaking Cases," now available at Amazon and other booksellers.

The interview was conducted by Bob Gatty, host of Lean to the Left and co-host of the Justice Counts podcast and legal thriller author Mark M. Bello, who is Justice Counts host. Here are some questions we discussed with Brosnahan:

MARK: I’d like to talk about Professor Chemerinsky’s forward. I was struck by two comments he makes. I’d like your reaction to them: 1. Practicing law requires hard work and attention to detail-many lawyers work hard. But it also requires creativity. How much of your success is related to hard work and how much to creativity? 2. Professor Chemerinsky talks about the bad rap lawyers get. He points to you as an example of how an ethical lawyer and decent guy can also be highly successful. Can you please talk about being successful and ethical at the same time?

BOB: You were diagnosed with rheumatic fever and a possible heart problem at age 3, confined to bed until you were six. Your connection to the outside world was a radio with Jack Benny and a window overlooking a driveway where you could see kids playing. Did that play a role in shaping the adult you became?

BOB: Tell us about the Secody Murder Trial-you had only been a lawyer for 18 months and you have this major murder trial involving the native American community.

MARK: How does a trial lawyer get a potential juror to admit bias on voir dire?

BOB: You indicate that you were influenced by Cecil Poole, Melvin Beli, and other prominent trial lawyers. You worked under Poole, who was the first African American US Attorney in the United States. Obviously, mentoring was important in your career. Is it still?

BOB: In 1966, you switch sides after how long as a prosecutor? Tell us about the transition from prosecutor to criminal defense and civil plaintiff attorney?

MARK: One of those cases involved representing two young black activists in the Oakland California poverty movement. Tell us about the case. What were they accused of? Why were they prosecuted? And what was the outcome?

BOB: I’m an old newspaper guy. In 1968, at the age of 34, you handled a 1st Amendment case that literally would decide the fate of daily papers in America. Or, was it really an anti-trust case? Tell us about your case and the outcome.

MARK: In 1978, you take another 1st Amendment case, this one centering around the movie Born Innocent, starring Linda Blair of “The Exorcist” fame. The plaintiff attorney argued “People who see movies are inspired to act out what they see,” and argued for censorship. Tell the story of an attempt to prove what you refer to in the book as “negligent imitation.”

BOB: You were a prosecutor—prosecutors have a lot of power in making decision about whether to prosecute or not prosecute, what you call in the book “The Power to Ruin Lives.” How did you deal with the power?

MARK: One of the most interesting cases in the book was Steve Psinakis case. Ronald Reagan is often cited as an example of a so-called “good” Republican president. “President Reagan wanted a conviction of a US citizen as a favor to a corrupt, foreign dictator.” The year is 1986. Tell our listeners the story.

BOB: Another quote from the book: “Preparation for trial requires a complete immersion into other people’s lives while at the same time trying to preserve an objective view of the case.” How does a trial lawyer do that?

MARK: Another quote: “Trial lawyers are essential to enrich democratic reforms and social progress.” Why do you believe that?

BOB: You say: “I have always thought of the United States Supreme Court as the legal conscience of our society.” Do you still feel that way?

MARK: At the request of Lawrence Walsh, the special prosecutor investigating the Iran-Contra affair, you agreed to handle the prosecution of Caspar Weinberger, the US Secretary of Defense under Reagan and Bush one. Before you could try the case, President Bush pardoned Weinberger, an event that caused you “post-pardon depression.” So, how did you really feel?

MARK: The USA PATRIOT Act, mass surveillance of Americans by the federal government, and the transformation of the FBI into an counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and cybersecurity agency happened in the last 21 years or so. Have these changes brought some harm as well as enhanced security?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/54104252Mon, 05 Jun 2023 19:04:02 +0000Mark M. BelloFor a fascinating, inside look at the criminal justice system and the work of one of America's most prominent trial attorneys, check out this episode with James J. Brosnahan, a veteran of more than 50 years in both civil and criminal trial work....
During his career, Brosnahan tried 150 cases ranging from anti-trust to wire fraud and from patent litigation to white collar crime and murder. Some made national headlines, including those that helped provide important First Amendment free speech protections.

Brosnahan recently completed a book on notable trials from his career, "Justice at Trial: Courtroom Battles and Groundbreaking Cases," now available at Amazon and other booksellers.

The interview was conducted by Bob Gatty, host of Lean to the Left and co-host of the Justice Counts podcast and legal thriller author Mark M. Bello, who is Justice Counts host. Here are some questions we discussed with Brosnahan:

MARK: I’d like to talk about Professor Chemerinsky’s forward. I was struck by two comments he makes. I’d like your reaction to them: 1. Practicing law requires hard work and attention to detail-many lawyers work hard. But it also requires creativity. How much of your success is related to hard work and how much to creativity? 2. Professor Chemerinsky talks about the bad rap lawyers get. He points to you as an example of how an ethical lawyer and decent guy can also be highly successful. Can you please talk about being successful and ethical at the same time?

BOB: You were diagnosed with rheumatic fever and a possible heart problem at age 3, confined to bed until you were six. Your connection to the outside world was a radio with Jack Benny and a window overlooking a driveway where you could see kids playing. Did that play a role in shaping the adult you became?

BOB: Tell us about the Secody Murder Trial-you had only been a lawyer for 18 months and you have this major murder trial involving the native American community.

MARK: How does a trial lawyer get a potential juror to admit bias on voir dire?

BOB: You indicate that you were influenced by Cecil Poole, Melvin Beli, and other prominent trial lawyers. You worked under Poole, who was the first African American US Attorney in the United States. Obviously, mentoring was important in your career. Is it still?

BOB: In 1966, you switch sides after how long as a prosecutor? Tell us about the transition from prosecutor to criminal defense and civil plaintiff attorney?

MARK: One of those cases involved representing two young black activists in the Oakland California poverty movement. Tell us about the case. What were they accused of? Why were they prosecuted? And what was the outcome?

BOB: I’m an old newspaper guy. In 1968, at the age of 34, you handled a 1st Amendment case that literally would decide the fate of daily papers in America. Or, was it really an anti-trust case? Tell us about your case and the outcome.

MARK: In 1978, you take another 1st Amendment case, this one centering around the movie Born Innocent, starring Linda Blair of “The Exorcist” fame. The plaintiff attorney argued “People who see movies are inspired to act out what they see,” and argued for censorship. Tell the story of an attempt to prove what you refer to in the book as “negligent imitation.”

BOB: You were a prosecutor—prosecutors have a lot of power in making decision about whether to prosecute or not prosecute, what you call in the book “The Power to Ruin Lives.” How did you deal with the power?

MARK: One of the most interesting cases in the book was Steve Psinakis case. Ronald Reagan is often cited as an example of a so-called “good” Republican president. “President Reagan wanted a conviction of a US citizen as a favor to a corrupt, foreign dictator.” The year is 1986. Tell our listeners the story.

BOB: Another quote from the book:...]]>5603author,book,freedomofspeech,freedomofthepress,goingtocourt,interview,lawyer,legaleducation,legalmemoir,mentor,mentoring,mentorship,newbook,podcast,protectingthefirstamendment,trialadvocacy,trialattorney,triallawyerfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/battling-bullying-that-claimed-his-son--53970972
That's what happened to Kirk and Laura Smalley, who lost their son, Richard Ty Field-Smalley, in 2010 following a bullying episode. After that, Kirk and Laura worked tirelessly to prevent other families from suffering the same pain and loss.

They traveled all across the United States and visited several other countries spreading the message of love and support to children who need it, even meeting with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to talk about what can be done to ensure our children grow up safe and whole.

In 2020,after suffering a brain aneurysm, Laura was reunited with her beloved son. Kirk knows they are still with him, giving him the strength he needs to continue his mission: to give our children a safe future where each one can grow into the amazing individuals they are meant to be.

Kirk is our guest on both the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts, co-hosted by Bob Gatty and legal thriller author Mark M. Bello, who has just published a new children's book, "Happy Jack, Sad Jack--a Bullying Story."

Smalley explains that while most reported bullying happens in the school building, a significant percentage also happens in places like on the playground or the bus. It can also happen travelling to or from school, in the youth’s neighborhood, or on the Internet.

Bullying prevention in schools is a full-time exercise, he says, adding that for true change to take place, the culture of a school must be transformed. With a year-round bullying prevention program, clear expectations of faculty and staff and established guidelines for how to treat incidents, students and adults can be a part of a culture of caring.

Ten strategies to prevent bullying in schools:

1. Establish school-wide policies and classroom procedures pertaining to bullying that are distributed to students, parents, and teachers.
2. Depict on bulletin boards and in hallways that school and classrooms are bully-free zones, and that students treat each other with respect.
3. Develop strategies to recognize and reward positive social behavior.
4. Speak with ALL involved in a bullying situation separately and in private.
5. Develop separate intervention plans for children who are bullied, children who participate as bystanders, and children who bully others.
6. Be mindful of class seating arrangements to promote positive role models and limit access.
7. Hold periodic class meetings and assemblies to remind children of bullying prevention.
8. Contact parents of all students involved in a bullying incident; meet separately with parents of each student to provide information about bullying; explain school’s bullying protocol; and address the specifics of the situation. Do not identify names of other students.
9. Establish procedures for documenting episodes of bullying and intervention.
10. Assign all students classroom allies/buddies and periodically re-arrange the assignments.

Keeping kids safe online It’s important for parents to be informed about their kids’ digital lives, especially when it comes to issues that involve their safety. These simple tips can help make sure their online experience is a positive one.

1. Use your router or internet service provider’s security app to configure child-safe internet filtering. This works just like the filtering system on library and public school computers and lets you control which websites your child can access.
2. Blocking websites and keywords is the easiest way to ensure your child only has access to trusted internet content. You can block websites and keywords through your router or internet service provider’s security app. Another way to configure internet filtering is by only allowing your child access to certain websites and keywords. Rather than blocking specific content, you grant access to approved website URLs and keywords. This means all other content is blocked.
3. Setting an internet schedule, or a window of time when your child has internet access, is another great option for keeping him or her safe online. Similar to blocking websites and keywords, you can set up access times through your router or internet service provider’s security app.
4. Add your “trusted devices” to bypass parental control settings. Some internet service providers let you set your personal devices as “trusted devices.” These devices will be able to access websites blocked by parental control settings. This way, you can keep parental controls in place on your child’s devices while bypassing them on your own. Know the child safety laws in your state.

]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53970972Tue, 23 May 2023 14:51:57 +0000Mark M. BelloWhat would you do if your child was bullied to the point where they decided life wasn't worth living…and so they committed suicide? In an instant, all of your hopes and dreams for your child would be gone. Could you have done something? What would you...
That's what happened to Kirk and Laura Smalley, who lost their son, Richard Ty Field-Smalley, in 2010 following a bullying episode. After that, Kirk and Laura worked tirelessly to prevent other families from suffering the same pain and loss.

They traveled all across the United States and visited several other countries spreading the message of love and support to children who need it, even meeting with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to talk about what can be done to ensure our children grow up safe and whole.

In 2020,after suffering a brain aneurysm, Laura was reunited with her beloved son. Kirk knows they are still with him, giving him the strength he needs to continue his mission: to give our children a safe future where each one can grow into the amazing individuals they are meant to be.

Kirk is our guest on both the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts, co-hosted by Bob Gatty and legal thriller author Mark M. Bello, who has just published a new children's book, "Happy Jack, Sad Jack--a Bullying Story."

Smalley explains that while most reported bullying happens in the school building, a significant percentage also happens in places like on the playground or the bus. It can also happen travelling to or from school, in the youth’s neighborhood, or on the Internet.

Bullying prevention in schools is a full-time exercise, he says, adding that for true change to take place, the culture of a school must be transformed. With a year-round bullying prevention program, clear expectations of faculty and staff and established guidelines for how to treat incidents, students and adults can be a part of a culture of caring.

Ten strategies to prevent bullying in schools:

1. Establish school-wide policies and classroom procedures pertaining to bullying that are distributed to students, parents, and teachers.
2. Depict on bulletin boards and in hallways that school and classrooms are bully-free zones, and that students treat each other with respect.
3. Develop strategies to recognize and reward positive social behavior.
4. Speak with ALL involved in a bullying situation separately and in private.
5. Develop separate intervention plans for children who are bullied, children who participate as bystanders, and children who bully others.
6. Be mindful of class seating arrangements to promote positive role models and limit access.
7. Hold periodic class meetings and assemblies to remind children of bullying prevention.
8. Contact parents of all students involved in a bullying incident; meet separately with parents of each student to provide information about bullying; explain school’s bullying protocol; and address the specifics of the situation. Do not identify names of other students.
9. Establish procedures for documenting episodes of bullying and intervention.
10. Assign all students classroom allies/buddies and periodically re-arrange the assignments.

Keeping kids safe online It’s important for parents to be informed about their kids’ digital lives, especially when it comes to issues that involve their safety. These simple tips can help make sure their online experience is a positive one.

1. Use your router or internet service provider’s security app to configure child-safe internet filtering. This works just like the filtering system on library and public school computers and lets you control which websites your child can access.
2. Blocking websites and keywords is the easiest way to ensure your child only has access to trusted internet content. You can block websites and keywords through your router...]]>2858bully,bullying,bullyingsuicide,childhoodsuicide,digitalbullying,justicecountspodcast,keepingsafeonline,kirksmalley,markmbello,parents,parentspreventingsuicide,physicalbullying,preventingbullying,smalley,socialbullying,standforthesilent,stopbullyingspeakup,strategiestopreventbullying,suicidefrombullying,verbalbullyingfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/justice-counts-david-e-feldman-5-9-23-2-11-pm--53808896
   David E. Feldman has confronted so many serious health problems in his life that it’s a wonder he’s still standing. He’s faced drug addiction, depression, spinal problems that nearly led to paralysis, two hip replacements, intestinal resection with colostomy and cancer.
   
   But instead letting all of that beat him, what’s Feldman done? He’s written a bunch of books in which his characters overcome life’s greatest hurdles. In fact, Feldman is the author of eight books, including his 6-book Dora Ellison Mystery Series and a standalone “literary” novel, The Neighborhood, which focuses on racism.
   
   And oh, by the way, Feldman is an accomplished working musician and artist. He’s an award-winning filmmaker, too, and His play, Love Lives On, was a winner of the Artists in Partnership Inaugural Playwriting Contest. He’s been the owner of e-Face Media – eface.com – since 1989, which provides web design, videography, brand development, and digital services, among others.
   
   Bob- Tell us about your story. How is it that you’ve faced all of these serious health concerns and yet have been able to produce all of this creative work and even run a company?
   
   Mark- How is it that these experiences found their way into your novels? Tell us about them.
   
   Bob- Your books touch on issues of the day, much like this podcast, focusing on issues such as bigotry, to gender issues, to the lives of people with special needs. What do you see in society today that makes these topics important and relevant?
   
   Mark – One of your books deals with bullying, a topic that I care about deeply and about which I’ve written a children’s book called Happy Jack, Sad Jack. Tell us about your book about bullying and why you wrote it.
   
   Bob- You recently completed a ghostwriting project about the history of people of a particular heritage in U.S. military. You also ghosted a romance novel and a how-to book about fishing. Is there anything you don’t write about?
   
   Mark- What’s your view of society today, the divisions, the increase in hateful rhetoric on social media and even in interpersonal relationships?
   
   Bob- What’s your view of the political situation today, with Republicans in control of the House of Representatives and targeting Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security as they complain about a budget deficit that they, themselves, made much worse during the Trump presidency?
   
   Mark- Thoughts about the 2024 Presidential election?
   
   Bob- What is the goal of your writing? Mark- You have a new book in the works. Tell us about it and where can people find your books?
   
   Bob. What’s ahead for you?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53808896Wed, 10 May 2023 17:23:02 +0000Mark M. BelloWelcome to Justice Counts. I’m your co-host, Bob Gatty, along with my fellow co-host social justice attorney and author, Mark M. Bello. David E. Feldman has confronted so many serious health problems in his life that it’s a wonder he’s still...
   David E. Feldman has confronted so many serious health problems in his life that it’s a wonder he’s still standing. He’s faced drug addiction, depression, spinal problems that nearly led to paralysis, two hip replacements, intestinal resection with colostomy and cancer.
   
   But instead letting all of that beat him, what’s Feldman done? He’s written a bunch of books in which his characters overcome life’s greatest hurdles. In fact, Feldman is the author of eight books, including his 6-book Dora Ellison Mystery Series and a standalone “literary” novel, The Neighborhood, which focuses on racism.
   
   And oh, by the way, Feldman is an accomplished working musician and artist. He’s an award-winning filmmaker, too, and His play, Love Lives On, was a winner of the Artists in Partnership Inaugural Playwriting Contest. He’s been the owner of e-Face Media – eface.com – since 1989, which provides web design, videography, brand development, and digital services, among others.
   
   Bob- Tell us about your story. How is it that you’ve faced all of these serious health concerns and yet have been able to produce all of this creative work and even run a company?
   
   Mark- How is it that these experiences found their way into your novels? Tell us about them.
   
   Bob- Your books touch on issues of the day, much like this podcast, focusing on issues such as bigotry, to gender issues, to the lives of people with special needs. What do you see in society today that makes these topics important and relevant?
   
   Mark – One of your books deals with bullying, a topic that I care about deeply and about which I’ve written a children’s book called Happy Jack, Sad Jack. Tell us about your book about bullying and why you wrote it.
   
   Bob- You recently completed a ghostwriting project about the history of people of a particular heritage in U.S. military. You also ghosted a romance novel and a how-to book about fishing. Is there anything you don’t write about?
   
   Mark- What’s your view of society today, the divisions, the increase in hateful rhetoric on social media and even in interpersonal relationships?
   
   Bob- What’s your view of the political situation today, with Republicans in control of the House of Representatives and targeting Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security as they complain about a budget deficit that they, themselves, made much worse during the Trump presidency?
   
   Mark- Thoughts about the 2024 Presidential election?
   
   Bob- What is the goal of your writing? Mark- You have a new book in the works. Tell us about it and where can people find your books?
   
   Bob. What’s ahead for you?]]>2857bullying,cancerpatient,davidefeldman,defyingscience,defyingtheodds,doraellisonmysteryseries,fightingracism,higherpower,lifechallenges,overcomingaddiction,overcomingbullies,overcomingcancer,overcomingchallenges,overcomingdepression,overcominglifechallenges,overcomingspinalissues,prostatecancerfalse3fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/justice-counts-finding-solutions-to-mass-shootings-4-21-23-1-21-pm--53607266
   The children were students; the adults were staff members. One little girl, Hallie, was the daughter of the lead pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church, which is connected to the school.
   
   We’ve learned that the shooter was receiving treatment for “an emotional disorder” but was able to legally purchase seven weapons, including the two AR-15 type rifles and a handgun used in the school shooting, from five local gun stores. Her motives for the slaughter were not immediately made clear.
   
   The massacre was just the latest in a chain of shootings that just over the last year have left dozens dead and injured in attacks in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, California; Chesapeake, Virginia, Colorado Springs, Highland Park, Illinois, Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York among other places.
   
   As in Nashville, researchers found that shooters tended to alarm people around them, often signaling their plan in advance. Generally, they purchased their weapons legally. After the Nashville tragedy, the chaplain of the U.S. Senate urged lawmakers to “move beyond thoughts and prayers.”
   
   President Biden said he had exhausted his executive powers to deal with guns and said Congress should pass an assault weapons ban, saying “there’s a moral price to pay for inaction.”
   
   But Republican lawmakers demonstrate little or no support for that legislation. They control the House and reiterated their opposition to actions that would restrict access to guns, saying that mental health issues are the root cause of the gun violence problem in America.
   
   That’s why today attorney, author and Justice Counts podcast host Mark Bello and I are proud to present clinical psychologist Dr. Emily Bashah and political expert Paul Johnson, former mayor of Phoenix, Arizona. They are co-authors of Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You.
   
   Emily frequently serves as an expert witness in court and has worked on high-profile cases covering issues of domestic terrorism and capital offenses. Paul was the youngest mayor in Phoenix, AZ history when he was elected at age 30. He was sued by the NRA for implementing common sense gun laws.
   
   Welcome, Emily and Paul. We appreciate you joining us today.
   
   Mark – This is top of mind for most Americans today. Either or both of you may answer. What will it take for this country to take meaningful action to protect the lives of innocent people from mass shootings like this tragic event in Nashville and why is the GOP so keen on protecting kids by banning books but so pathetic when it comes to protecting them from automatic weapons?
   
   Bob – Military-style weapons like the AR-15 often are used in these shootings and about one in 20 Americans own such a gun. What is the attraction to these weapons? Does the 2nd Amendment actually protect them from being banned? If not, shouldn’t they be?
   
   Note: A Washington Post survey found that AR-15 owners come from red, blue and purple states, are significantly more likely to be White, male and between the ages 40 and 65. They’re also more likely to have higher incomes, to have served in the military and to be Republican. AR-15 owners are more likely to live in states former president Donald Trump won in 2020 than adults overall.
   
   Mark –Two years ago, Tennessee failed to pass a red flag gun law that might have stopped the Nashville shooter who was known to be suicidal. What are red flag gun laws and why are they important in curbing gun violence? Should there be a national red flag law and would it be constitutional?
   
   Bob – What are risk assessments and how can they be implemented?
   
   Mark – I’m not suggesting that this is a gun problem only. Mental health issues do play a part in these incidents. However, as we all know, the GOP also advocates for limits on citizen access to mental health services. What can communities do to identify and assist people who are at risk of committing such violent acts? Will this limit the carnage?
   
   Bob – Dr. Bashah, You have advocated for treating ideological extremism as an addiction. Why is this categorization important in stopping mass murders?
   
   Mark – Paul, when you were mayor of Phoenix, you ran into political trouble because of your efforts regarding guns. What happened? Why is it that so many politicians are afraid to act even in the face of these tragic events, which never seem to stop? It is money and the NRA or is there more to the story?
   
   Bob – What are some ways people can deal with friends or loved ones who have fallen into to the trap of addictive ideologies? Tell us about the book, how it might help, and where people can find it.
   
   Mark – Paul, you host the Optimistic American Podcast which has a stated goal of creating space in the news media for a positive and hopeful view of America. However, how can Americans be optimistic when surrounded by all of the negative bias that exists today, and why is optimism so important?
   
   Bob – How about the role of social media and the news media with respect to political divisions that exist today? What needs to be done? Are further restrictions on social media needed?
   
   Mark – As a former mayor and politician, Paul, what is your advice to those lawmakers who are beholden to the NRA and seemingly are afraid to act?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53607266Fri, 21 Apr 2023 17:43:22 +0000Mark M. BelloOn Monday morning, March 27th, 2023, three nine year-old kids and three adults were gunned down by a shooter who opened fire at the Covenant Presbyterian church school in Nashville, Tennessee. The children were students; the adults were staff...
   The children were students; the adults were staff members. One little girl, Hallie, was the daughter of the lead pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church, which is connected to the school.
   
   We’ve learned that the shooter was receiving treatment for “an emotional disorder” but was able to legally purchase seven weapons, including the two AR-15 type rifles and a handgun used in the school shooting, from five local gun stores. Her motives for the slaughter were not immediately made clear.
   
   The massacre was just the latest in a chain of shootings that just over the last year have left dozens dead and injured in attacks in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, California; Chesapeake, Virginia, Colorado Springs, Highland Park, Illinois, Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York among other places.
   
   As in Nashville, researchers found that shooters tended to alarm people around them, often signaling their plan in advance. Generally, they purchased their weapons legally. After the Nashville tragedy, the chaplain of the U.S. Senate urged lawmakers to “move beyond thoughts and prayers.”
   
   President Biden said he had exhausted his executive powers to deal with guns and said Congress should pass an assault weapons ban, saying “there’s a moral price to pay for inaction.”
   
   But Republican lawmakers demonstrate little or no support for that legislation. They control the House and reiterated their opposition to actions that would restrict access to guns, saying that mental health issues are the root cause of the gun violence problem in America.
   
   That’s why today attorney, author and Justice Counts podcast host Mark Bello and I are proud to present clinical psychologist Dr. Emily Bashah and political expert Paul Johnson, former mayor of Phoenix, Arizona. They are co-authors of Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You.
   
   Emily frequently serves as an expert witness in court and has worked on high-profile cases covering issues of domestic terrorism and capital offenses. Paul was the youngest mayor in Phoenix, AZ history when he was elected at age 30. He was sued by the NRA for implementing common sense gun laws.
   
   Welcome, Emily and Paul. We appreciate you joining us today.
   
   Mark – This is top of mind for most Americans today. Either or both of you may answer. What will it take for this country to take meaningful action to protect the lives of innocent people from mass shootings like this...]]>3444guncontrol,gunrestrictions,gunviolence,handgun,kentuckyparkshooting,louisvillemassshooting,louisvilleparkshooting,massgunviolence,massshootingcauses,massshootings,massshootingsolutions,redflaglaws,semi-automaticweapons,shootings,usshootings,violentcrimefalse231fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/14842203/justice-counts-intro-episode-7-4-21-1-50
   Robert Kesten has worked globally promoting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and furthering democracy. His work has taken many forms, including writing and producing an award winning documentary on the Holocaust and Concentration Camps in Poland.
   
   He worked on the Ghanaian Constitution, produced events leading to Ukrainian independence, and events for AIDS day and decriminalization of homosexuality in Ukraine, which was the first Soviet Republic to do so.
   
   He is currently the Executive Director of Stonewall National Museum and Archives which we will discuss. He is actively engaged in the LGBTQ+ community and committed to using history as a tool to make sense of the present and form a community response for today, tomorrow, and beyond.
   
   Born and raised in New York, Lesley Abravanel covered the amusingly vapid celeb scene in So Flo for the Miami Herald and several illustrious supermarket mags since the Kardashians were fetuses. She also wrote about restaurants, nightlife and travel for such outlets as the Miami.com and the Daily Mail.
   
   After 2016, she took a major left turn and started using her platform to speak up about politics, especially after being blocked on Twitter by a certain one-term, twice-impeached former "president" who has recently been indicted. She parlayed that into her current position as Managing Editor for Occupy Democrats and Washington Press, two of the internet's most followed left-leaning websites.
   She sometimes covers antisemitism in Palm Beach County for The Forward.
   
   When she's not fighting fascism, she collects hot sauces, raises twins, and attempts to learn Swedish from her Stockholm-born husband. I strongly recommend that you follow her twitter page. What is it Leslie? @lesleyabravanel
   
   Okay, for the first time in its history- only one teacher from the state of Florida is registered to attend the 10th annual Stonewall National Education Project (SNEP) Educators' Symposium next week (April 13-16) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. One teacher. No administrators, no government employees.
   
   Robert & Leslie—Welcome to Justice Counts. Thanks for being here.
   
   Bob: Welcome guys. I’m Bob Gatty, co-host with Mark of Justice Counts and host of the Lean to the Left podcast, where this also will stream. Happy to have you both with us today.
   
   Mark: I’d like to start with Robert. As I just mentioned, there is only one Florida teacher registered for the Educators’ Symposium this year. But this event is in Florida and SNEP was started ten years ago in partnership with Florida's Broward County Public Schools. What the heck is going on? Please tell our audience what SNEP is and why only one teacher is registered to attend the event?
   
   Bob: That’s outrageous. Worse, I understand that Florida-type attacks on literature, arts, and music are spreading to other states. Tell us about that.
   
   Mark: If the goal is to protect kids, why do the same groups who seek to ban books, also seek to permit assault rifles? Why is the 2nd Amendment sacrosanct, but the 1st not so much? I wrote an OP ED in the Washington Press called “a book never killed 6 people including 3 children in less than 15 seconds. They protect the guns but ban the books. What’s going on?
   
   Bob: Lesley, I’d like to turn to you for a second. Hearing Mark read your bio, I think it’s a badge of honor to be banned from Twitter by a certain former president, but I also heard that you were the Managing Editor for Occupy Democrats and Washington Press, two of the internet's most followed left-leaning websites. What caused your twitter ban, and please tell us about your websites and left-leaning advocacy?
   
   Mark: I’d like to talk education for a second. In Delray Beach, FL, I belong to a small group that is focused on educating people about anti-Semitism. As a small group, we struggle with finding the right way to approach community outreach. With regard to anti-Semitism or LGBTQ issues, which are near and dear to both of our guests, why do some people feel threatened by alternative lifestyles or non-Christian religions and what can we do to educate them?
   
   Bob: I know that Jews represent roughly 2% of the US population. Muslims are about 2%. About 6% is LGBTQ. About 14% is Black. These four groups combined are less than a fourth of the population as 44% identify as white Christian. Obviously, there is some overlay between the LGBTQ community and the other communities, but where are these numbers heading in the future? Are minorities any kind of real threat to White Christians, or is all of this just nonsense meant to divide us? What’s perception and what’s reality?
   
   Mark: Robert—I saw that you produced an award-winning documentary on learning about the Holocaust and concentration camps. I have a 3-part question about this. 1st, are you receiving Florida type pushback on Holocaust education in this country? 2nd, could you please compare or contrast the current anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ movements going on today to 1930s and 40s eastern Europe? And 3rd, how can citizens of goodwill and good faith, turn this around?
   
   Bob: What advice do you guys have for children who are struggling with these issues and who may feel bullied or out of place in school or in their community?
   
   Mark: I did a little research on you guys. I found out that Robert once ran for the state senate in NY and that he did so because his son asked him: “How can you ask someone to do something you won’t do yourself.” You want to tell the story?
   
   Bob: And I read, Robert, that you have connections with both Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. You don’t look that old. Please tell us those stories. Bob: I also heard that you were once a performer, performing in 5 films, true?
   
   Mark: And in one of those films, you played a lawyer. Talk to me. Did you like being a lawyer?
   
   Mark: Robert- a little Rapid Fire Q & A if you don’t mind. I’d like a comment on each little snippet: You’ve advocated for: A Universal Declaration of Human Rights Walking in someone else’s shoes to be able to truly understand human rights. Every single story gets told. The fact that LGTBQ is the only community that represents a piece of every other community
   
   Bob: Lesley: About Ron Desantis. Gov. White Power. That’s what you call Ron DeSantis on your Twitter feed. So how do you really feel about him?
   
   Mark: Leslie, my three favorite quotes on your Twitter page are 1. DeSantis taking credit for people moving to Florida from so-called Blue states, like it is because of his policies–not the weather or tourists easing the tax burden. 2. That Florida is a “law & order” state when advocates for open carry, and 3. The number one quote? Florida is # 1 in education (unless you want to “say gay” or talk about slavery, the Holocaust, or any other dark period in our history.) What did you do with yourself before DeSantis became governor?
   
   Bob: Leslie: According to your LinkedIn page, you were once a gossip columnist, a restaurant columnist, and a travel guide author. How did you transition to politics?
   
   Mark: This is for either of you. Have you guys been following legal challenges to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay Law” in Florida? I understand there’s a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law. Where does it stand?
   
   Bob: Close Thanks everyone for listening. If you haven’t done so already, please check out Mark Bello’s ripped-from-the-headlines legal thrillers, all available online at Amazon and other major online booksellers. He has quite the hero in Attorney Zachary Blake, who fights for justice on all fronts. His books are Betrayal of Faith, Betrayal of Justice, Betrayal in Blue, Betrayal in Black, Betrayal High, Supreme Betrayal, Betrayal at the Border, You Have the Right to Remain Silent and his latest, and his latest, “The Final Steps – A Harbor Springs Cozy Legal Mystery. Also, he’s written a wonderful children’s book about bullying, “Happy Jack, Sad Jack.”
   
   For more info, just check markmbello.com. Until next time, this is Bob Gatty for Mark Bello signing off from Justice Counts.
   
   
   
   ]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53464116Thu, 06 Apr 2023 17:58:37 +0000Mark M. BelloMany states in America are now restricting, even banning, books that discuss important social issues that can be used in our schools. It’s a misguided attempt to somehow protect children. Our guests today will explore those developments and their...
   Robert Kesten has worked globally promoting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and furthering democracy. His work has taken many forms, including writing and producing an award winning documentary on the Holocaust and Concentration Camps in Poland.
   
   He worked on the Ghanaian Constitution, produced events leading to Ukrainian independence, and events for AIDS day and decriminalization of homosexuality in Ukraine, which was the first Soviet Republic to do so.
   
   He is currently the Executive Director of Stonewall National Museum and Archives which we will discuss. He is actively engaged in the LGBTQ+ community and committed to using history as a tool to make sense of the present and form a community response for today, tomorrow, and beyond.
   
   Born and raised in New York, Lesley Abravanel covered the amusingly vapid celeb scene in So Flo for the Miami Herald and several illustrious supermarket mags since the Kardashians were fetuses. She also wrote about restaurants, nightlife and travel for such outlets as the Miami.com and the Daily Mail.
   
   After 2016, she took a major left turn and started using her platform to speak up about politics, especially after being blocked on Twitter by a certain one-term, twice-impeached former "president" who has recently been indicted. She parlayed that into her current position as Managing Editor for Occupy Democrats and Washington Press, two of the internet's most followed left-leaning websites.
   She sometimes covers antisemitism in Palm Beach County for The Forward.
   
   When she's not fighting fascism, she collects hot sauces, raises twins, and attempts to learn Swedish from her Stockholm-born husband. I strongly recommend that you follow her twitter page. What is it Leslie? @lesleyabravanel
   
   Okay, for the first time in its history- only one teacher from the state of Florida is registered to attend the 10th annual Stonewall National Education Project (SNEP) Educators' Symposium next week (April 13-16) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. One teacher. No administrators, no government employees.
   
   Robert & Leslie—Welcome to Justice Counts. Thanks for being here.
   
   Bob: Welcome guys. I’m Bob Gatty, co-host with Mark of Justice Counts and host of the Lean to the Left podcast, where this also will stream. Happy to have you both with us today.
   
   Mark: I’d like to start with Robert. As I just mentioned, there is only one Florida teacher registered for the Educators’ Symposium this year. But this event is in Florida and SNEP was started ten years ago in partnership with Florida's Broward County Public Schools. What the heck is going on? Please tell our audience what SNEP is and why only one teacher is registered to attend the event?
   
   Bob: That’s outrageous. Worse, I understand that Florida-type attacks on literature, arts, and music are spreading to other states. Tell us about that.
   
   Mark: If the goal is to protect kids, why do the same groups who seek to ban books, also seek to permit assault rifles? Why is the 2nd Amendment sacrosanct, but the 1st not so much? I wrote an OP ED in the Washington Press called “a book never killed 6 people including 3 children in less than 15 seconds. They protect the guns but ban the books. What’s going on?
   
   Bob: Lesley, I’d like to turn to you for a second. Hearing Mark read your bio, I think it’s a badge of honor to be banned from Twitter by a certain former president, but I also heard that...]]>3894floridabookbanning,lesleyabravanel,lesleyabravanelactivist,lesleyabravanelcolumnist,robertkestenlgbtqcommunity,robertkestensnep,rondesantisbookbanning,rondesantisdon'tsaygaylaw,rondesantiswokelaw,snepeducatorsymposium,stonewallmuseumandlibraryfalse230fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dw-duke-overcoming-confrontation-conflict--53327412
   DW currently is creating a series of biographical novels and screenplays about social justice issues. One of his books, Racism Awareness, scheduled to be released in March of 2023, addresses root causes of racism and presents effective ways to identify and eradicate it.
   
   Another, ”Not Without a Fight,” is a biographical novel based on the true story of a Jewish boy who becomes a Resistance Fighter in World War II in Poland. The book’s message is we shouldn’t be erasing history, we should be learning from it. That’s timely.
   
   It’s a pleasure for me and Mark Bello, co-host of the Justice Counts podcast, to welcome you, DW, to our podcast.
   
   Mark– Welcome to the podcast. “Not Without A Fight” is your first book based upon a true story set during the Holocaust era. As most of our listeners know, I’m a Jewish Boy and I’ve also written a Holocaust novella, based on a true story. But, talk to us about your book, why you wrote it, and what message you would like readers to walk away with.
   
   Bob – Your next book, The Duke Legacy, also is based on a true story, takes place during the civil war era, and tells the story of a young man growing up in the south, and is deeply troubled by slavery. It isn’t lost on me that the kid’s last name is Duke—Is this book about your own family and why did you write it?
   
   Bob – Our country is struggling with the problems of discrimination and racism. Is that why you wrote “Racism Awareness?” Talk to us about that.
   
   Mark: There is a rise in anti-Semitic activities and attitudes in America today. Jew hatred is on the rise. Do you see many parallels between what’s going on in America today and the rise of Nazism in Germany in the 1930s?
   
   Bob – You have said that empathy is a tool in overcoming stereotypes and discrimination. I would agree with that, but it sounds rather simplistic. Can you elaborate for us? What can the average citizen do to improve our interreligious or interracial discourse?
   
   Mark – I want to go back to “Not Without a Fight” for a moment. The boy who is the focus of the book survives the war. Did he continue his activism? What was his life like after the war?
   
   Bob – Aside from our racial and religious differences, we have a serious political divide in America today. What can be we do to resolve, or at least ease, political polarization in the U.S.?
   
   Mark – Bob tells me that there may be a movie in the works based on “Not Without a Fight.” That’s exciting. What is the status of this project and when might we be able to see the movie in theatres or on television?
   
   Bob -- You have another biographical novel currently in production called “Because I’m Black.” What is that book about?
   
   Mark: Your books are based on rather terrible periods in history. In the first two books, your two protagonists, Thomas Biebers and Washington Duke, hate what’s going on in their respective countries during their lifetimes. What would they think of modern day Germany and America? Would they be pleased or disappointed with our progress?
   
   Bob – Your work on discrimination and religious hatred is note-worthy and your books take a fascinating look at troubling times. Where can people find these important books?
   
   Mark: In the introduction, Bob mentioned that “Not Without a Fight” core message is that we shouldn’t be erasing history, we should be learning from it. What do you think of the current discussion in America about sugar-coating history books and book-banning?
   
   Mark: Wow. DW? You are a man after my own heart. We are better than this. We do not need to be an “us” vs. “them” society. As Rodney King said all those years ago: “Can’t we all get along?” Continued success with your career and lots of luck with “Because I’m Black.”]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53327412Fri, 24 Mar 2023 18:27:35 +0000Mark M. BelloDW Duke is a California attorney and an author of six published books with three more books currently in production. His work has focused on human rights and empathy as a tool to overcome confrontation and conflict in the world. DW currently is...
   DW currently is creating a series of biographical novels and screenplays about social justice issues. One of his books, Racism Awareness, scheduled to be released in March of 2023, addresses root causes of racism and presents effective ways to identify and eradicate it.
   
   Another, ”Not Without a Fight,” is a biographical novel based on the true story of a Jewish boy who becomes a Resistance Fighter in World War II in Poland. The book’s message is we shouldn’t be erasing history, we should be learning from it. That’s timely.
   
   It’s a pleasure for me and Mark Bello, co-host of the Justice Counts podcast, to welcome you, DW, to our podcast.
   
   Mark– Welcome to the podcast. “Not Without A Fight” is your first book based upon a true story set during the Holocaust era. As most of our listeners know, I’m a Jewish Boy and I’ve also written a Holocaust novella, based on a true story. But, talk to us about your book, why you wrote it, and what message you would like readers to walk away with.
   
   Bob – Your next book, The Duke Legacy, also is based on a true story, takes place during the civil war era, and tells the story of a young man growing up in the south, and is deeply troubled by slavery. It isn’t lost on me that the kid’s last name is Duke—Is this book about your own family and why did you write it?
   
   Bob – Our country is struggling with the problems of discrimination and racism. Is that why you wrote “Racism Awareness?” Talk to us about that.
   
   Mark: There is a rise in anti-Semitic activities and attitudes in America today. Jew hatred is on the rise. Do you see many parallels between what’s going on in America today and the rise of Nazism in Germany in the 1930s?
   
   Bob – You have said that empathy is a tool in overcoming stereotypes and discrimination. I would agree with that, but it sounds rather simplistic. Can you elaborate for us? What can the average citizen do to improve our interreligious or interracial discourse?
   
   Mark – I want to go back to “Not Without a Fight” for a moment. The boy who is the focus of the book survives the war. Did he continue his activism? What was his life like after the war?
   
   Bob – Aside from our racial and religious differences, we have a serious political divide in America today. What can be we do to resolve, or at least ease, political polarization in the U.S.?
   
   Mark – Bob tells me that there may be a movie in the works based on “Not Without a Fight.” That’s exciting. What is the status of this project and when might we be able to see the movie in theatres or on television?
   
   Bob -- You have another biographical novel currently in production called “Because I’m Black.” What is that book about?
   
   Mark: Your books are based on rather terrible periods in history. In the first two books, your two protagonists, Thomas Biebers and Washington Duke, hate what’s going on in their respective countries during their lifetimes. What would they think of modern day Germany and America? Would they be pleased or disappointed with our progress?
   
   Bob – Your work on discrimination and religious hatred is note-worthy and your books take a fascinating look at troubling times. Where can people find these important books?
   
   Mark: In the introduction, Bob mentioned that “Not Without a Fight” core message is that we shouldn’t be erasing history, we should be learning from it. What do you think of the current discussion in America about sugar-coating history books and book-banning?
   
   Mark: Wow. DW? You are a man after my own heart. We are better than this. We do not need to be an “us” vs. “them” society. As Rodney King said all those years...]]>1958becausei'mblack,bobgatty,dwdukeauthor,empathy,fightingracism,markmbello,notwithoutafight,overcomingdivisions,overcominghatredfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mark-bello-thriller-writer-strikes-again--53174655episode, I'm with Mark M. Bello, social justice lawyer and author of riveting ripped-from-the-headline novels covering some of the major issues of our times.
   
   
   
   Look up “justice” in the dictionary and you’ll find something like: “Just or fair behavior or treatment.”
   
   
   
   On the “Justice Counts” podcast, the conversation goes beyond the law to issues that are important – like equal access and fair treatment for everyone.
   
   
   
   Today we’re going to talk about Mark’s latest books. He’s been busy over the last few months, has won some new awards, including the Mom's Choice Gold Award from an organization of mothers in recognition of his new children's book about bullying, Happy Jack Sad Jack.
   
   
   
   
   
   During the episode Mark talks about this project as well as other new novels that he has in the works, including a new murder mystery and a "legal romance" novel.
   
   Take a listen.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53174655Sun, 12 Mar 2023 19:00:28 +0000Mark M. BelloIn this https://www.spreaker.com/user/13695798/lean-to-the-left-episode-551-mark-bello-, I'm with Mark M. Bello, social justice lawyer and author of riveting ripped-from-the-headline novels covering some of the major issues of our times. Look up...episode, I'm with Mark M. Bello, social justice lawyer and author of riveting ripped-from-the-headline novels covering some of the major issues of our times.
   
   
   
   Look up “justice” in the dictionary and you’ll find something like: “Just or fair behavior or treatment.”
   
   
   
   On the “Justice Counts” podcast, the conversation goes beyond the law to issues that are important – like equal access and fair treatment for everyone.
   
   
   
   Today we’re going to talk about Mark’s latest books. He’s been busy over the last few months, has won some new awards, including the Mom's Choice Gold Award from an organization of mothers in recognition of his new children's book about bullying, Happy Jack Sad Jack.
   
   
   
   
   
   During the episode Mark talks about this project as well as other new novels that he has in the works, including a new murder mystery and a "legal romance" novel.
   
   Take a listen.]]>1882bellobooks,bellochildrensbook,bellolegalthrillers,happyjacksadjack,markmbelloauthor,markmbellobooksfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/robert-nordlander-sharing-secrets-of-the-irs-2-26-23-1-11-pm--52857014 As an IRS-Criminal Investigation special agent, Robert Nordlander was a highly trained federal agent who spent over 20 years chasing tax evaders and money launderers across the globe. His investigations ranged from simple embezzlement to cryptocurrency to using foreign trusts to hide income.
   
   He has traveled to various countries on behalf of the United States training other countries' federal investigators. Nordlander’s specialty is following the money, whether in a divorce, partnership dispute, stealing inheritances, or in criminal court.
   
   He also helps defense attorneys in criminal tax investigations, and is an expert in how to deal with the IRS with unpaid taxes. He is an Amazon best-selling author, having written two books. (1) Criminal Tax Secrets: What Every Defense Attorney Should Know and (2) Unpaid Payroll Taxes: A Time Bomb You Can Defuse.
   
   Nordlander is a licensed CPA and a Certified Fraud Examiner. He also hosts two podcasts -- Fraud Fighter Podcast (which is about the forensic accounting and anti-fraud/anti-money laundering industry) and Criminal Tax Files (which is about criminal tax investigations).]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52857014Sun, 26 Feb 2023 18:23:50 +0000Mark M. BelloUsing a gun and handcuffs, Robert Nordlander chased tax evaders and money launderers around the world for the Internal Revenue Service. So considering that it’s tax time now, he’s our guest on the Lean to the Left podcast and we’re going to talk about... As an IRS-Criminal Investigation special agent, Robert Nordlander was a highly trained federal agent who spent over 20 years chasing tax evaders and money launderers across the globe. His investigations ranged from simple embezzlement to cryptocurrency to using foreign trusts to hide income.
   
   He has traveled to various countries on behalf of the United States training other countries' federal investigators. Nordlander’s specialty is following the money, whether in a divorce, partnership dispute, stealing inheritances, or in criminal court.
   
   He also helps defense attorneys in criminal tax investigations, and is an expert in how to deal with the IRS with unpaid taxes. He is an Amazon best-selling author, having written two books. (1) Criminal Tax Secrets: What Every Defense Attorney Should Know and (2) Unpaid Payroll Taxes: A Time Bomb You Can Defuse.
   
   Nordlander is a licensed CPA and a Certified Fraud Examiner. He also hosts two podcasts -- Fraud Fighter Podcast (which is about the forensic accounting and anti-fraud/anti-money laundering industry) and Criminal Tax Files (which is about criminal tax investigations).]]>3557bobgatty,civiltaxinvestigations,criminaltaxinvestigations,flattax,internalrevenueservice,irs,irsreform,markmbello,nationalsalestax,taxreformfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/gabrielle-zwi-guns-to-a-playground-fight--52703908
   Late last year Gabrielle Zwi, a 22-year-old singer-songwriter, educator, and community organizer based in Rockville, MD, graduated from college, having safely made it through elementary and secondary school without being murdered, gunned down, in her classroom.
   
   The day after the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 21 people, including 19 third and fourth grade children and two teachers were killed and another 17 wounded, Zwi was moved to write a song, a folk-pop protest tune, “Guns to a Playground Fight.”
   
   It examines what it means to grow up as a member of the “school shooting generation.”It was just a week after she graduated, and was never meant to be released publicly. But then, Gabrielle changed her mind and her song was released December 9, just before the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting – you know, the one that Infowars founder Alex Jones claimed never really happened and since has been ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to the families of victims there.
   
   Gabrielle’s song was released in partnership with Lives Robbed, an organization founded by the parents and grandparents of children whose lives were lost to the shooting at Robb Elementary. All of the profits from streaming/downloads and associated performances are being donated to them.
   
   The shootings never seem to stop. Less than a week into 2023, a six-year-old student allegedly shot his teacher with a handgun at a Virginia elementary in what police described as an “intentional” shooting. He reportedly used his mother’s legally purchased handgun to shoot his 25-year-old teacher, who led her students out of the classroom after being shot.
   
   Gabrielle, thanks for joining us on the Lean to the Left podcast.
   
   Q. Tell us why you write this song.
   Q. Why did you decide to release it and make it public?
   Q. Can you perform it for us?
   Q. As a member of Gen Z, what was it like going to school and having to undergo active shooter drills? What did that do to you psychologically?
   Q. You are no stranger to activism as a Jewish Brazilian-American, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, who is autistic and disabled. You say your life is “inherently politicized.” What do you mean?
   Q. What actions do you think should be taken to curtail these shootings?
   Q. What are your plans going forward?
   Q. Where can people find your song?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52703908Sat, 11 Feb 2023 18:32:52 +0000Mark M. BelloThe mass shootings keep coming and innocent people keep getting gunned down. In fact, every day 110 people are killed by guns. On Feb. 14 it will be the five-year anniversary of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland,...
   Late last year Gabrielle Zwi, a 22-year-old singer-songwriter, educator, and community organizer based in Rockville, MD, graduated from college, having safely made it through elementary and secondary school without being murdered, gunned down, in her classroom.
   
   The day after the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 21 people, including 19 third and fourth grade children and two teachers were killed and another 17 wounded, Zwi was moved to write a song, a folk-pop protest tune, “Guns to a Playground Fight.”
   
   It examines what it means to grow up as a member of the “school shooting generation.”It was just a week after she graduated, and was never meant to be released publicly. But then, Gabrielle changed her mind and her song was released December 9, just before the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting – you know, the one that Infowars founder Alex Jones claimed never really happened and since has been ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to the families of victims there.
   
   Gabrielle’s song was released in partnership with Lives Robbed, an organization founded by the parents and grandparents of children whose lives were lost to the shooting at Robb Elementary. All of the profits from streaming/downloads and associated performances are being donated to them.
   
   The shootings never seem to stop. Less than a week into 2023, a six-year-old student allegedly shot his teacher with a handgun at a Virginia elementary in what police described as an “intentional” shooting. He reportedly used his mother’s legally purchased handgun to shoot his 25-year-old teacher, who led her students out of the classroom after being shot.
   
   Gabrielle, thanks for joining us on the Lean to the Left podcast.
   
   Q. Tell us why you write this song.
   Q. Why did you decide to release it and make it public?
   Q. Can you perform it for us?
   Q. As a member of Gen Z, what was it like going to school and having to undergo active shooter drills? What did that do to you psychologically?
   Q. You are no stranger to activism as a Jewish Brazilian-American, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, who is autistic and disabled. You say your life is “inherently politicized.” What do you mean?
   Q. What actions do you think should be taken to curtail these shootings?
   Q. What are your plans going forward?
   Q. Where can people find your song?]]>2925assaultweapons,banassaultweapons,guncontrol,gunreform,massshootings,schoolshootings,sensiblegunlawsfalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/coehnan-darrell-literature-and-social-justice--52165589
   According to Justin Gifford, associate professor of English at the University of Nevada, Blood at the Root “is a sharp-witted social satire that takes unflinching aim at race and class privilege in contemporary America.”
   
   An award-winning author, and scholar, Ciahnan’s first book was the award-winning “A Lifetime of Men.” His short stories and essays have appeared in several journals, most recently in The Columbia Review, Gone Lawn, and The Legendary. His story 'What Remains' was nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Rum Punch Press.
   
   Ciahnan holds Masters degrees from the University of Chicago and Stony Brook University, and a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University at Buffalo.
   
   Both his creative work and his scholarly research explore systemic inequality and the ways in which discourse on race and gender shape the horizons of individual and social life.
   
   These are important topics, so I’m pleased to welcome Ciahnan Darrell to our podcast. Thanks for joining us, Ciahnan…
   --
   Bob: To get started, Ciahnan, tell us about Blood at the Root. What’s it about and what’s its message? And where did that title come from?
   
   Bob: As a white male, what gives you the right – the authority – to write about issues of race and gender? And why do you feel it is important to do so?
   
   Bob In the atmosphere in which live today, with so much division, and yes, ethnic and racial hatred, what role can we, as authors, play in helping to ease these tensions and improve understanding among those with differing views regarding these subjects.
   
   Bob: To me, one of the most important issues that we face today is the growing diversity of our country, which I believe is at the root of much of the division we face. Your thoughts about that…
   
   Bob: The nation is becoming increasingly diverse, in terms of ethnicity, as we speak. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the White non-Hispanic population stood at 57.8 percent, a decline of six percent since 2010. That, we know, continues and projections are that soon the White non-Hispanic population will be in the minority. Is this one reason why we see so much hatred and defensiveness from the MAGA crowd and the likes of the Proud Boys?
   
   Bob: An important finding in the census is the increased diversity in the younger population. In 2019, for the first time, more than half of the those under 16 identified as a racial or ethnic minority. What are some of the political and cultural implications of that?
   
   Bob: As an author and scholar who’s work centers around fairness and equality, what’s your view of the way Donald Trump and his followers have attempted to weaponize fear to pave the road to power?
   
   Bob: Your first book, A Lifetime of Men…tell us about that book.
   
   Bob: And your short stories…let’s hear about them.
   
   Bob: Thanks, Ciahnan, for being with us on our podcasts.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52165589Mon, 12 Dec 2022 17:29:04 +0000Mark M. BelloToday we have something a little different for you. I’m with Ciahnan (Keenan) Darrell, author of the new book, Blood at the Root, and we’re going to talk about the role literature and the arts can play in promoting social justice. According to...
   According to Justin Gifford, associate professor of English at the University of Nevada, Blood at the Root “is a sharp-witted social satire that takes unflinching aim at race and class privilege in contemporary America.”
   
   An award-winning author, and scholar, Ciahnan’s first book was the award-winning “A Lifetime of Men.” His short stories and essays have appeared in several journals, most recently in The Columbia Review, Gone Lawn, and The Legendary. His story 'What Remains' was nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Rum Punch Press.
   
   Ciahnan holds Masters degrees from the University of Chicago and Stony Brook University, and a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University at Buffalo.
   
   Both his creative work and his scholarly research explore systemic inequality and the ways in which discourse on race and gender shape the horizons of individual and social life.
   
   These are important topics, so I’m pleased to welcome Ciahnan Darrell to our podcast. Thanks for joining us, Ciahnan…
   --
   Bob: To get started, Ciahnan, tell us about Blood at the Root. What’s it about and what’s its message? And where did that title come from?
   
   Bob: As a white male, what gives you the right – the authority – to write about issues of race and gender? And why do you feel it is important to do so?
   
   Bob In the atmosphere in which live today, with so much division, and yes, ethnic and racial hatred, what role can we, as authors, play in helping to ease these tensions and improve understanding among those with differing views regarding these subjects.
   
   Bob: To me, one of the most important issues that we face today is the growing diversity of our country, which I believe is at the root of much of the division we face. Your thoughts about that…
   
   Bob: The nation is becoming increasingly diverse, in terms of ethnicity, as we speak. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the White non-Hispanic population stood at 57.8 percent, a decline of six percent since 2010. That, we know, continues and projections are that soon the White non-Hispanic population will be in the minority. Is this one reason why we see so much hatred and defensiveness from the MAGA crowd and the likes of the Proud Boys?
   
   Bob: An important finding in the census is the increased diversity in the younger population. In 2019, for the first time, more than half of the those under 16 identified as a racial or ethnic minority. What are some of the political and cultural implications of that?
   
   Bob: As an author and scholar who’s work centers around fairness and equality, what’s your view of the way Donald Trump and his followers have attempted to weaponize fear to pave the road to power?
   
   Bob: Your first book, A Lifetime of Men…tell us about that book.
   
   Bob: And your short stories…let’s hear about them.
   
   Bob: Thanks, Ciahnan, for being with us on our podcasts.]]>2224bloodattheroot,ciahnondarrell,markmbellofalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/david-tabatsky-surviving-the-nazis--52018670
   David has authored, co-authored and edited many novels, including Friends Like These, The Marijuana Project, The Battle of Zig Zag Pass and Drunk Log.
   He was our guest on a previous podcast with author Brian Felgoise, to discuss their book “Filthy Rich Lawyers, the Education of Ryan Coleman.”
   
   But “The Boy Behind the Door” is totally different. It’s the true story of a young Jewish boy, who with luck, wit, and help from others manages to escape the Nazis as they murdered friends and family in his hometown in Amsterdam during World War II.
   
   It's a riveting interview as Tabatsky tells us how that young boy overcame the terror of Nazi soldiers nearly capturing him to hide out in a nursery, then with others who were willing to help, even as some neighbors were turning in Jews to the Nazis to gain their favor.
   
   Many years later, in his twilight years, that boy, Salomon Kool, told his story to Tabatsky so the award-winning author could share it with the world. The result: "The Boy Behind the Door: How Salomon Kool Escaped the Nazis."
   
   Here are questions we asked Tabatsky:
   
   Mark: We talked to you about Filthy Rich Lawyers, which is a completely different kind of book than “The Boy Behind The Door.” This one, it seems, was far more personal. It is based on a true story, the protagonist is an actual Holocaust survivor. Tell us the backstory. You actually traveled to Amsterdam and interviewed Salomon Kool. How were chosen for this project?
   
   Bob: The story is a powerful document about a time in world history that we must never forget. Is this book targeted at young readers with that purpose in mind?
   
   Mark: I don’t think I’m ruining anything by asking you this, but I will issue a spoiler alert. Salomon had parents, two brothers, and a sister, all of whom perished in concentration camps. He spent several years on the run, not knowing whether they were alive or dead. Did he share with you what that was like for a boy 13-16 years of age?
   
   Bob: Many of his oppressors were Dutch, not German. Some were his own neighbors. Did he talk about what it was like to suddenly be treated like dirt by people who were once his friends?
   
   Mark: I want to ask about the title. I read the book; I understand the reference, but I would like our listeners to hear it. There are so many stories from those times where fate, luck, or quick thinking, changed the course of history for this survivor or that one. Tell us about the title?
   
   Robert: Mark asked about evil neighbors. On the opposite end of the spectrum, many righteous Dutch gentiles, at great risk to themselves, helped Salomon and hid him. Did he have fond memories of these people?
   
   Mark: The book doesn’t delve too deeply into the relationship, but Salomon actually falls in love with the daughter of one of the couples who are hiding him. Tell us about that relationship? He ended up marrying another woman, after the war ended, but did he ever see or hear from Marta Rose again?
   
   Bob: I’m wondering, Salomon hid from the Nazis and, with luck, was never actually captured. Obviously, many people, Jews and Gentiles, helped him achieve this rather miraculous outcome. I remember reading about Anne Frank and how several people hid out in an attic for years. We know some people survived or escaped from the camps We know that 6,000,000 Jews died, but do we know how many told similar survival stories like Salomon’s?
   
   Mark: I want to go back to the issue of righteous gentiles. There has been an untick in anti-Semitism in America. Jews have always been targets for bad behavior, but here is an example of heroic behavior by a population that would have been safer by not assisting Jews. Was this primarily a Dutch thing, or was this happening in other European countries, as well.
   
   Bob: Was your depiction of Salomon’s father accurate? Reading between the lines, it seemed to me that the man may have been losing his mind. The vignette about him proposing that the whole family commit suicide was heartbreaking. Was he thinking rationally at the time Salomon last saw him?
   
   Mark: Share with our listeners, Salomon’s last moments with his mother. I cannot imagine how a young boy cope’s and survives such an experience.
   
   Mark: Post war, Salomon spends the rest of his life in Amsterdam, true? Did he describe what life was like for Jews in Amsterdam after the war? Can you give our readers a sense of post-war Amsterdam? How many Jews survived and returned? Did they rebuild the population? Were they permitted to return to their homes? How were they treated by the Christian population that once oppressed them? How did the population get along?
   
   Bob: I’m curious about Salomon’s post-war life. His entire family was wiped out. He marries another survivor and has two children who eventually move to Israel. Was he happy? Or was he sullen, bitter, and haunted? What were his spirits like?
   
   Mark: Did he have survivor’s guilt? Please tell our listeners what that is and Salomon’s experience with it.
   
   Mark: I got the impression that a man name Walter Suskind was responsible for saving a lot of Jewish lives. Can you tell our listeners who he was and his role in saving Salomon Kool?
   
   Mark: Tell our listeners about the Magen David club. Is it still around?
   
   Bob: Where can people get ahold of you and grab a copy of your fabulous book?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52018670Sat, 26 Nov 2022 18:22:41 +0000Mark M. BelloIn this episode of the Justice Counts podcast, Mark Bello and I are speaking with David Tabatsky, the author of a riveting book about the Holocaust, “The Boy Behind the Door, How Salomon Kool Escaped the Nazis.” David has authored, co-authored and...
   David has authored, co-authored and edited many novels, including Friends Like These, The Marijuana Project, The Battle of Zig Zag Pass and Drunk Log.
   He was our guest on a previous podcast with author Brian Felgoise, to discuss their book “Filthy Rich Lawyers, the Education of Ryan Coleman.”
   
   But “The Boy Behind the Door” is totally different. It’s the true story of a young Jewish boy, who with luck, wit, and help from others manages to escape the Nazis as they murdered friends and family in his hometown in Amsterdam during World War II.
   
   It's a riveting interview as Tabatsky tells us how that young boy overcame the terror of Nazi soldiers nearly capturing him to hide out in a nursery, then with others who were willing to help, even as some neighbors were turning in Jews to the Nazis to gain their favor.
   
   Many years later, in his twilight years, that boy, Salomon Kool, told his story to Tabatsky so the award-winning author could share it with the world. The result: "The Boy Behind the Door: How Salomon Kool Escaped the Nazis."
   
   Here are questions we asked Tabatsky:
   
   Mark: We talked to you about Filthy Rich Lawyers, which is a completely different kind of book than “The Boy Behind The Door.” This one, it seems, was far more personal. It is based on a true story, the protagonist is an actual Holocaust survivor. Tell us the backstory. You actually traveled to Amsterdam and interviewed Salomon Kool. How were chosen for this project?
   
   Bob: The story is a powerful document about a time in world history that we must never forget. Is this book targeted at young readers with that purpose in mind?
   
   Mark: I don’t think I’m ruining anything by asking you this, but I will issue a spoiler alert. Salomon had parents, two brothers, and a sister, all of whom perished in concentration camps. He spent several years on the run, not knowing whether they were alive or dead. Did he share with you what that was like for a boy 13-16 years of age?
   
   Bob: Many of his oppressors were Dutch, not German. Some were his own neighbors. Did he talk about what it was like to suddenly be treated like dirt by people who were once his friends?
   
   Mark: I want to ask about the title. I read the book; I understand the reference, but I would like our listeners to hear it. There are so many stories from those times where fate, luck, or quick thinking, changed the course of history for this survivor or that one. Tell us about the title?
   
   Robert: Mark asked about evil neighbors. On the opposite end of the spectrum, many righteous Dutch gentiles, at great risk to themselves, helped Salomon and hid him. Did he have fond memories of these people?
   
   Mark: The book doesn’t delve too deeply into the relationship, but Salomon actually falls in love with the daughter of one of the couples who are hiding him. Tell us about that relationship? He ended up marrying another woman, after the war ended, but did he ever see or hear from Marta Rose again?
   
   Bob: I’m wondering, Salomon hid from the Nazis and, with luck, was never actually captured. Obviously, many people, Jews and Gentiles, helped him achieve this rather miraculous outcome. I remember reading about Anne Frank and how several people hid out in an attic for years. We know some people survived or escaped from the camps We know that 6,000,000 Jews died, but do we know how many told similar survival stories like Salomon’s?
   
   Mark: I want to go back to the issue of righteous gentiles. There has been an untick in anti-Semitism in America. Jews have always been targets for bad behavior, but here is an example of heroic behavior by a population that would have been safer by...]]>3176bobgatty,davidtabatsky,holocaust,markmbello,nazis,theboybehindthedoor,worldwariifalse235fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rich-jacobs-from-inside-the-walls-prison-reform--51873093
   Jacobs is our guest on the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts, with co-host Mark M. Bello.
   
   For thousands of hours, Jacobs has listened to the stories of hundreds of incarcerated men. Despite the darkness behind the walls of concrete, steel, and paint, Jacobs has witnessed many stories of hope and transformation and is the visionary behind www.GetFreeAndStayFree.com, which publishes stories of hope and transformation told by those impacted by the criminal justice system.
   
   Get Free and Stay Free’s first book, available since July, was produced with Yoke fellowship Prison Ministry and is titled "Get Free and Stay Free: Inmates Who Found Freedom Inside and Out".
   
   Jacobs is an advocate of increasing vocational training for inmates, especially those who are nearing the point of release. But, he cautions, the inmate must want to be trained in order for the program to succeed.
   
   “I would say that we can do a better job with providing services, but then the other very important piece to that puzzle is just because you have the services it doesn't mean that it's going to help a man change the way that he thinks.
   
   “Government in general has put billions, a trillion of dollars into all kinds of social ills of society the last 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years. And it almost feels like they throw money at the problems and things just keep getting worse. You’ve got to have the man step up to the plate himself if he's ready to be transformed. You’ve got to have society or corrections or whoever's involved there to help him along the way. But you’ve got to have that one, two punch to, to make it effective.”
   
   In fact, Jacobs says, unless the inmate changes his own outlook on life, “Just because you make an inmate smarter doesn’t help if they don’t change – they just become smarter criminals.”
   
   Take a listen to the episode. It’s a fascinating look behind the bars of a maximum security prison by a man who’s worked there with inmates for the past two decades.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51873093Sat, 12 Nov 2022 19:08:12 +0000Mark M. BelloRich Jacobs works inside one of the largest maximum-security prisons in the United States. He began his career 20 years ago as a corrections officer and has been a teacher to the inmates for the past 15 years. Jacobs is our guest on the Lean to...
   Jacobs is our guest on the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts, with co-host Mark M. Bello.
   
   For thousands of hours, Jacobs has listened to the stories of hundreds of incarcerated men. Despite the darkness behind the walls of concrete, steel, and paint, Jacobs has witnessed many stories of hope and transformation and is the visionary behind www.GetFreeAndStayFree.com, which publishes stories of hope and transformation told by those impacted by the criminal justice system.
   
   Get Free and Stay Free’s first book, available since July, was produced with Yoke fellowship Prison Ministry and is titled "Get Free and Stay Free: Inmates Who Found Freedom Inside and Out".
   
   Jacobs is an advocate of increasing vocational training for inmates, especially those who are nearing the point of release. But, he cautions, the inmate must want to be trained in order for the program to succeed.
   
   “I would say that we can do a better job with providing services, but then the other very important piece to that puzzle is just because you have the services it doesn't mean that it's going to help a man change the way that he thinks.
   
   “Government in general has put billions, a trillion of dollars into all kinds of social ills of society the last 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years. And it almost feels like they throw money at the problems and things just keep getting worse. You’ve got to have the man step up to the plate himself if he's ready to be transformed. You’ve got to have society or corrections or whoever's involved there to help him along the way. But you’ve got to have that one, two punch to, to make it effective.”
   
   In fact, Jacobs says, unless the inmate changes his own outlook on life, “Just because you make an inmate smarter doesn’t help if they don’t change – they just become smarter criminals.”
   
   Take a listen to the episode. It’s a fascinating look behind the bars of a maximum security prison by a man who’s worked there with inmates for the past two decades.]]>2551getfreeandstayfree,prisonreform,richjacobsprisonreform,vocationaleducationprisonsfalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/andrew-seidel-the-conservative-christian-supreme-court-takeover--51805936
   Instead, according to Andrew L. Seidel, an author and attorney who's defended the First Amendment for more than a decade, conservative Christians, through the appointment of the six right-wing justices who now hold a super majority, have turned religious liberty on its head.
   
   In his new book, "American Crusade," Seidel details how conservative Christians have achieved that takeover, how it has affected numerous major decisions, and what can be expected in the future if left unchecked.
   
   Seidel exposes the “Crusaders,” powerful right-wing Christian conservatives who are systematically working to, as he writes, “elevate Christian beliefs above the law and exempt Christians from the law, while disfavoring non-religious and non-Christian citizens who are required to follow the law.”
   
   He issues a stark warning: “The First Amendment is being destroyed. In its place, Crusaders are forging a weapon to ensure their supremacy.”
   
   Questions to Seidel:
   
   MARK: I want to ask you a two part question that is top of mind in America right now. Part 1: Was Roe v Wade correctly decided? Part 2: Almost 50 years later, should it have been sustained on stare decisis grounds?
   
   MARK: Considering the outcome of Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health, do you think other social justice decisions are at risk? Gay rights, public schools, contraception, for instance? And why doesn’t equal protection or due process apply to these situations?
   
   Bob: In your book, you leave no doubt about the danger of the current Conservative Supreme Court, citing case after case where decisions have been based on religious grounds rather than the law. Can you share just a few of those examples?
   
   Mark: I’m dubious that Ketanji Brown Jackson will have any impact at all. What’s your take and is there anything in the short term that can curb this unchecked supermajority?
   
   Bob: Reports indicate that conservative justices appear ready to end race-conscious admission decisions at colleges and universities. Chief Justice Roberts also has temporarily halted release of Donald Trump’s tax records to a congressional committee. Are these further examples of the influence of right-wing politics on the court?
   
   Bob: Part of the mandate of the 1st Amendment is the separation of church and state. Under the current court, is that in peril?
   
   Mark: I believe that Christian nationalism is alive and well in this country, and it is seeping into the court’s decision-making. Andrew: Don’t you see the court trending toward the religious right’s agenda on a number of issues, especially LGBTQ issues, private school funding, and 1st Amendment Separation of Church and State cases like American Legion v. American Humanist Association?
   
   As to American Legion, as a Jewish guy and a constitutionalist, I find the argument that the cross has taken on “secular meaning” laughable. I agree with Justice Ginsburg, may she rest in peace, who said in her dissenting opinion: The cross is the foremost symbol of the Christian faith.” Using it as a war memorial doesn’t change that fact. This was PUBLIC land. What’s your view?
   
   Mark: And how about Lemon v Kurtzman? In an 8-1 decision, the high court decided that statutes that provide state funding for non-public, non-secular schools violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. How do you think the case would be decided today?
   
   Bob: Let’s talk about Masterpiece Cake Shop where the shop refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple on religious grounds, or the Obergefell v Hodges case that permitted same-sex marriage. These were decided differently, obviously. Would today’s court decide Masterpiece the same way and overturn Obergefell? You discuss them in detail in your book.
   
   Mark: In Tandon v Newsom, the current conservative majority even prioritized the religious right over common sense COVID safety measures. What’s your view of that decision?
   
   Mark: Can we talk about the Constitution, itself, for a moment? For instance, what’s your take on the evolution of the 2nd Amendment? How do we go from “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” to you can own military assault rifles?
   
   Mark: And a broader question. I presume you would agree with me that the Constitution was a legal document, a framework for our federal, state, and local laws. It was not meant as a political document, correct? But, it has certainly become one. What do you make of people who I call constitutional hypocrites, who selectively enforce certain constitutional provision, but ignore others. In my view, the pollicization of the court is an example of this-do you agree? I don’t think the framers foresaw these political battles, do you?
   
   Bob: How can we as citizens protect ourselves from the next Dobbs? Only next time it will be a case that brings down marriage equality, access to contraceptives, or changes how we fund schools. How do we stop the madness?
   
   Mark: Last question: You’ve been invited to lecture at a bar association meeting welcoming new lawyers into the profession. What do you tell these fresh young kids about constitutional freedoms, the 1st Amendment, and the separation of church and state? Forget what you learned in law school?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51805936Sun, 06 Nov 2022 21:37:14 +0000Mark M. BelloChristian conservatives, led by a cabal of wealthy, influential Republicans, have executed a long, drawn out coup that now gives them virtually ironclad control of the U.S. Supreme Court, which is supposed to be the final legal arbiter in our country...
   Instead, according to Andrew L. Seidel, an author and attorney who's defended the First Amendment for more than a decade, conservative Christians, through the appointment of the six right-wing justices who now hold a super majority, have turned religious liberty on its head.
   
   In his new book, "American Crusade," Seidel details how conservative Christians have achieved that takeover, how it has affected numerous major decisions, and what can be expected in the future if left unchecked.
   
   Seidel exposes the “Crusaders,” powerful right-wing Christian conservatives who are systematically working to, as he writes, “elevate Christian beliefs above the law and exempt Christians from the law, while disfavoring non-religious and non-Christian citizens who are required to follow the law.”
   
   He issues a stark warning: “The First Amendment is being destroyed. In its place, Crusaders are forging a weapon to ensure their supremacy.”
   
   Questions to Seidel:
   
   MARK: I want to ask you a two part question that is top of mind in America right now. Part 1: Was Roe v Wade correctly decided? Part 2: Almost 50 years later, should it have been sustained on stare decisis grounds?
   
   MARK: Considering the outcome of Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health, do you think other social justice decisions are at risk? Gay rights, public schools, contraception, for instance? And why doesn’t equal protection or due process apply to these situations?
   
   Bob: In your book, you leave no doubt about the danger of the current Conservative Supreme Court, citing case after case where decisions have been based on religious grounds rather than the law. Can you share just a few of those examples?
   
   Mark: I’m dubious that Ketanji Brown Jackson will have any impact at all. What’s your take and is there anything in the short term that can curb this unchecked supermajority?
   
   Bob: Reports indicate that conservative justices appear ready to end race-conscious admission decisions at colleges and universities. Chief Justice Roberts also has temporarily halted release of Donald Trump’s tax records to a congressional committee. Are these further examples of the influence of right-wing politics on the court?
   
   Bob: Part of the mandate of the 1st Amendment is the separation of church and state. Under the current court, is that in peril?
   
   Mark: I believe that Christian nationalism is alive and well in this country, and it is seeping into the court’s decision-making. Andrew: Don’t you see the court trending toward the religious right’s agenda on a number of issues, especially LGBTQ issues, private school funding, and 1st Amendment Separation of Church and State cases like American Legion v. American Humanist Association?
   
   As to American Legion, as a Jewish guy and a constitutionalist, I find the argument that the cross has taken on “secular meaning” laughable. I agree with Justice Ginsburg, may she rest in peace, who said in her dissenting opinion: The cross is the foremost symbol of the Christian faith.” Using it as a war memorial doesn’t change that fact. This was PUBLIC land. What’s your view?
   
   Mark: And how about Lemon v Kurtzman? In an 8-1 decision, the high court decided that statutes that provide state funding for non-public, non-secular schools violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. How do you think the case would be decided today?
   
   Bob: Let’s talk about Masterpiece Cake Shop where the shop refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple on religious grounds, or the Obergefell v Hodges case that permitted same-sex marriage. These were...]]>2915andrewseidelamericancrusade,defendingthefirstamendment,markmbello,separationofchurchandstatefalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-kid-curry-story--51685991
   Curry was a broadcaster in the days when ownership was limited to seven AM and seven FM radio stations, before radio's corporate takeover.
   
   Creative freedom and owner trust led to huge ratings as a DJ, consistently scoring the highest ratings in his timeslot. As Program Director, “Kid” Curry led Power 96 to ratings never before seen in the station’s history and achieved the most significant cumulative audience in the Southeast United States.
   
   In 2005, Kim Curry was forced into retirement from the radio business after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Now, he’s the author of the book, "Come Get Me Mother, I'm Through!"
   
   You can follow the story of Curry’s career and battle with a chronic disease at KRCurry.com
   
   Kim, welcome to our podcast.
   
   10 Questions
   
   1)Mark: Kim Curry. Welcome to Justice Counts. Yesterday, Bob & I spoke to Kim Hamer, a woman who shared the experience of losing her husband to cancer at a young age. I asked her about the day she found out about the diagnosis. While you are very much alive, thank goodness, MS is a nasty disease. It scares the hell out of people. What was diagnosis day like for you?
   
   2)Bob: Was it a bolt out of the blue? Had you had symptoms? Any signs of a physical problem?
   
   3)Mark: Your father got you started in radio, is that right? It was kind of like your destiny. Explain both experiences: your path getting into and then having to leave your chosen career.
   
   4)Bob: Did your illness effect your marriage? How did your wife handle this phase of your life?
   
   5)Mark: Many people wonder about the symptoms of, and restrictions caused by MS. While I understand it is different for different people, you’ve been battling this disease for years. Talk about your medical issues, and what the physical and mental impact MS has had on you.
   
   
   6)Bob: What floats your boat these days? How do you keep busy? Any particular interests or hobbies these days? And how has MS dictated these hobbies or interests? Did it cause you to change who you were?
   
   7)Mark: Where did you get the idea for your novel? Did you always know you could write a book or did it surprise you?
   
   8)Bob: What’s next for Kim Curry?
   
   9)Mark: I asked Kim Hamer this question yesterday and I wonder what your take is on it: There are many forms of justice and injustice. It strikes me that disease is so random. Many people float through life never experiencing serious illness. Some get ill later in life. A random few contract a serious, debilitating, even deadly disease to early in life. Have you ever wondered “Why me?”
   
   10)Bob: Bello wrote the script for this show and he wants me to ask if you think the Denver Broncos will make the playoffs this year? And, get this, he also wants me to ask if you think the Detroit Lions will ever make the playoffs? My answer to his second question is “Who cares?”
   
   HEY KIM, thanks for joining us today for our podcast.. Mark Bello and I are grateful. Thanks everyone for listening.
   
   Meanwhile, if you haven’t done so already, please check out Mark Bello’s ripped-from-the-headlines legal thrillers, all available online at Amazon and other major online booksellers.
   
   He has quite the hero in Attorney Zachary Blake, who fights for justice on all fronts. His books are Betrayal of Faith, Betrayal of Justice, Betrayal in Blue, Betrayal in Black, Betrayal High, Supreme Betrayal, Betrayal at the Border, and his latest, You Have the Right to Remain Silent. For more info, just check markmbello.com.
   
   Until next time, this is Bob Gatty for Mark Bello signing off from Justice Counts.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51685991Tue, 25 Oct 2022 17:56:35 +0000Mark M. BelloKim Curry was a radio broadcaster for 33 years in some of America’s finest cities, a DJ in different time slots, and the Program Director of two of America’s legendary stations; KTSA-AM San Antonio and Power 96, Miami. Curry was a broadcaster in...
   Curry was a broadcaster in the days when ownership was limited to seven AM and seven FM radio stations, before radio's corporate takeover.
   
   Creative freedom and owner trust led to huge ratings as a DJ, consistently scoring the highest ratings in his timeslot. As Program Director, “Kid” Curry led Power 96 to ratings never before seen in the station’s history and achieved the most significant cumulative audience in the Southeast United States.
   
   In 2005, Kim Curry was forced into retirement from the radio business after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Now, he’s the author of the book, "Come Get Me Mother, I'm Through!"
   
   You can follow the story of Curry’s career and battle with a chronic disease at KRCurry.com
   
   Kim, welcome to our podcast.
   
   10 Questions
   
   1)Mark: Kim Curry. Welcome to Justice Counts. Yesterday, Bob & I spoke to Kim Hamer, a woman who shared the experience of losing her husband to cancer at a young age. I asked her about the day she found out about the diagnosis. While you are very much alive, thank goodness, MS is a nasty disease. It scares the hell out of people. What was diagnosis day like for you?
   
   2)Bob: Was it a bolt out of the blue? Had you had symptoms? Any signs of a physical problem?
   
   3)Mark: Your father got you started in radio, is that right? It was kind of like your destiny. Explain both experiences: your path getting into and then having to leave your chosen career.
   
   4)Bob: Did your illness effect your marriage? How did your wife handle this phase of your life?
   
   5)Mark: Many people wonder about the symptoms of, and restrictions caused by MS. While I understand it is different for different people, you’ve been battling this disease for years. Talk about your medical issues, and what the physical and mental impact MS has had on you.
   
   
   6)Bob: What floats your boat these days? How do you keep busy? Any particular interests or hobbies these days? And how has MS dictated these hobbies or interests? Did it cause you to change who you were?
   
   7)Mark: Where did you get the idea for your novel? Did you always know you could write a book or did it surprise you?
   
   8)Bob: What’s next for Kim Curry?
   
   9)Mark: I asked Kim Hamer this question yesterday and I wonder what your take is on it: There are many forms of justice and injustice. It strikes me that disease is so random. Many people float through life never experiencing serious illness. Some get ill later in life. A random few contract a serious, debilitating, even deadly disease to early in life. Have you ever wondered “Why me?”
   
   10)Bob: Bello wrote the script for this show and he wants me to ask if you think the Denver Broncos will make the playoffs this year? And, get this, he also wants me to ask if you think the Detroit Lions will ever make the playoffs? My answer to his second question is “Who cares?”
   
   HEY KIM, thanks for joining us today for our podcast.. Mark Bello and I are grateful. Thanks everyone for listening.
   
   Meanwhile, if you haven’t done so already, please check out Mark Bello’s ripped-from-the-headlines legal thrillers, all available online at Amazon and other major online booksellers.
   
   He has quite the hero in Attorney Zachary Blake, who fights for justice on all fronts. His books are Betrayal of Faith, Betrayal of Justice, Betrayal in Blue, Betrayal in Black, Betrayal High, Supreme Betrayal, Betrayal at the Border, and his latest, You Have the Right to Remain Silent. For more info, just check markmbello.com.
   
   Until next time, this is Bob Gatty for Mark Bello signing off from Justice Counts.]]>2641bobgatty,comegetmemotheri'mthrough,kidcurryradiodj,kimcurryauthor,markmbellofalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/kim-hamer-100-acts-of-love--51518786After the death of her husband, Kim, an HR leader, noticed how little guidance leaders received when navigating cancer, health crisis, or death on their team. She knew their lack of knowledge negatively affected morale, employee engagement, and productivity. She set out to change that. Combining her personal experience with her professional knowledge and leadership skills, Kim launched her business to support leaders and coworkers when cancer (or any health crisis) affects a team member.
   Kim Hamer is the author of 100 Acts of Love: A Girlfriend's Guide to Loving Your Friend through Cancer or Loss, an easy-to-read book filled with 100 practical, quick, and effective ways to support a friend or coworker. She’s also an HR leader and speaker who lives in Los Angeles where she tries not to bother her relatively well-behaved college-aged children.
   Today, co-hosts Mark Bello and Bob Gatty talk about all of this and we’ll ask Kim to share with us what she believes are some Perfect Ways to Help Your Friend with Cancer and Ways that they can Get the Support they Need.
   Questions:
   
   Bob: Talk to us about why you are in this work.
   
   Mark: Why do you think people struggle with what to do or say?
   
   Bob: What should I say to someone with cancer as a friend, as a coworker, as a boss?
   
   Mark: Are there things that we shouldn’t say? What’s NOT helpful?
   
   Bob: How can a leader balance the employee's need for support and the team's needs to get work done?
   
   Mark: How can we better manage death in the workplace if it’s a coworker?
   
   Bob: How can a manager support an employee who is grieving?
   
   Mark: I would presume that a large percentage of those diagnosed with cancer are in their prime working years. Am I right?
   What are the side effects of cancer on a team?
   
   Bob: Do all people with cancer stop working?
   
   Bob: Your book , 100 Acts of Love, isn’t just focused on the workplace, right? It also contains valuable insight for how to support a friend who’s been diagnosed with a serious illness, like cancer. Correct?
   
   Mark: What is the one big great lesson you want everyone listening to this to know?
   
   Mark justice question…
   
   
   Book Sample: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n2J9NoGyGOZAcgKpdbT71Mm0NxtR7Hnw/view?usp=sharing
   
   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/100actsoflove/
   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimthamer
   Website: https://www.100actsoflove.com/
   Book: https://www.100actsoflove.com/shop]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51518786Sun, 09 Oct 2022 22:29:45 +0000Mark M. BelloOn April 16, 2009, Kim Hamer watched her 44-yr-old husband take his last breath. During his illness and after his death, she was amazed by the helpful ways their coworkers, bosses, friends, and family supported them. Kim started calling their kind...After the death of her husband, Kim, an HR leader, noticed how little guidance leaders received when navigating cancer, health crisis, or death on their team. She knew their lack of knowledge negatively affected morale, employee engagement, and productivity. She set out to change that. Combining her personal experience with her professional knowledge and leadership skills, Kim launched her business to support leaders and coworkers when cancer (or any health crisis) affects a team member.
   Kim Hamer is the author of 100 Acts of Love: A Girlfriend's Guide to Loving Your Friend through Cancer or Loss, an easy-to-read book filled with 100 practical, quick, and effective ways to support a friend or coworker. She’s also an HR leader and speaker who lives in Los Angeles where she tries not to bother her relatively well-behaved college-aged children.
   Today, co-hosts Mark Bello and Bob Gatty talk about all of this and we’ll ask Kim to share with us what she believes are some Perfect Ways to Help Your Friend with Cancer and Ways that they can Get the Support they Need.
   Questions:
   
   Bob: Talk to us about why you are in this work.
   
   Mark: Why do you think people struggle with what to do or say?
   
   Bob: What should I say to someone with cancer as a friend, as a coworker, as a boss?
   
   Mark: Are there things that we shouldn’t say? What’s NOT helpful?
   
   Bob: How can a leader balance the employee's need for support and the team's needs to get work done?
   
   Mark: How can we better manage death in the workplace if it’s a coworker?
   
   Bob: How can a manager support an employee who is grieving?
   
   Mark: I would presume that a large percentage of those diagnosed with cancer are in their prime working years. Am I right?
   What are the side effects of cancer on a team?
   
   Bob: Do all people with cancer stop working?
   
   Bob: Your book , 100 Acts of Love, isn’t just focused on the workplace, right? It also contains valuable insight for how to support a friend who’s been diagnosed with a serious illness, like cancer. Correct?
   
   Mark: What is the one big great lesson you want everyone listening to this to know?
   
   Mark justice question…
   
   
   Book Sample: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n2J9NoGyGOZAcgKpdbT71Mm0NxtR7Hnw/view?usp=sharing
   
   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/100actsoflove/
   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimthamer
   Website: https://www.100actsoflove.com/
   Book: https://www.100actsoflove.com/shop]]>2323copingwithcancerdiagnosis,grief,griefintheworkplace,helpingfriendscopewithcancer,helpingfriendsingrief,kimhammer100actsoflovefalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/filthy-rich-lawyers--51387455Wow! Just average?
   
   In the new book, “Filthy Rich Lawyers, The Education of Ryan Coleman,” attorney Brian Felgoise and co-author David Tabatsky explore that dubious claim.
   
   It’s a sometimes hilarious novel, and the opening scene sets the stage when a young, ambitious lawyer named Ryan Coleman, decked out in his best suit and fancy shoes, is dressed down by the judge for falsely claiming that his $250,000 share of a settlement would not come out of the plaintiff’s piece of the pie. That scene draws you in, and as a reader, you’re hooked.
   
   The author, Brian Felgoise, is a graduate of Temple University Law School and has been practicing class-action law for more than 25 years, including cases where billions of dollars have been recovered for class members who lost a significant amount of money.
   
   David Tabatsky has authored, co-authored and edited many novels, including The Boy Behind the Door, Friends Like These, The Marijuana Project, The Battle of Zig Zag Pass and Drunk Log.
   
   His memoir, American Misfit, was published in 2017. Tabatsky was consulting editor for Marlo Thomas and her New York Times bestseller, The Right Words at the Right Time, Volume 2.
   
   Mark: Hi, guys. Welcome to Justice Counts. I enjoyed the parts of the book I read. I confess that I didn’t haven’t yet read the whole book. I’m wondering, listening to Bob read your bios. This is a strange collaboration. You have very different resumes and life experiences. How did you guys get together?
   
   Bob: Who came up with the idea for the book?
   
   Mark: As an author myself, I am interested in your process. Was this a true collaboration? Did you guys write different sections or did lawyer tell the story and writer write what he heard?
   Mark: There are a lot of great one-liners in the book. Here’s one that sums the whole thing up: “It’s a dirty job, and someone’s got to do it.” Does this book play into every terrible stereotype of lawyers, or does it have something complimentary to say?
   
   Bob: In the book, there are multiple examples of lawyers receiving fees way out of proportion to the plaintiffs’ recoveries. I remember the Blockbuster litigation where the litigants each got a 5 buck coupon and the lawyer’s made millions. Are lawyers paid fairly in these cases or does the system need a fix?
   
   Mark: On the other side of the equation, as the book points out, you have multiple evil companies, Enron, Halliburton, Charel, Perdue Pharma, FenPhen, Big tobacco, and others, that kill, make sick, or screw people or the government out of billions. With lives and billions of dollars at stake in these cases, fees should be large for all that hard work and the recovery of all that money? A class action is really the most expedient way to resolve cases like this, true?
   
   Mark: I loved the Haliburton no-bid contract whistle-blower story in the book. That is a true story, right? Lawyers did a good job on that one, didn’t they? Then you’ve got Enron, where lawyers received 688 million, 5 times their billable hours. Shouldn’t a judge check that, as the book points out? In the book, you use the example where a painter quotes $400 to paint the house. The homeowner offers him $2,000. Should he refuse the money? Who would refuse? Should lawyers police themselves?
   
   Bob: Here’s one of those quotes Mark talked about, from a big shot lawyer in the book: “I do not give a shit about Class Members. You hear me? I am only concerned with the riches I develop from the practice of law.” Is this a stereotype or true? Are there any lawyers out there who do what they do to help people or is it all just a money grab?
   
   Mark: The book is very funny. I went to David’s website. As a Jewish boy myself, I enjoyed all his schtick, especially the fact that he performed magic and comedy at bar mitzvahs. I presume he’s the one with the sense of humor, but is Brian funny too?
   
   Bob: Here’s another big shot quote in the book: “I have the greatest practice of law in the world because I have no clients.” How can you have a practice with no clients? Is that possible in real life?
   
   Mark: Coleman and Waterman (one of the experienced guys) share an older lawyer, younger lawyer moment. The same thing happens with Coleman and Smalley, later in the book. The quote I want to point out is: “Do not speak unless spoken to.” Also, Smalley calls Coleman “son” in one of the scenes. I remember, early in my legal career, I’ve got a small case with this older hotshot, and he says to me: “Son, let me give you a lesson in the law.” I declined. We tried the case, and I kicked his ass. Were these situations based on real experiences in your life?
   
   Mark: And how about Coleman’s initial go around with the judge? I loved it. We’ve all been there. A judge who goes out of his or her way to try to humiliate a young lawyer in front of his client. Very similar to the older lawyer, younger lawyer situation. After she puts on a show for the voters, she signs the order. So typical, right?
   
   Bob: Brian: How much of you is in Ryan Coleman? I don’t want to ruin the book for anyone, but do the big boys succeed in corrupting him, or “educating” him as the book refers to it?
   Bob: And what about the world of $375 million yacht and $16,000 bottles of booze, and expensive hookers for class action lawyers. Fact or fiction?
   
   Mark: I think it was Smalley who said: “You see, Coleman, when I establish my position, no matter what it is, I will fight to the death. I’m not ever going to give up.” Is that really what it takes to be successful? No names, but is he based on a real lawyer?
   
   Bob: Another line in the book: “Practicing law is the opposite of sex. Even when it’s good, it’s bad.” Do you believe that, or is it just a funny line in a novel?
   
   Mark: How much of the story or the anecdotes in the story are true? How about the one where the senior partner comes in and finds a bag of shit on his desk? True?
   
   Mark: And the federal prosecutor wanting to take down Hollis and essentially blackmailing Coleman to do it. Is that based on fact?
   
   Bob: How can people find you and your books?
   
   Mark: After making all that money in the class action world, why did you need to write a book? Don’t you have all the money you need? Share some with David.
   
   Bob: What’s next for you guys? You have another new book coming out soon, right?
   
   Brian and David, thanks for joining us today for our podcast.. Mark Bello and I are grateful. Thanks everyone for listening.
   
   Meanwhile, if you haven’t done so already, please check out Mark Bello’s ripped-from-the-headlines legal thrillers, all available online at Amazon and other major online booksellers.
   
   He has quite the hero in Attorney Zachary Blake, who fights for justice on all fronts. His books are Betrayal of Faith, Betrayal of Justice, Betrayal in Blue, Betrayal in Black, Betrayal High, Supreme Betrayal, Betrayal at the Border, and his latest, You Have the Right to Remain Silent. For more info, just check markmbello.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51387455Mon, 26 Sep 2022 17:05:29 +0000Mark M. BelloIn February 2020, attorney Joseph Fawbush wrote a piece for Findlaw.com entitled “Good News! People Think Lawyers Have an Average Amount of Integrity Now.” Wow! Just average? In the new book, “Filthy Rich Lawyers, The Education of Ryan Coleman,”...Wow! Just average?
   
   In the new book, “Filthy Rich Lawyers, The Education of Ryan Coleman,” attorney Brian Felgoise and co-author David Tabatsky explore that dubious claim.
   
   It’s a sometimes hilarious novel, and the opening scene sets the stage when a young, ambitious lawyer named Ryan Coleman, decked out in his best suit and fancy shoes, is dressed down by the judge for falsely claiming that his $250,000 share of a settlement would not come out of the plaintiff’s piece of the pie. That scene draws you in, and as a reader, you’re hooked.
   
   The author, Brian Felgoise, is a graduate of Temple University Law School and has been practicing class-action law for more than 25 years, including cases where billions of dollars have been recovered for class members who lost a significant amount of money.
   
   David Tabatsky has authored, co-authored and edited many novels, including The Boy Behind the Door, Friends Like These, The Marijuana Project, The Battle of Zig Zag Pass and Drunk Log.
   
   His memoir, American Misfit, was published in 2017. Tabatsky was consulting editor for Marlo Thomas and her New York Times bestseller, The Right Words at the Right Time, Volume 2.
   
   Mark: Hi, guys. Welcome to Justice Counts. I enjoyed the parts of the book I read. I confess that I didn’t haven’t yet read the whole book. I’m wondering, listening to Bob read your bios. This is a strange collaboration. You have very different resumes and life experiences. How did you guys get together?
   
   Bob: Who came up with the idea for the book?
   
   Mark: As an author myself, I am interested in your process. Was this a true collaboration? Did you guys write different sections or did lawyer tell the story and writer write what he heard?
   Mark: There are a lot of great one-liners in the book. Here’s one that sums the whole thing up: “It’s a dirty job, and someone’s got to do it.” Does this book play into every terrible stereotype of lawyers, or does it have something complimentary to say?
   
   Bob: In the book, there are multiple examples of lawyers receiving fees way out of proportion to the plaintiffs’ recoveries. I remember the Blockbuster litigation where the litigants each got a 5 buck coupon and the lawyer’s made millions. Are lawyers paid fairly in these cases or does the system need a fix?
   
   Mark: On the other side of the equation, as the book points out, you have multiple evil companies, Enron, Halliburton, Charel, Perdue Pharma, FenPhen, Big tobacco, and others, that kill, make sick, or screw people or the government out of billions. With lives and billions of dollars at stake in these cases, fees should be large for all that hard work and the recovery of all that money? A class action is really the most expedient way to resolve cases like this, true?
   
   Mark: I loved the Haliburton no-bid contract whistle-blower story in the book. That is a true story, right? Lawyers did a good job on that one, didn’t they? Then you’ve got Enron, where lawyers received 688 million, 5 times their billable hours. Shouldn’t a judge check that, as the book points out? In the book, you use the example where a painter quotes $400 to paint the house. The homeowner offers him $2,000. Should he refuse the money? Who would refuse? Should lawyers police themselves?
   
   Bob: Here’s one of those quotes Mark talked about, from a big shot lawyer in the book: “I do not give a shit about Class Members. You hear me? I am only concerned with the riches I develop from the practice of law.” Is this a stereotype or true? Are there any lawyers out there who do what they do to help people or is it all just a money grab?
   
   Mark: The book is very funny. I went to David’s website. As a Jewish boy myself, I enjoyed all his...]]>2231bobgatty,brianfelgoise,davidtabatsky,filthyrichlawyers,markmbellofalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/nursing-for-justice-9-13-22-2-05-pm--51258730https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51258730Wed, 14 Sep 2022 17:13:09 +0000Mark M. Bello2692discoverynplegalconsultants,legalnurseconsultants,nurseconsultants,nurseconsultantstolegalfalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/roger-a-canaff-author-city-dark--51070685
   He has devoted his legal career to the eradication of violence against women and children, first as a prosecutor in Alexandria, Virginia, then as a Special Victims ADA in the Bronx.
   
   Roger also was president of the Board of Directors of End Violence Against Women International, an organization that provides training, technical assistance, research and advocacy. He now teaches undergraduate and law school classes, and trains and consults privately, both nationally and internationally.
   
   He is a charter member of CounterQuo, an organization of allied professionals challenging the way our culture responds to sexual violence.
   Most recently he became a consultant with Justice3D.com, a leading educator in issues related to investigating and prosecuting sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence cases.
   
   He is the author of four novels, and lives and works in New York City.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51070685Mon, 29 Aug 2022 19:41:34 +0000Mark M. BelloToday we welcome Roger Canaff, an award winning legal thriller author whose writing is influenced by his experiences as a child protection and anti-violence against women advocate, legal expert, and speaker. He has devoted his legal career to the...
   He has devoted his legal career to the eradication of violence against women and children, first as a prosecutor in Alexandria, Virginia, then as a Special Victims ADA in the Bronx.
   
   Roger also was president of the Board of Directors of End Violence Against Women International, an organization that provides training, technical assistance, research and advocacy. He now teaches undergraduate and law school classes, and trains and consults privately, both nationally and internationally.
   
   He is a charter member of CounterQuo, an organization of allied professionals challenging the way our culture responds to sexual violence.
   Most recently he became a consultant with Justice3D.com, a leading educator in issues related to investigating and prosecuting sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence cases.
   
   He is the author of four novels, and lives and works in New York City.]]>2754bobgatty,canaffcitydark,citydark,markmbello,rogeracanafffalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/tom-hogan-the-empty-confessional-catholic-church-sex-abuse--50912174
   From archaeological digs in Israel, to life in both Protestant and Catholic seminaries, to launching tech startups in Silicon Valley, Tom Hogan has led a fascinating life.
   He’s worked with a team at the Harvard Semitic Museum to decipher the Dead Sea Scrolls, developed one of the first programs for introducing the Holocaust into high school and university curricula, and has lectured, extensively in Holocaust studies.
   
   He also found time to be a venture capitalist, founding Crowded Ocean, which has launched 51 startups, with 17 either going public or being acquired. And he brings this diverse and rich experience to his writing, both fiction and non-fiction.
   
   His new book, The Empty Confessional, answers the question:
   What If an Avenger Priest Came After Catholic Predator-Priests?
   
   Take a listen.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50912174Sun, 14 Aug 2022 16:05:43 +0000Mark M. BelloHost Mark M. Bello and a co-host Bob Gatty once again explore issues involving child sex abuse in the Catholic Church. While that's been in the headlines for decades, author Tom Hogan's "The Empty Confessional" explores the issue in a unique way—the...
   From archaeological digs in Israel, to life in both Protestant and Catholic seminaries, to launching tech startups in Silicon Valley, Tom Hogan has led a fascinating life.
   He’s worked with a team at the Harvard Semitic Museum to decipher the Dead Sea Scrolls, developed one of the first programs for introducing the Holocaust into high school and university curricula, and has lectured, extensively in Holocaust studies.
   
   He also found time to be a venture capitalist, founding Crowded Ocean, which has launched 51 startups, with 17 either going public or being acquired. And he brings this diverse and rich experience to his writing, both fiction and non-fiction.
   
   His new book, The Empty Confessional, answers the question:
   What If an Avenger Priest Came After Catholic Predator-Priests?
   
   Take a listen.]]>2616betrayaloffaithbello,catholicchurchpedophilia,catholicchurchsexabuse,markmbello,theemptyconfessional,theemptyconfessionalhogan,tomhoganauthorfalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/j-erika-twani-justice-in-education--50764380
   Erika is author of Becoming Einstein’s Teacher: Awakening the Genius in Your Students, is co-founder and CEO of Learning One to One, where, along with experts, she explores ways to foster human achievement through Relational Learning.
   
   Before co-founding Learning One to One, Erika was Microsoft’s education industry director for Multi-Country Americas.
   
   She has advised government officials and education leaders around the world on the use of technology in education, and has worked with public and private schools to guide the practical use of Relational Learning.
   
   She led Learning One to One into five countries in the first year alone, touching the lives of more than 100,000 students.
   
   
   Mark: Erika Twani-welcome to Justice Counts. I’m going to call you the mother of relational learning. Perhaps you might consider that too high a compliment, but I think it is appropriate. You have been quoted as saying it takes 10,000 hours to develop an expertise in a particular subject. I would venture to guess that you have way more than that on relational learning. Please tell our listeners what is relational learning and how did you become its mother?
   
   Bob: You’ve written a book called “Becoming Einstein’s Teacher: Awaking the Genius in Your Students.” As I understand it, a so-called “Einstein’s Teacher” has a particular meaning. What exactly is an “Einstein’s Teacher”?
   
   Mark: Should standards be established for each individual student? A truly one-on-one experience? Does each student really have the capacity to achieve his or her dreams?
   
   Bob: Is impossible a dirty word?
   
   Mark: You have said that we are graduating students who lack basic skills in math, reading, writing and that we are also failing to help kids develop critical thinking skills? How do we turn this around? If it isn’t reading, writing and math, what should it be? (Teach them to think for themselves, right from wrong, life preparation skills rather than the so-called “basics” of reading, writing, etc.)
   
   Bob: Should we still ask a kid: What do you want to be when you grow up?
   
   
   Mark: How do your techniques help a struggling kid unlock the leader inside? Before you answer, I’ve done some homework on you and I don’t want to make you cry, but please tell our listeners about a school in Columbia, a kid named Andres, the techniques he learned, and what he did with them (graduated from the school, went to college, and created a program that permits blind and deaf people to watch movies in movie theatres).
   
   (A kid without limited vision had a grand vision and implemented it. That is the power of what you have been doing throughout your career. How sweet is that? That, folks, is true educational justice. Where a kid like Andres can dream and have those dreams come true to the benefit of all of us. That is the very important part of the story: Look at the societal benefit of investing in a student like Andres who public education might have discarded as “unteachable.” Learning one-to-one. Relational learning. Learn the academics along with valuable life skills. Allow a kid to be who he wants to be and be the best at it.)
   Bob: In traditional educational settings, a good student is one who has good attendance, listens to the teacher, does everything the teacher and parent says, and does well on tests. What can we expect of this obedient student as an adult and what would be a better gauge of this notion of “good” when evaluating tomorrow’s adult?
   Mark: Two of my books focus on a topic you often speak about, bullying. In Betrayal High, I discuss bullying in the context of a high school shooting case. In my children’s book, Happy Jack Sad Jack, I write that we might see bullying as early as kindergarten. I would suggest that we can start by increasing a student’s self-esteem. But how do we do that and how might your techniques be used to raise safer, more responsible kids, and prevent bullying, criminality or even mass shooting events?
   
   (Twani notes that many school shootings are caused by individuals who are lashing out after being bullied in school, and so, she contends, such shootings could be avoided if schools would do more to control bullying and increase self esteem of vulnerable students who often turn into shooters. “We must respect the benefits that every child has," says Twani, who points out that in most schools today students spend thousands of hours learning how to follow instructions. "But when they are adults, there are no instructions to follow so they get lost. What's next is crime because they have no other option. That's why it is so important for us to be teaching life skills." )
   
   Bob: You are spreading the concept of relational learning worldwide. How is it going? Are you making a difference? How many students in how many countries have been impacted by your work?
   
   Bob: We’ve just been through (and are still going through) a pandemic. You have said that our solutions to this health crisis have punished or, at the very least, created an injustice for low-income students. How so? (only 55% of today’s student can afford internet access and the public schools’ solution to COVID was to keep kids at home and teach them online. This shut out 45% of the school population from school. They are months and months behind.)
   
   Mark: How do we rectify this injustice?
   
   Mark: Is there a direct link between crime and poor educational environments or systems?
   
   
   Bob: Is a good education still the ticket to success in America? What does a good education look like in the Internet age, where access to information, good or bad, can be obtained by a mouse click or a text? How does a kid today distinguish between information and disinformation?
   
   Bob: We’ve got kids like the Buffalo shooter who was encouraged to do what he did by online hate groups. How do parents and kids prevent indoctrination or brain washing?
   
   Mark: Where do you stand on banning books and discussions in school about race and sexuality? So-called “don’t say gay” or critical race legislation? Instead of banning relevant educational materials, what should educators do? (Help develop critical thinking skills so that students, who already have instant access to information, can think for themselves and be prepared for life. Absence of information is not the answer. Enhancing the development of critical thinking and deciding these issues for themselves provides a better solution than denying access to information.)
   
   Bob: You advocate for curriculums that provide what you call “scalable learning frameworks.” Take us through that process and how do we implement these techniques at the local level?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50764380Sun, 31 Jul 2022 15:06:36 +0000Mark M. BelloToday, legal thriller author and attorney Mark M. Bello is with Erika Twani, who has some strong feelings about the state of our schools and what needs to be done – and can be done -- to fix them. Erika is author of Becoming Einstein’s Teacher:...
   Erika is author of Becoming Einstein’s Teacher: Awakening the Genius in Your Students, is co-founder and CEO of Learning One to One, where, along with experts, she explores ways to foster human achievement through Relational Learning.
   
   Before co-founding Learning One to One, Erika was Microsoft’s education industry director for Multi-Country Americas.
   
   She has advised government officials and education leaders around the world on the use of technology in education, and has worked with public and private schools to guide the practical use of Relational Learning.
   
   She led Learning One to One into five countries in the first year alone, touching the lives of more than 100,000 students.
   
   
   Mark: Erika Twani-welcome to Justice Counts. I’m going to call you the mother of relational learning. Perhaps you might consider that too high a compliment, but I think it is appropriate. You have been quoted as saying it takes 10,000 hours to develop an expertise in a particular subject. I would venture to guess that you have way more than that on relational learning. Please tell our listeners what is relational learning and how did you become its mother?
   
   Bob: You’ve written a book called “Becoming Einstein’s Teacher: Awaking the Genius in Your Students.” As I understand it, a so-called “Einstein’s Teacher” has a particular meaning. What exactly is an “Einstein’s Teacher”?
   
   Mark: Should standards be established for each individual student? A truly one-on-one experience? Does each student really have the capacity to achieve his or her dreams?
   
   Bob: Is impossible a dirty word?
   
   Mark: You have said that we are graduating students who lack basic skills in math, reading, writing and that we are also failing to help kids develop critical thinking skills? How do we turn this around? If it isn’t reading, writing and math, what should it be? (Teach them to think for themselves, right from wrong, life preparation skills rather than the so-called “basics” of reading, writing, etc.)
   
   Bob: Should we still ask a kid: What do you want to be when you grow up?
   
   
   Mark: How do your techniques help a struggling kid unlock the leader inside? Before you answer, I’ve done some homework on you and I don’t want to make you cry, but please tell our listeners about a school in Columbia, a kid named Andres, the techniques he learned, and what he did with them (graduated from the school, went to college, and created a program that permits blind and deaf people to watch movies in movie theatres).
   
   (A kid without limited vision had a grand vision and implemented it. That is the power of what you have been doing throughout your career. How sweet is that? That, folks, is true educational justice. Where a kid like Andres can dream and have those dreams come true to the benefit of all of us. That is the very important part of the story: Look at the societal benefit of investing in a student like Andres who public education might have discarded as “unteachable.” Learning one-to-one. Relational learning. Learn the academics along with valuable life skills. Allow a kid to be who he wants to be and be the best at it.)
   Bob: In traditional educational settings, a good student is one who has good attendance, listens to the teacher, does everything the teacher and parent says, and does well on tests. What can we expect of this obedient student as an adult and what would be a better gauge of this notion of “good” when evaluating tomorrow’s adult?
   Mark: Two of my books focus on a topic you often speak about, bullying. In Betrayal High, I discuss bullying in the context of a high school shooting case. In my children’s book, Happy Jack Sad...]]>2944becomingeinstein'steacher,bobgatty,erikatwanieducationauthor,markmbello,twanilearningonetoonefalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/gabrielle-hartley-resolving-the-unsolvable--50593435
   Working with polarized individuals, and families she has learned, first hand that there’s always a productive way forward, even when the situation feels impossible.
   
   She is the Author of Better Apart; The Radically Positive Way to Separate and “The Secret to Getting Along; Three Steps to Life Changing Conflict Resolution.” Both books provide actionable tips to help productively navigate conflict.
   
   Gabrielle's parents divorced and used lawyers and mediators to effectively resolve their divorce and they even created a shared parenting plan, which was cutting edge at that time.
   
   She began her career as a court attorney in New York City, where she helped resolve hundreds of high conflict divorce cases incorporating the problem solving skills she learned both in school and at home. She resolves 99% of her cases at the mediation table and thus is a frequently requested speaker regarding family law, divorce, conflict management, and building a cohesive culture at home and in the workplace.
   
   Gabrielle Hartley, welcome to Justice Counts.
   
   Questions covered in this episode:
   
   
   Mark: Here on Justice Counts, we typically discuss justice and injustice, here in America and around the world. Many lawyers do not look at divorce in that context, but in my experience, divorce causes injustice to a segment of society that has little or no say in the process. Children are forced to watch the two people they love the most in this world do battle, usually in a hate-filled environment. Then, they are forced to go live with one or the other when they were very comfortable living with both. How do we temper that injustice when we are engaged in a domestic relations battle?
   
   Mark: Do any other obvious issues of justice or injustice come to mind? Are judges typically fair when deciding who gets what in a divorce? Do judges do a deep dive into the situation? Talk to us about this in the context of child custody, support, and division of assets.
   
   Bob: Do courts truly favor the mother, as most of us believe? What is the truth in your experience?
   
   Mark: Michigan is a "no-fault" State. You don't have to have grounds for divorce. Is there a huge difference between a no-fault divorce and one where grounds must be shown?
   
   Bob: In the context of children or extended family like grandparents or aunts and uncles, a divorce breaks up families and extended families, but what causes more injustice, staying with a person you can’t or don’t get along with, or separating from that person?
   
   Mark: I’d like to follow up on that. What steps can a couple take that would limit the impact of divorce to other family members like children, grandparents or aunts, uncles, and cousins?
   
   Mark: I did a bit of a deep dive on you, and I know you advocate for getting along better, even when we disagree. You advocate for staying “positively connected” to your partner or spouse. That’s a great sound bite, but how does it play out for real people in real life situations? What can a couple do to maintain positive connections?
   
   Bob: Can we talk about causes of divorce? Economic issues, political issues, health issues, infidelity or sexual issues, child-rearing or discipline issues, division of labor or responsibility issues come to mind, but what is the number one cause of divorce and how do we prevent it before it happens?
   
   Bob: You’ve been a divorce attorney for a long time. What is the strangest reason for a divorce you’ve come across?
   
   Mark: Talk to us about mediation as a more sensible and less combative means to resolving a divorce than participating in a full-blown trial.
   Mark: Again, in my deep dive, I discovered that this has played out in your own life with your own parents. If your comfortable doing so, please tell our audience about your own personal experience. How did that shape your views about divorce, and your life and choices moving forward from the divorce?
   
   Bob: You have advocated for what you call the “Yes method.” How does that play out in real relationships?
   
   Mark: You suggest in your Ted Talk that couples should prioritize peace. In other words, would you rather be right and lose someone you love or disagree and still maintain the relationship? Can you elaborate?
   
   
   Bob: Tell us about your two books. Who were they written for and what are some of the important messages?
   
   Bob: Where can folks find the books?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50593435Sat, 16 Jul 2022 15:04:21 +0000Mark M. BelloGabrielle Hartley has spent over two decades working as a divorce attorney and mediator, but her special sauce is her ability to resolve the unsolvable conflict. Working with polarized individuals, and families she has learned, first hand that...
   Working with polarized individuals, and families she has learned, first hand that there’s always a productive way forward, even when the situation feels impossible.
   
   She is the Author of Better Apart; The Radically Positive Way to Separate and “The Secret to Getting Along; Three Steps to Life Changing Conflict Resolution.” Both books provide actionable tips to help productively navigate conflict.
   
   Gabrielle's parents divorced and used lawyers and mediators to effectively resolve their divorce and they even created a shared parenting plan, which was cutting edge at that time.
   
   She began her career as a court attorney in New York City, where she helped resolve hundreds of high conflict divorce cases incorporating the problem solving skills she learned both in school and at home. She resolves 99% of her cases at the mediation table and thus is a frequently requested speaker regarding family law, divorce, conflict management, and building a cohesive culture at home and in the workplace.
   
   Gabrielle Hartley, welcome to Justice Counts.
   
   Questions covered in this episode:
   
   
   Mark: Here on Justice Counts, we typically discuss justice and injustice, here in America and around the world. Many lawyers do not look at divorce in that context, but in my experience, divorce causes injustice to a segment of society that has little or no say in the process. Children are forced to watch the two people they love the most in this world do battle, usually in a hate-filled environment. Then, they are forced to go live with one or the other when they were very comfortable living with both. How do we temper that injustice when we are engaged in a domestic relations battle?
   
   Mark: Do any other obvious issues of justice or injustice come to mind? Are judges typically fair when deciding who gets what in a divorce? Do judges do a deep dive into the situation? Talk to us about this in the context of child custody, support, and division of assets.
   
   Bob: Do courts truly favor the mother, as most of us believe? What is the truth in your experience?
   
   Mark: Michigan is a "no-fault" State. You don't have to have grounds for divorce. Is there a huge difference between a no-fault divorce and one where grounds must be shown?
   
   Bob: In the context of children or extended family like grandparents or aunts and uncles, a divorce breaks up families and extended families, but what causes more injustice, staying with a person you can’t or don’t get along with, or separating from that person?
   
   Mark: I’d like to follow up on that. What steps can a couple take that would limit the impact of divorce to other family members like children, grandparents or aunts, uncles, and cousins?
   
   Mark: I did a bit of a deep dive on you, and I know you advocate for getting along better, even when we disagree. You advocate for staying “positively connected” to your partner or spouse. That’s a great sound bite, but how does it play out for real people in real life situations? What can a couple do to maintain positive connections?
   
   Bob: Can we talk about causes of divorce? Economic issues, political issues, health issues, infidelity or sexual issues, child-rearing or discipline issues, division of labor or responsibility issues come to mind, but what is the number one cause of divorce and how do we prevent it before it happens?
   
   Bob: You’ve been a divorce attorney for a long time. What is the strangest reason for a divorce you’ve come across?
   
   Mark: Talk to us about mediation as a more sensible and less combative means to resolving a divorce than participating in a full-blown trial.
   Mark: Again, in my deep dive, I discovered that this has played out in...]]>2533bobgatty,divorce,gabriellehartleydivorce,hartley-betterapartbook,howtoseparatehartley,markmbellofalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/kelley-keller-inside-the-supreme-court-roe-decision--50471736
   During this episode, Keller says people who oppose the "crazy" laws being proposed in some states to block people from traveling to abortion-friendly states for their healthcare must turn to the ballot box.
   
   "If the will of the people is ‘this is insane,’ they need to go to the ballot box and by plebiscite make decisions about whether or not that type of crazy talk will actually (be accepted)," she declared.
   
   An attorney for 14 years, Keller specializes in intellectual property at her firm,
   Big Bang Legal. She is an adjunct professor of Copyright and Trademark Law at Widener University Commonwealth School of Law in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where she has taught since 2020.
   
   “The silver lining in Dobbs? Let’s codify privacy and bodily autonomy once and for all and get it out of the hands of nine justices,” Keller declared.
   
   In this episode, Keller traces the background that resulted in the Supreme Court's action overturning Roe v Wade, pointing out that according to law, women were never guaranteed a "right" to an abortion, but that they were guaranteed "the right to choose" whether to terminate a pregnancy.
   
   In fact, she says, Roe actually "died" in 1989 when Justice Sandra Day O'Connor began challenging the level of review used in many cases, making it far easier for states to challenge abortions.
   
   "Roe was not about women’s bodily autonomy or their equal protection under the law. Women have just been the sideshow in all of this. Arguments have been around babies and doctors, not about her," Keller says.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50471736Tue, 05 Jul 2022 18:01:09 +0000Mark M. Bello"The abortion war is over," says Justice Counts guest Kelley Keller, an attorney who is expert in Constitutional law. "It has been lost in the courts." Now, she says, those who are concerned about having control over their own bodies need to focus on...
   During this episode, Keller says people who oppose the "crazy" laws being proposed in some states to block people from traveling to abortion-friendly states for their healthcare must turn to the ballot box.
   
   "If the will of the people is ‘this is insane,’ they need to go to the ballot box and by plebiscite make decisions about whether or not that type of crazy talk will actually (be accepted)," she declared.
   
   An attorney for 14 years, Keller specializes in intellectual property at her firm,
   Big Bang Legal. She is an adjunct professor of Copyright and Trademark Law at Widener University Commonwealth School of Law in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where she has taught since 2020.
   
   “The silver lining in Dobbs? Let’s codify privacy and bodily autonomy once and for all and get it out of the hands of nine justices,” Keller declared.
   
   In this episode, Keller traces the background that resulted in the Supreme Court's action overturning Roe v Wade, pointing out that according to law, women were never guaranteed a "right" to an abortion, but that they were guaranteed "the right to choose" whether to terminate a pregnancy.
   
   In fact, she says, Roe actually "died" in 1989 when Justice Sandra Day O'Connor began challenging the level of review used in many cases, making it far easier for states to challenge abortions.
   
   "Roe was not about women’s bodily autonomy or their equal protection under the law. Women have just been the sideshow in all of this. Arguments have been around babies and doctors, not about her," Keller says.]]>3383abortionlaw,bigbanglegal,markmbello,roevwade,ussupremecourtabortionfalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mike-lawlor-on-gun-laws-that-work--50268253
   "Sometimes principle is more important than your political career, but I'm not sure how many people think of it like that who are current members of Congress, unfortunately," said Mike Lawlor, author of Connecticut's 23-year-old red flag law that he estimates has saved thousands of lives since its enactment. "It's just the reality."
   
   Lawlor made his comments on this episode of the Justice Counts podcast. He is associate professor of Criminal Justice at the University of New Haven, and a nationally recognized expert on criminal justice reform.
   
   "The problem in the Republican Party," Lawlor said, is "fear of retaliation from what they call the base," which is "just getting in the way, and sooner or later they will have to deal with that bigger problem, and guns are just the symptom of it."
   
   Lawlor's comments came as a new poll by CBS News and YouGov showed that 44 percent of Republicans believe mass shootings are inevitable in a "free society", while 85 percent of Democrats and 73 percent of Independents said mass shootings are preventable "if we really tried."
   
   All of this, of course, follows a string of mass shootings that have prompted Congress to consider various gun control related proposals, including incentives to states to enact red flag laws similar to Connecticut's. However, the CBS/YouGov poll indicates that respondents from both parties believe it is unlikely that Congress will "pass any laws in the next few months that will make significant changes to gun policy."
   
   A total of 66 percent of Democrats, 72 percent of Independents, and 71 percent of Republicans indicated they feel that way and they have good reason. Unfortunately, money talks in Washington, apparently much louder than the anguished cries of children who are being terrorized by a gunman in school or the loved ones of victims shot in a racist attack in a supermarket.
   
   According to the Brady Campaign, the National Rifle Association spent $3.22 million to benefit the political campaigns of senators who oppose gun safety legislation. In 2020, they spent $2.20 million. These senators refuse to support common-sense gun reform, like expanding Brady Background Checks and banning assault weapons.
   
   Meanwhile, Lawlor points out in the podcast that the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling soon in a New York gun rights case that could expand the scope of protections the Second Amendment affords individual gun owners who want to carry a gun outside of their residents.
   
   According to the Brennan Center, The biggest ques­tion in New York State Rifle & Pistol Asso­ci­ation v. Bruen may not be whether a major­ity of justices strike down the state’s century-old hand­gun licens­ing require­ment but how far that major­ity goes in signal­ing that other licens­ing meas­ures created by govern­ment offi­cials are now consti­tu­tion­ally suspect.
   
   "The proliferation of guns in this country could become more extreme depending on what happens, and all we know for sure is that will lead to more and more firearm deaths, suicides, accidents, homicides, and you know at some point, the pain will be unsustainable."
   
   On the podcast, Lawlor details the Connecticut red flag law, how it works, how it has prevented shootings and death, as well as other steps that state has taken to restrict the proliferation of firearms.
   
   Take a listen:]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50268253Mon, 20 Jun 2022 18:20:15 +0000Mark M. BelloFor Congress to enact meaningful gun legislation in response to the mass shootings that are plaguing America, "some level of profile in courage" will be needed by lawmakers who traditionally have been beholden to the gun lobby. "Sometimes principle...
   "Sometimes principle is more important than your political career, but I'm not sure how many people think of it like that who are current members of Congress, unfortunately," said Mike Lawlor, author of Connecticut's 23-year-old red flag law that he estimates has saved thousands of lives since its enactment. "It's just the reality."
   
   Lawlor made his comments on this episode of the Justice Counts podcast. He is associate professor of Criminal Justice at the University of New Haven, and a nationally recognized expert on criminal justice reform.
   
   "The problem in the Republican Party," Lawlor said, is "fear of retaliation from what they call the base," which is "just getting in the way, and sooner or later they will have to deal with that bigger problem, and guns are just the symptom of it."
   
   Lawlor's comments came as a new poll by CBS News and YouGov showed that 44 percent of Republicans believe mass shootings are inevitable in a "free society", while 85 percent of Democrats and 73 percent of Independents said mass shootings are preventable "if we really tried."
   
   All of this, of course, follows a string of mass shootings that have prompted Congress to consider various gun control related proposals, including incentives to states to enact red flag laws similar to Connecticut's. However, the CBS/YouGov poll indicates that respondents from both parties believe it is unlikely that Congress will "pass any laws in the next few months that will make significant changes to gun policy."
   
   A total of 66 percent of Democrats, 72 percent of Independents, and 71 percent of Republicans indicated they feel that way and they have good reason. Unfortunately, money talks in Washington, apparently much louder than the anguished cries of children who are being terrorized by a gunman in school or the loved ones of victims shot in a racist attack in a supermarket.
   
   According to the Brady Campaign, the National Rifle Association spent $3.22 million to benefit the political campaigns of senators who oppose gun safety legislation. In 2020, they spent $2.20 million. These senators refuse to support common-sense gun reform, like expanding Brady Background Checks and banning assault weapons.
   
   Meanwhile, Lawlor points out in the podcast that the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling soon in a New York gun rights case that could expand the scope of protections the Second Amendment affords individual gun owners who want to carry a gun outside of their residents.
   
   According to the Brennan Center, The biggest ques­tion in New York State Rifle & Pistol Asso­ci­ation v. Bruen may not be whether a major­ity of justices strike down the state’s century-old hand­gun licens­ing require­ment but how far that major­ity goes in signal­ing that other licens­ing meas­ures created by govern­ment offi­cials are now consti­tu­tion­ally suspect.
   
   "The proliferation of guns in this country could become more extreme depending on what happens, and all we know for sure is that will lead to more and more firearm deaths, suicides, accidents, homicides, and you know at some point, the pain will be unsustainable."
   
   On the podcast, Lawlor details the Connecticut red flag law, how it works, how it has prevented shootings and death, as well as other steps that state has taken to restrict the proliferation of firearms.
   
   Take a listen:]]>2848connecticutredflaglaw,guncontrolnow,markmbelloauthor,massshootings,redflaglaws,schoolshootingsfalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/sandy-phillips-kirkham-baptist-sex-abuse-speaking-from-experience--50086260Now our guest, Sandy Phillips Kirkham, was not a member of the Southern Baptists when she was sexually abused by her youth pastor. She was a member of another protestant denomination, which shows that such practices go beyond religious boundaries.
   She recounts her story in Let Me Prey Upon You, a memoir that reveals how a charismatic youth minister preyed upon her, betrayed her in the most vile way, and shattered her faith, leaving her broken and separated from the church she once loved.
   Sandy is here with author/attorney Mark M. Bello and me today to discuss this tragic situation.
   Sandy previously told her own story on both the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts, but Mark and I wanted to invite her back to get her thoughts about these latest revelations regarding the Southern Baptists. A list of hundreds of pastors and other church-affiliated personnel accused of sexual abuse has just been released by church officials. The list had previously been kept secret by the church.
   
   Take a listen...]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50086260Mon, 06 Jun 2022 14:36:29 +0000Mark M. BelloOn May 15, the Southern Baptist Convention finally acknowledged what our guest today has already experienced – that pastors and other church employees have sexually abused parishioners and that the church covered up those claims for years. Now our...Now our guest, Sandy Phillips Kirkham, was not a member of the Southern Baptists when she was sexually abused by her youth pastor. She was a member of another protestant denomination, which shows that such practices go beyond religious boundaries.
   She recounts her story in Let Me Prey Upon You, a memoir that reveals how a charismatic youth minister preyed upon her, betrayed her in the most vile way, and shattered her faith, leaving her broken and separated from the church she once loved.
   Sandy is here with author/attorney Mark M. Bello and me today to discuss this tragic situation.
   Sandy previously told her own story on both the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts, but Mark and I wanted to invite her back to get her thoughts about these latest revelations regarding the Southern Baptists. A list of hundreds of pastors and other church-affiliated personnel accused of sexual abuse has just been released by church officials. The list had previously been kept secret by the church.
   
   Take a listen...]]>2780baptistsexabuse,baptistsexscandal,betrayaloffaith,clergysexabuse,letmepreyuponyou,sandyphillipskirkhamfalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/kelsey-walker-overcoming-the-silent-scream--49911677
   Since she was a teenager, Kelsey’s been a warrior for reproductive rights and then had her own experience with abortion. It was a tragic situation, and laws in the state in which she lived made it even more difficult.
   
   From the trauma of that experience, she wrote a memoir, “Face Everything and Rise,” and now she’s founded a nonprofit, “From the Green Desk” to coach and provide group therapy for women who’ve had abortions, lost pregnancies, or children.
   
   By doing this, she says she hopes to eliminate the painful “silent scream” that results from these losses.
   
   Kelsey, welcome to Justice Counts. Thanks for sharing with us today. And say hello to my sidekick Mark M. Bello.
   
   Our Questions for Kelsey:
   
   Mark: March was Women’s History Month, but the fact that it is April will not stop Justice Counts from feature brave women who may not be famous or well-known, but who are making significant contributions to the cause of justice. As Bob’s introduction suggests, Kelsy Walker is one of those people in the area of reproductive rights. Kelsey, allow me to add my personal welcome to you from all of us at the Justice Counts Podcast. Tell the people what you’re up to these days
   
   Mark: You have had your own personal experience with abortion and reproductive rights, correct? Can you share your experience with our audience and what state did this happen in?
   
   Bob: That experience resulted in PTSD and some serious after-effects, right?
   
   Bob: You have become a strong advocate for reproductive rights. Why?
   
   Mark: What is your view of these heartbeat bills and similar efforts by Republican state politicians to do away with abortions? And how about these Texas style laws that turn citizens into vigilantes?
   
   Mark: I get a personal kick out of the hypocrisy of some of these anti-abortion right wingers. Many are anti-vaxers and argue that whether or not they get a vaccine is their personal choice and that no-one can tell them what to do with their own bodies. They seem to have no problem at all telling women what to do with theirs. Care to comment?
   
   Bob: The same Texas republicans who passed this draconian abortion law also drastically cut social programs to help a poor family raise a child. If these people are truly pro-life, why are so set against helping with the necessities of life?
   
   Mark: Are you a religious person? And, before you answer, as country that has a constitution that forbids the establishment of religion, the religious right seems to lead the charge on controlling a woman’s reproductive rights. Again, I see a lot of hypocrisy here, what are your thoughts about religion and reproductive rights?
   
   Mark: You have said that more time should be spent advancing the procedure than debating it. Tell us what you mean by this and how should this thought be applied in the real world?
   
   Mark: You’ve written a book about your own experiences with reproductive rights, abortion, and psychological trauma from the experience. The book is called “Face Everything and Rise.” I understand you are sending the book out to lawmakers. Tell the people about the book
   
   Bob: Tell us about your non-profit organization, “From the Green Desk.” What led you to start the non-profit and what you hope to achieve?
   
   Mark: You’ve said that you hope to eliminate the “silent scream” for women who have gone through a lost pregnancy or lost child. My own sister lost her son to cancer at age 18. I know how it can change a woman’s life. Tell us about the silent scream and what your non-profit is doing about it?
   
   Bob: How can people get involved?
   
   Mark: I understand you have instituted a 50-state challenge. What’s that all about?]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49911677Mon, 23 May 2022 19:25:59 +0000Mark M. BelloToday’s guest is Kelsey Walker and our topic is abortion, and the injustice that many states are attempting to perpetrate on women who are faced with this traumatic decision. Since she was a teenager, Kelsey’s been a warrior for reproductive rights...
   Since she was a teenager, Kelsey’s been a warrior for reproductive rights and then had her own experience with abortion. It was a tragic situation, and laws in the state in which she lived made it even more difficult.
   
   From the trauma of that experience, she wrote a memoir, “Face Everything and Rise,” and now she’s founded a nonprofit, “From the Green Desk” to coach and provide group therapy for women who’ve had abortions, lost pregnancies, or children.
   
   By doing this, she says she hopes to eliminate the painful “silent scream” that results from these losses.
   
   Kelsey, welcome to Justice Counts. Thanks for sharing with us today. And say hello to my sidekick Mark M. Bello.
   
   Our Questions for Kelsey:
   
   Mark: March was Women’s History Month, but the fact that it is April will not stop Justice Counts from feature brave women who may not be famous or well-known, but who are making significant contributions to the cause of justice. As Bob’s introduction suggests, Kelsy Walker is one of those people in the area of reproductive rights. Kelsey, allow me to add my personal welcome to you from all of us at the Justice Counts Podcast. Tell the people what you’re up to these days
   
   Mark: You have had your own personal experience with abortion and reproductive rights, correct? Can you share your experience with our audience and what state did this happen in?
   
   Bob: That experience resulted in PTSD and some serious after-effects, right?
   
   Bob: You have become a strong advocate for reproductive rights. Why?
   
   Mark: What is your view of these heartbeat bills and similar efforts by Republican state politicians to do away with abortions? And how about these Texas style laws that turn citizens into vigilantes?
   
   Mark: I get a personal kick out of the hypocrisy of some of these anti-abortion right wingers. Many are anti-vaxers and argue that whether or not they get a vaccine is their personal choice and that no-one can tell them what to do with their own bodies. They seem to have no problem at all telling women what to do with theirs. Care to comment?
   
   Bob: The same Texas republicans who passed this draconian abortion law also drastically cut social programs to help a poor family raise a child. If these people are truly pro-life, why are so set against helping with the necessities of life?
   
   Mark: Are you a religious person? And, before you answer, as country that has a constitution that forbids the establishment of religion, the religious right seems to lead the charge on controlling a woman’s reproductive rights. Again, I see a lot of hypocrisy here, what are your thoughts about religion and reproductive rights?
   
   Mark: You have said that more time should be spent advancing the procedure than debating it. Tell us what you mean by this and how should this thought be applied in the real world?
   
   Mark: You’ve written a book about your own experiences with reproductive rights, abortion, and psychological trauma from the experience. The book is called “Face Everything and Rise.” I understand you are sending the book out to lawmakers. Tell the people about the book
   
   Bob: Tell us about your non-profit organization, “From the Green Desk.” What led you to start the non-profit and what you hope to achieve?
   
   Mark: You’ve said that you hope to eliminate the “silent scream” for women who have gone through a lost pregnancy or lost child. My own sister lost her son to cancer at age 18. I know how it can change a woman’s life. Tell us about the silent scream and what your non-profit is doing about it?
   
   Bob: How can people get involved?
   
   Mark: I understand you have instituted a 50-state challenge. What’s...]]>2426fromthegreendesk,kelseywalkerabortion,righttochoose,thesilentscream,womensrighttochoosefalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-prison-reform-project--49731538Named a “New Civil Rights Leader” by Essence Magazine for her work challenging mass incarceration, Porter joined the Sentencing Project in 2009 and her advocacy and findings have supported criminal legal reforms in such states as Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, California, Texas, and the District of Columbia.
   Porter’s areas of expertise include research and grassroots support around challenging racial disparities, felony disenfranchisement, in addition to prison closures and prison reuse. She’s authored articles on the collateral impacts of justice involvement on communities of color and how current social movements are challenging mass incarceration.
   The former director of the Texas ACLU’s Prison & Jail Accountability Project, Porter graduated from Johns Hopkins University and holds a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin. She also studied African politics at the University of Ghana, West Africa.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49731538Mon, 09 May 2022 18:43:07 +0000Mark M. BelloHey guys, welcome to our podcast. Our guest today is Nicole D. Porter, who manages The Sentencing Project’s state and local advocacy efforts on sentencing reform, voting rights, and confronting racial disparities in the criminal legal system. Named a...Named a “New Civil Rights Leader” by Essence Magazine for her work challenging mass incarceration, Porter joined the Sentencing Project in 2009 and her advocacy and findings have supported criminal legal reforms in such states as Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, California, Texas, and the District of Columbia.
   Porter’s areas of expertise include research and grassroots support around challenging racial disparities, felony disenfranchisement, in addition to prison closures and prison reuse. She’s authored articles on the collateral impacts of justice involvement on communities of color and how current social movements are challenging mass incarceration.
   The former director of the Texas ACLU’s Prison & Jail Accountability Project, Porter graduated from Johns Hopkins University and holds a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin. She also studied African politics at the University of Ghana, West Africa.]]>3179bobgatty,mandatorysentences,markmbello,nicoleporter,prisonreform,sentencingreformfalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/michelle-thompson-helping-lawyers-find-sanity--49550176She helps women lawyers and academics who work extreme hours to prove their prowess, build sustainable careers and earn promotions and raises.
   Her approach is based on the belief that if you never set boundaries for yourself, you will always be overworking, stuck on the hamster wheel of producing more results, and losing sleep because you're always worried about clients, jobs, or the next deadline (never mind tenure or making partner!) and therefore not enjoying your life and building the community and connection you seek.
   With almost 3 decades in law and academia and over 5 years of experience as a professional coach, Michelle helps her clients achieve professional sanity with a variety of embodied techniques that combine left and right brain strategies, from emotional freedom technique to strategic planning.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49550176Mon, 25 Apr 2022 19:41:09 +0000Mark M. BelloMichelle Thompson, J.D., Ph.D. is the CEO of Resistant Vision Coaching and Consulting. She helps women lawyers and academics who work extreme hours to prove their prowess, build sustainable careers and earn promotions and raises. Her approach is...She helps women lawyers and academics who work extreme hours to prove their prowess, build sustainable careers and earn promotions and raises.
   Her approach is based on the belief that if you never set boundaries for yourself, you will always be overworking, stuck on the hamster wheel of producing more results, and losing sleep because you're always worried about clients, jobs, or the next deadline (never mind tenure or making partner!) and therefore not enjoying your life and building the community and connection you seek.
   With almost 3 decades in law and academia and over 5 years of experience as a professional coach, Michelle helps her clients achieve professional sanity with a variety of embodied techniques that combine left and right brain strategies, from emotional freedom technique to strategic planning.]]>2743achievingprofessionalsanity,bobgatty,markmbello,michellethompson,resistantvisioncoachingfalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/tara-faustenbach-on-prepaid-legal-services--49386763
   For Pre-Paid Legal, she has served as Regional Manager and Regional Vice President in Southern California, and most recently as Regional Vice President in Texas, helping to develop people for leadership positions.
   
   Tara is passionate about Pre-paid legal services and we will soon find out why. By the way, during the Covid crisis, Tara has worked from home and managed to raise and homeschool her 14 year-old son. So, she’s been wearing a lot of hats!
   
   Tara, welcome to Justice Counts.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49386763Sun, 10 Apr 2022 18:16:18 +0000Mark M. BelloToday, Mark Bello and I are with Tara Paustenbach, who with a background in sales/marketing, has partnered with Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. since 1998. She recruits, trains and develops Associates across the U.S. and Canada to market the company’s...
   For Pre-Paid Legal, she has served as Regional Manager and Regional Vice President in Southern California, and most recently as Regional Vice President in Texas, helping to develop people for leadership positions.
   
   Tara is passionate about Pre-paid legal services and we will soon find out why. By the way, during the Covid crisis, Tara has worked from home and managed to raise and homeschool her 14 year-old son. So, she’s been wearing a lot of hats!
   
   Tara, welcome to Justice Counts.]]>2925legalshield,markmbello,prepaidlegalservices,tarapastenbachfalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/inside-the-law-with-dr-tracy-pearson--49230218
   Dr. Tracy’s passion is helping others understand what they didn’t understand before, and then change their perspective. She has not one, but two doctorates, one in education and the other in law.
   
   On the show, we discuss a wide range of issues that all fall under the heading of justice, whether it’s social justice or legal justice. We talk about California Gov. Gavin Newsome’s refusal to grant parole to former Manson family member Leslie Van Houten, about the murder verdicts in the racially charged Rittenhouse and Ahmaud Arbery cases, as well as Republican efforts to stymie voting, the nomination by President Biden of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court and her unconscionable treatment by Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee, abortion, and much more.
   
   Dr. Tracy is outspoken and knowledgeable. She pulls no punches. For example, she says, "Nobody needs an AR-15 except in the military." And, she says on abortion that the fathers of unplanned children should begin paying child support from the moment of conception.
   
   Take a listen...]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49230218Mon, 28 Mar 2022 20:46:35 +0000Mark M. BelloToday we welcome Dr. Tracy A. Pearson, a popular regular Court TV guest whose website includes the line, “She makes sense out of the noise.” Dr. Tracy’s passion is helping others understand what they didn’t understand before, and then change their...
   Dr. Tracy’s passion is helping others understand what they didn’t understand before, and then change their perspective. She has not one, but two doctorates, one in education and the other in law.
   
   On the show, we discuss a wide range of issues that all fall under the heading of justice, whether it’s social justice or legal justice. We talk about California Gov. Gavin Newsome’s refusal to grant parole to former Manson family member Leslie Van Houten, about the murder verdicts in the racially charged Rittenhouse and Ahmaud Arbery cases, as well as Republican efforts to stymie voting, the nomination by President Biden of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court and her unconscionable treatment by Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee, abortion, and much more.
   
   Dr. Tracy is outspoken and knowledgeable. She pulls no punches. For example, she says, "Nobody needs an AR-15 except in the military." And, she says on abortion that the fathers of unplanned children should begin paying child support from the moment of conception.
   
   Take a listen...]]>3507bobgatty,dr.tracycourttv,dr.tracypearson,markmbellofalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/sandy-kirkham-let-me-prey-upon-you--49060337
   Our guest today has experienced clergy abuse, first hand. In her own book, Let me Prey Upon You, Sandy Phillips Kirkham details how a charismatic youth minister preyed upon her, betrayed her in the most vile way, and shattered her faith, leaving her broken and separated from the church she once loved.
   
   From their very first meeting, the new youth minister slowly and methodically turned the sacred relationship of a trusted spiritual leader to one of abuse: sexual, emotional, and physical. When his actions were discovered, he was simply moved to another church, leaving Sandy to pay for his deeds. She was not his first victim, nor would she be his last.
   
   Sandy moved on with her life, got married, had children, and successfully concealed her abuse for twenty-seven years-we’ll find out why. Her healing process began in 2004 when she decided to seek justice from the pastor and the church. Let me Prey Upon You details her journey.
   
   Take a listen...]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49060337Mon, 14 Mar 2022 19:01:01 +0000Mark M. BelloA church should be where an insecure sixteen-year-old girl feels welcome and safe. Tragically for some, the church can become a place of great harm. My co-host, Mark M. Bello has written about this issue in his award winning novel, Betrayal of Faith,...
   Our guest today has experienced clergy abuse, first hand. In her own book, Let me Prey Upon You, Sandy Phillips Kirkham details how a charismatic youth minister preyed upon her, betrayed her in the most vile way, and shattered her faith, leaving her broken and separated from the church she once loved.
   
   From their very first meeting, the new youth minister slowly and methodically turned the sacred relationship of a trusted spiritual leader to one of abuse: sexual, emotional, and physical. When his actions were discovered, he was simply moved to another church, leaving Sandy to pay for his deeds. She was not his first victim, nor would she be his last.
   
   Sandy moved on with her life, got married, had children, and successfully concealed her abuse for twenty-seven years-we’ll find out why. Her healing process began in 2004 when she decided to seek justice from the pastor and the church. Let me Prey Upon You details her journey.
   
   Take a listen...]]>2649bobgatty,letmepreyuponyou,markmbello,pastorsexabuse,sandyphillipskirkhamfalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/legal-justice-for-injured-baseball-fans-2-8-22-3-19-pm--48898079
   Well, you might say, that fans are accepting the risk when they buy those tickets so they can have the best view or have a great chance of getting a ball for a souvenir. I do!
   
   But Jordan thinks it’s wrong that fans can’t sue for damages if they are hurt, and he’s leading a drive called Foul Ball Safety Now and is writing a book on the topic.
   
   In other words, he’s looking for a little Baseball Justice, so we thought it would be great to have him as a guest on Justice Counts.
   
   Take a listen...]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/48898079Mon, 28 Feb 2022 15:50:40 +0000Mark M. BelloOur guest is Jordan Skopp, who among other things is leading a fight to get rid of a longtime baseball rule that prevents fans who are injured by batted balls to receive compensation in court, no matter how badly they are hurt. Well, you might say,...
   Well, you might say, that fans are accepting the risk when they buy those tickets so they can have the best view or have a great chance of getting a ball for a souvenir. I do!
   
   But Jordan thinks it’s wrong that fans can’t sue for damages if they are hurt, and he’s leading a drive called Foul Ball Safety Now and is writing a book on the topic.
   
   In other words, he’s looking for a little Baseball Justice, so we thought it would be great to have him as a guest on Justice Counts.
   
   Take a listen...]]>2741baseballfaninjuries,bobgatty,foulballsafetynow,jordanskopp,markmbellofalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dr-pam-gurley-social-justice-for-black-women--48743104
   Dr. Pam says she’s a “busy and empowered boss lady working every day to change how Black women are perceived.” We’ll find out more about that.
   
   In 2021, she was awarded the RadioOne EmpowerHER “Empowering Motivation” award for her commitment to uplifting others.
   
   She’s a retired U.S. Army veteran, holds a BA in Psychology, a Master’s in Health Service Administration, and a Doctorate in Management.
   
   Dr. Pam has written several books focused on empowering Black women and in May will kick off a new book tour promoting a new children’s books series written for Black kids.
   
   In her work, Dr. Pam's focus is on empowering Black women, helping them overcome stigma and racism in their lives. Her message is powerful, and as we celebrate Black History Month, it's a message that I want to share with you.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/48743104Tue, 15 Feb 2022 16:39:46 +0000Mark M. BelloToday we’re with Dr. Pamela Gurley, who calls herself “a fierce entrepreneur” as an author, professional speaker, CEO, podcaster, professor, and businesswoman. Dr. Pam says she’s a “busy and empowered boss lady working every day to change how...
   Dr. Pam says she’s a “busy and empowered boss lady working every day to change how Black women are perceived.” We’ll find out more about that.
   
   In 2021, she was awarded the RadioOne EmpowerHER “Empowering Motivation” award for her commitment to uplifting others.
   
   She’s a retired U.S. Army veteran, holds a BA in Psychology, a Master’s in Health Service Administration, and a Doctorate in Management.
   
   Dr. Pam has written several books focused on empowering Black women and in May will kick off a new book tour promoting a new children’s books series written for Black kids.
   
   In her work, Dr. Pam's focus is on empowering Black women, helping them overcome stigma and racism in their lives. Her message is powerful, and as we celebrate Black History Month, it's a message that I want to share with you.]]>2953authorpamgurley,blackhistorymonth,childrensbookauthor,drpamgurley,empoweringblackwomen,fightingracism,markmbellofalse2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/annie-little-coaching-lawyers-to-success--48525094She founded JD Nation in 2012 to pursue her vision of a world in which every lawyer has a fulfilling job, a humane workplace, and a life they’re excited to live.
   Through executive and career coaching, Annie strives to bring that vision to life by helping lawyers to land, lead, and succeed in their ideal jobs.
   
   Take a listen...]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/48525094Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:18:06 +0000Mark M. BelloAnnie Little is a real estate finance lawyer turned ICF certified coach who specializes in supporting lawyers through their job searches, career transitions, and ascent to leadership positions within their organizations. She founded JD Nation in 2012...She founded JD Nation in 2012 to pursue her vision of a world in which every lawyer has a fulfilling job, a humane workplace, and a life they’re excited to live.
   Through executive and career coaching, Annie strives to bring that vision to life by helping lawyers to land, lead, and succeed in their ideal jobs.
   
   Take a listen...]]>3297annielittlejdnation,jdnation,lawyerburnout,markmbellofalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/michael-bryant-civil-trial-specialist--48311150
   Mr. Bryant has extensive experience negotiating with insurance companies, as well as litigating personal injury and wrongful death claims throughout Minnesota. He was named MTLA Trial Lawyer of the year.
   
   In the premier episode of Justice Counts, we spoke with Michael about his representation of Catholic Church sexual abuse victims. Today, we are focusing more on his overall practice, especially in this era of Covid 19 and the impact the pandemic has had on the pursuit of justice.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/48311150Sat, 15 Jan 2022 18:38:57 +0000Mark M. BelloToday, we’re with Michael A. Bryant, managing partner of the Minnesota law firm of Bradshaw & Bryant, where he represents clients suffering from minor, serious, and catastrophic injuries. Mr. Bryant has extensive experience negotiating with...
   Mr. Bryant has extensive experience negotiating with insurance companies, as well as litigating personal injury and wrongful death claims throughout Minnesota. He was named MTLA Trial Lawyer of the year.
   
   In the premier episode of Justice Counts, we spoke with Michael about his representation of Catholic Church sexual abuse victims. Today, we are focusing more on his overall practice, especially in this era of Covid 19 and the impact the pandemic has had on the pursuit of justice.]]>2169authormarkmbello,bryantciviltriallspecialist,bryanttrialattorney,markmbello,michaelbryant,triallawyerfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/carrie-kohan-battle-against-pedophilia--48154287
   In addition to forcing the government to change an entire body of Canadian law, Carrie founded Project Guardian and Mad Mothers Against Pedophiles (MMAP) in 1998. What MADD did for drinking and driving, Carrie wanted to do for pedophilia and the protection of children, by educating the public and change the laws.
   
   On the podcast, Carrie tells how a convicted pedophilia broke into her home in northern Canada and attempted to abduct her two-year-old daughter. She fought him off with a kitchen knife and he was later arrested.
   
   “It was a big knife,” she says.
   
   That incident turned her into a determined child advocate and her actions resulted in significant tightening of laws to protect children in Canada. At one point, she says, the Liberal party in Canada sought to reduce the age of consent from 14 to 12. Carrie embarked on a coast-to-coast media campaign, whipped up public pressure, and succeeded in convincing lawmakers to instead increase the age of consent there to age 16.
   
   Her 17-year effort also helped achieve a national sex offender registry for those who have been convicted of sex crimes, although she says there are “loopholes” that make it possible for some offenders to be excluded.
   
   It was a long battle that she says cost her friends and family members and “probably cost me my marriage, actually, because it took so much time.” There were death threats, she said, as she exposed pedophile rings, and eventually Carrie began experiencing, what she describes as a form of PTSD.
   
   On the podcast, Carrie says that in Canada pedophiles are sent to one of five special prisons set up specifically for them. There, she contends, their behavior is reinforced as inmates share stories and even role play. “It’s not prison time,” she says, adding that much more needs to be done to protect children.
   
   “A country is judged,” she adds, “based on how they treat their children. But so far, the world is pretty much getting a failing grade. Your silence is your acceptance. The more that we’re quiet about it (pedophilia), the more it will grow. It is a silent epidemic.”
   
   Take a listen.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/48154287Mon, 03 Jan 2022 20:39:34 +0000Mark M. BelloOur guest is Carrie Kohan, a national child advocate and spokesperson who has forced the change of several laws in Canada relating to child abuse, and has written a book called “The Five Lessons of Life”. In addition to forcing the government to...
   In addition to forcing the government to change an entire body of Canadian law, Carrie founded Project Guardian and Mad Mothers Against Pedophiles (MMAP) in 1998. What MADD did for drinking and driving, Carrie wanted to do for pedophilia and the protection of children, by educating the public and change the laws.
   
   On the podcast, Carrie tells how a convicted pedophilia broke into her home in northern Canada and attempted to abduct her two-year-old daughter. She fought him off with a kitchen knife and he was later arrested.
   
   “It was a big knife,” she says.
   
   That incident turned her into a determined child advocate and her actions resulted in significant tightening of laws to protect children in Canada. At one point, she says, the Liberal party in Canada sought to reduce the age of consent from 14 to 12. Carrie embarked on a coast-to-coast media campaign, whipped up public pressure, and succeeded in convincing lawmakers to instead increase the age of consent there to age 16.
   
   Her 17-year effort also helped achieve a national sex offender registry for those who have been convicted of sex crimes, although she says there are “loopholes” that make it possible for some offenders to be excluded.
   
   It was a long battle that she says cost her friends and family members and “probably cost me my marriage, actually, because it took so much time.” There were death threats, she said, as she exposed pedophile rings, and eventually Carrie began experiencing, what she describes as a form of PTSD.
   
   On the podcast, Carrie says that in Canada pedophiles are sent to one of five special prisons set up specifically for them. There, she contends, their behavior is reinforced as inmates share stories and even role play. “It’s not prison time,” she says, adding that much more needs to be done to protect children.
   
   “A country is judged,” she adds, “based on how they treat their children. But so far, the world is pretty much getting a failing grade. Your silence is your acceptance. The more that we’re quiet about it (pedophilia), the more it will grow. It is a silent epidemic.”
   
   Take a listen.]]>3429bobgatty,carriekohan,fightingchildabuse,fightingpedophilia,kohanfightingchildabuse,kohanfightingpedophilia,markmbellofalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/fighting-your-insurance-co-after-a-disaster-with-chip-merlin--47997911
   Chip has dedicated his practice to representing insurance policyholders in disputes with insurance companies nationwide.
   
   Chip was noted as the “Babe Ruth of Hurricane lawyers” in the Asbury Park Press for his work on behalf of 23 municipalities and hundreds of policyholders following Superstorm Sandy. The Tampa Bay Times dubbed him “the Master of Disaster” for his nationwide catastrophe work and helping policy holders following Hurricane Katrina.
   
   Chip also is the author of the book entitled “Pay UP! – Preventing a Disaster with Your Own Insurance Company.” His motto is “Justice for Policyholders,” as he and his firm work to help people get the recovery they deserve from bad faith insurance companies.
   
   Take a listen as Chip offers sound advice and some inside industry info about how to be prepared to fight with your insurance company after a disaster if it fails to provide the recovery support that you expect.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/47997911Mon, 20 Dec 2021 15:53:41 +0000Mark M. BelloToday Mark Bello and I are with William F. “Chip” Merlin, Jr., founder and president of the Merlin Law Group. Chip has dedicated his practice to representing insurance policyholders in disputes with insurance companies nationwide. Chip was noted...
   Chip has dedicated his practice to representing insurance policyholders in disputes with insurance companies nationwide.
   
   Chip was noted as the “Babe Ruth of Hurricane lawyers” in the Asbury Park Press for his work on behalf of 23 municipalities and hundreds of policyholders following Superstorm Sandy. The Tampa Bay Times dubbed him “the Master of Disaster” for his nationwide catastrophe work and helping policy holders following Hurricane Katrina.
   
   Chip also is the author of the book entitled “Pay UP! – Preventing a Disaster with Your Own Insurance Company.” His motto is “Justice for Policyholders,” as he and his firm work to help people get the recovery they deserve from bad faith insurance companies.
   
   Take a listen as Chip offers sound advice and some inside industry info about how to be prepared to fight with your insurance company after a disaster if it fails to provide the recovery support that you expect.]]>2974bobgatty,chipmerlin,disasterinsurance,insurancerecovery,markmbello,merlinlawgroup,payup!falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/emily-thomas-on-birth-justice--47772730
   Listen as Emily explains this important work and the steps her law firm takes to make certain their clients -- perhaps the most vulnerable of all -- are accorded fair treatment under the law and receive the compensation they deserve.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/47772730Fri, 03 Dec 2021 17:12:01 +0000Mark M. BelloBirth Justice attorney Emily Thomas, interviewed by hosts Mark M. Bello and Bob Gatty discusses her work in representing mothers and babies in cases of medical malpractice involving births. Listen as Emily explains this important work and the steps...
   Listen as Emily explains this important work and the steps her law firm takes to make certain their clients -- perhaps the most vulnerable of all -- are accorded fair treatment under the law and receive the compensation they deserve.]]>3162attorneyemilythomas,birthjusticeattorney,bobgatty,malpracticeattorney,markmbello,medicalmalpracticefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/representing-dr-nassar-sex-abuse-victims--47469545
   This remarkable interview provides an inside look into the work of these two dedicated attorneys, their work in serving these young clients who were victims of Nassar's horrific practices, and their thoughts about the toll taken both on the victims and those who represented them.
   
   It's a side of the Nassar story that you will find nowhere else. So, take a listen.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/47469545Sun, 14 Nov 2021 16:49:45 +0000Mark M. BelloListen to Mark M. Bello and co-host Bob Gatty interview David Mittleman and Mick Grewal, attorneys who represented many of the University of Michigan victims of Dr. Larry Nassar, now in prison for sexually abusing young female athletes. This...
   This remarkable interview provides an inside look into the work of these two dedicated attorneys, their work in serving these young clients who were victims of Nassar's horrific practices, and their thoughts about the toll taken both on the victims and those who represented them.
   
   It's a side of the Nassar story that you will find nowhere else. So, take a listen.]]>3230davidmittleman,grewallawpllc,larrynassarsexabuse,mickgrewal,universityofmichigannassar,usagymnastics,usaolympiccommitteefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-quest-to-end-hate--47220585
   Yvener was born in Haiti before moving to the United States. He grew up learning Haiti’s profound history as the first nation in which a group of enslaved Africans came together to fight and win their independence.
   
   Yvener is a creative writer, Diversity and inclusion consultant, author, and motivational speaker on diversity and inclusion. His debut book, Alike Regardless, challenges the norm of division present in humankind. It is a call to action for people to recognize the beauty and uniqueness throughout the human race and cease wearing the blinders of bigotry and hate.
   
   In his book, to be published in August, Yvener pours out his soul, reveals the dreams he has for a more diverse and socially just world, and prompts readers to think more deeply about these issues.
   
   On the podcast, Yvener challenges us to look inward, assess the reasons for racist or discriminatory thoughts, and commit to putting those aside. His is a message of positivity, of optimism, of hope. It is a view of what the world could be if we all would just try.
   
   Take a listen. It's worth your time.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/47220585Fri, 29 Oct 2021 17:49:00 +0000Mark M. BelloToday Author/lawyer and podcaster Mark Bello and I are with Yvener Duroseau, author of “Alike Regardless: This is Where it Began.” His mission is to encourage us to challenge the status quo, fight for social justice, and seek to challenge the norm of...
   Yvener was born in Haiti before moving to the United States. He grew up learning Haiti’s profound history as the first nation in which a group of enslaved Africans came together to fight and win their independence.
   
   Yvener is a creative writer, Diversity and inclusion consultant, author, and motivational speaker on diversity and inclusion. His debut book, Alike Regardless, challenges the norm of division present in humankind. It is a call to action for people to recognize the beauty and uniqueness throughout the human race and cease wearing the blinders of bigotry and hate.
   
   In his book, to be published in August, Yvener pours out his soul, reveals the dreams he has for a more diverse and socially just world, and prompts readers to think more deeply about these issues.
   
   On the podcast, Yvener challenges us to look inward, assess the reasons for racist or discriminatory thoughts, and commit to putting those aside. His is a message of positivity, of optimism, of hope. It is a view of what the world could be if we all would just try.
   
   Take a listen. It's worth your time.]]>2699alikeregardless,bobgatty,diversityandinclusion,markmbello,notfakenews.biz,yvenerduroseaufalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-jury-consultant-speaks-out--46910490Shari is the Founder of Shari Belitz Communications, a company that guides attorneys, insurers, and major organizations across industries in leveraging social psychology to succeed at settlement or trial.
   
   Today we’ll talk with Shari about Leveraging Social Psychology to Achieve Favorable Litigation Outcomes, in other words we’re going to talk about her work as a jury consultant.
   Here’s Mark Bello to welcome Shari to Justice Counts.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/46910490Mon, 18 Oct 2021 05:00:17 +0000Mark M. BelloToday Author/lawyer and podcaster Mark Bello and I are with Shari Belitz, a national trial consultant, keynote speaker, best-selling author, and former insurance industry professional. Shari is the Founder of Shari Belitz Communications, a company...Shari is the Founder of Shari Belitz Communications, a company that guides attorneys, insurers, and major organizations across industries in leveraging social psychology to succeed at settlement or trial.
   
   Today we’ll talk with Shari about Leveraging Social Psychology to Achieve Favorable Litigation Outcomes, in other words we’re going to talk about her work as a jury consultant.
   Here’s Mark Bello to welcome Shari to Justice Counts.]]>3317betrayalattheborder,bobgatty,markmbello,sheribelitzcommunications,sheribelitzjuryconsultantfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/fighting-for-immigration-justice-with-tahmina-watson--46765420
   Tahmina is amazing. She’s an experienced and passionate attorney who focuses on employment-based, family-based and investor immigration law. She hosts a radio show turned podcast, “Tahmina Talks Immigration, on which she discusses immigration news updates and interviews immigrants and people who are making an impact.
   
   She’s also the author of the book, “The Startup Visa: Key to Job Growth & Economy Prosperity in America, which advocates for a new visa category for entrepreneurs and startup founders.
   
   So with that, here’s Mark M. Bello to welcome Tahmina Watson…]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/46765420Thu, 30 Sep 2021 22:43:41 +0000Mark M. Bellotoday we’re speaking with Tahmina Watson, a Seattle-based immigration attorney whose law firm focuses exclusively on U.S. immigration and naturalization law. Tahmina is amazing. She’s an experienced and passionate attorney who focuses on...
   Tahmina is amazing. She’s an experienced and passionate attorney who focuses on employment-based, family-based and investor immigration law. She hosts a radio show turned podcast, “Tahmina Talks Immigration, on which she discusses immigration news updates and interviews immigrants and people who are making an impact.
   
   She’s also the author of the book, “The Startup Visa: Key to Job Growth & Economy Prosperity in America, which advocates for a new visa category for entrepreneurs and startup founders.
   
   So with that, here’s Mark M. Bello to welcome Tahmina Watson…]]>2353betrayalattheborder,bobgatty,daca,dreamers,immigrationattorney,immigrationreform,markmbello,tahminawatsonfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-police-chief-calls-for-police-reform--46567767
   In an interview with the Justice Counts podcast, Campa called for an end to the "blue wall of silence", with police officers protecting their own even when unlawful acts are committed. He also said he disagrees with the concept of "qualified immunity," which protects cops and other officials from personal liability for civil violations committed while on the job.
   
   Campa is the author of “Unmasking Leadership: What They Don’t Tell You.” He lectures frequently on “Leading Through Diversity.”]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/46567767Fri, 17 Sep 2021 18:20:10 +0000Mark M. BelloFormer two-time police chief Jesus “Eddie” Campa, now a leadership consultant, speaker and author, believes it is time for police departments to take a hard look at their policies and practices and adopt reforms as needed. In an interview with the...
   In an interview with the Justice Counts podcast, Campa called for an end to the "blue wall of silence", with police officers protecting their own even when unlawful acts are committed. He also said he disagrees with the concept of "qualified immunity," which protects cops and other officials from personal liability for civil violations committed while on the job.
   
   Campa is the author of “Unmasking Leadership: What They Don’t Tell You.” He lectures frequently on “Leading Through Diversity.”]]>2630bobgatty,defundthepolice,jesuseddiecampa,markmbello,policereform,unmaskingleadershipfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/growing-up-black-in-white-with-kevin-hoffman--46401323
   Kevin was born in Detroit in August 1967 two weeks after the riots that changed that city forever. It was out of these amazing circumstances his life and purpose began, and it is out of these experiences he tells his story.
   
   It’s a story of struggle and joy, pain and passion, and most of all hope. And now, because of his own life experiences, Kevin works tirelessly to unite the races that share equal parts of his DNA.
   
   Kevin presently works with k-12 school districts, universities, and organizations in the area of diversity and inclusion. From such a unique world view, Kevin works to create a place where ALL can thrive.
   
   Take a listen to Kevin's fascinating story and the work he is doing.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/46401323Mon, 06 Sep 2021 19:13:05 +0000Mark M. BelloWe are with Kevin Hofmann, author of Growing Up Black in White, the story of a young man who by the time he turned 2 years had survived an abortion, been given away by his mother, adopted by a family of another race and woke up to a burning cross in...
   Kevin was born in Detroit in August 1967 two weeks after the riots that changed that city forever. It was out of these amazing circumstances his life and purpose began, and it is out of these experiences he tells his story.
   
   It’s a story of struggle and joy, pain and passion, and most of all hope. And now, because of his own life experiences, Kevin works tirelessly to unite the races that share equal parts of his DNA.
   
   Kevin presently works with k-12 school districts, universities, and organizations in the area of diversity and inclusion. From such a unique world view, Kevin works to create a place where ALL can thrive.
   
   Take a listen to Kevin's fascinating story and the work he is doing.]]>2687bobgatty,growingupblackinwhite,kevinhoffman,markbello,racialequality,racismfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/catholic-church-sex-abuse-with-attorney-mike-bryant--46005512
   Host Mark M. Bello, a social justice attorney, is the author of Betrayal of Faith, which was based on a case in which he represented clients who were victims of such abuse.
   
   We're pleased to present this as our premier episode of Justice Counts. Take a listen.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/46005512Mon, 16 Aug 2021 01:10:00 +0000Mark M. BelloMinneapolis attorney Michael Bryant, who has represented clients in a number of sex abuse cases against the Catholic Church, discloses how local dioceses are using every trick in the book to protect priests accused of sexual abuse and are resorting to...
   Host Mark M. Bello, a social justice attorney, is the author of Betrayal of Faith, which was based on a case in which he represented clients who were victims of such abuse.
   
   We're pleased to present this as our premier episode of Justice Counts. Take a listen.]]>1686bobgatty,catholicchurchbankruptcies,catholicchurchsexabuse,markmbello,michaelabryant,priestsexabusefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/introducing-the-justice-counts-podcast--45629015
   "If you look up "justice" in the dictionary," Mark says, "you'll find something like 'just or fair behavior or treatment.' So justice is not just a legal term, it's a broader term and in a broader sense, it's giving people what they deserve."
   
   So, he tells Gatty, Justice Counts won't be just about the law, but about what matters to people, what's fair, what's right, what's justice.
   
   They go on to discuss the types of guests who will appear on the program, from ordinary citizens to lawyers, Black Lives Matter protestors, a Holocaust survivor. "It could be any person from any walk of life who has something to say about justice -- or injustice," Bello explains.
   
   Take a listen and watch for new episodes, now scheduled to stream bi-weekly every other Monday, beginning July 26.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/45629015Thu, 08 Jul 2021 19:36:10 +0000Mark M. BelloAttorney/author Mark M. Bello and writer/commentator Bob Gatty explain what listeners can expect from Justice Counts. "If you look up "justice" in the dictionary," Mark says, "you'll find something like 'just or fair behavior or treatment.' So...
   "If you look up "justice" in the dictionary," Mark says, "you'll find something like 'just or fair behavior or treatment.' So justice is not just a legal term, it's a broader term and in a broader sense, it's giving people what they deserve."
   
   So, he tells Gatty, Justice Counts won't be just about the law, but about what matters to people, what's fair, what's right, what's justice.
   
   They go on to discuss the types of guests who will appear on the program, from ordinary citizens to lawyers, Black Lives Matter protestors, a Holocaust survivor. "It could be any person from any walk of life who has something to say about justice -- or injustice," Bello explains.
   
   Take a listen and watch for new episodes, now scheduled to stream bi-weekly every other Monday, beginning July 26.]]>1649bobgatty,criminaljustice,economicjustice,environmentaljustice,markmbello,policereform,racialjusticefalsefull