MEETING THE CHALLENGES

On December 12th, host Bev Livingston opens our hour as she speaks with Kyle J. Smith, Founder and Executive Director of Determination, Incorporated.

https://determinationincorporated.com/

 

The vision of Determination, Incorporated is the ultimate end of mass incarceration by helping formerly incarcerated people start viable, hiring businesses.  Determination, Incorporated wants to empower formerly incarcerated people to seize employment and entrepreneurial opportunity in home building, home improvement, and affordable housing.

 

We’ll play the calendar in the middle of our hour.

 

During the second half of our hour, Keith and Latahra Carnes of KC Freedom Project talk with Bobby Bostic.  Keith Carnes was wrongfully convicted and met Bobby in prison.  Bobby was not innocent of the crime for which he was convicted.  He was given a sentence of 241 years by Judge Evelyn Baker, making him eligible for parole when he would be 112. Bostic was serving the longest sentence in Missouri given to a juvenile for non-homicide offenses.  His case attracted considerable media attention in later years, due to changing laws regarding life-sentences for minors, and the severity of his sentence. In 2021, a new law passed allowing Bostic to apply for parole. His application was approved and he was released on November 9, 2022.

 

On Jaws of Justice, we examine how to find justice in our society.  Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.

Calendar for the week of December 12th:

  • Legal Aid of Western Missouri provides free civil legal services to low-income and vulnerable people in Jackson CTY Missouri. Interested individuals can call 816-474-6750 to apply.
  • Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a very active group of Mothers and others. You can learn where their virtual meetings this week will occur at  https://momsdemandaction.org/events/
  • WED, December 14th, 5:30 PM, Kansas City Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence will be at the intersection of Westport Rd and Stateline, Kansas City MO. You can gather with Moms from the KC Metro Area including Johnson County, Wyandotte County, KCMO, and North KCMO to honor the memories of the Sandy Hook tragedy and all victims of gun violence in our communities. You are encouraged to bring your own signs. Battery candles will be provided. RSVP at https://act.everytown.org/event/moms-demand-action-event/50721/signup/?source=&akid=&zip=
  •  MON, December 12th, 6 PM, MORE2 monthly Issues2Action meeting. Every second Monday of the month, leaders and members from across the metro gather online to advance racial and economic equity. These meetings are open to any who are interested in getting involved. Usually there are some general updates and announcements, then teams will break out by issue focus to plan their next steps of action. The zoom link is available at https://more2.org/calendar/
  • FRI, December 16th, 11 AM, Community Justice Coalition Call is sponsored by Empower Missouri. For more info, go to https://empowermissouri.org/events/?category=Upcoming-Events
  • A list of services, meals, and hot lines specific to sheltering are available at https://lawrenceprogressivecalendar.blogspot.com/ It is updated daily.

 

Stay safe. Thanks to our engineer today.   Thanks to all our listeners, stay close to your dial and stay well!

 


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