Maureen and Ruben Ayala,
Nurse and Teacher, New York
"When we as people band together, not just in the Bruderhof community, per se, but just as people, and the idea spreads of taking care of other people being a good thing, then change can start to happen — and yes, our church should be vocal and active on this issue."
Ritchie Griffin,
Union President, Indiana
"Companies are in business to make money, and we get that, but you have to pay the people who help these companies make that money."
Joshua Hyde, Anthony Arnold, Alex Krohannon and Sasha Estrella-Jones, New York and Indiana
We are definitely stepping through historical moments. Which if any of the issues over the last year has stood out most to each of you?
Dr. Tracy Harris
Third Level Reiki Master, Certified Hypnotherapist and Tantra Teacher, Cleveland, Ohio
"The disparity we have in education, especially public education, is atrocious. African American kids were basically educated to clean houses for White people. That was how pre-school started. Now, schools are preparing students for low paying jobs and prison."
Erica Helm
Bible Teacher, Atlanta, Georgia
"I’ve never been one to vote. Even though, I know it’s a privilege and I grew up in a family where my mother and my father and everyone around me voted, I just never took the stance to ever go and vote."
Rhuperdia Clay
Special Education Teacher, Indianapolis, Indiana
"I was diagnosed early in the year with cancer and I was juggling wanting to remain in the classroom with my students, but take care of myself."
Cara Kay
Drama Teacher, Stanton Island, New York
"So we live with people but we don't necessarily know them. You know, it's very easy to share space with people and just live your own life ‐‐ and not really be in connection."
Genevieve Meyer, Part 1 of 2
Founder and Director of The Resiliency Foundation, Fort Wayne, Indiana
"I was a victim of child marriage. That was something that I overcame."
Frank Jameson, IV
Indianapolis, Indiana
"I've always had people with different views around me. I enjoy it because it opens up my perspective. But now, I'm seeing people share and respond to things that aren't true."
The Arnold Family
Indiana and Germany
"We have to have a reckoning in this country with our past. But, when you get only 44% of the voters to turn out, you kind of get the government you deserve."
Public Forum, Part 2
Mike Fitzgerald and Joshua Hyde, Indianapolis, Indiana
"A lot of it comes through the policies and systems that have led to where we are now. I think that reforming the criminal justice system starts with ending some of these slavery based systems put in place to oppress black people."
Pointcast Roundtable
Indiana
"Where are the Congressmen and women and Senators who 10 years ago would have balked at any president taking funds from homeland security or the military to re-decorate the southern border?"
Woodie Cumbie
Pastor, Carmel, Indiana
"I am a Trump supporter and more importantly a Republican supporter of life. Some people call that a one issue voter and I guess that's true, if that's the one issue. Unfortunately, the democratic party has views now that are way, way extreme."
Sonya Cooke
Co-Founder and Director of Girl Talk, Indianapolis, Indiana
"Everybody is not in a position to make sure that a child will have everything they need. We have to get out of this selfish frame of mind that people just have to pull themselves up by their bootstraps."
Bryan Lomax
Business Owner, Indianapolis, Indiana
"From republicans, I support their economic development ideas and the abortion ban. I just feel like life starts with a heartbeat. I do support some of the things democrats propose, like equality, taxes and healthcare."
Kelsey Taylor
Business Owner, Indianapolis, Indiana
"If you look at your history books and there's a hanging on a town square ‐‐ that's Marion, Indiana. A young girl made a claim that some men whistled at her. The story was completely made up and men lost their lives. "
Roundtable
Indiana
"This is a grassroots show that creates a safe space for people to share their personal political views."
Jeff Crane
Business Owner, Indianapolis, Indiana
"I'm passionate about helping people get to where they need to be and I don't think relying on other people is the right thing; but I do think there are things the IRS could do to help new businesses to grow and thrive -- particularly businesses started by veterans."
Orlando and Clara Jones
Business Owners
Indianapolis, Indiana
"If you can convince people to dismiss their freedoms based on fears, then you can justify taking draconian measures against them. That is where we are in America."
Leonard Nelson
IMPD Homicide Detective
Indianapolis, Indiana
"Dialog and input is what the community can do to help improve things. Police officers are human too, and absolutely, if they are wrong, they should be held accountable. But don’t be so quick to judge."
Blake Haughton
Boone County, Indiana
"The community that I live in taught me to just call the police and see if they can help you. If they want to keep the police as it exists now, people need to live in the community they are policing."
Shakur
Business Owner, Indianapolis, Indiana
"My mother instilled good principles in me. But I made the choice to go out there and do what I did. I wanted what I wanted and I didn't want to wait for it. Now, I'm trying to help where I can in the community to build up some of what I tore down."
Sasha Estrella-Jones
Brooklyn, New York
"People have a lot of different feelings about people who vote third party. I hear you. But my thing is that the Democratic Party has gotten way too comfortable in just believing that just because we are people of color we have to vote for you you."
Anthony Arnold
Staff Writer, Indianapolis, Indiana
"As time goes by, we sort of erase the past from our heads. Each time this happens, the narrative treats every killing as if its a fresh incident, when it's not."
Brandon Ley
Business Owner, Indianapolis, Indiana
"They say that the stock market is a graphical representation of rich peoples' feelings. But for the 40 million people who've lost their jobs, who need to put food on the table or get insulin for their kids, there is no representation."
Francine Dash
Business Owner, Indianapolis, Indiana
"Providing a safety net that is automatically deployed along with a healthcare strategy for essential industries and workers while providing support for the states and their homeless residents, workers, farmers and small businesses is something our lawmakers should consider."
Arwilda Allen
Business Owner, Indianapolis, Indiana
"Churches do not pay taxes on the money that they raise in the church. So basically what that means [to me] is church and state should be separate. I'm not in favor of [politics in the church]."
Alexander Krohannon
Data Analyst, Indianapolis, Indiana
"You try to get people to agree with what you are saying. It is inherently adversarial. Discourse is a discussion. I want to understand what you think, why you think -- and maybe this changes my mind; or maybe it doesn't."
Alison Culpepper
Military Veteran, Indianapolis, Indiana
"It generates a fear in people when government doesn't work. Until we come together and coalesce as communities, we are not going to be able to stop this malfunction of government."
Olivia Stapleton
Indianapolis, Indiana
"My brother didn't really get through high school ‐‐ got into drugs and just had a failure to launch. It wasn't until later that we found out that he is schizophrenic-bipolar. What I want to see is a more sensitivity from the criminal justice side and more mental healthcare support."
Radomir Jordanovich
Filmmaker, Los Angeles, California
"I don't like how people can get caught up in for-profit prisons, sometimes from being poor. I don't like how poor people are used for profit, period, but our free market system encourages it."
Richard "Dick" Arnold, Sean Haefeli and Anthony Arnold
Indiana and Germany
Dick Arnold talks with sons about Growing up White in the 1950s, Marrying their mother, an African American woman, and the Politics of it All
Shelly Covington
UNWA, Indianapolis, Indiana
"We have become more than just a food desert. We are a community desert. I would like to see a rebuilding of the necessities that every community should have. We need people who run for office who have a passion for UNWA."
Ross Quick
Medical Student, Indianapolis, Indiana
"I want a progressive leader in office, who cares about diversity."
Micheal Bryant
Business Owner and Military Veteran, Indianapolis, Indiana
"I love this country. It's been a blessing to me and my family; and I want to see it succeed. For that reason, national security is very important and our goal has to be focused on results."
Kimberly Powell
Nurse/JD, Indianapolis, Indiana
"I love this country. It's been a blessing to me and my family; and I want to see it succeed. For that reason, national security is very important and our goal has to be focused on results."
Harv Hilowitz
Activist & Founder
Afghan Circle of the Hudson Valley
"It's very difficult for people coming here to navigate without help. It takes a jirga (village)."
Learn how to join the village.
Alexis Harris
Remote Worker
"Working from how allows me to be myself. There’s always so many stereotypes, like the angry black woman. So you try not to talk too loud. But at home, I don't have to worry about that. I can just focus on doing a good job."
Joelle Jenkins
Socio-Environmental Researcher & Scientist, Colorado
"Intersectionality needs to be included in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion initiatives (from DEI to DEI^2) to better understand those around us."
George Middleton
Musician, Author and Mental Health Professional
"All race cares about is what 'color' you are so we know where to put you in the hierarchy."
Dr. Lauren Harden
Chiropractor and Business Owner, Miami, Florida
"I would like to see elected officials establish programs to teach people about health insurance. I would also like to see them offer a comprehensive alternative health insurance plan."
Wen-kuni Ceant
Business Owner, Miami, Florida
"We have to start paying attention; [and with that], I think local elections are just as important as the presidential election."
Arwilda Allen
Indianapolis, Indiana
"Churches do not pay taxes on the money that they raise in the church. So basically what that means [to me] is church and state should be separate."
The Arnolds
Indiana and Germany
"The thing for me that's the most astounding is how much the Republican party has become an incubator for a lot of bad ideas, from gun control to healthcare."
COVID-19 Medical Panel
Panelists include Alexis Morgan, MSW, LSW, social worker and therapist; Kimberly Powell, RN, JD and military veteran; and Joshua Scantland, MD, Physician, Vascular and Interventional Radiology Resident, Medical Officer in Indiana Medical Detachment of the Indiana Army Reserve National Guard.
Joshua Hyde
Indianapolis, Indiana
"There should be a very clear discussion about what needs to happen in America. As a whole, I just worry that the American people only go by what any politician says instead of figuring out what really matters to them."
Dr. Joshua Scantland
Medical Resident, Indianapolis, Indiana
"A Fix for the Opioid Crisis: "It's impacted my childhood. I've had multiple family members affected by addiction to opioids ‐‐ lost a step mother to addiction and some friends. "
Sex Trafficking Panel Part 2
Panelists include Jonathan Young, Counselor and KD Roache, Survivor, Indianapolis, Indiana
Anthony Arnold
Indianapolis, Indiana
"From the Democrats' side, there is a reluctance to talk about morals and values, despite the fact that the most effective movements have been faith based both here and in other countries."
Karla Jay, JC Day, Amanda Lamb
The Female Perspective, Indianapolis, Indiana
Human Trafficking "We're missing the entire reason for all of these things occurring and that's the demand."
Ariane Cyusa
Spoken Word Performer, Rwandan National
"The immigrant life isn't easy. You had a life in your old country. Then you have to uproot and go to a country where you don't have a history. You have to take tests, but you can't speak English. There's so much fear and nothing is easy."
Rhuperdia Clay
Special Education Teacher, Indianapolis, Indiana
"There is a definite disproportionate rate of African American girls and boys being either under and undiagnosed; and those same children are then being suspended and expelled at higher rates."
C. Adam Johnson
College Student, Indianapolis, Indiana
"I have to admit. I like guns. I just like children and their safety more. Gun control is an easy choice if children are our priority."
Mike Fitzgerald
Temporary Worker, Indianapolis, Indiana
"The unemployment numbers don't tell the full story. There are a lot of folks who are 40 years old or older who have been downsized and now find it really hard to get back into the workforce because of age discrimination."
Cara Kay
Staten Island, New York
"Everyone has a bandwidth and you have to be responsible in assessing your bandwidth. Do not try to move beyond the bandwidth that God has given you. And trust that whatever you are offering, God will take it and do above and beyond."
Alexander Krohannon
Data Analyst, Pointcast
"Let's review the facts. The former President was informed of this emerging disease months before it was promoted and did not inform the public; which is worse than [doing] nothing. Then you have people reporting on information that they don't know enough about."
George Middleton
Therapist, Author and Podcaster
"CRT is taught in law schools as an attempt at explaining systemic racism and motivations behind keeping systems in place, at the cost of equality. What it doesn't say is that racial deconstruction has to take place in order to have true equality."
J. R. Walker
Scientist, Marion, Indiana
"We should have used all of that money to create jobs and have people work for it. Now we have all this debt and I'm scared. I don't know how we're going to pay for it."
Genevieve Meyer, Part 2 of 2
Founder and Director of The Resiliency Foundation, Fort Wayne, Indiana
"She called the police and had him arrested; but I think she did this to put pressure on him to take me off her hands."
Bethany Johnson
Writer, Indianapolis, Indiana
Responding to COVID-19: "Responses from governments have been slow and confusing. So, the fear of not knowing much about this virus has probably become just as great as the impact of the virus itself."
Richie Griffin
Union President, Indianapolis, Indiana
"People are scared but don't realize that even in a 'Right to Work' state, like Indiana, you still have rights. If you don't have a union contract, an employer can do what they want."
Alexis Morgan
Social Worker and Therapist, Indianapolis, Indiana
"The effects of slavery are still present and hurting our country. Reparations, and I hope that it is more than just money, can be the beginning of healing, becauses it acknowledges a great wrong that has been done."
Sex Trafficking Panel Part 1
Panelists include Jonathan Young, Counselor and KD Roache, Survivor, Indianapolis, Indiana
Public Forum, Part 1
Mike Fitzgerald and Joshua Hyde, Indianapolis, Indiana
"I've always split my ticket based on who I thought would do the best job as a candidate. I'm not tied to one party or another. What I'm more concerned about are the qualities and ideas of the candidates."
The Arnold Family
Indiana and Germany
"I think the Republican immigration plan is to make life as miserable as possible for anyone who wants to come here. They just want to sound rhetorically tough and ultimately just kick the can down the road."
Karla Jay
Church Worker, Indianapolis, Indiana
"In Venezuela, the United States heavily influenced what happened there. We sold them weapons in the 1980s and caused a lot people to flee their own country. Unfortunately, both parties are not backing up voters' interests on this and other issues."
Regina Hyde
Nurse, Indianapolis, Indiana
"We need officials who will follow through. I want elected officials to make insurance easier for people to have, so that they can receive all of the care they need -- and at the highest level."
JC Day
College Student, Indianapolis, Indiana
"Millennials deal with a lot issues. We have to learn to live with debt right away, if we try to go to school and need loans. We don't often make a lot of money. It's really hard."
Amanda Lamb
Social Worker, Indianapolis, Indiana
"Sadly, a lot of the traffickers are family members of the victim. Children are groomed almost like a pet for labor trafficking by their handlers."
Jonathan Young
Counselor, Indianapolis, Indiana
"Right now, a box of hollow tip bullets costs $19 dollars. So, for pennies you could take a life. We have to make taking a life more expensive and out of reach. This could save lots of lives."
Frank Jameson IV
Indianapolis, Indiana
"I think our politics has gotten so far away from the people and is so caught up with whoever gives them the money, that politicians have forgotten that we are all Americans and aren't doing what is really best for all Americans."
Marva Hunt
University Administrator, Indianapolis, Indiana
"In order for me to vote for someone, I think they would need to acknowledge the fact that we need to strengthen our public schools. The second thing is acknowledging that we need some intentional programing for underrepresented minorities."