Moral Injuries Deteriorate Compassion
In today’s episode with Fritzi Horstman, founder of the Compassion Prison Project, we discuss the moral injuries that those of us involved in the legal system face, including making us lose empathy and compassion. She asks listeners to keep in mind that we are humans who have hurt each other, and we must see through fear and anger to find compassion. She asks us to look at the fact that most prisoners only know violence as a solution in their lives, and that 90% of those incarcerated have incurred some type of childhood violence or trauma.
Testifying Against The Oath Keepers: The Right Thing To Do
In part 2 of my continued conversation with Jason Van Tatenhove, he describes, in vivid detail, how visiting the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC gave him the strength and courage to testify against the Oath Keepers. He describes his relief for having a law firm who believed in him enough to accept him as part of their pro-bono program since he had no resources to defend himself. He also gives a step-by-step account of what it was like be an average person one day, then surrounded by armed guards and 100s of photographers within 24 hours. He got through it by staying focused on how he could make something better for his daughters in the world they are going to inherit.
Choosing to Leave the Oath Keepers
Welcome to part one of a two-part series, an explosive story about realizing you are in the wrong place at the right time. My guest, Jason Van Tatenhove, talks with me about working for the Oath Keepers and the moment he realized he was “drinking the Kool Aid”. Sharing how he reinvented himself after leaving the organization, he discussest how he went on to teach his kids that it’s ok to “mess up, but then work on making it right.” In part 2, he then leads us into what it was like to testify in front of the Jan 6th Congressional Committee.
The Intersection of the Law & Mental Illness
Litigator for 30+ years and now retired, John O’Malley speaks on behalf of NAMI – National Alliance on Mental Illness. He talks about trying to lift the stigma of discussing mental illness openly. John is proud of the programs NAMI offers, one of which is working to train law enforcement on identifying the signs of someone with mental illness. Juliet and John also discuss how gaining life experience helps one become better at witness prep and the importance of having empathy for those who need to take the stand.
Choose Love
In part two of my conversation with Scarlett Lewis she talks about locking eyes with Alex Jones while and seeing a vacancy. She quickly realized why he was doing what he was doing because “he had to fill the void that should be filled with love.” She describes how she immediately felt compassion for Alex and the moment in the courtroom that felt like they were the only two in the room. She then goes on to describe how her son’s message of Choosing Love became the theme of the trial that ultimately landed a verdict for $49 million against Jones.