Consequences

Our democracy is being tested right now. It is not the first time. But it feels like a tipping point, and our very lives are in the balance. Can we find truth? Will we come to a place of peace? Can we resolve not to look the other way when the view is uncomfortable? Will those who attacked the Capitol, who aided and abetted seditionists, and who proliferated racism and dangerous lies, face punishment? Episode 18 is all about the fallout.

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Dear President Biden and Vice President Harris,

First, let us offer our congratulations on taking office. Not only did you both campaign arduously and effectively to be nominated and subsequently win the election, to keep it real, it was looking kinda dicey there a couple of weeks ago. Yet the process of our democracy prevailed—even though it was surrounded by armed troops this time.

But it won out. For now. This is a process that you, members of Congress, justices of the supreme court, state and local officials, all of us are entrusted to maintain, repair and evolve. The last team on the job didn’t leave much in the way of notes but definitely left a mess for you to clean up. It’s fortunate that you don’t need on-the-job training. That much is true. Yet, how you go about your jobs is more important than ever.

Some of that work is in consequences: Doling them out to bad actors, and dealing with the results of the last four years.

GUESTS:

• Former Sen. Tom Udall
• Common Cause N.M. Executive Director Heather Ferguson
• Shaun Griswold, New Mexico In Depth
• Gabriel Biadora, Daily Lobo
• Society of Professional Journalists Rio Grande Chapter President Ryan Lowery
• Becky Monroe, director of the Leadership Council on Human and Civil Rights
• Dr. Luis Herrán Ávila, University of New Mexico
• Dr. Robert F. Jefferson Jr., University of New Mexico

YOUR NM GOV: It’s the first week of the legislative session. We talk about predatory lending in the state, whose storefronts are concentrated in neighborhoods where Native American and Hispanic people live, and where incomes are lower around New Mexico. Lawmakers are pushing to cap the interest rates and fees at 36 percent. Today, they’re at 175 percent. Reporter Jeff Proctor is our guest on the YNMG segment this week. He co-authored an article with Katherine Lewin for the Santa Fe Reporter called “The Weight.”

NEXT WEEK: Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman told us that America isn’t broken but simply unfinished. As the Constitution was being ratified, Benjamin Franklin had concerns but signed his name to what he called an imperfect document. As this nation aged, those imperfections have been made clear, and sometimes, steps were taken to correct or amend it. If we are to really move forward, it’s past time that we evolve it again, so that this imperfect document fits more with today’s imperfect America. Next week on No More Normal, we take a look at Our Common Purpose, a document that may hold some keys to our future.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

• Scott Greene, artist from Bernalillo for allowing us to use an image of his painting to represent this week’s show.
• Jazztone the Producer, Cheo, Dahm Life and Oh Lawd Records for providing music for the show. Khaki, Pope Yesyesyall and Bigawatt produced some of the show’s themes.
• Reporter Taylor Velazquez who handles our social media and helps with the editing.
• Yasmin Khan and Megan Kamerick for pitching in to edit.

We dedicate this and every episode of No More Normal to Hannah Colton. We love and miss you Hannah.