Today on AirTalk, we discuss if there should be an age limit for the presidency following former President Jimmy Carter's comments on the subject. We also examine whether or not rideshare companies are doing enough to protect women drivers; take a deeper look at anti-displacement zones in Los Angeles; and more.
LA Councilman Calls to Protect Community Members From Displacement
Earlier this week, LA City Council President Herb Wesson called for the rejection of a proposed housing project known as District square, and instead insisted that the city should establish an “anti-displacement zone” around the development.
Wesson sent a letter Tuesday to the South Los Angeles Area Planning Commission outlining why the development would lead to higher rent for lower-income households, displacing the community’s residents as a result. He announced he would be releasing a counter proposal “for capping rents on properties within a two-mile radius of projects like District Square and protect renters from ‘predatory’ rent hikes”. Can Los Angeles be doing more to protect their citizens from displacement? What do you think? Give us a call at 866-893-5722
Guests:
David Zahniser, reporter for the LA Times who covers city hall; his recent piece is “Worried about rising rents, an L.A. councilman calls for ‘anti-displacement’ zones”
Chris Schildt, senior associate at PolicyLink, a national nonprofit based in Oakland aimed at advancing racial and economic equity; works with cities to develop anti-displacement plans
Marc Joffe, senior policy analyst at Reason Foundation
The Benefits And Drawbacks Of The Neurodiversity Movement In The Autism Community
The term “neurodiversity” was first coined by an Australian sociologist in the late 1990’s, who made the case that neurological differences should be respected by society, analogous to categories such as class, sexual orientation, ethnicity and disability.
The neurodiversity movement has both supporters and critics in the autism community. In his recent Aeon piece “Against Neurodiversity”, neuroscientist Moheb Costandi argued that the movement has sidelined the needs of nonverbal autistic individuals over those of high-functioning autistic people, that it has romanticised autism and that some of its advocates are disregarding science by rejecting treatment and the understanding of autism as a medical condition
Neurodiversity advocates have pushed back against the piece, arguing that the movement is actually about humanizing autistic people, creating treatments that accommodate and understand the autistic person rather than attempting to rewire them and that the movement helps change the narrative about autism to help families and society at large to understand their value and humanity, rather than trying to find cures.
This schism points to a fundamental question of how autism should be defined -- is it a disability? A disease? A difference? These are all loaded terms in the autistic community.
We bring together Costandi and a neurodiversity advocate to discuss the terminology and the pros and cons of the movement within the autism community.
If you are autistic or are the family member of someone who’s autistic, what has been your experience with the neurodiversity movement? Do you think it’s a needed reframing of autism? Have you experienced any drawbacks?
Call us at 866-893-5722.
Thinking Person's Guide To Autism published a transcript of the segment. You can read it here.
Guests:
Moheb Costandi, neuroscientist and science writer, whose recent piece is titled “Against neurodiversity” for the online science publication, Aeon; author of the book, “Neuroplasticity” (MIT Press, 2016); he tweets @moc; he tweets
Shannon Rosa, senior editor of ‘Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism,’ a neurodiversity oriented autism website and online community; she is the editor of a book by the same name; she tweets
Former President Carter Says He’s Too Old to Run Again; Should There Be A Presidential Age Limit?
While answering questions at an event in Atlanta, Georgia this week, former President Jimmy Carter said he hopes for an age limit on presidential candidates, according to NBC news.
The Constitution of the United States stipulates that presidential candidates must be at least 35 years old when they take office. Candidates on the upper end of the spectrum have no such age restrictions.
President Donald Trump was the oldest president at the beginning of his first term, sworn in at age 70. But with Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders at ages 76 and 78 respectively, some have taken Carter’s words as a subtle jab at the Democratic presidential hopefuls.
Do you think presidents should have an upper age limit? Share your perspective by calling AirTalk at 866-893-5722.
Vaper Madness: The Latest Chapter In Public Service Announcement Hysteria?
Ad campaigns calling out the dangers of vaping have been in regular rotation on radio and television for several years now, since the start of the vaping craze, but those ads seem to be amplified in the wake of the recent spate of people who have ended up hospitalized, or even dead in some cases, due to lung injuries associated with vaping.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended that people not vape until there’s more information about the potential health risk.
Personal feelings about the potential risks of vaping aside, it’s hard to ignore the ubiquity of the billboards, bus benches and broadcast public service ads. One particular campaign from Tobacco Free California says teens who vape are more likely to have high levels of anxiety, irritability, and more frequent mood swings. One ad shows a teen storming off from a family dinner to vape after being told to remove headphones at the table.
Another depicts a young girl at her locker, snapping at another girl asking her a question because she’s irritable from a lack of nicotine. Public health crises often generate these sorts of very targeted, highly-visible ad campaigns in the hopes of spreading awareness (think AIDS awareness in the mid 80s or anti-tobacco in the 90s and 00s), but without a bit of context there is also a risk that the ads could actually contribute to misinforming the public.
Do you find these kinds of PSAs or ad campaigns effective, or do you feel they create more alarmism than they do inform the public? Has an ad campaign like this ever changed your opinion on an issue? Join the conversation at 866-893-5722
Are Ridehailing Companies Doing Enough to Protect Women Drivers? Share Your Tips for Staying Safe
Women rideshare passengers—and drivers—are concerned that gig-economy companies are not doing enough to protect them in confrontations en route.
Several drivers chronicled their incidents in an article from SF Gate. They say there’s no infrastructure to support them when they face harassment or even assault. Uber and Lyft don’t allow drivers to carry weapons, so in some cases, drivers find other ways to defend themselves.
If you’re a female Uber driver, how do you deal with problematic passengers? What would you like to see companies like Uber, Lyft, Caviar and DoorDash do to protect you?
Share your experiences and ideas at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Cecily Jamelia, gig economy and rideshare vlogger on drivegirldrive.com and YouTube; she tweets