Welcome! We’re thrilled and excited that you joined us as we celebrate an enormous milestone — our 100th episode of Light ‘Em Up.

This achievement has been 5 years in the making and something we honestly never envisioned accomplishing when we started this project in January of 2020.

Email us here, prizzo7778@rpgconsutingltd.com and let us know how you first heard of us and when you began tuning in to our podcast! Are you a regular listener? Thank you!

Tonight, our focus takes us to the Pelican State of Louisiana (a state where several of our dearest friends reside) as we continue our pursuit of speaking truth to power.

Louisiana is Pro-life. Louisiana is pro-death penalty. We call hypocrisy on this!

Louisiana has enacted some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, effectively banning the procedure in nearly all circumstances with only very limited exceptions and no provisions for rape or incest — creating significant obstacles for those seeking abortion care.

The same lawmakers that have gone this far to stress their “pro-life” credentials then turn around and sound almost bloodthirsty in their support for capital punishment, which is, after all, the ending of a human life.

How does one reconcile these hypocritical, polar opposites?

We’ve got our hip-waders on and we’re going’ deep to examine this contradiction.

Are we picking a fight? No! We’re turning the spotlight on how the good people of Louisiana have adopted a rather puzzling set of policies.

In other words, how does a state so hostile to a woman’s right to choose to have a medical procedure performed on her body, which proudly boasts of its hostility to abortion and calls itself “pro-life” because of it, at the same time not only permits capital punishment, but boasts of it, and goes so far as to adopt an experimental method of choking the life out of a condemned prisoner as to pump pure nitrogen into his body?

Louisiana currently has 55 people on death row.

The state just recently resumed executions after a 15-year hiatus.

We’ll confront as best we can with the time we have issues asking:

— Does the death penalty deter crime?

— We’ll examine the 8th Amendment, which prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive bail or fines, and cruel and unusual punishments.

— Is the death penalty applied in a grotesquely unfair, arbitrary and capricious manner that disproportionately impacts individuals of color?

Does your:

— race,

— socio-economic status,

— who you kill and

— where you kill them (geographically) play MORE of a role in getting the death penalty than anything else?

Ultimately, examining and asking:

— Should the death penalty be abolished?

All this and many, many more germane and critical questions … on topic as we challenge your critical thinking skills and abilities.

It’s a matter of life or death and we’ll unpack all of it right here and right now on this historic and memorable 100th episode of Light ‘Em Up!

How can you be pro-life and pro-death penalty?

Louisiana: Pro-life, pro-death penalty, hypoxia and hypocrisy.

Tune in for all the powerful facts and figures.

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We welcome you to this in-depth, investigative, fact-finding episode of Light ‘Em Up.

Thank you for joining us — as we march one step closer to achieving an enormous milestone, our 100th episode!

In this episode we are diving into complex and impactful topics. We’ll drill down on the concept of Birthright Citizenship — enshrined by the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The 14th Amendment does not equivocate. It states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States.” A president cannot change those facts with a stroke of his pen.

We will introduce to you in detail the concepts of jus soli and jus sanguinis.

Jus soli: The principle of law also known as birthright citizenship is the principle that a person’s citizenship is determined by the place of their birth, regardless of the parents’ nationality.

It contrasts with jus sanguinis, which determines citizenship based on parentage.

On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order trying to end birthright citizenship. Specifically, the order states that after February 19, 2025, citizenship will only be granted to babies born in the United States if at least one parent is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Birthright citizenship stems from the principle of jus soli, that all children born in the United States are U.S. citizens. Birthright citizenship has remained a bedrock of our country and was enshrined in our constitution in 1868 when the states ratified the Fourteenth Amendment. The Fourteenth Amendment was ratified to repudiate the infamous Dred Scott decision that denied Black people the protections of U.S. citizenship. In 1898, the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed that children born in the U.S. to immigrant parents were entitled to U.S. citizenship in the case United States v. Wong Kim Ark.

Over 250 years ago our founding fathers, in the constitution, established 3 separate branches of government: the Executive, Judicial and Legislative. The Supreme Court (and the MAGA 6 on the court) have ceded a great deal of the other 2 branches’ power to the Executive Branch — doing tremendous harm to the country.

Chief Justice John Marshall famously said, “It has always been the duty and responsibility of the Federal Judiciary to say what the law is, both as to constitutional and statutory law” The Federal Judiciary is not a political role, at all. Donald Trump has sought to “weaponize” the law and the judiciary to appease his whims. Rich people can afford their whims.

We examine in depth how Trump’s large-scale deportations will have devastating impact on employment across our nation. The nativist Trump administration is waging a war against the rule of law.

When all the migrant workers who pick and process the oranges in sunny Florida are arrested, detained and deported and when a glass of orange juice at your golf course county club will cost $35 — you’ll clearly understand the true costs and the real human effects of Trump’s campaign of xenophobic arrests, detentions and deportations will have on the economy and workforce of the U.S.

Barely 2 months into his administration he has issued over 100 executive orders. More shenanigans will ensue. Trump has declared war on the Federal Judiciary and the rule of law.

America is in a crisis, and many aren’t even aware of it. The Constitution is being tested like never before. Will it break? Will the Supreme Court continue to help make Donald Trump a dictator? The courts gave power to Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Tune in for all the powerful facts and figures.

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As we rapidly approach another enormous milestone — our 100th episode (currently #98) we’ve e-x-p-a-n-d-e-d our global footprint to 131 countries.

ONLY through your unyielding support could this achievement have been realized. Thank you!

Immigration is a “3rd rail” hot topic in the U.S. The issues of immigration decided the ’24 presidential election. At his core, whether you like to hear it or not, Donald Trump is a xenophobic segregationist that truly makes the former four-time Governor of Alabama, George Wallace, appear to be benign, benevolent and innocent like a choir boy.

On this explosive episode, we’ll investigate:

— Trump’s hatred towards immigrants in a country full of immigrants.

— The GEO Group (a private prison firm that has received significant negative press regarding its operations and alleged shady business practices) and the Trump administration; and

— The Trump administration's stance on immigration, which has been widely criticized for its negative impacts on children of immigrant parents, including documented, undocumented, and US-citizen children.

Here's how these policies have reportedly caused harm:

Increased Fear and Anxiety:

— Family Separation: The "zero-tolerance" policy, in particular, involved separating thousands of children from their parents at the border, a practice widely condemned for its traumatic effects. This policy has led to long-term harm, with many children still not reunited with their parents years later.

— Fear of Deportation: The threat of deportation and increased immigration enforcement created pervasive fear and distress among children and their families, regardless of legal status. This fear led to children worrying about separation from parents and potentially having to leave their communities.

— Toxic Stress: Exposure to this chronic fear and uncertainty has helped to cause "toxic stress" in young children, potentially altering brain development and negatively influencing their physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being. This can have lifelong consequences, impacting their ability to cope with adversity and achieve future success.

— As well as bans and bars to badly needed health care services, means of preventing food insecurity and essential care and support.

In the U.S. the “corporation” has always been “king” – where large corporations and big financial donors hold significant influence and power to shape government policies and societal structures. The Trump administration is notorious for pampering its “friends” and attempting to punish its enemies and those who would dare to hold him and the administration accountable.

Republicans, including Trump, initially criticized the use of the CBP One app, particularly as it was used under the Biden administration, to facilitate asylum appointments at the border. They argued that the app enabled unauthorized immigration and was an abuse of parole. Now, they swear by it and have embraced and rebranded its core functionalities into CBP Home, focusing on incentivizing voluntary departure as a tool for immigration enforcement.

A 360◦, hypocritical move that only MAGA Republicans have perfected.

As we celebrate Independence Day (2025) we now have a king. The Supreme Court has paved the way for this, by a string of decisions that subvert the judiciary, undermining the integrity, independence, and effectiveness of the court system. Its actions have directly challenged the judiciary's ability to operate impartially and fairly, potentially leading to a complete breakdown of the rule of law.

Tune in for all of the explosive details.

Without fear or favor we follow the facts and tackle the topics that touch your lives.

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