Episode 5: With Steve Benedetto-Civil Rights Lawyer

The Better Bozo

"There's a certain responsibility that comes with this privilege, and I think that's what drives purpose. I can choose to sit on my couch and eat cookies and masturbate...or I can recognize that there's something bigger at play here.” In this episode Steve Benedetto – founder of multiple companies including The People's Law Firm, a public interest civil rights law firm representing victims of police violence in Colorado, Arizona, and California – talks with The Better Bozos about devotion, comfort, and the limits of antagonism.

Reference Links:

Implicit Association Test

Deeyah Khan's documentary film “White Right: Meting the Enemy”

• The People’s Law Firm https://www.the-plf.com/

• Steve’s BIO: https://www.the-plf.com/meet-team/about-steve/

• Atticus Finch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atticus_Finch

• How do we give a shit about more than ourselves? (7:29)

• How do we--and what does it mean to--give a shit for the right reasons? and social justice capital. (10:57)

• Let me show I’m “more woke” than the next guy.

• How do I use my privilege to help the world? (12:25)

• Are we allowed to use the ‘F’ word? (15:57)

• “Comfort is my anti-North Star.” (17:26)

• Origin Story (Micha and Steve) (19:01)

• Epiphany: when Michael Brown was shot (22:21)

• Micha talks about his “dharma of solidarity” (29:57)

• The ‘on the path’ bozo who knows what he doesn’t know. (31:01)

• How can we both know a thing while also shutting the f**k up when we need to? (31:52)

• Shame, humiliation, then humility and wellness (35:10)

• White fragility (36:38)

• Steve shares what drives purpose (40:14)

• Trial Lawyer’s College (41:10) https://www.triallawyerscollege.org/

• Psychodrama modality (42:17) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychodrama

• Do “The Next Right Thing.” (49:00)

• Steve shares what he feels we need to know: To connect with those who we feel very different from (A prompt from Micha) (51:30)

• Marian Williamson Vs. Bernie Sanders re: civil rights (55:41)

• Bill Plotkin and ‘loyal soldiers’ (59:25)

• “I am a racist.” “And he doesn’t always drive the bus.” (59:40)

• Implicit Association Test from Harvard (IAT)...I am a racist (Jeff) (1:01:55)

• Dhia Khan-- Filmmaker “White Right: Meeting the Enemy” “The Story of Jihad”(1:03:48)

• Acknowledging our racist tendencies has us be more trustable (Steve) (1:10:20)

• Steve’s different experience of the world, police, life, and more (1:12:00)

• Deciding who will drive our bus (Steve) (1:15:01)

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