This Week on HearSay, April 2-5, 2007
Monday, April 2
SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT
We'll look at the cultural dynamics surrounding the words we use. Cathy talks to Washington Post book editor Jabari Asim about his new book "The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn’t, and Why." Asim examines our most-charged racial epithet, reveals its history and considers who, if anyone, should use it today. Linguist and "Fresh Air" commentator Geoff Nunberg also joins us to discuss the use and misuse of political language. His latest book is "Talking Right."
Jabari Asim
Geoff Nunberg
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Tuesday, April 3
SEGMENT A: HEALING HEARTS AND MINDS
How does the military help soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with emotional problems like PTSD or depression? With military health care already under heavy scrutiny over poor medical care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, we'll look at mental health treatment for veterans on this edition of HearSay. Guests: Paul Rieckhoff Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the author of "Chasing Ghosts: A Soldier's Fight for America from Baghdad to Washington" and Dr. John Mason with the Hampton/Newport News Community Services Board.
SEGMENT B: OPERATION HOMECOMING
It's a unique literary program sharing the stories and reflections of American troops who have served on the frontlines. "Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience" editor Andrew Carroll gives us a glimpse of this revealing look into the lives of extraordinary men and women and their tales - from riveting combat accounts to profound reflections on warfare.
Wednesday, April 4
LIVING CULTURE: LET FREEDOM RING
It means the "great charter of freedom". On today's HearSay, we continue our "Living Culture" series in partnership with Port Folio Weekly with a look at the most famous document of British constitutional history, the Magna Carta. We'll also talk about how we define freedom as individuals today.
Thursday, April 5
BEYOND THE BORDER
There are more than 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, putting a strain on health, education and legal systems. A recent case in Virginia Beach involving an illegal alien charged in connection with an accident that claimed the lives of two teenage girls has raised concerns. The undocumented immigrant was previously convicted of DUI in Chesapeake yet wasn’t deported. We’ll discuss immigrations laws on today’s HearSay. Cathy also talks to journalist Larry Blasko, whose new book, “Opening the Borders: Solving the Mexico/U.S. Immigration Problem For Our Sake and Mexico’s”, outlines a plan for aligning the two tax and social security systems of Mexico and the United States.