Protecting Our Communities from the Real Criminals

Organizer Lexie Chaffin and artist Matthew Gunning join co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford this week to explore efforts to expose the real criminals in our community and creative ways to protect ourselves and each other, including one that just launched today: MaskOff12.com. Our Naptown Breakdown begins with the July 7 City-County Council meeting, before which Councilor Jesse Brown announced he would introduce a proposal to remove President Samuel Osili and Vice President Ali Brown. We salute Crista Carlino for her bold decision to step down from the Democratic Party caucus rather than bow down to the whims of Osili and Hogsett. The primary development they address is Proposal 232, introduced in response to the tragic deaths of two teenagers last weekend. They explain how the cops, politicians, and media are using the weekend as an opportunity to create strife and hysteria to justify further criminalizing and oppressing our youth (and their guardians/parents). Drawing parallels to the history of redlining in the city and the new youth curfews, increased surveillance cameras, and additional police forces they plan to roll out in Mile Square to displace certain kinds of crime. Lexie Chaffin pulls up to the podcast to talk to Dani about the new Mask Off 12 project (www.MaskOff12.com), which removes the anonymity these racist killer cops hide behind, and promotes the people’s right to know the identities of the real criminals terrorizing our neighborhoods. Derek chops it up with Matthew Gunning, who was wrongfully convicted and unjustly imprisoned for five years. Gunning reveals how he rekindled his love for art in prison and the role it played for him and other prisoners. Mathew also talks about his friendship with Vernon T Bateman, who gets this week’s Circle City Shout Out. Bateman was wrongfully convicted and jailed for 26 years, despite the victim recanting her testimony three separate times. Bateman still lives in social confinement and suffers from unconstitutional and inhumane parole restrictions. But the fight for his exoneration is heating up, and you can contribute to it by attending “Art for Exoneration: The Vernon T. Bateman Experience.” If you are there opening night on Monday, July 21, you’ll also get to meet Matthew Gunning! Show Links: www.MaskOff12.com Petition: Exonerate Vernon Bateman Now! https://www.freevernon.org/petition/ Art for Exoneration: The Vernon T. Bateman Experience: https://www.vernonsversions.art/art-for-exoneration/ Art for Exoneration Grand Opening: https://indyliberationcenter.org/exoneration-grand-opening Town Hall: Youth Safety in Indy: https://indyliberationcenter.org/town-hall-youth-safety-in-indy/