Kara Linn and Susan Mick
Recorded
November 17, 2023
Archived
November 17, 2023
01:31:21
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
osh000106
Description
One Small Step conversation partners Kara Linn (60), an executive head hunter from Casper, WY, and Susan Mick (64), a retired math teacher from Jackson, WY, sat down together for an in-person conversation at the Teton County Library in Jackson, WY. They discussed their ideas about education, feminism, abortion, mainstream media, and their families.Subject Log / Time Code
Susan Mick (SM) asks Kara Linn (KL) why she wanted to have this conversation and vice versa.
KL reads SM's biography and asks SM about her son who she disclosed in her biography had passed away 6 years prior.
SM talks about her religious practice as a Buddhist. KL shares her experience with a coach who incorporates mindfulness into their work together.
KL asks SM about her successes as a teacher. SM talks about working with students at Summit Alternative High School and teaching students who didn't "fit in".
They discuss the challenges of teaching adolescents and the struggles teachers face today.
SM reads KL's bio and asks her about her upbringing in a family of Democrats and then choosing to register Republican at age 18.
KL talks about freedom of thought and the importance of critical thinking.
KL compares the Democrat's reaction to Trump being elected as the same as the Republican's reaction to Obama's election.
SM asks KL to talk about her idea of feminism and how the statement written in her bio about "abortion killing a life" are influenced by that.
KL talks about seeing images of a dismembered fetus at a young age.
SM responds with her beliefs on abortion.
KL talks about silently protesting outside of an abortion clinic in Casper and how people treat them. She asks rhetorically, "how do we build a bridge between the people with whom we disagree?"
KL asks SM if she's ever troubled by people with the same beliefs. KL is asked the same. They discuss news outlets like the New York Times, Fox News, CNN.
KL asks SM if there is a WY based news outlet she reads/listens to. SM mentions Wyoming Public Radio. SM mentions the Cowboy State Daily.
KL talks about someone on the other side of the "aisle" who she may agree with: Anderson Cooper. SM mentions former WY governor Alan Simpson. They discuss current elected leaders in the state: Mark Gordon and Harriet Hageman.
KL talks about respecting everyone. SM respects KL's opinion on abortion is rooted in her religious beliefs. KL also says its based on science.
KL asks SM about who had a big influence on her and what they did to teach her. SM talks about her parents and her grandparents who were Polish immigrants. Her mother was German and struggled to learn English. This experience helped her relate to students who were English as a Second Language learners.
KL talks about getting married at 18 and being pregnant while in college. The student health services professional asked her what she "was going to do about [her] pregnancy", which bothered her because she was planning to keep the baby.
KL talks about the separation of Church and State not being part of the Constitution.
On the subject of people in their lives who had a big influence, KL talks about her maternal grandmother.
KL brings up climate change as something that does not concern her. Rather she wants to think about being a steward of the planet and the resources it provides.
Each shares what surprised them about one another. KL says, "I feel honored to have you in this state."
Participants
- Kara Linn
- Susan Mick