The Minutemen; 'Lay' Witnesses in Court
Thinking Allowed
BBC
4.4 • 997 Ratings
🗓️ 7 August 2013
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Minutemen - who are they? Laurie Taylor talks to US sociologist, Harel Shapira about the right wing activists who patrol the US border in search of illegal immigrants. How should these men be characterised - as vigilantes, patriots or racists? Shapira met men who fought in Vietnam and Desert Storm and spoke of an America which no longer exists. Living alongside these men, he uncovered narratives of lost identity and community as well as extreme political convictions. Also, Nigel Fielding observed 65 crown court cases in England as part of his study into the effects of criminal trial procedures on 'lay' people, including victims, witnesses and defendants. His research highlights the confusion, anxiety and frustration which is often felt by the legally untrained in the face of courtroom convention.
Producer: Jayne Egerton.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, |
| 0:06.0 | the Science of Happiness Podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want |
| 0:14.4 | to share that science with you. |
| 0:16.1 | And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley. |
| 0:19.4 | I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that |
| 0:25.4 | calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:30.3 | This is a Thinking Loud Podcast from the BBC and for more details in our terms of use and |
| 0:37.0 | much, much more about Thinking aloud, go to our website at BBC.co. UK. |
| 0:44.0 | Hello. I must admit there is something slightly, well slightly |
| 0:48.0 | ritualistic about the manner in which I suggest during the course of every |
| 0:51.7 | edition of this program that you might like to |
| 0:53.8 | subscribe to my newsletter. Of course I would like you to subscribe, but as I utter the invitation |
| 0:59.7 | I hardly have a mental picture of eager hordes battering down the doors of Broadcasting House in their determination to enroll. |
| 1:07.0 | There have there been moments when I've been forcibly reminded that I do have regular readers. |
| 1:12.0 | On each occasion, it's not been the philosophical substance |
| 1:15.6 | to the newsletter which attracted much attention, but a textual |
| 1:19.4 | in felicity. I mean two years ago for example readers positively reveled in a typographical slip |
| 1:25.6 | which led me to refer not to the altruism of others but the altruism of otters |
| 1:32.4 | I even had one overjoyed academic who sent me a learned |
| 1:35.2 | paper on altruism among Peruvian giant otters. But joy was even more |
| 1:40.8 | unconfined last week when in a newsletter on eating Indian food I clumsily typed |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.