We were probably all raised with some ideas of what the cultural identity is for the United States. Are we the land of the rugged individual lifting him or herself up by the bootstraps? Are we the land of the tired and poor who have been provided a golden chance of opportunity? Are we gunslinging cowboys or oven-baked steel workers? Are we the land of religious freedom to worship (or not) as we please? Are we a uniquely Christian nation? Maybe the biggest question is whether there is room for all these and more ideas of what it means to live in America.

Michael Jordan is an elite basketball player. Meryl Streep, an elite actor. Luciano Pavoratti is in a class alone among the elite of his art. But there are also other supposed elites among us whether they themselves say so or are considered so byothers. Is it money, education, skill, class, heritage, tastes, possessions, or associations that form the elites? Who decides who is and who's not an elite? The Exploracast team takes on this very nuanced and highly relevant topic.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed to eliminate racial discrimination in voting. Recent changes in the act have made it harder to prove discrimination and narrowed redistricting protections. Proponents claim that these changes help the cause of eliminating racial discrimination but one must ask, what group do these changes actually hurt/limit? As you might expect, the Exploracast team has some thoughts!

As long as we have been around, humans have vigorously sought ways of defining themselves as different than and better than other human groups. One of the very oldest but still deeply rampant ways we do this is through the ideologies of racism. In fact, we had to actually build the construct of differing races just to support our need for superiority even though we are much more like than unlike people withdiffering phenotypes. Listen in as the Exploracast team vents their own anger, frustration, and confusion at this very important topic.

As long as I can remember, there has been a movement in our country and world to grant actual equal rights to women, and in more than just name. Most agree some headway has been made but it seems there remain "glass ceiling" barriers that are keeping the movement from crossing the finish line. The Exploracast team invites Rachel Childress to reflect on her experiences as a woman persistently standing for real equality in both the sacred and secular worlds, as well as some of the surprising and not so surprising places she has encountered resistance.

There's no question that a lot is made of how people look. The massive fashion, cosmetic, and entertainment industries thrive on creating acceptable norms. There are assumptions and even judgements based on factors of body type and image. Sometimes the problems are with those making judgements and sometimes the problems are based on incorrect ways we actually see ourselves. Join theExploracast team as they delve into this complex issue.

What happens when a fundamentally good concept gets subverted and pushed well past the borders within which it best functions? What happens when this new conceptbecomes an actual threat to the original one? Welcome to our discussion on patriotism pushed too far into becoming jingoism. What is that, you might ask? Listen in as the Exploracast team begins to unpack this growing anddangerous trend.

In our second "ism" discussion, the Exploracast team takes on the concept of hedonism. The debate got energized as we struggled to make space for seeking pleasure as a reasonable human pursuit but standing strong against those whose pleasure pursuits come at a great expense to others and themoral fiber of society.