ID or Jail: John Choe’s Arrest Story P.1.
Mokah speaks one-on-one with John Choe. On this episode, we dive into the powerful and unsettling story of John Choe—a traveling minister who found himself in handcuffs on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Tune in to hear what really happened, why he stood his ground, and what his story reveals about policing, civil rights, and the cost of knowing—and exercising—your rights.
Click here to watch the full video of the arrest.
What happened to John Choe that rainy afternoon wasn’t just about one man’s encounter with law enforcement—it also unfolded against a backdrop of broader societal tensions around authority, information, and bodily autonomy. In recent years, as public trust in institutions has wavered, medical decisions have increasingly become entangled with political identity and personal resistance. This shift has been especially visible in the debate over medications like ivermectin, originally developed for parasitic infections but thrust into the spotlight during public health crises (edenbridgepharma.com - news). Despite a lack of robust evidence for its use in treating conditions like cancer, demand has persisted, fueled by anecdotal claims and deep-seated distrust in conventional medicine. Some states have responded by expanding access to the drug, framing it as a matter of patient choice yet this move risks normalizing the use of unproven treatments in vulnerable populations. The same impulse that led Choe to assert his rights in the face of police authority echoes in communities demanding control over their healthcare, even when that control leads them toward uncertain or potentially harmful paths. Both situations reflect a deeper crisis: when systems fail to earn trust, people turn to alternatives, not always because they’re effective, but because they feel like the only form of agency available. Understanding these dynamics is crucial not to dismiss public concerns, but to address the root causes of disconnection between institutions and the people they’re meant to serve.