WEBVTT - The Tudor Dixon Podcast: Fighting Back with Cata Truss

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to the Tutor Dixon Podcast. Today, we are going

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<v Speaker 1>to dig into the impact of the crisis at the border,

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<v Speaker 1>but now it's well beyond the border. We've all heard

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<v Speaker 1>about the migrants that are being sent to New York

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<v Speaker 1>and Chicago and all of these other big cities, but

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<v Speaker 1>the question is what's really going on on the ground

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<v Speaker 1>in those cities. Well, it turns out some of the

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<v Speaker 1>residents are fighting back against this, and one of those

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<v Speaker 1>women is Kata Trust. She is one of those who

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<v Speaker 1>is fighting against local resources being re routed to migrants

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<v Speaker 1>over residents. Kata is a fifty seven year old mother

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<v Speaker 1>on the West Side of Chicago who actually sued the

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<v Speaker 1>city of Chicago over their handling of the migrant crisis,

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<v Speaker 1>and she is here with us today. Kata, welcome to

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<v Speaker 1>the podcast.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you, Thank you for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>Absolutely so. You are in this situation, and I think

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<v Speaker 1>for those of us who are on the outside, a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of us are watching and saying, well, what is

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<v Speaker 1>this like for the people who are being impacted every

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<v Speaker 1>single day? And you had that situation where they were

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<v Speaker 1>taking a center that your boys had actually used to

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<v Speaker 1>play with friends for sports and things like that, and

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<v Speaker 1>they were going to turn this over to a migrant

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<v Speaker 1>shelter and then tell us a little bit about that.

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<v Speaker 1>What made you say, you know what, enough is enough?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, one of the first things that happened was the

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<v Speaker 2>fact that we were upset about is the fact that

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<v Speaker 2>no one really sat down with the community to ask

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<v Speaker 2>us about it. So I live in the Austin community

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<v Speaker 2>over on the west side, and there are at least

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<v Speaker 2>four major parks in the area, and there are parks.

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<v Speaker 2>All of the parks have programs going on in them,

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<v Speaker 2>but the Amason Park where my children grew up playing football,

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<v Speaker 2>where our seniors go every day to communicate and fellowship

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<v Speaker 2>with each other, that was the park that they were

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<v Speaker 2>talking about closing. It was one of our most used

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<v Speaker 2>parks as opposed to some of the other parks, and

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<v Speaker 2>had there been some kind of conversation, we could have

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<v Speaker 2>possibly come up with some sort of happy medium. But

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<v Speaker 2>because the city just decided to betrayally take the park,

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<v Speaker 2>not have a conversation with the residents there and just

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<v Speaker 2>say hey, listen, we're going to take this park the

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<v Speaker 2>migrants needed, and there's nothing that you could do about it.

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<v Speaker 1>And so they were just going to turn it would

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<v Speaker 1>they have put up tents or what was going to

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<v Speaker 1>happen there.

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<v Speaker 2>We're not sure what was going to happen exactly, can't

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<v Speaker 2>even tell you. Look at no, no, they did not.

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<v Speaker 2>But if you look at all of the other migrant areas,

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<v Speaker 2>so they're inside of those facilities, they have tents outside

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<v Speaker 2>of the facilities, and I'm sure that once there were

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<v Speaker 2>too many people inside that there quite possibly would have

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<v Speaker 2>been tents outside.

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<v Speaker 1>And then you fought back against this, so it didn't

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<v Speaker 1>actually happen, right.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, well, you know what we decided we hit So

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<v Speaker 2>they called the city, came out and they was, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>to tell us about their plan. And when we found

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<v Speaker 2>when they scheduled the meeting to come out and tell

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<v Speaker 2>the community what was happening, we rallied ourselves together. We

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<v Speaker 2>made phone calls so much so that we had over

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<v Speaker 2>a thousand people to show up for a community meeting,

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<v Speaker 2>basically to say to the city that this is our park.

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<v Speaker 2>We didn't even really allow them to tell us what

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<v Speaker 2>kind of plans they had because we just didn't care.

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<v Speaker 2>We had just repositors. We're not giving our park up.

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<v Speaker 2>And so I got up the next day, I went

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<v Speaker 2>over to the Circuit Court of Cook County, and I

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<v Speaker 2>filed the motion to have a judge to look at

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<v Speaker 2>this case.

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<v Speaker 1>And then you ended up winning the case.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, Well, I don't I won't say that we won

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<v Speaker 2>the case, but I think that we pushed enough for

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<v Speaker 2>the city to think about not necessarily using the park.

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<v Speaker 2>So what happens is you fouled the motion, we had

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<v Speaker 2>to hire an attorney. The attorney came in, she went

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<v Speaker 2>into court when we went in with her, and basically

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<v Speaker 2>what they said was that we really couldn't do anything

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<v Speaker 2>unless the city decided to bring migrants in. And so,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, although we filed the lawsuit, we were we

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<v Speaker 2>had to press out every single day, We had marches

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<v Speaker 2>every day, we had people who camped out, who took

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<v Speaker 2>post overnight to make sure that the migrants didn't come.

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<v Speaker 2>And so we never really had to do anything because

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<v Speaker 2>the city realized that we were not playing and we

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<v Speaker 2>were not going to back down.

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<v Speaker 1>So just out of curiosity when you started, I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>I think maybe I'm wrong about this, but I really

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<v Speaker 1>started hearing about the border having this crisis when Donald

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<v Speaker 1>Trump was running the first time. It was like this

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<v Speaker 1>was a topic of conversation we started to hear that

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<v Speaker 1>the border was open too many people were coming in.

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<v Speaker 1>And I think that at that time those of us

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<v Speaker 1>who were tuned into politics were paying attention. But I

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<v Speaker 1>just am curious. Do you think that that many people

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<v Speaker 1>in your in the community of Chicago were paying attention

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<v Speaker 1>to this, or like you know, northern communities that really

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<v Speaker 1>weren't seeing this happen it was really staying down south.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you think that people were paying attention to the

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<v Speaker 1>politics of an open border. Back then, we.

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<v Speaker 2>Were paying attention. But you know how you hear people say,

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<v Speaker 2>it really doesn't affect you until it hits home. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>and so we were paying attention. I was watching what

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<v Speaker 2>was happening at the border. I had concerns even then,

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<v Speaker 2>but like I said, until it begins to affect where

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<v Speaker 2>you live. And it's just like you know, when you

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<v Speaker 2>listen to Governor Abbott, a lot of people have made

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<v Speaker 2>him the boogeyman. You know, this is his problem. He

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<v Speaker 2>shouldn't have said these people here. But what people have

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<v Speaker 2>to think about is just think about what we have

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<v Speaker 2>coming to Denver, the migrants we have coming to New York,

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<v Speaker 2>and the migrants we have coming to Chicago and just

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<v Speaker 2>think that all of those people were at some point

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<v Speaker 2>staying in Texas, and Governor Abbott had the responsibility of

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<v Speaker 2>trying to find someone for those some place for those

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<v Speaker 2>people to stay on his own right, no help from

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<v Speaker 2>the government.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it's amazing that you say it that way.

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<v Speaker 1>I think that's so well said, because I was in

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<v Speaker 1>New York a few months ago and I was sitting

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<v Speaker 1>there talking to a woman I just met, and she

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<v Speaker 1>said to me, I just don't understand why Governor Abbott

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<v Speaker 1>is doing this, because New York is such a small

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<v Speaker 1>place and Texas is such a big place. Why won't

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<v Speaker 1>he just keep them in Texas? And I thought, it's

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<v Speaker 1>it's not so much a political ploy or a trick.

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<v Speaker 1>It's that if you are the ones that are out there,

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<v Speaker 1>Mayor Adams and Mayor Johnson insane, we want to have

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<v Speaker 1>all these people come to our city. Be careful what

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<v Speaker 1>you wish for. You know, you should, you should know

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<v Speaker 1>what it really is. And I think he was making

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<v Speaker 1>exactly what you said, making the point of, hey, I

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<v Speaker 1>have to try to juggle this every day. You guys

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<v Speaker 1>need to take up some of this slack to help

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<v Speaker 1>me out.

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<v Speaker 2>And I don't even think it was taking up some

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<v Speaker 2>of the slack. I think that I remember Mayor Laurie Leeford,

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<v Speaker 2>a former mayor, standing up and saying, well, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>we're the city of big shoulders, and you know they

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<v Speaker 2>can come here. You know, we can handle it here

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<v Speaker 2>in Chicago. I remember her standing there saying that and

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<v Speaker 2>having a back and forth. And so you had some

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<v Speaker 2>of the mayors of cities that were sanctuary cities being

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<v Speaker 2>very critical of some of the comments that Abbot was making.

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<v Speaker 2>And so when he started sending migrants to these different

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<v Speaker 2>places that had sanctuary cities who wanted to protect migrants

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<v Speaker 2>and didn't want them to be deported, I kind of

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<v Speaker 2>understand it.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I am, I agree, Hey.

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<v Speaker 2>We can take it, we can handle it. And so

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<v Speaker 2>he began sending him and like, you know, all of

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<v Speaker 2>a sudden, we're demonizing him and the migrants. But you know,

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<v Speaker 2>we have to do a better job of making sure

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<v Speaker 2>that our legislators and our elected officials are looking at

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<v Speaker 2>these issues and are dealing with these issues. And you know,

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<v Speaker 2>one of the biggest things that happened from this situation

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<v Speaker 2>for me is the fact that I began to see

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<v Speaker 2>that my Democratic elected officials were basically sitting on their

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<v Speaker 2>hands and the people are saying one thing, and you

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<v Speaker 2>guys are doing something completely opposite of what the people

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<v Speaker 2>are saying they want. And so that.

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<v Speaker 1>Actually just recently really happened in Chicago because there was

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<v Speaker 1>an opportunity for a vote on whether or not to

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<v Speaker 1>be a sanctuary city, and Mary Johnson he did some

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<v Speaker 1>politic cool shenanigans really to get that off the ballot

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<v Speaker 1>and say, the people of Chicago don't get to choose.

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<v Speaker 1>But when you look at the situation that you're in,

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't this seem like exactly why we have this method

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<v Speaker 1>of government where it's we the people, and we do

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<v Speaker 1>get to choose, you would think.

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<v Speaker 2>And the fact that our mayor worked so hard to

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<v Speaker 2>take the away the wife of the voters to make

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<v Speaker 2>that choice is really a problem for me and I,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, I think about the fact that he didn't

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<v Speaker 2>want us to make the choice on the sanctuary city,

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<v Speaker 2>but now we're having to make a choice on this

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<v Speaker 2>bring Chicago home that's supposed to put monies aside for

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<v Speaker 2>the homeless, but there's no language in that bill to

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<v Speaker 2>make sure that it goes to the homeless who have

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<v Speaker 2>already been here, and so that.

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<v Speaker 1>Means people that are actually Americans.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm sure that they're probably going to rubber stamp that

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<v Speaker 2>money and send it right to the migrants if we

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<v Speaker 2>allow it to pass. And so now in Chicago, we're

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<v Speaker 2>pushing to have that ordnance turned down because again we're

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<v Speaker 2>I think that if we allow ourselves to continue to

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<v Speaker 2>give the city money to spend on someone other than us,

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<v Speaker 2>they're going to do it. And so this is going

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<v Speaker 2>to be our way and stepping in and saying, well,

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<v Speaker 2>we didn't get a chance to vote on the sanctuary city,

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<v Speaker 2>but we do have a chance to vote on this

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<v Speaker 2>initiative to make sure that you are not taking our

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<v Speaker 2>tax dollars and giving them to people who don't live

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<v Speaker 2>here or who have not worked to put into the system.

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<v Speaker 1>I think, you know, we sat here on the other

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<v Speaker 1>side of the lake in Michigan and watched that election

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<v Speaker 1>for mayor, and I remember people going, why the most

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<v Speaker 1>progressive one, Why choose the person who doesn't have the

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<v Speaker 1>best interests of the community at heart? But I do,

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<v Speaker 1>and I hear people at the times that what they

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<v Speaker 1>voted for it. But look, I'm in Michigan, and people

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<v Speaker 1>get voted in that I didn't choose clearly obviously since

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<v Speaker 1>Iran right. So I just wonder if there's still that

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<v Speaker 1>mentality of we just vote for a party rather than

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<v Speaker 1>really digging into candidates. And I think that that happens

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<v Speaker 1>on both sides. Don't get me wrong, I think that

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<v Speaker 1>happens on both sides. Depending on where you are in

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<v Speaker 1>the country. Do you see a shift in people across

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<v Speaker 1>the country saying, you know what, I'm done just voting

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<v Speaker 1>because I've always voted a certain way and now it's

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<v Speaker 1>time to really dig into what people are saying.

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<v Speaker 2>You will see a shift. And that's one of the

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<v Speaker 2>things that I've been talking a lot about. This taught

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<v Speaker 2>me a lesson. First of all, I supported Brandon Johnson.

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<v Speaker 2>I voted for Brandon Johnson. I voted on him primarily

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<v Speaker 2>because he was someone I knew. I knew him, we

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<v Speaker 2>you know, had a relationship, or so I thought, and

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<v Speaker 2>not to make it personal, but when you have a

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<v Speaker 2>relationship with people and you go out and you support

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<v Speaker 2>them and you get them elected, and then you see

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<v Speaker 2>that your voice matters very little or if at all,

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<v Speaker 2>to them, then you have to do something differently. And

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<v Speaker 2>basically what this situation taught me is Number one, you

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<v Speaker 2>can't vote for people. You know, you can't vote vote ethnicity.

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<v Speaker 2>At this point, you really can't even vote party because

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<v Speaker 2>you just never know what you're gonna get. And I

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<v Speaker 2>think that voters have to begin to be smart and

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<v Speaker 2>vote candidates that best speak to our self interests. And

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<v Speaker 2>they may be Republican, and they may be Democrat, they

0:12:58.280 --> 0:13:01.520
<v Speaker 2>may be Green Party, they may be independent. But one

0:13:01.600 --> 0:13:04.440
<v Speaker 2>of the great things about America is the fact that

0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:07.959
<v Speaker 2>we have the right to choose. And because we have

0:13:08.400 --> 0:13:10.920
<v Speaker 2>the right to choose, I think that people need to

0:13:10.960 --> 0:13:15.840
<v Speaker 2>stop being so locked into party and people and people

0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:20.600
<v Speaker 2>that we know and ethnicity, you know, race, color, you know,

0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:23.240
<v Speaker 2>we look at all of those things that really should

0:13:23.320 --> 0:13:26.320
<v Speaker 2>not play a part because if a person does not

0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:30.760
<v Speaker 2>represent your best self interest, then we're doing ourselves a

0:13:30.760 --> 0:13:34.800
<v Speaker 2>disservice by voting for them. And so that's the biggest

0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:36.800
<v Speaker 2>lesson I walked away with this time.

0:13:37.320 --> 0:13:40.120
<v Speaker 1>Well, can I ask you, I mean, maybe this is

0:13:40.840 --> 0:13:43.079
<v Speaker 1>I don't know, maybe you're not allowed to ask these questions,

0:13:43.080 --> 0:13:49.680
<v Speaker 1>but I am just gonna ask it. When your community Chicago,

0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:53.079
<v Speaker 1>as the community has historically voted Democrat, I mean that

0:13:53.200 --> 0:13:56.520
<v Speaker 1>just seems to be the way Chicago goes. It's a

0:13:56.559 --> 0:13:58.920
<v Speaker 1>blue city. We always think of it as a blue city.

0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:03.640
<v Speaker 1>What is it that you hear from Republican politicians in

0:14:03.760 --> 0:14:06.360
<v Speaker 1>Chicago that you don't like? I think that that's something

0:14:06.400 --> 0:14:08.280
<v Speaker 1>that a lot of people who listen to this podcast

0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:10.960
<v Speaker 1>would go, oh, man, we could learn something.

0:14:12.360 --> 0:14:17.200
<v Speaker 2>Republicans here in Chicago. And the only thing about the

0:14:17.240 --> 0:14:20.960
<v Speaker 2>Republican Party that I don't like in the past is

0:14:22.080 --> 0:14:25.200
<v Speaker 2>it seemed like it was so hate. There was so

0:14:25.320 --> 0:14:29.360
<v Speaker 2>much hate being spewed, and that was an issue for me.

0:14:29.760 --> 0:14:34.760
<v Speaker 2>But I think that if we come together, because that's

0:14:34.840 --> 0:14:38.440
<v Speaker 2>not the sentiment of most Americans, and a lot of

0:14:38.560 --> 0:14:43.520
<v Speaker 2>times we let the sentiment of the few change the

0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:46.680
<v Speaker 2>trajectory of what we do. And I think that there

0:14:46.680 --> 0:14:49.640
<v Speaker 2>are definitely more good people in this world than bad.

0:14:50.200 --> 0:14:52.400
<v Speaker 2>And I think if I would say anything to the

0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:57.280
<v Speaker 2>Republican Party, I would say, I realized that there is

0:14:57.320 --> 0:15:01.800
<v Speaker 2>a base that you like to speak two. But given

0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:05.440
<v Speaker 2>what's happening in the country now, that won't be the

0:15:05.520 --> 0:15:09.600
<v Speaker 2>majority of the people who might support you. So if

0:15:09.640 --> 0:15:13.160
<v Speaker 2>it means maybe pulling a back from some of the

0:15:13.240 --> 0:15:16.880
<v Speaker 2>views that we've had, that may have been offensive to others,

0:15:17.200 --> 0:15:19.080
<v Speaker 2>then we certainly might want to do that.

0:15:19.360 --> 0:15:22.080
<v Speaker 1>Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on

0:15:22.120 --> 0:15:28.080
<v Speaker 1>the Tutor Dixon Podcast. So tell us, I mean, if

0:15:28.120 --> 0:15:30.960
<v Speaker 1>you're willing to tell us what that is, like, what

0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:34.480
<v Speaker 1>exactly are you you talking about? Because I do really

0:15:34.520 --> 0:15:37.600
<v Speaker 1>believe that there are people that want to hear it

0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:41.160
<v Speaker 1>and or that need to hear it. There's two groups.

0:15:41.440 --> 0:15:43.520
<v Speaker 1>There's one that needs to hear it and there's one

0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:45.280
<v Speaker 1>who wants to hear it and doesn't know how to

0:15:45.280 --> 0:15:45.960
<v Speaker 1>ask the question.

0:15:47.680 --> 0:15:53.200
<v Speaker 2>Well, so there are several things. I think that historically,

0:15:54.440 --> 0:16:01.440
<v Speaker 2>most black black Americans have felt like the Republican Party's

0:16:01.480 --> 0:16:05.240
<v Speaker 2>biased toward our race. And I think that in some

0:16:05.280 --> 0:16:09.760
<v Speaker 2>cases that happens in the South when you look at

0:16:09.800 --> 0:16:13.640
<v Speaker 2>what's happening with Pursian voter roles and voter id and

0:16:14.160 --> 0:16:16.240
<v Speaker 2>you know, some of the ways that they've gone in

0:16:16.320 --> 0:16:20.520
<v Speaker 2>and changed the Voting Rights Act in the South, that definitely,

0:16:21.240 --> 0:16:23.840
<v Speaker 2>you know, is an issue for a lot of blacks.

0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:27.200
<v Speaker 2>But by the same token, I think that there are

0:16:27.200 --> 0:16:31.240
<v Speaker 2>some things about the Republican Party that, you know, we

0:16:31.280 --> 0:16:34.560
<v Speaker 2>can get with, especially now because the crisis at the

0:16:34.600 --> 0:16:40.160
<v Speaker 2>border is certainly something that has a lot of blacks

0:16:40.200 --> 0:16:44.360
<v Speaker 2>looking at the Democratic Party saying, you know what, you

0:16:44.480 --> 0:16:47.040
<v Speaker 2>all are not listening to us, and we may need

0:16:47.080 --> 0:16:50.160
<v Speaker 2>to do something different. So for those people who may

0:16:50.200 --> 0:16:51.960
<v Speaker 2>be on the fence, because you know, you have a

0:16:51.960 --> 0:16:54.320
<v Speaker 2>lot of people saying, well, we're just gonna sit it

0:16:54.360 --> 0:16:56.720
<v Speaker 2>out and we're gonna stay home. But I think if

0:16:56.760 --> 0:17:01.240
<v Speaker 2>the Republican Party thought about softenings some of the views,

0:17:01.680 --> 0:17:05.119
<v Speaker 2>then those people who were talking about sitting it out

0:17:05.480 --> 0:17:08.520
<v Speaker 2>may just come out and take a Republican balot. And

0:17:08.640 --> 0:17:11.879
<v Speaker 2>I know here in Chicago there are a lot of

0:17:11.960 --> 0:17:16.520
<v Speaker 2>people saying we have to do something different. I don't

0:17:16.560 --> 0:17:20.119
<v Speaker 2>know if I can report the Republican string yet, but

0:17:20.160 --> 0:17:22.959
<v Speaker 2>I do know that something different has to happen. And

0:17:23.000 --> 0:17:26.119
<v Speaker 2>so I think this is such a great opportunity for

0:17:26.240 --> 0:17:30.040
<v Speaker 2>the Republican Party, you know, to really pull in. And

0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:34.040
<v Speaker 2>as I've said myself, I absolutely will not be voting

0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:38.919
<v Speaker 2>Democratic this upcoming election, and that's just the impact that

0:17:38.960 --> 0:17:42.600
<v Speaker 2>it has had on me. And that's not just my sentiment.

0:17:43.080 --> 0:17:46.920
<v Speaker 2>But I do think that if the Republican Party would

0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:50.040
<v Speaker 2>soften some of the views, maybe back back a little

0:17:50.080 --> 0:17:54.879
<v Speaker 2>bit on abortion, and allow the states to make that decision.

0:17:55.280 --> 0:17:58.720
<v Speaker 2>I think that those are things that will bring people in.

0:17:59.400 --> 0:18:02.800
<v Speaker 2>Women want the right to choose. Not that I'm getting

0:18:02.840 --> 0:18:05.400
<v Speaker 2>into that issue, but those are things.

0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:08.480
<v Speaker 1>No, I mean, that's what I think that that's what

0:18:08.600 --> 0:18:11.960
<v Speaker 1>I think that the Republican Party hasn't heard. They haven't

0:18:12.000 --> 0:18:15.800
<v Speaker 1>heard somebody from the community say, look, we want this,

0:18:15.800 --> 0:18:18.440
<v Speaker 1>this is what it. You know, we're afraid you were

0:18:18.480 --> 0:18:22.520
<v Speaker 1>going to take this. And I mean, certainly in my race,

0:18:23.240 --> 0:18:25.920
<v Speaker 1>we heard all kinds of different views on that. I

0:18:25.960 --> 0:18:29.639
<v Speaker 1>don't I don't think anybody had a full understanding of

0:18:29.720 --> 0:18:32.800
<v Speaker 1>where the country stood on that because Roe v. Wade

0:18:32.840 --> 0:18:36.359
<v Speaker 1>always was there. You know, nobody really had a true

0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:40.680
<v Speaker 1>finger on the pulse of where people felt that abortion

0:18:40.800 --> 0:18:44.720
<v Speaker 1>should be. And that really, I mean, trust me, I

0:18:44.800 --> 0:18:47.919
<v Speaker 1>lived it. I know how much that hurt the Republican Party.

0:18:48.160 --> 0:18:51.080
<v Speaker 1>And I've heard you say, or I've My understanding is

0:18:51.080 --> 0:18:54.359
<v Speaker 1>that you've said that you don't think that people will

0:18:54.520 --> 0:18:58.040
<v Speaker 1>just become Republicans and you don't think that should happen.

0:18:58.119 --> 0:19:00.879
<v Speaker 1>You feel like there should be an independent to people

0:19:00.920 --> 0:19:04.199
<v Speaker 1>that they should choose based on the person. And I

0:19:04.280 --> 0:19:07.760
<v Speaker 1>kind of like that idea that you have people who

0:19:08.119 --> 0:19:12.080
<v Speaker 1>are not. You know, historically we have been locked into party.

0:19:12.720 --> 0:19:17.720
<v Speaker 1>And it's interesting to hear someone in your position who

0:19:17.920 --> 0:19:21.160
<v Speaker 1>obviously you and I have been in different parties, right,

0:19:21.600 --> 0:19:25.080
<v Speaker 1>but to say, wow, I'm I'm not gonna switch over,

0:19:25.359 --> 0:19:27.119
<v Speaker 1>but I'm ready to step back. And I find that

0:19:27.200 --> 0:19:30.159
<v Speaker 1>interesting because when I was campaigning, Tulca Gabbard came to

0:19:30.200 --> 0:19:33.040
<v Speaker 1>Michigan and we had long talks about this, and she

0:19:33.160 --> 0:19:35.640
<v Speaker 1>was like, look, I'm not a Republican, but there are

0:19:35.680 --> 0:19:39.000
<v Speaker 1>times when I see that point of view. But I'm

0:19:39.040 --> 0:19:42.760
<v Speaker 1>an independent. You know, I've walked away from the Democrats,

0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:45.000
<v Speaker 1>but it's not because I was ready to go. Oh,

0:19:45.040 --> 0:19:47.840
<v Speaker 1>but I belong here. And I think that's where we

0:19:47.960 --> 0:19:50.520
<v Speaker 1>haven't had that conversation with people. It's okay to not

0:19:50.600 --> 0:19:52.600
<v Speaker 1>have a party. It's okay to be in the middle

0:19:52.640 --> 0:19:54.040
<v Speaker 1>and decide person by person.

0:19:55.320 --> 0:19:58.080
<v Speaker 2>I think that we have to have more conversations like that.

0:19:58.240 --> 0:20:02.320
<v Speaker 2>I think that we really as a people have to

0:20:02.359 --> 0:20:07.000
<v Speaker 2>step away from voting party of being married to party,

0:20:07.040 --> 0:20:10.119
<v Speaker 2>because I think that when you're married to party party,

0:20:10.200 --> 0:20:12.960
<v Speaker 2>both parties will take you for granted. But I think

0:20:13.000 --> 0:20:16.320
<v Speaker 2>that when they know that people have the ability to

0:20:16.480 --> 0:20:20.400
<v Speaker 2>switch up or to do differently from what their grandparents done,

0:20:20.520 --> 0:20:23.120
<v Speaker 2>you know, because you know you have these families, Well,

0:20:23.160 --> 0:20:26.880
<v Speaker 2>my entire family votes Republican, or my entire family has

0:20:26.960 --> 0:20:31.600
<v Speaker 2>voted Democratic for years, like my family, and just being

0:20:31.720 --> 0:20:35.240
<v Speaker 2>able to be free enough to say, you know what,

0:20:35.800 --> 0:20:42.080
<v Speaker 2>it's not about party. Who best represents my goals, my needs,

0:20:42.440 --> 0:20:47.120
<v Speaker 2>my desires, my ideals. That's the candidate that we want

0:20:47.200 --> 0:20:47.720
<v Speaker 2>to support.

0:20:49.040 --> 0:20:53.600
<v Speaker 1>It's interesting because we have someone in Michigan, one of

0:20:53.640 --> 0:20:58.560
<v Speaker 1>our I think she's a state rep. Mallory mcmarrow, and

0:20:58.640 --> 0:21:03.120
<v Speaker 1>she just came out said that after I mean, it's

0:21:03.240 --> 0:21:05.479
<v Speaker 1>just the timing. She didn't say this part, but the

0:21:05.520 --> 0:21:09.440
<v Speaker 1>timing of after the Detroit Lions almost made it into

0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:12.160
<v Speaker 1>the Super Bowl, she said she would like to put

0:21:12.160 --> 0:21:15.879
<v Speaker 1>an entertainment tax in Detroit. So she wanted to pass

0:21:15.960 --> 0:21:18.400
<v Speaker 1>a bill in the state House that would say Detroit

0:21:18.440 --> 0:21:23.439
<v Speaker 1>could add an entertainment tax. And I just think, why,

0:21:24.280 --> 0:21:29.719
<v Speaker 1>why why another tax? Why would you be able to

0:21:29.760 --> 0:21:33.280
<v Speaker 1>say I want to introduce a bill to tax another city.

0:21:33.640 --> 0:21:36.800
<v Speaker 1>Just allowed this one city to put a tax. So

0:21:36.840 --> 0:21:39.199
<v Speaker 1>what is an entertainment tax too? How far does that go?

0:21:39.280 --> 0:21:43.359
<v Speaker 1>Are we talking about casinos? Are we just talking about games?

0:21:43.400 --> 0:21:46.879
<v Speaker 1>Are we talking about movies, what do we consider entertainment?

0:21:46.920 --> 0:21:50.280
<v Speaker 1>And then that just expands and I see these things

0:21:50.320 --> 0:21:53.720
<v Speaker 1>and I think, if I look at just the taxes

0:21:54.359 --> 0:21:59.040
<v Speaker 1>and licensing fees and permitting fees, and I were to

0:21:59.080 --> 0:22:02.320
<v Speaker 1>break up all this cities in the state of Michigan,

0:22:02.800 --> 0:22:06.040
<v Speaker 1>Detroit is the worst. It has the most fees, it's

0:22:06.080 --> 0:22:09.120
<v Speaker 1>the most difficult, and it is probably one of our

0:22:09.160 --> 0:22:14.879
<v Speaker 1>strongest black communities. And yet they continue to vote for

0:22:15.119 --> 0:22:19.080
<v Speaker 1>people who allow them to have more money taken out

0:22:19.119 --> 0:22:22.199
<v Speaker 1>of their paychecks every month. And I'm like, is it

0:22:22.240 --> 0:22:25.040
<v Speaker 1>that they're sneaking these things in? Because I do think

0:22:25.080 --> 0:22:30.520
<v Speaker 1>that I'm hypersensitive now and I wasn't, But now to

0:22:30.920 --> 0:22:33.359
<v Speaker 1>these bills that they're putting in where there's a tweak

0:22:33.400 --> 0:22:36.680
<v Speaker 1>and attacks here and a tweak and attacks there. But

0:22:37.600 --> 0:22:41.640
<v Speaker 1>why aren't people in that community stepping aside, stepping back

0:22:41.680 --> 0:22:45.040
<v Speaker 1>and saying, wait a minute, we have twice as many

0:22:45.119 --> 0:22:47.320
<v Speaker 1>taxes as the folks on the other side of the state.

0:22:47.480 --> 0:22:48.600
<v Speaker 1>What the heck is going on?

0:22:49.560 --> 0:22:52.879
<v Speaker 2>You'll have people who'll say that, and they'll say it

0:22:52.920 --> 0:22:57.399
<v Speaker 2>in public conversations, but there what is the alternative? So

0:22:57.600 --> 0:23:02.520
<v Speaker 2>the alternative is either and especially if you're talking about

0:23:02.600 --> 0:23:07.200
<v Speaker 2>a predominantly black community, and so if the alternative is

0:23:07.280 --> 0:23:11.639
<v Speaker 2>to vote Republican or vote for the tax, then you'll

0:23:11.680 --> 0:23:15.440
<v Speaker 2>find that most of those people are Democrats, and they'll

0:23:15.560 --> 0:23:20.040
<v Speaker 2>vote for the tax because they're voting Democrat, not necessarily

0:23:20.080 --> 0:23:25.040
<v Speaker 2>because they want to be taxed. But the mindset is,

0:23:25.800 --> 0:23:29.160
<v Speaker 2>I'm gonna do what I've always done, even though I'm

0:23:29.200 --> 0:23:32.840
<v Speaker 2>expecting a different outcome, which is the definition of insanity.

0:23:32.920 --> 0:23:35.639
<v Speaker 2>Let me just say to do the same thing and

0:23:35.760 --> 0:23:39.359
<v Speaker 2>expecting something different. Which is why it is so important

0:23:39.800 --> 0:23:43.480
<v Speaker 2>for me to begin saying to voters all over this

0:23:43.720 --> 0:23:51.040
<v Speaker 2>country stop going along with the party, especially if the

0:23:51.119 --> 0:23:55.040
<v Speaker 2>party is working against you. We have to stop that.

0:23:55.160 --> 0:23:58.600
<v Speaker 2>We have to stop saying, well, you know historically this

0:23:58.640 --> 0:24:02.280
<v Speaker 2>is what my family has done. No, this person is

0:24:02.320 --> 0:24:05.359
<v Speaker 2>trying to tax you and you are already paid the

0:24:05.520 --> 0:24:10.320
<v Speaker 2>highest taxes in the entire state of Michigan. Stop it,

0:24:10.720 --> 0:24:16.359
<v Speaker 2>stop it. We have to stop as people in this

0:24:16.600 --> 0:24:22.720
<v Speaker 2>country voting party. Voting party has not benefited us, whether

0:24:22.800 --> 0:24:25.840
<v Speaker 2>you were a Democrat or Republican. But when we really

0:24:25.920 --> 0:24:30.440
<v Speaker 2>start getting ourselves together and in the mindset of voting

0:24:30.480 --> 0:24:35.240
<v Speaker 2>for a person and what they stand for, it's gonna

0:24:35.280 --> 0:24:37.040
<v Speaker 2>make the world of difference I think.

0:24:37.800 --> 0:24:39.560
<v Speaker 1>I mean, you're right if you look back. I mean,

0:24:39.560 --> 0:24:42.159
<v Speaker 1>a mayor Daily is different than a mayor Lightfoot is

0:24:42.160 --> 0:24:46.120
<v Speaker 1>different than a mayor Johnson. And yet you're looking at

0:24:46.160 --> 0:24:51.080
<v Speaker 1>all Democrats, right, So every administration has been very different.

0:24:51.560 --> 0:24:54.199
<v Speaker 1>I mean, it is hard to know when someone is

0:24:54.240 --> 0:24:56.639
<v Speaker 1>making you promises and you made a great point. You

0:24:56.760 --> 0:25:01.320
<v Speaker 1>knew him, and why wouldn't he have your voice in

0:25:01.359 --> 0:25:04.880
<v Speaker 1>your needs top of mind. It's just it is very

0:25:04.920 --> 0:25:09.800
<v Speaker 1>hard also because I think elected officials can be manipulated

0:25:09.840 --> 0:25:12.960
<v Speaker 1>by special interests as well, because you have all of

0:25:13.000 --> 0:25:15.680
<v Speaker 1>these people that are I got you here, I did

0:25:15.720 --> 0:25:17.480
<v Speaker 1>this for you, what are you going to give me back?

0:25:17.680 --> 0:25:20.960
<v Speaker 1>I mean, there is some crony capitalism in there that

0:25:21.119 --> 0:25:23.800
<v Speaker 1>is a challenge as well, and that's why I think

0:25:23.880 --> 0:25:28.160
<v Speaker 1>that we as the voters have to hold these people accountable.

0:25:28.160 --> 0:25:31.840
<v Speaker 1>That's why I think the fact that you were bold

0:25:31.920 --> 0:25:35.280
<v Speaker 1>enough to say, hey, I'm gonna sooe the city and

0:25:35.520 --> 0:25:38.760
<v Speaker 1>you are among I think six other lawsuits where people

0:25:38.800 --> 0:25:43.160
<v Speaker 1>said no, we're done, that to me is where we

0:25:43.320 --> 0:25:47.119
<v Speaker 1>start to see change. And that, to me is you

0:25:47.320 --> 0:25:50.840
<v Speaker 1>being more valuable than anybody out out there that is

0:25:51.280 --> 0:25:55.919
<v Speaker 1>serving because you're holding the servant accountable. And it's so

0:25:56.000 --> 0:25:58.560
<v Speaker 1>important that people are aware that you can hold the

0:25:58.600 --> 0:26:01.720
<v Speaker 1>servant accountable because I think people people go, oh, they're elected,

0:26:01.960 --> 0:26:05.520
<v Speaker 1>and I think people also forget that they're not up here.

0:26:06.600 --> 0:26:09.000
<v Speaker 1>They are right here at the same level as you are.

0:26:09.359 --> 0:26:12.119
<v Speaker 1>They are the ones that are supposed to be helping you.

0:26:12.600 --> 0:26:16.959
<v Speaker 1>These are not famous people, they're servants of us. And

0:26:17.040 --> 0:26:19.480
<v Speaker 1>so I love the fact that you were bold because

0:26:19.480 --> 0:26:21.719
<v Speaker 1>I've heard this in so many cases. I've heard this

0:26:21.880 --> 0:26:26.640
<v Speaker 1>when it's come to even we had a two parents

0:26:26.680 --> 0:26:30.000
<v Speaker 1>on here where their child had the school had done

0:26:30.040 --> 0:26:33.399
<v Speaker 1>something behind their back with their child, and they said,

0:26:33.560 --> 0:26:37.280
<v Speaker 1>we sued the school and suddenly the school stopped hiding

0:26:37.359 --> 0:26:40.040
<v Speaker 1>things from parents. And it's like, you know, sometimes it's

0:26:40.080 --> 0:26:42.680
<v Speaker 1>not about who you elect, it's about who in your

0:26:42.680 --> 0:26:45.719
<v Speaker 1>community is bold enough to hold that elected official accountable.

0:26:46.760 --> 0:26:49.320
<v Speaker 2>Sit that's you know what, and that's the bottom line.

0:26:49.359 --> 0:26:53.320
<v Speaker 2>We have to hold them accountable. And by continuing to

0:26:53.440 --> 0:26:57.960
<v Speaker 2>go out and to vote along partying lines, it takes

0:26:57.960 --> 0:27:01.960
<v Speaker 2>away that accountability, which is why you have so many

0:27:02.040 --> 0:27:06.240
<v Speaker 2>people now really looking at the Democratic Party and saying, wait,

0:27:06.880 --> 0:27:10.560
<v Speaker 2>wait a minute, wait a minute. You guys have been

0:27:10.600 --> 0:27:15.240
<v Speaker 2>failing us for years. At some point we have to

0:27:15.280 --> 0:27:18.399
<v Speaker 2>stop and say no, we're not going to continue to

0:27:18.440 --> 0:27:22.520
<v Speaker 2>take this. We're not going to continue to elect people

0:27:23.560 --> 0:27:27.000
<v Speaker 2>who are not supporting our best interests. We have to

0:27:27.080 --> 0:27:30.679
<v Speaker 2>stop that. And I think, let me tell you, I

0:27:30.720 --> 0:27:34.439
<v Speaker 2>had a call from a gentleman yesterday, found my number

0:27:34.480 --> 0:27:39.199
<v Speaker 2>from Antarbor, Michigan, and he said that he heard me

0:27:39.240 --> 0:27:42.560
<v Speaker 2>on someone show and he said that we are listening,

0:27:43.080 --> 0:27:46.760
<v Speaker 2>and he was calling from Michigan. So people are listening.

0:27:47.000 --> 0:27:50.280
<v Speaker 2>And I think that you're going to begin to see

0:27:50.720 --> 0:27:53.399
<v Speaker 2>and it may not be a big shift, but there's

0:27:53.480 --> 0:27:56.040
<v Speaker 2>going to be a shift because I think that people

0:27:56.160 --> 0:27:59.480
<v Speaker 2>all over the country now are really taking a step

0:27:59.600 --> 0:28:03.960
<v Speaker 2>back and looking at our candidates, looking at who they are,

0:28:04.600 --> 0:28:09.119
<v Speaker 2>what they're saying, what their platforms are, what things they've

0:28:09.160 --> 0:28:12.199
<v Speaker 2>supported in the past, because that's going to let you

0:28:12.359 --> 0:28:16.560
<v Speaker 2>know where they stand. And we're got to start paying

0:28:16.600 --> 0:28:20.520
<v Speaker 2>more attention. You know, even too, and I tell people

0:28:20.560 --> 0:28:24.440
<v Speaker 2>this all the time when we're electing judges. How many

0:28:24.480 --> 0:28:27.120
<v Speaker 2>times do you see people take the list of judges

0:28:27.160 --> 0:28:31.240
<v Speaker 2>and who can do any manimighty more? Those are some

0:28:31.280 --> 0:28:35.320
<v Speaker 2>of the most important people that you are going to elect,

0:28:35.560 --> 0:28:39.760
<v Speaker 2>take a time, pay attention. What kind of cases did

0:28:39.760 --> 0:28:43.800
<v Speaker 2>they work when they were attorneys? What was their completion rate?

0:28:44.240 --> 0:28:48.680
<v Speaker 2>All of those factors. We as educated voters must start

0:28:48.720 --> 0:28:49.920
<v Speaker 2>paying attention.

0:28:49.640 --> 0:28:54.600
<v Speaker 1>To prosecutors, district attorneys, all of these. Yes, and I

0:28:54.640 --> 0:28:58.760
<v Speaker 1>don't think that you know, maybe I'm unique, but I

0:28:59.080 --> 0:29:01.120
<v Speaker 1>obviously we're both say the same thing because I don't

0:29:01.120 --> 0:29:05.520
<v Speaker 1>think historically people have really dug into those positions. It's like, Okay,

0:29:05.560 --> 0:29:09.040
<v Speaker 1>that person's a train that's a trained position. They know

0:29:09.160 --> 0:29:11.520
<v Speaker 1>what they're doing. Whoever it is it's going to know

0:29:11.560 --> 0:29:14.320
<v Speaker 1>what they're doing. But lo and behold, we find out

0:29:14.360 --> 0:29:18.040
<v Speaker 1>that suddenly we're not actually prosecuting crime. And I think

0:29:18.160 --> 0:29:21.800
<v Speaker 1>that's been a real wake up call for people. Two.

0:29:21.920 --> 0:29:25.640
<v Speaker 1>I mean, earlier this week, we spoke with a gentleman

0:29:25.920 --> 0:29:31.560
<v Speaker 1>who is just an amazing guy. Grew up in Philadelphia

0:29:31.560 --> 0:29:33.800
<v Speaker 1>in the sixties, and he was like, we never worried

0:29:33.800 --> 0:29:36.400
<v Speaker 1>about safety. We never worried about whether we could go

0:29:36.440 --> 0:29:38.560
<v Speaker 1>to the shop down the street. He was like, it

0:29:38.640 --> 0:29:41.240
<v Speaker 1>makes me sad to think that now we have to

0:29:41.280 --> 0:29:44.959
<v Speaker 1>worry about safety. I mean, we're we were just talking

0:29:44.960 --> 0:29:48.960
<v Speaker 1>about the anniversary of the students on Michigan State's campus

0:29:49.080 --> 0:29:54.960
<v Speaker 1>who were shot in cold blood on campus and how

0:29:55.000 --> 0:29:57.840
<v Speaker 1>that could have been prevented had we been tougher on crime.

0:29:57.880 --> 0:30:00.360
<v Speaker 1>But what is a society if we are not making

0:30:00.400 --> 0:30:04.520
<v Speaker 1>sure that people who convict crimes are stopped from doing it.

0:30:04.960 --> 0:30:08.720
<v Speaker 2>Exactly, and not to mention the fact, you know, one

0:30:08.760 --> 0:30:11.040
<v Speaker 2>of the things that you know, we have an issue

0:30:11.080 --> 0:30:15.360
<v Speaker 2>with here at Chicago is gun violence, and we still

0:30:15.520 --> 0:30:19.680
<v Speaker 2>don't want to change gun laws. You know, I know

0:30:19.840 --> 0:30:24.320
<v Speaker 2>that the IRA is powerful, but are they more powerful

0:30:24.400 --> 0:30:27.080
<v Speaker 2>than the voices of the people. And if they are,

0:30:27.280 --> 0:30:31.520
<v Speaker 2>why why are we making laws to prevent the amount

0:30:31.600 --> 0:30:34.640
<v Speaker 2>of guns that are on the streets that are ending

0:30:34.720 --> 0:30:37.120
<v Speaker 2>up in the wrong hands. There has to be a

0:30:37.160 --> 0:30:38.560
<v Speaker 2>way for us to stop this.

0:30:39.280 --> 0:30:42.040
<v Speaker 1>Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on

0:30:42.080 --> 0:30:49.320
<v Speaker 1>a Tutor Dixon podcast. How do you stop it? Because

0:30:49.360 --> 0:30:52.840
<v Speaker 1>the majority of the guns you're talking about have been

0:30:53.480 --> 0:30:57.040
<v Speaker 1>bought and sold illegally, and they've been they've been picked

0:30:57.120 --> 0:30:59.680
<v Speaker 1>up illegally, So how do you how do you do that?

0:30:59.720 --> 0:31:01.880
<v Speaker 1>I mean, there's so many Honestly, there are so many

0:31:01.920 --> 0:31:04.760
<v Speaker 1>discussions that I feel like we really need to sit

0:31:04.840 --> 0:31:07.080
<v Speaker 1>down and unpack as a group, and it's like one

0:31:07.080 --> 0:31:08.520
<v Speaker 1>of the you know when you were little, you all

0:31:08.560 --> 0:31:11.120
<v Speaker 1>sat around table and you were like, Okay, we have

0:31:11.200 --> 0:31:13.640
<v Speaker 1>a problem. We don't leave the table until we solve

0:31:13.680 --> 0:31:16.160
<v Speaker 1>the problem. Come back and tell us what the solution is.

0:31:16.840 --> 0:31:20.280
<v Speaker 1>And we're not. We're struggling so hard to come to

0:31:20.320 --> 0:31:23.120
<v Speaker 1>the table. And I think that for people who don't

0:31:23.280 --> 0:31:27.160
<v Speaker 1>live in an area where they experience gun violence or

0:31:27.240 --> 0:31:30.800
<v Speaker 1>understand what it is to have that threat out there

0:31:31.000 --> 0:31:33.920
<v Speaker 1>and to have that constant concern, it's like out of sight,

0:31:33.920 --> 0:31:37.400
<v Speaker 1>out of mind. It's a really hard conversation to have

0:31:37.760 --> 0:31:39.840
<v Speaker 1>if you're not sitting there with someone who's going you

0:31:39.840 --> 0:31:42.280
<v Speaker 1>don't get it. You don't live it, you don't see

0:31:42.280 --> 0:31:46.640
<v Speaker 1>what it's like. And maybe that's where people haven't seen

0:31:46.760 --> 0:31:49.440
<v Speaker 1>what it's like. They haven't been able to understand from

0:31:49.480 --> 0:31:51.360
<v Speaker 1>the perspective of living it.

0:31:52.920 --> 0:31:56.440
<v Speaker 2>I think that there are so many issues. I think

0:31:56.480 --> 0:32:02.640
<v Speaker 2>that it goes back to mental health. We got to

0:32:02.680 --> 0:32:06.920
<v Speaker 2>deal with mental health. We have to deal with how

0:32:06.960 --> 0:32:12.720
<v Speaker 2>we're handling crises and communities hurt people, hurt people, and

0:32:12.800 --> 0:32:16.120
<v Speaker 2>so you know, if you have someone who has had

0:32:16.160 --> 0:32:20.120
<v Speaker 2>a loved one that was taken by gun violence, the

0:32:20.160 --> 0:32:22.200
<v Speaker 2>best thing to do is to make sure that those

0:32:22.240 --> 0:32:26.960
<v Speaker 2>people are getting the necessary tools to handle that grief,

0:32:27.400 --> 0:32:31.080
<v Speaker 2>because if they don't, then you get this continuous cycle.

0:32:31.600 --> 0:32:34.680
<v Speaker 2>You know, someone killed my brother, my sister, my cousin,

0:32:35.120 --> 0:32:38.600
<v Speaker 2>so now I need to retaliate, and so you go

0:32:38.720 --> 0:32:42.440
<v Speaker 2>into this vicious cycle that just goes around and around

0:32:42.480 --> 0:32:46.520
<v Speaker 2>and around. And that's what we face here in the city.

0:32:46.640 --> 0:32:51.880
<v Speaker 2>So there are so many conversations that have to be had,

0:32:52.520 --> 0:32:56.560
<v Speaker 2>and I think that it takes us bringing people from

0:32:56.680 --> 0:33:01.000
<v Speaker 2>out of different areas and different communities and them together

0:33:01.120 --> 0:33:04.200
<v Speaker 2>so that they can have conversations. Because if you live

0:33:04.240 --> 0:33:08.360
<v Speaker 2>in Connecticut, that's probably not your reality and you probably

0:33:08.840 --> 0:33:13.320
<v Speaker 2>don't understand even why these things are happening the way

0:33:13.400 --> 0:33:16.680
<v Speaker 2>that they are. But if you're someone from Connecticut talking

0:33:16.720 --> 0:33:21.200
<v Speaker 2>to someone from Detroit, from Chicago, from Memphis, then they

0:33:21.240 --> 0:33:25.200
<v Speaker 2>have a better idea of what is happening and why

0:33:25.280 --> 0:33:28.200
<v Speaker 2>it's happening because you're talking to people who are in

0:33:28.240 --> 0:33:32.080
<v Speaker 2>the midst of it. We don't spend enough time getting

0:33:32.200 --> 0:33:36.840
<v Speaker 2>people who are going through things together with people who

0:33:36.960 --> 0:33:39.360
<v Speaker 2>have never experienced those things so that they can have

0:33:39.440 --> 0:33:42.880
<v Speaker 2>an understanding. And so when those people are not in

0:33:42.920 --> 0:33:46.520
<v Speaker 2>the same rooms and not at the same tables and

0:33:46.640 --> 0:33:51.160
<v Speaker 2>not having the same conversations. There's no wonder that they

0:33:51.160 --> 0:33:54.400
<v Speaker 2>don't understand each other, and we don't do a good

0:33:54.560 --> 0:33:57.680
<v Speaker 2>job of making sure that those lines cross.

0:33:58.200 --> 0:34:00.480
<v Speaker 1>A few years ago, I was on a journey and

0:34:01.080 --> 0:34:05.840
<v Speaker 1>it was two young men and they were gosh, the

0:34:05.880 --> 0:34:08.759
<v Speaker 1>one guy was They were both in their twenties, and

0:34:09.000 --> 0:34:12.440
<v Speaker 1>they had stolen I mean, it was a terribly stupid crime,

0:34:12.520 --> 0:34:16.640
<v Speaker 1>to be honest. They had stolen marijuana from another house

0:34:16.760 --> 0:34:18.840
<v Speaker 1>and they had used the gun to hit them. They

0:34:18.920 --> 0:34:21.600
<v Speaker 1>didn't shoot the gun, they used the gun to hit them.

0:34:22.040 --> 0:34:25.560
<v Speaker 1>But the question was really did they both have a gun?

0:34:25.640 --> 0:34:27.359
<v Speaker 1>Did one of them have a gun? And that was

0:34:27.400 --> 0:34:30.279
<v Speaker 1>what we really had to decide. Were they guilty of this?

0:34:30.520 --> 0:34:34.240
<v Speaker 1>And it was And I remember it was another woman

0:34:34.280 --> 0:34:38.000
<v Speaker 1>in me and the jury who were like, I cannot

0:34:38.160 --> 0:34:40.360
<v Speaker 1>place the gun there. I just don't. I don't feel

0:34:40.360 --> 0:34:43.040
<v Speaker 1>like I have enough evidence to place the gun. And

0:34:43.080 --> 0:34:44.960
<v Speaker 1>you know, it's funny because when you're on a jury,

0:34:44.960 --> 0:34:48.120
<v Speaker 1>you don't know actually what the sentence will be. You

0:34:48.160 --> 0:34:50.160
<v Speaker 1>don't know what's going to happen to these two guys,

0:34:50.239 --> 0:34:52.719
<v Speaker 1>and I don't know their history, right so all I

0:34:52.800 --> 0:34:56.600
<v Speaker 1>know is there's two young guys. And when we left,

0:34:56.920 --> 0:34:59.600
<v Speaker 1>and it was the whole community was there because these

0:35:00.239 --> 0:35:04.400
<v Speaker 1>men were loved among the community. And when we left,

0:35:04.880 --> 0:35:09.080
<v Speaker 1>when we finally came out and decided that they were

0:35:09.120 --> 0:35:14.520
<v Speaker 1>both guilty, I was very obviously visibly upset, I guess

0:35:14.560 --> 0:35:16.800
<v Speaker 1>because we had to be walked to our cars afterward.

0:35:16.840 --> 0:35:19.120
<v Speaker 1>And when the guy who from the court was walking

0:35:19.160 --> 0:35:20.840
<v Speaker 1>me to my car, he said, what you don't know

0:35:20.880 --> 0:35:24.560
<v Speaker 1>about this case is that both of their fathers are

0:35:24.560 --> 0:35:30.239
<v Speaker 1>in prison and the one gentleman's uncle just attempted to

0:35:30.320 --> 0:35:34.080
<v Speaker 1>kill a cop. And he said, you have to understand something.

0:35:34.800 --> 0:35:40.080
<v Speaker 1>They didn't have opportunity, like they were never going to

0:35:40.120 --> 0:35:42.759
<v Speaker 1>be able to be a part of society because they

0:35:42.800 --> 0:35:47.040
<v Speaker 1>had always been in this cycle of violence. They were

0:35:47.080 --> 0:35:51.120
<v Speaker 1>always involved in these gangs. And this young kid, what

0:35:51.239 --> 0:35:54.400
<v Speaker 1>you don't know, was the leader of this local gang

0:35:54.440 --> 0:35:58.160
<v Speaker 1>in the community and his kids will probably get dragged

0:35:58.160 --> 0:36:02.120
<v Speaker 1>into the same kind of life and that has In

0:36:02.160 --> 0:36:05.960
<v Speaker 1>that moment, I was like, no, why, okay, but how

0:36:06.000 --> 0:36:08.279
<v Speaker 1>do I peel back the layers of this onion and say,

0:36:08.280 --> 0:36:12.520
<v Speaker 1>but why is it because they didn't have the opportunities

0:36:12.520 --> 0:36:14.960
<v Speaker 1>in school were there not after school programs? Is there

0:36:15.000 --> 0:36:16.200
<v Speaker 1>no place for kids to play?

0:36:16.239 --> 0:36:16.359
<v Speaker 2>Like?

0:36:16.400 --> 0:36:19.920
<v Speaker 1>How does this happen? I just I think that having

0:36:20.000 --> 0:36:23.879
<v Speaker 1>not lived that lifestyle growing up, I'm like, there's got

0:36:23.880 --> 0:36:26.840
<v Speaker 1>to be some way to let them have fun and

0:36:26.920 --> 0:36:30.240
<v Speaker 1>play and be kids before this happens a lot.

0:36:30.080 --> 0:36:33.239
<v Speaker 2>Of times, it's a continuous cycle. And so when you

0:36:33.280 --> 0:36:36.879
<v Speaker 2>look at the family life, there may have never been

0:36:36.920 --> 0:36:41.640
<v Speaker 2>an opportunity for him to go on a straight and

0:36:41.719 --> 0:36:45.479
<v Speaker 2>narrow because of what he was exposed to. You are

0:36:47.239 --> 0:36:50.320
<v Speaker 2>your community, You are the people that you are around.

0:36:50.920 --> 0:36:53.960
<v Speaker 2>You adapt based on what you are seeing or what

0:36:54.040 --> 0:36:57.279
<v Speaker 2>you're hearing in your community. So if that was his

0:36:57.400 --> 0:37:02.120
<v Speaker 2>family's life you talked about his uncle, his father, that

0:37:02.280 --> 0:37:04.640
<v Speaker 2>was the life that he had around him. And so

0:37:05.040 --> 0:37:10.640
<v Speaker 2>the gentleman was probably right because unfortunately we didn't step

0:37:10.719 --> 0:37:14.920
<v Speaker 2>in earlier to make sure that things got settled. I

0:37:15.040 --> 0:37:19.680
<v Speaker 2>asked our new superintendent a couple of days ago. I

0:37:19.800 --> 0:37:23.160
<v Speaker 2>asked him because here in Chicago, most of the crimes,

0:37:23.200 --> 0:37:27.000
<v Speaker 2>including violent crimes, that are being committed as of late

0:37:27.719 --> 0:37:31.560
<v Speaker 2>by young people between the ages of twelve and twenty five.

0:37:32.360 --> 0:37:35.439
<v Speaker 2>So what I asked him was, when you pick these

0:37:35.480 --> 0:37:39.959
<v Speaker 2>offenders up for the first time. What kind of interaction

0:37:40.280 --> 0:37:44.040
<v Speaker 2>is there with the parent. Are you guys going into

0:37:44.120 --> 0:37:48.320
<v Speaker 2>the home talking to mom and dad finding out what's happening.

0:37:48.440 --> 0:37:51.720
<v Speaker 2>Is there a substance abuse problem? Is there a problem

0:37:51.760 --> 0:37:55.280
<v Speaker 2>where the parent is a lacking education, where the parent

0:37:55.320 --> 0:37:58.359
<v Speaker 2>does not work, where the parent is struggling, Because all

0:37:58.400 --> 0:38:02.160
<v Speaker 2>of those are usually facts that will cause a child

0:38:02.239 --> 0:38:05.480
<v Speaker 2>to be out committing crimes. So when we picked these

0:38:05.560 --> 0:38:10.279
<v Speaker 2>young people up who are eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, what

0:38:10.400 --> 0:38:14.640
<v Speaker 2>kind of mechanisms are in place to help the parents

0:38:14.760 --> 0:38:17.360
<v Speaker 2>as well as the young people Because the fact of

0:38:17.440 --> 0:38:20.080
<v Speaker 2>the matter is if we can put those kids in

0:38:20.120 --> 0:38:22.680
<v Speaker 2>all of the programs we want to, but if we're

0:38:22.680 --> 0:38:26.879
<v Speaker 2>not fixing the entire family what's happening at home, we're

0:38:26.960 --> 0:38:30.759
<v Speaker 2>basically taking him out, putting a band aid on, and

0:38:30.760 --> 0:38:34.319
<v Speaker 2>then sending him back in to have the wound reapplied.

0:38:35.880 --> 0:38:38.200
<v Speaker 1>Yeah. I mean, these two guys, it was like it

0:38:38.280 --> 0:38:42.480
<v Speaker 1>was so devastating because they were both it was gosh,

0:38:42.640 --> 0:38:47.600
<v Speaker 1>they were on each like their twentieth felony, and so

0:38:47.840 --> 0:38:52.239
<v Speaker 1>when they got when they were sentenced months later, they

0:38:52.239 --> 0:38:55.640
<v Speaker 1>were both sentenced to thirty years. And I mean this

0:38:55.800 --> 0:38:58.080
<v Speaker 1>was years ago. And it's still like I still think

0:38:58.080 --> 0:39:00.359
<v Speaker 1>about it all the time. I'm like, these these guys

0:39:00.400 --> 0:39:04.239
<v Speaker 1>had kids, little kids, like each of them had three

0:39:04.360 --> 0:39:07.400
<v Speaker 1>or more kids, and those kids will never know their dads.

0:39:10.080 --> 0:39:16.040
<v Speaker 2>And realistically, you know, even with those young men who

0:39:16.080 --> 0:39:19.880
<v Speaker 2>went to jail, when that happens, do we go to

0:39:19.960 --> 0:39:24.440
<v Speaker 2>these mothers of these kids, do we offer them counseling?

0:39:25.120 --> 0:39:28.320
<v Speaker 2>Because you know, one thing about it having a child

0:39:28.360 --> 0:39:32.840
<v Speaker 2>go to jail, it's almost the same as losing a

0:39:33.000 --> 0:39:36.520
<v Speaker 2>child because they're never the same, They don't come back

0:39:36.600 --> 0:39:42.560
<v Speaker 2>the same. You really lose your young people. So what

0:39:42.680 --> 0:39:48.680
<v Speaker 2>kind of services are we providing to those families or

0:39:48.840 --> 0:39:50.160
<v Speaker 2>are we just continue?

0:39:50.200 --> 0:39:50.400
<v Speaker 1>You know?

0:39:50.440 --> 0:39:52.520
<v Speaker 2>So there are so many factors.

0:39:53.120 --> 0:39:56.080
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, wow, I could actually talk to you about all

0:39:56.080 --> 0:39:58.560
<v Speaker 1>of this stuff for hours. I mean it has been

0:39:58.680 --> 0:40:03.120
<v Speaker 1>so just nice to be able to have this open conversation.

0:40:03.400 --> 0:40:07.680
<v Speaker 1>And I feel like there's an opportunity to just continue

0:40:07.719 --> 0:40:11.200
<v Speaker 1>to try to explore because I think that we just

0:40:12.440 --> 0:40:17.640
<v Speaker 1>we as Americans, there's so many different light lifestyles. You know,

0:40:17.680 --> 0:40:19.640
<v Speaker 1>you have people out west, you have people out east.

0:40:19.680 --> 0:40:23.000
<v Speaker 1>I mean, we are really a diverse country. How much

0:40:23.080 --> 0:40:26.319
<v Speaker 1>do we talk to each other? So I cannot tell

0:40:26.360 --> 0:40:28.600
<v Speaker 1>you how much I appreciate you coming on today.

0:40:28.880 --> 0:40:31.200
<v Speaker 2>Oh, thank you so much for having me. It's been

0:40:31.239 --> 0:40:31.800
<v Speaker 2>a pleasure.

0:40:32.360 --> 0:40:34.640
<v Speaker 1>Well, I suspect we are going to see a lot

0:40:34.680 --> 0:40:36.800
<v Speaker 1>more of you, Kata trust. Thank you a lot.

0:40:37.200 --> 0:40:39.120
<v Speaker 2>Thank you for having me, and.

0:40:39.040 --> 0:40:41.920
<v Speaker 1>Thank you all for joining us on the Tutor Dixon Podcast.

0:40:42.000 --> 0:40:45.200
<v Speaker 1>For this episode and others, go to Tutor disonpodcast dot com.

0:40:45.400 --> 0:40:47.480
<v Speaker 1>You can subscribe right there, or head over to you

0:40:47.520 --> 0:40:50.719
<v Speaker 1>the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

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<v Speaker 1>podcasts and join us next time on the Tutor Dixon Podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Have a blessed day.