WEBVTT - The Future Republicans Want 0:00:11.760 --> 0:00:14.600 Good morning, peeps, and welcome to willk F Daily with 0:00:14.680 --> 0:00:19.439 me your Girl, Danielle Moody recording from the home Bunker. Folks, 0:00:19.960 --> 0:00:24.119 what we've seen over the past couple of election cycles 0:00:24.400 --> 0:00:27.760 since the fall of Roe v. Wade, are ballot initiatives 0:00:27.760 --> 0:00:31.400 that have made their way to very red states, and 0:00:31.720 --> 0:00:35.479 we've seen over the course of the last two years 0:00:35.560 --> 0:00:42.240 now these ballad initiatives to enshrine abortion pass. We've seen 0:00:42.400 --> 0:00:47.400 them really rally people to the polls. And the fact 0:00:47.520 --> 0:00:50.199 is that there are so many issues right now that 0:00:50.240 --> 0:00:53.800 we are all reeling from and dealing with that there 0:00:53.880 --> 0:00:56.840 isn't I don't think one issue that is going to 0:00:56.840 --> 0:01:00.840 get people to the polls. However, I do think that abortion, 0:01:01.040 --> 0:01:04.720 reproductive freedom, the attacks on IVF and up next birth 0:01:04.760 --> 0:01:09.639 control are going to be those issues that really get women, 0:01:10.080 --> 0:01:15.399 regardless of their party, to recognize that Republicans right don't 0:01:15.480 --> 0:01:20.160 give a fuck about women as people. They see us 0:01:20.240 --> 0:01:25.760 as incubators period to be controlled right for the whole 0:01:26.400 --> 0:01:32.440 desire of production, and that production really what they are 0:01:32.480 --> 0:01:37.080 looking at is to produce more white babies, which links 0:01:37.160 --> 0:01:41.360 up and tracks with their desire for a chrysto fascist nation. 0:01:42.480 --> 0:01:48.760 Insert kitchen, Katie, right, and this desire for this soft looking, 0:01:48.960 --> 0:01:53.080 soft spoken, creepy ass white woman sitting in her kitchen, 0:01:53.320 --> 0:01:56.160 just waiting for her man to come home, with multiple 0:01:56.240 --> 0:01:58.840 kids hanging off of her hips. And that's her pride 0:01:58.840 --> 0:02:01.600 and joy in her head because there are no books 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:04.200 on the shelves, and soon maybe they won't even allow 0:02:04.240 --> 0:02:07.520 women to go to school anymore. Right, this is the 0:02:07.520 --> 0:02:12.480 future that Republicans want, and they're telling us. You know, 0:02:12.560 --> 0:02:16.760 Hillary Clinton did late night television a couple of weeks 0:02:16.800 --> 0:02:19.959 ago and she was just like, I don't see where 0:02:20.080 --> 0:02:23.280 the decision is that people have to make. Republicans are 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:25.440 telling you exactly what it is that they are going 0:02:25.480 --> 0:02:27.720 to do, how they are going to do it, and 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:30.160 when they are going to do it. So it shouldn't 0:02:30.160 --> 0:02:34.360 be a fucking surprise. So for folks that think like, oh, 0:02:34.400 --> 0:02:37.520 well we've made it through you know the first four years, 0:02:37.600 --> 0:02:42.320 well that was as if saying in the first Jurassic Park, 0:02:42.360 --> 0:02:45.520 which they did, ah, let us test the fences, see 0:02:45.520 --> 0:02:48.560 how well this works. Oh, the dinosaurs figured it out, 0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:51.440 and so they can break out and do more damage. 0:02:51.639 --> 0:02:53.440 That's what the Republicans. 0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:55.240 Are going to do in twenty twenty five if in 0:02:55.320 --> 0:02:58.400 fact they get inside of the White House. So everyone 0:02:58.720 --> 0:03:02.520 needs to pay attention just to the ballot initiatives, but 0:03:02.680 --> 0:03:07.119 to everything that is being said and done, because there 0:03:07.200 --> 0:03:08.960 is no quiet part anymore. 0:03:09.480 --> 0:03:09.600 So. 0:03:09.760 --> 0:03:14.919 Coming up next, folks, my conversation with a returning guest, 0:03:15.360 --> 0:03:20.360 Chris Melody Fields Figureto from bisk who is she is 0:03:20.400 --> 0:03:24.000 the executive director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, and 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:26.639 we get into it with regard to where we are 0:03:26.639 --> 0:03:29.679 with these ballot initiatives, what she is doing to get 0:03:29.680 --> 0:03:36.640 out the vote and more. Folks, I am very happy 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:43.200 to welcome back to WOKF Daily Chris Melody Fields Figuareto, 0:03:43.760 --> 0:03:48.920 who leads Ballot Initiative Strategy Center as their executive director, 0:03:49.520 --> 0:03:52.680 and Ballot Initiative Strategy Center does exactly what it is 0:03:52.720 --> 0:03:59.000 that the name says, creates strategies around ballot initiatives that 0:03:59.120 --> 0:04:04.800 can have incredible consequences on our lives. And I think 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:07.920 that Chris, you know, the last time that I had 0:04:07.920 --> 0:04:11.080 you on, I think that we talked about the number 0:04:11.200 --> 0:04:16.360 of abortion ballot initiatives that we're on. I think that 0:04:16.440 --> 0:04:21.720 when we have seen abortion beyond the ballot, we have 0:04:21.880 --> 0:04:26.279 won in surprising places like you know, Kansas, like Ohio. 0:04:26.880 --> 0:04:29.719 So I think that that is a good thing. However, 0:04:30.560 --> 0:04:35.000 I think that we have seen a lot of sneaky 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:41.320 business by Republicans with regard to putting up ballot initiatives 0:04:41.520 --> 0:04:45.719 that are slowly but surely taking away people's rights. So 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:48.240 I want to give you just an opportunity to give 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:52.120 us a fifty thousand foot view on what you are 0:04:52.160 --> 0:04:54.760 working on, what your organization is working on, and kind 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:59.120 of the trends that you have been seeing with ballot initiatives. 0:04:59.880 --> 0:05:02.040 You so much for having me, and it's a good 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:05.200 place to start to from a place of like success, 0:05:05.360 --> 0:05:08.800 right like we are being successful. We are winning on 0:05:08.880 --> 0:05:12.480 reproductive rights and freedom issues on the ballot, and we've 0:05:12.520 --> 0:05:16.159 also been winning on raising the minimum wage and paid 0:05:16.279 --> 0:05:21.719 leave and redistricting and all these issues that people care 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:26.760 about that want to see direct action and have been 0:05:26.839 --> 0:05:30.600 taking that power into their own hands to address. And 0:05:30.680 --> 0:05:34.480 what we've seen over the last couple of years because 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:39.279 of that success, but really has been shown in the 0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:42.520 last you know, year and a half. You know, if 0:05:42.520 --> 0:05:44.880 you care about abortion rights, you got to care about democracy, 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:48.520 and you have to care about defending direct democracy, because 0:05:48.640 --> 0:05:52.800 what we are seeing in state legislatures across the country 0:05:53.560 --> 0:05:56.760 is either is an undermining of the will of the people, 0:05:56.920 --> 0:06:01.240 we're voters, regardless of party of And I think that's 0:06:01.320 --> 0:06:06.839 really something important to remember in states like Kansas, like Ohio, 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:11.400 like Kentucky, like Missouri, like in many of the states 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:14.880 that are moving towards collecting signatures to put abortion on 0:06:14.920 --> 0:06:19.120 the ballot this year in twenty twenty, for states like 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:25.040 Arizona and Florida, right Montana, is we're winning across party 0:06:25.080 --> 0:06:27.560 lines on this, on these issues, and now what we 0:06:27.680 --> 0:06:31.600 are seeing is a disconnect by the people who are 0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:36.080 supposed to represent us in governments, undermining and not listening 0:06:36.120 --> 0:06:40.120 to the people. And we're either refusing to implement voter 0:06:40.200 --> 0:06:46.240 approved initiatives or trying to prevent trying to put those 0:06:46.279 --> 0:06:49.800 barriers that you mentioned to the citizen led process to 0:06:49.839 --> 0:06:53.200 give us the power and the agency to bring these 0:06:53.240 --> 0:06:56.840 issues before the ballot. And one of the things that 0:06:57.000 --> 0:06:58.440 you know we did at the top of the year, 0:06:58.520 --> 0:07:00.640 because you know we've seen this and we are working, 0:07:00.960 --> 0:07:05.520 you know, collaboratively with our partners in so many states, 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:08.320 is try to see what public opinion is like, try 0:07:08.360 --> 0:07:12.320 to understand where the voters are, the communities are on 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:16.119 these issues. And what we saw through our research, which 0:07:16.160 --> 0:07:18.320 is so connected to what we're seeing on these issues, 0:07:18.400 --> 0:07:23.880 is that regardless of party affiliation, voters overwhelmingly oppose state 0:07:23.960 --> 0:07:29.440 legislatures limiting the citizen initiated process and they believe that 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:34.080 balle measures work, that they trust themselves, and they want 0:07:34.120 --> 0:07:37.119 to have a direct say on the issues that matter 0:07:37.320 --> 0:07:40.640 most to their day to day lives. Like you said, right, 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:46.560 these issues have consequences. It will impact on who we love, 0:07:47.720 --> 0:07:51.280 if we have bodily autonomy, if we have wages, right, 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:57.520 you know, these people are acutely aware that there are 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:01.520 some things that are not working right now in their 0:08:01.600 --> 0:08:05.040 lives and they want answers to it. And so, you know, 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:07.960 I think this is what's so important. And you know what, 0:08:08.040 --> 0:08:11.480 our research showed that, like you know, ninety two percent 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:14.280 of the voters that we surveyed agree that the bout 0:08:14.320 --> 0:08:17.760 initiative process is important. It's an important way for citizens 0:08:18.120 --> 0:08:21.680 to pass the policies that they care about, and they 0:08:21.800 --> 0:08:26.640 want legislators to respect the will of the people. Ninety 0:08:26.720 --> 0:08:32.440 three percent of voters agree that legislators have an obligation 0:08:33.040 --> 0:08:35.200 to carry out the will of the people. 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:39.880 I wonder here though, right because you mentioned it that 0:08:40.600 --> 0:08:44.199 what we are seeing too is that when our issues 0:08:44.559 --> 0:08:49.400 are brought before the voting public in the in the 0:08:49.640 --> 0:08:53.200 framing of a ballot initiative, the issues win. And I 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:56.040 think that, well, I think, you know, I have an 0:08:56.720 --> 0:08:59.760 idea of why I think that they win, right, And 0:08:59.760 --> 0:09:03.720 I'd like to hear from you before I talk about 0:09:03.800 --> 0:09:07.160 the initiatives that then are created to not allow people 0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:09.480 to put things on about like the hurdles that are 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:13.720 put in place to discourage people from being able to 0:09:13.920 --> 0:09:17.880 organize to bring ballot initiatives for it. But I almost 0:09:17.920 --> 0:09:21.720 think that they work, Chris, because it's one thing that 0:09:21.760 --> 0:09:26.520 people are very clear on, right as opposed to a 0:09:26.559 --> 0:09:31.080 presidential election or you know, a midterm election or what 0:09:31.280 --> 0:09:34.360 have you, where I'm voting on a person and I'm 0:09:34.400 --> 0:09:36.920 going to assume that that person is going to do 0:09:37.000 --> 0:09:38.800 what it is that they say that they're going to do. 0:09:39.120 --> 0:09:41.160 But then they get into office and they do something 0:09:41.200 --> 0:09:45.240 completely different. Right, So I'm rolling the dice on this person. 0:09:45.320 --> 0:09:48.520 But however, when I see a ballot initiative that either 0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:51.680 says we're for raising the minimum wage, or we're not. 0:09:52.080 --> 0:09:54.000 We're for abortion or we're not. 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:58.120 It's very clear to the voter what it is that 0:09:58.160 --> 0:09:59.079 they are voting on. 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:04.040 Yeah, I mean I think that I think we know 0:10:04.160 --> 0:10:07.800 you and I know very much coming from being a 0:10:07.840 --> 0:10:11.000 black woman and a Latina immigrant woman, like we bet 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:14.240 on this and we've been on our people. Yeah, and 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:20.040 that has been I think what we've seen, especially in 0:10:19.559 --> 0:10:23.880 the last decade of where we haven't seen action in 0:10:24.000 --> 0:10:29.040 representative government, right. And there's a million reasons why, gerrymandering 0:10:29.880 --> 0:10:34.600 the voting laws right, and people are to what you 0:10:34.760 --> 0:10:39.520 just outlined, people are not seeing the action. Like people 0:10:39.640 --> 0:10:42.440 understand when they don't have enough money in the bank 0:10:43.559 --> 0:10:48.040 and they can't go buy groceries or you know, send 0:10:48.040 --> 0:10:50.960 their kid to college. They understand that very acutely in 0:10:51.000 --> 0:10:54.480 their lives. And so for them, it's a no brainer 0:10:54.640 --> 0:10:59.880 to raise the minimum wage. Or for you know, communities 0:11:00.080 --> 0:11:02.800 that are low income who don't have access to healthcare, 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:06.800 it's a no brainer for them to have Medicaid expansion 0:11:06.880 --> 0:11:10.440 because they literally need health care. They need to be 0:11:10.480 --> 0:11:12.160 able to go to the doctor, they need to be 0:11:12.240 --> 0:11:14.920 able to get that surgery, they need able to get 0:11:14.920 --> 0:11:20.960 that prescription drug. To live their lives. And so I 0:11:21.120 --> 0:11:26.120 actually don't think that there is apathy right now and people, 0:11:26.840 --> 0:11:29.640 I think what is happening and why we're seeing so 0:11:29.760 --> 0:11:34.560 much excitement around these ballot measures and these issues as 0:11:34.640 --> 0:11:38.120 people are saying, I get that, I want that, I 0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:42.480 want a bodily autonomy, I want to have reproductive rights. 0:11:42.960 --> 0:11:43.520 I see. 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:45.800 I mean the stories that are coming out of Louisiana 0:11:45.920 --> 0:11:51.000 right now on their abortion band Wild Wild women forced 0:11:51.000 --> 0:11:56.960 to have cesareans, which was incredibly dangerous, right people understand that, 0:11:57.080 --> 0:11:59.440 And I think that is people want to see that 0:11:59.480 --> 0:12:03.760 action in their being strawn so heavily towards these issues 0:12:03.760 --> 0:12:08.600 on the ballot, regardless of party affiliation, and there's this 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:12.000 disconnect again to the people who are supposed to represent 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:15.760 us in government and deliver for us. And so I 0:12:15.760 --> 0:12:19.840 don't think it's apathy. It's that something about the system 0:12:19.960 --> 0:12:22.200 is not working, or maybe it is working as it 0:12:22.280 --> 0:12:28.640 was designed, and they're wanting to see different type of results. 0:12:28.720 --> 0:12:32.080 And they're saying, well, if you have the power and 0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:36.280 you're not making these decisions in these choices and taking 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:38.079 this action, well then I'm going to take that power 0:12:38.679 --> 0:12:41.199 into my hands. And I think that's why we are 0:12:41.440 --> 0:12:43.640 where we are. It's so like more multi layered and 0:12:43.720 --> 0:12:49.480 multifaceted to that. But I think ultimately people actually understand 0:12:50.480 --> 0:12:53.599 the deep impact on what is happening in their communities 0:12:54.280 --> 0:12:57.600 and they are so frustrated that things have not changed, 0:12:58.720 --> 0:13:00.320 and so they're going to do it for them else. 0:13:05.840 --> 0:13:11.679 I believe that Baalid initiatives are also empowering, right like 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:15.280 I can. I'm going to take this on for myself, 0:13:15.520 --> 0:13:20.679 right like I hired write these legislatures to do what 0:13:20.760 --> 0:13:23.000 it is that I hope that they would do because 0:13:23.040 --> 0:13:25.040 I thought that our values were aligned. But I'm going 0:13:25.120 --> 0:13:27.400 to take this on for myself. So I do think 0:13:27.400 --> 0:13:31.559 that there is a sense of empowerment that does happen. 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:36.280 Talk to us about the obstacles that are being created 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:41.640 to Balid initiatives that because they have been so successful 0:13:41.920 --> 0:13:45.960 that we're seeing opposition or you know, different things that 0:13:46.000 --> 0:13:48.680 are put in place to deter people from being able 0:13:48.720 --> 0:13:51.640 to take a valid initiative to the voting boots. 0:13:52.320 --> 0:13:54.640 So it's happening in a couple of ways. One through 0:13:54.679 --> 0:13:59.040 state legislatures. So play in states like a Missouri who 0:13:59.120 --> 0:14:03.600 literally for probably now it's the sixth legislative session have 0:14:03.679 --> 0:14:08.360 been fighting back in their state legislature a myriad of 0:14:08.440 --> 0:14:11.920 bills that would make it harder for citizens to have 0:14:12.040 --> 0:14:16.080 the citizen led process right anywhere, from raising the threshold 0:14:16.760 --> 0:14:20.760 above fifty percent, like sixty percent, sixty four percent, sixty 0:14:20.800 --> 0:14:26.200 five percent, to pass about measure, very strict requirements on 0:14:26.560 --> 0:14:31.360 who and how signatures can be gathered. You know the 0:14:31.400 --> 0:14:34.920 bill that's been going through Missouri right now. If you 0:14:34.920 --> 0:14:39.760 don't have a certain amount from every congressional district with 0:14:39.880 --> 0:14:43.160 the vote, then all that's null and void. We know 0:14:43.280 --> 0:14:45.880 that that's not how it works in you know politics, 0:14:45.880 --> 0:14:50.920 depending on like the population and turnout, and we just 0:14:51.000 --> 0:14:54.360 know that that's not how people are elected. Right Name 0:14:54.400 --> 0:14:57.760 a candidate that often wins every single county or every 0:14:57.800 --> 0:15:01.520 congressional district. We're talking about us senator president, right, Like, 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:04.640 that's just not the reality. And so we're seeing these 0:15:04.720 --> 0:15:10.040 like very distinct, very deliberate efforts to undermine the will 0:15:10.080 --> 0:15:14.080 of the people by preventing these issues from getting onto 0:15:14.120 --> 0:15:17.920 the ballot at all, or how the sort of scrutiny 0:15:18.520 --> 0:15:21.480 in which they have to actually wanted the ballot. And 0:15:21.520 --> 0:15:23.680 this really came to a head, and I think it 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:28.720 was so apparent to folks in Ohio last year when 0:15:28.800 --> 0:15:33.880 they were trying to move forward reproductive rights about measure 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:37.680 the state legislature in committee, Hearing said nah, I don't 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:41.600 want that to happen and created a special election, which 0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:47.360 for the record, they voted to not do anymore and 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:51.360 created a special election to change the initiative process in 0:15:51.360 --> 0:15:57.840 that state. We know special elections, primary elections are usually 0:15:58.560 --> 0:16:01.200 not as many people turn out for those elections. Right, 0:16:02.400 --> 0:16:05.240 three million people turned out in that August special election 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:10.280 in Ohio to say, no, we want to protect majority 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:13.240 rule in this in this state. We want one person, 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:16.640 one vote, right, we want to protect that. And then 0:16:16.680 --> 0:16:20.960 they turned around and they want they defeated that initiative, 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:23.960 and then they turned around three point thirty million in 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:27.360 a year in your elections, usually one million people turned 0:16:27.360 --> 0:16:31.080 out in an Ohio election. Three point three million turned 0:16:31.120 --> 0:16:35.800 out to vote for reproductive freedom and legalization of marijuana. 0:16:35.880 --> 0:16:40.600 So you're seeing those obstacles very deliberate, are very initiated 0:16:40.640 --> 0:16:45.040 by these issues. And then Ohio and we're seeing this happen, 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:47.760 you know, we're seeing it happen right now in Florida 0:16:47.840 --> 0:16:52.120 or Nevada, you're seeing these legal challenges the course play 0:16:52.200 --> 0:16:55.160 a really big role in what makes it to the ballot, 0:16:55.480 --> 0:16:57.560 you know, so that was a huge impact around the 0:16:57.600 --> 0:17:00.400 ballot language that ended up the ballot simmary ended up 0:17:00.400 --> 0:17:02.960 being very confusing to voters, and the groups on the 0:17:03.000 --> 0:17:05.720 ground had to do a ton of work to address 0:17:05.880 --> 0:17:11.080 the disinformation in the confusion around that. We're seeing that, 0:17:11.320 --> 0:17:13.840 like we're waiting whether the a ballot measure, in the 0:17:13.840 --> 0:17:17.320 abortion ballot measure will be on the ballot in Florida 0:17:17.440 --> 0:17:20.280 this year. You know, the courts are playing a huge 0:17:20.359 --> 0:17:24.919 role of you know, kicking issues off the ballot, and 0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:27.440 then you know, once we win, then we have say, 0:17:27.520 --> 0:17:31.960 legislatures that are refusing to do implementation. So we're seeing 0:17:32.000 --> 0:17:36.240 it at every level of government, at every part of 0:17:36.320 --> 0:17:39.520 the interaction of our democracy, whether it's courts, whether it's 0:17:39.520 --> 0:17:43.760 state legislatures, right or actually you know, the act of 0:17:43.840 --> 0:17:47.840 voting itself. We're seeing these efforts to undermine the will 0:17:47.880 --> 0:17:48.359 of the people. 0:17:49.280 --> 0:17:52.760 I mean, it's just extraordinary, right, And I think that 0:17:52.880 --> 0:17:59.760 what makes this time so extraordinary is that it's everywhere right, 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:05.880 It's everywhere on every issue. Republicans are coming for right 0:18:06.080 --> 0:18:10.240 and they are winning, and I wonder, like we are 0:18:10.280 --> 0:18:13.560 winning right, like by tooth and nail, and then they 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:16.679 make another maneuver, right, and then they make another maneuver, 0:18:17.240 --> 0:18:21.760 and so it becomes more work exhausting, more pivots, more 0:18:21.880 --> 0:18:26.359 education on the ground. And I'm wondering if you think 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:30.840 that the people, the voters are beginning to recognize that 0:18:30.920 --> 0:18:32.760 it isn't just enough for us to turn out for 0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:34.919 these ballot initiatives, but we have to get rid of 0:18:34.920 --> 0:18:37.320 these people, right, Like we have to get rid of 0:18:37.359 --> 0:18:39.159 these people, and we have to get rid of this 0:18:39.280 --> 0:18:44.240 party because they are an enemy of rights, of freedom 0:18:44.359 --> 0:18:45.560 and of progress. 0:18:46.119 --> 0:18:48.920 Yeah. I mean, there was a Pew study last fa that, 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:51.640 you know, that was like on the health of our democracy, 0:18:51.720 --> 0:18:55.679 and like only four percent of US adults say that 0:18:55.720 --> 0:19:01.040 the political system is working extremely well. Right, That's not 0:19:01.160 --> 0:19:04.520 a great that's not a great number. And so I 0:19:04.600 --> 0:19:08.159 do think people it's to why, I you know, I 0:19:08.160 --> 0:19:12.119 don't think it's we need to frame this as an apathy. 0:19:12.200 --> 0:19:15.720 It's that actually people are very acutely aware that the 0:19:15.760 --> 0:19:18.720 system is not working that I think maybe it was 0:19:18.800 --> 0:19:21.960 designed in that way, or there are people who are 0:19:22.080 --> 0:19:28.840 actively denying elections and in creating these efforts to undermine 0:19:28.880 --> 0:19:32.080 the will of the people. And so you know, for me, 0:19:33.160 --> 0:19:36.240 voting is the starting point, not the finish line, right yeah. 0:19:36.560 --> 0:19:42.040 And I think people, especially right now, see that that 0:19:42.480 --> 0:19:45.640 part of their job right is to not just vote 0:19:45.680 --> 0:19:49.320 on election day, but I have to be engaged through 0:19:49.359 --> 0:19:53.119 the legislative process or my city council or my school board. 0:19:53.600 --> 0:19:55.879 I have to go to those pta meetings, right Like, 0:19:56.200 --> 0:19:59.240 I think people are are acutely aware right now that 0:19:59.280 --> 0:20:03.840 they have to be active participants. Yes, yeah, and in democracy, 0:20:03.920 --> 0:20:09.200 which is to me has always been my view of democracy, 0:20:09.240 --> 0:20:12.000 it's it's us, it's for us, by us, right, and 0:20:12.480 --> 0:20:15.119 so it's not a path. You know, I think just 0:20:15.280 --> 0:20:18.439 voting or voting for candidate is a passive way of 0:20:18.480 --> 0:20:20.840 looking at democracy. And for some people, if that's what 0:20:20.920 --> 0:20:23.520 works for you, that's what works for you. But I 0:20:23.520 --> 0:20:26.400 think we're living in in a time where I think 0:20:26.440 --> 0:20:29.320 people are aware that that's no longer enough it is 0:20:29.440 --> 0:20:32.359 voting for candidates. They have to vote for people that 0:20:32.480 --> 0:20:35.880 actually are going to do the things that they say 0:20:35.920 --> 0:20:38.840 they do, or is it an opportunity which I think 0:20:38.840 --> 0:20:41.760 we have right now, is to reimagine what democracy looks like, 0:20:42.320 --> 0:20:44.040 and what does it mean for us to be active, 0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:47.520 you know, participants in the creation of our lives. 0:20:52.760 --> 0:20:54.280 Let me ask you this with just a couple of 0:20:54.320 --> 0:20:57.760 minutes that we have left, which is, you know, how 0:20:57.800 --> 0:21:05.600 do you feel about people's understanding of the existential threat 0:21:05.640 --> 0:21:09.840 that our democracy is under? Do you feel as if 0:21:10.000 --> 0:21:14.520 folks are being truly educated about where the stakes are 0:21:15.920 --> 0:21:18.520 in the presidential election in November? 0:21:20.160 --> 0:21:24.560 I think it is imperative about us about to have 0:21:24.640 --> 0:21:28.600 a conversation and connect the dots for people, because I 0:21:28.640 --> 0:21:32.880 don't think it's that simple for folks. You know, most people. 0:21:32.960 --> 0:21:35.800 I can think about my own you know, my father's, 0:21:36.480 --> 0:21:41.440 you know, is visually impaired. You know, my mother is 0:21:41.960 --> 0:21:43.800 trying to do the best to support the bost of 0:21:43.920 --> 0:21:45.600 both of them. Right now. They're just living day to 0:21:45.680 --> 0:21:50.399 day and so you know, they're not always aware of 0:21:50.840 --> 0:21:53.520 all of the things that are happening and exactly what 0:21:53.560 --> 0:21:56.760 it means. But when I talk to them and have 0:21:56.800 --> 0:21:59.320 a conversation and connect the dots for them, they're like, 0:21:59.400 --> 0:22:02.879 oh wait a minute, that doesn't that doesn't make it 0:22:02.920 --> 0:22:07.040 make sense. So I think it's imperative for us to 0:22:07.200 --> 0:22:12.840 just connect the dots and also listen, because I really 0:22:12.880 --> 0:22:16.480 think that people are telling us right now what they want. 0:22:17.320 --> 0:22:22.760 They are in Any politician should be listening to the 0:22:22.840 --> 0:22:27.680 people right now because their message is very, very very 0:22:27.760 --> 0:22:32.440 clear that they are unhappy and there is an expectation 0:22:32.680 --> 0:22:35.960 for something to change. And what I don't want to happen, 0:22:36.200 --> 0:22:40.720 whatever the results are after the November general election, is 0:22:41.200 --> 0:22:44.879 that we sit back and say, cool, the work is done. 0:22:45.000 --> 0:22:48.080 Whatever happens, right, that's somebody else's job. It's actually all 0:22:48.119 --> 0:22:50.600 of our jobs, and we have to do a good 0:22:51.000 --> 0:22:55.200 better job of connecting the dots for folks and listening 0:22:55.240 --> 0:23:00.440 to them. Muslim people are hurting right now and are 0:23:00.440 --> 0:23:05.920 sending a very clear message to the administration of hey, 0:23:06.400 --> 0:23:07.760 my people are getting killed. 0:23:08.800 --> 0:23:11.679 Yeah, right, And at. 0:23:11.520 --> 0:23:14.199 The same time we also are seeing a rise of 0:23:14.240 --> 0:23:19.760 anti Semitism too, Like people are hurting in this country 0:23:19.880 --> 0:23:23.720 and they're disappointed, and the people who are supposed to 0:23:24.840 --> 0:23:27.399 do something about it are not doing it. So I 0:23:27.440 --> 0:23:31.800 think there is a rising awareness. But the more we 0:23:31.880 --> 0:23:34.600 tell these stories, like the stories coming out this week 0:23:34.640 --> 0:23:40.159 about Louisiana, like we have to tell those stories about 0:23:40.200 --> 0:23:45.160 the real impact of these laws that govern our lives, 0:23:45.160 --> 0:23:48.320 and we have to we have to do it for folks. 0:23:48.320 --> 0:23:52.560 Otherwise they're gonna live, They're just gonna go back and and. 0:23:52.840 --> 0:23:57.760 Yeah, yeah, Chris, I can't thank you enough for making 0:23:57.760 --> 0:24:00.880 the time to join me again on WOK and I 0:24:00.920 --> 0:24:03.120 hope that we can continue to call on you as 0:24:03.119 --> 0:24:06.320 we get closer and closer to the election. 0:24:06.960 --> 0:24:09.320 Absolutely, I mean, you know, I think there is such 0:24:09.359 --> 0:24:13.480 an opportunity for us this year, and people are going 0:24:13.520 --> 0:24:16.200 to turn out to show up for these issues, and 0:24:16.240 --> 0:24:18.840 there's some really exciting work happening on the ground. I 0:24:19.000 --> 0:24:22.119 just the question I'm always going to ask people to 0:24:22.560 --> 0:24:24.800 the people in government is are you listening to us? 0:24:25.119 --> 0:24:27.000 Yes, technically you work for us. 0:24:27.480 --> 0:24:37.920 Yeah, technically technically I appreciate you. That is it for 0:24:38.040 --> 0:24:41.440 me today, Dear friends on wok, A app as always 0:24:41.640 --> 0:24:43.960 power to the people and to all the people. 0:24:44.080 --> 0:24:46.880 Power, get woke and stay woke as fuck.