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Speaker 1: Welcome to the ninth episode of Weezi Unhoused. Before we

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Speaker 1: delve into the current issues on the un house front,

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Speaker 1: I want to take a moment to offer my sincere

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Speaker 1: condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and aprash.

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Speaker 1: On January twenty sixth, twenty twenty, Doctor King said we

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Speaker 1: are tied together by a single garment of destiny. No

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Speaker 1: truer words were spoken when we talk about this tragedy

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Speaker 1: and one of the Unhoused advocates, Kobe Bryant, There's not

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Speaker 1: a corner of the world that Kobe has not touched

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Speaker 1: and tried to bring a light to in these dark times.

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Speaker 1: In one of his interviews, he said that his mission

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Speaker 1: was to get everybody back on their feet to live

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Speaker 1: the life they should be living now. This viewpoint, it

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Speaker 1: hitdimizes what Weezy Unhoused podcast central aim is no finger

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Speaker 1: wagging or judge, just dignity, respect and love. Kobe represented

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Speaker 1: this world view. He wanted to resurrect the dead ambitions

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Speaker 1: and dreams in skid Row and everywhere. He also said

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Speaker 1: we have made all made mistakes, but we don't deserve

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Speaker 1: public scorn and indifference from the house community. You know,

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Speaker 1: reporters love to brag that they asked the hard question.

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Speaker 1: It doesn't take that. It just takes a willingness to

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Speaker 1: respect and see the person as a human being. Kobe

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Speaker 1: Bryant did just that. Again, my deepest condolenses to the

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Speaker 1: families that lost their loved ones and to vanessa'bryant who

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Speaker 1: lost their husband and daughter. Can I curse? I'm happy

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Speaker 1: editing go. Do our reachers shut the fuck up? Well,

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Speaker 1: I guess that's the sound bite for today. The ongoing

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Speaker 1: saga at Echo Park Lake continues. We're continually getting reports

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Speaker 1: of constant harassment by the Los Angeles Police Department. In fact,

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Speaker 1: last night the police officers came through the par to

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Speaker 1: harass the unhoused residents at Eco Park. In fact, this morning,

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Speaker 1: one of the unhoused residents was arrested because he had

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Speaker 1: his tent on the sidewalk and one of the house

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Speaker 1: property managers hurled epithets against this unhoused resident as if

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Speaker 1: he was a drug dealer. So this one is for

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Speaker 1: Mitchell Farrell, who is the council member of this area

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Speaker 1: Echo Park Like he has been responsible for launching this

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Speaker 1: war as long as councilmember President Uri Martinez. His cowardice

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Speaker 1: is he's refusing to meet with his constituents that are unhoused. However,

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Speaker 1: he always has the time to lend the police force

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Speaker 1: to bear against the unhoused. So here is a bridge

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Speaker 1: letter that was addressed to Mitchell Ferrell and it stars

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Speaker 1: deer Mitchell Ferrell, don't evict us. We the unhoused residents

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Speaker 1: of Echo Park, are coming to you, as your constituents

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Speaker 1: and fellow human beings, to express our fear, grief, and

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Speaker 1: anger in regards to the severe harassment and persecution we

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Speaker 1: have felt at the hands of law enforcement and city

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Speaker 1: employees over the past three months. We have built the

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Speaker 1: community at this lake that is now made of more

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Speaker 1: than sixty people, and we are facing the threat of

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Speaker 1: eviction and being displaced from our community. We need you

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Speaker 1: to hear us, and we would like to share our

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Speaker 1: stories with you. We care about this lake and want

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Speaker 1: to keep it clean too. We pledge to keep the

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Speaker 1: park clean. We would be happy to help the rangers

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Speaker 1: in maintaining the beauty of the space. We will be

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Speaker 1: drafting a proposed volunteer submarine that we would each agree

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Speaker 1: to be a part of. To ensure that our residency

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Speaker 1: does not detract from the park. Number two, be respectful

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Speaker 1: to our neighbors and community. Number three, we will be

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Speaker 1: combined with cleanups that are in line with the demands

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Speaker 1: of the Services not sweeps coalition. In return, until we

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Speaker 1: have a housing plan in place, we acts at our neighbors,

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Speaker 1: law enforcement, park employees, and park boys due the following.

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Speaker 1: Not gawk at us and film us as if we

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Speaker 1: were in a freak show. Not pollute our living space

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Speaker 1: or the environment of the park. Not harassed and criminalize us,

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Speaker 1: but accept us as members of the community. Not intimidate

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Speaker 1: us with late night police raids. No more frequent and

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Speaker 1: unpredictable cleanups. So, Mitchell Farrell, the tone of reasonableness and

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Speaker 1: the tone of trying to reach their council member has

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Speaker 1: been reached. The tempid response. We will go further into

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Speaker 1: this episode after we get the first hand accounts from

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Speaker 1: I'm and Ahmed what it will was like to be

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Speaker 1: terrorized by the city council under the behalf of Mitchell Farrell.

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Speaker 1: Un House News. Mitchell Farrell has instructed the city administrative

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Speaker 1: officer to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing the Department of

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Speaker 1: transportation lots at eleven forty six Glendale Boulevard at Echo

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Speaker 1: Park for a storage facility and other news. Mitchell Fararell

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Speaker 1: ignores the requests from Echo Park Lake residents no meaning

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Speaker 1: you're scheduled after the letter addressed to Mitchell Farrell. Council

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Speaker 1: member Mike Bonnan discussed about misallocation of resources, but fails

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Speaker 1: to discuss the LAPD take it over fifty four percent

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Speaker 1: of the unrestricted budget. Luke and unhoused resident of Los

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Speaker 1: Angeles get Roll, succumb to an addiction illness. On January

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Speaker 1: twenty eight, twenty twenty. He was a featured guest on

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Speaker 1: Invisible People, discussing his situation and insights being unhoused. Winnie,

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Speaker 1: an unhoused resident in Liverpool, dies after being attacked by

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Speaker 1: an unknown assailant. Trump administration cuts social Security disability benefits

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Speaker 1: to countless Americas housed and unhoused unhoused people camping out

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Speaker 1: near road tracks due to Nuri Martinez War declaration on

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Speaker 1: the unhoused, they trained related depths arising. Among the casualties

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Speaker 1: are Jason Clary and Jupiter Marley, which were killed by

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Speaker 1: speeding trains. The number of people heard or killed has

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Speaker 1: risen from one hundred and seventy to two hundred and

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Speaker 1: fifty four in twenty eighteen. A twenty nineteen grand jury

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Speaker 1: investigation found twenty people were killed by trains during the

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Speaker 1: last four years, twelve were unhoused, and more than half

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Speaker 1: the total were suicides. On jan twenty second, twenty twenty,

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Speaker 1: at the four or five minutes sleep, virtually all of

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Speaker 1: the unhouse lost their at tenths lapd and sanitation threw

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Speaker 1: away at unhoused residents identification card, birth certificate, hits, solus

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Speaker 1: A security card, and Wallace Council member Paul Koretz did

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Speaker 1: not warn the unhoused community they were going to attack

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Speaker 1: and griminalize it. According to Los Angeles Times report, use

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Speaker 1: of fourth cenci is against unhoused people are up. The

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Speaker 1: Los Angeles pred states one out of three times police

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Speaker 1: use force on unhoused people. During the third quarter of

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Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, officers use force on the houseless community two

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Speaker 1: hundred and seventeen times. According to Commander Donald Graham, there's

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Speaker 1: going to be more contact between the police and the unhoused.

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Speaker 1: They expected result that would be increased in uses of force.

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Speaker 1: Adriana Wong, a staff attorney with ACLSU of Southern California,

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Speaker 1: calls the uptick shocking. It reflects the need for the

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Speaker 1: department to examine whether the officers are applying a different

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Speaker 1: standard to how they use force against the houseless population.

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Speaker 1: For some time now, we've seen the city turn to

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Speaker 1: laws enforcement to respond to the unhoused crisis, and this

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Speaker 1: is just another sign that this is a misguided approach.

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Speaker 1: Twelve arrested during Las Vegas unhoused camping bag on the

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Speaker 1: Doctor King Holiday on Friday, January twenty fourth, seven in

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Speaker 1: the morning, Los Angele PD would deploy a task for

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Speaker 1: US along with park Rangers Sanitation to uproot the unhoused

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Speaker 1: in Echo Park Lake, evicting them from their homes and

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Speaker 1: possibly attacking the protesters. Good evening. This is still Henderson

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Speaker 1: from Wiezy on howse I'm interviewing one of the individuals

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Speaker 1: at Echo Park Lake before. Can you imagine was a

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Speaker 1: weapon of mass destruction? No? Was it murdered? No? Was

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Speaker 1: it assault? No? He got arrested for smoking a cigarette. Yes,

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Speaker 1: very true, smoking a cigarette. And so what I'm going

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Speaker 1: to do is have a first hand account on what

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Speaker 1: happened and he's going to take us through it, so

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Speaker 1: tell us what's going on. Well, first, just a little

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Speaker 1: bit of clarification. I am a happy, loud and proud

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Speaker 1: wheat smoker, and it was that in which they caught me.

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Speaker 1: We were outside smoking like usual like everyone else in California.

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Speaker 1: And then the chief of the park Rangers, whom we

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Speaker 1: caught in that lie the week prior for the five

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Speaker 1: day cleanup, he rolls up alone in his personal car,

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Speaker 1: no one with him, no squad, no backup, with his

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Speaker 1: camera and just starts taking a picture of us smoking,

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Speaker 1: saying got you. Got you guys, now, got you smoking dope?

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Speaker 1: And then we were just thrown off guard. You know,

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Speaker 1: at first we didn't know what's gonna happen, was come

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Speaker 1: out and shoot us in the way he walked up,

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Speaker 1: and then once we realized he was just taping it,

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Speaker 1: we pulled out our camera started taping it too and

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Speaker 1: told him it's California, it's legal. What is this about.

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Speaker 1: You can't just enter our space like this on a

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Speaker 1: violation in full uniform, and then he left. But where

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Speaker 1: would you guys smoke it at? We were just smoking

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Speaker 1: it right here listening audience that it was in the

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Speaker 1: park near very tents. Yeah, yeah, it was in the

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Speaker 1: park near our tents. So he comes up right up

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Speaker 1: to our tents and does that. So then I leave

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Speaker 1: do laundry. I come back, and he comes down alone

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Speaker 1: in the car, steps out like it's some Hollywood movie,

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Speaker 1: doesn't say a word, and then a solid twenty seconds

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Speaker 1: later of him just standing alone with his sunglasses trying

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Speaker 1: to look cool. Four other squad cars show up, and

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Speaker 1: now it's a whole shibaccle of like ten cops and

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Speaker 1: then boom, right away he taps my shoulder, he taps

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Speaker 1: my friend Lance's shoulder and says, these two and puts

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Speaker 1: us in cuffs. My question is this, like you said,

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Speaker 1: police officers, it was both park rangers and police officers.

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Speaker 1: So police officers came to get you arrested for smoking

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Speaker 1: a joint. Obviously, for the listeners that are teetolders that

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Speaker 1: do not smoke or drink, what would be your response

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Speaker 1: if they said that you were smoking dope around the kids?

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Speaker 1: What is your response to that? Well, first off, let's

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Speaker 1: be realistic. We are not only in the state of California,

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Speaker 1: but you know, weed is just a part of life,

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Speaker 1: no different than cigarettes for those that are straight edge

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Speaker 1: and don't do any type of smoking or drinking. The

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Speaker 1: man that got arrested with me, my friend Lance. He

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Speaker 1: has never smoked, he has never drank. He has never

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Speaker 1: done a thing other than associate with me. So he

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Speaker 1: was mining his business and they just scooped him up

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Speaker 1: for no reason. All huh. We were all hanging out,

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Speaker 1: he was minding his business. He was sitting next to

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Speaker 1: us while we were smoking. But Lance does not smoke

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Speaker 1: at all. He is as straight edge as they come.

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Speaker 1: But he was arrested for just being with me. And

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Speaker 1: then we both get taken into rampart two and then

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Speaker 1: that's when the intimidation and scare tactics start. So tell

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Speaker 1: me what is rampart two, because I don't know what

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Speaker 1: rampart two is. That we helped me out Rampart two.

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Speaker 1: I mean it was my first time being there too,

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Speaker 1: so I don't, you know, fully know the details. But

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Speaker 1: that's where the park rangers and I guess police for

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Speaker 1: this area is sort of like their headquarters or something

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Speaker 1: like that. Okay, So we got taken in there and

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Speaker 1: you know, we're in cuffs. We're told to look at

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Speaker 1: the wall and then they take us separate, you know,

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Speaker 1: start asking us questions and things of that nature. But

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Speaker 1: what really got me was the taunting from the chief

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Speaker 1: of the park rangers. What did they say? So the

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Speaker 1: way in which he was going about it, you can

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Speaker 1: tell how giddy and happy he was because in his

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Speaker 1: mind he got us, you know, in the same way

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Speaker 1: we caught him in a legitimate lie, through the course

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Speaker 1: of honesty and truth, you were caught in your own lie.

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Speaker 1: You know, in his embarrassment, I would imagine he was

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Speaker 1: just so so happy and giddy to have caught me

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Speaker 1: smoking weed. He starts showing me the pictures of me

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Speaker 1: smoking weed, saying, why don't you put that, you know,

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Speaker 1: like on the news. You want you want to just

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Speaker 1: send that to your lawyer, because I kept asking for

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Speaker 1: the lawyer. They never they kept laughing. I say, can

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Speaker 1: I get a lawyer? He goes, oh, I'll pay the

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Speaker 1: ten cents for and his friend goes, oh, it's twenty

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Speaker 1: five cents to put it in the machine. Will all

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Speaker 1: go and they just start laughing. And you know, one

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Speaker 1: part I specifically remembers it comes up. So he kept

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Speaker 1: repeating this line. You like to take videos, I like

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Speaker 1: to take videos too. So this is a clear case

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Speaker 1: of retaliation. And this is what my podcast has been

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Speaker 1: highlighting for a long time. And there you have it,

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Speaker 1: a clear proof on the matter, retaliating against people standing

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Speaker 1: up for their rights. Is there anything else that happened?

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Speaker 1: You know, it was my first time ever going to jail.

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Speaker 1: I don't have any priors or any history, so I

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Speaker 1: thought I had rights. But all them thoughts come from

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Speaker 1: law and order SVU, you know what I mean. I thought,

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Speaker 1: I thought, if you're being arrested, you had to be

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Speaker 1: read your miranda rights. I thought if you asked for

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Speaker 1: an attorney, attorney would be provided to you. And again

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Speaker 1: that's all you know from TV. But I thought that

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Speaker 1: was my constitutional rights. What I learned is it's their game.

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Speaker 1: It's the police's game, the park Rangers game. They'll keep

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Speaker 1: you in there how they want, They'll say whatever they want,

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Speaker 1: and it's just a bully thing. You know. Now, you're

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Speaker 1: an American citizen and you do have rights. The fact

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Speaker 1: of the matter is I had an episode of know

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Speaker 1: your rights. What they did was violate your rights, and

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Speaker 1: despite what they tried to paint it off, they do

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Speaker 1: not have the control and you do have the right

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Speaker 1: to a lawyer for the listeners that may find themselves

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Speaker 1: with abusive, illegal criminal activities from park rangers, police officers,

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Speaker 1: and council members. You do have civil rights and they

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Speaker 1: will face the justice of law. They just it's gonna

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Speaker 1: take some time. You must keep your coup and you

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Speaker 1: must utilize the legal sources, avail yourself to them to

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Speaker 1: use them. So what happened after you they put you

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Speaker 1: in jail. Well, after a few hours that Rampart two,

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Speaker 1: they said, we had to sign this citation and then

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Speaker 1: we could go. My buddy Lance he signed the citation,

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Speaker 1: he was able to leave. But because I know this

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Speaker 1: park ranger chief to be a liar, I just did

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Speaker 1: not trust anything he wrote, or did not trust anything

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Speaker 1: he said. So I kept mine after not denying you

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Speaker 1: have a lawyer. Yeah, So, and then the thing is

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Speaker 1: a little side note Jed with Street Watch LA. They

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Speaker 1: all came right away. They followed right away to Rampart two,

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Speaker 1: and Jed communicated them. They said, tell i'mon that we

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Speaker 1: have a lawyer for him. Right. They never communicated that

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Speaker 1: with me, never told me there was a lawyer for me. So,

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Speaker 1: you know, every question they asked every time they wanted

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Speaker 1: me to sign something, I said, I want to talk

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Speaker 1: to a lawyer if this is not about God. And

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Speaker 1: I just repeated that line over and over again, and

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Speaker 1: then they said, you want to do this the hard way.

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Speaker 1: You know, a lawyer may come to you today in

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Speaker 1: two days and five days, implying that I'll be in

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Speaker 1: jail for five days for smoking a joint until a

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Speaker 1: lawyer got to me. And because I was naive at

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Speaker 1: the time, even though it was just last week, I've

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Speaker 1: I've been learning a lot about the law in these

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Speaker 1: past few days, but at that time I was naive.

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Speaker 1: So in my mind, I said, Okay, I guess I'm

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Speaker 1: going to jail for the next five days because I

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Speaker 1: am not going to talk until I speak to a lawyer.

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Speaker 1: I just do not trust these people, and I thought

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Speaker 1: I had rights. So you know, he's threatened me that

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Speaker 1: if he catches me with weed again, I'm going to

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Speaker 1: get a felony, which I've learned that is not true.

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Speaker 1: And you know, and in no uncertain terms, just so

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Speaker 1: we understand that what's happening here is not a cleanup.

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Speaker 1: While I was in the jail cell, he said to

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Speaker 1: me verbatim that we're going to get evicted. Don't get

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Speaker 1: comfortable in that park, y'all are going to get evicted. Wow,

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Speaker 1: I'm speechless. People that have authority and power that we

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Speaker 1: have entrusted with behaving like criminals, gangsters or thugs. That

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Speaker 1: is the conundrum that we face as our listening audience

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Speaker 1: has said, what can we do? Well, this is what

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Speaker 1: you can do. If you have the opinion that all

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Speaker 1: police officers are great, they just do a great job

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Speaker 1: and they just get a bad rep you need to

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Speaker 1: stop that because you are passing on a poison. The

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Speaker 1: second thing you need to do is that you need

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Speaker 1: to stop when you hear these kind of stories quick

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Speaker 1: to retort that that's not all police officers, because you're

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Speaker 1: not helping the situation. In fact, you're making it worse,

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Speaker 1: and you're making the criminals high under that shadow that

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Speaker 1: you've just created. The system is corrupt, no matter how

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Speaker 1: nice that copy is on a conversational level. You will

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Speaker 1: go to jail if you are unhoused. So I want

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Speaker 1: you to disabuse yourself of those ridiculous notions that they

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Speaker 1: are going to single you out because you're not like

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Speaker 1: the rest of unhoused people. There was a law abiding

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Speaker 1: citizen that doesn't smoke or drink, and he ended up

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Speaker 1: in jail. Ponder on that moment. This is CEO Henderson

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Speaker 1: from Weedy and House, and I thank you all for

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Speaker 1: listening and may we all again meet in the light

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Speaker 1: of understanding. We're right now at the studio interviewing one

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Speaker 1: of the activists that decided to help the unhoused community.

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Speaker 1: Our last Thursday and Friday and ongoing, there was a

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Speaker 1: concerted effort by Neuri Martinez, Mitchell Farrell Park Rangers as Wallas,

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Speaker 1: the police officers had made it determined effort to evict

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Speaker 1: the unhouse residents of Echo Park. They tried to do

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Speaker 1: it and it's still of the night. They tried to

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Speaker 1: do it in the broad daylight. They tried to use

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Speaker 1: every tactic, every excuse available. They even arrested and an

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Speaker 1: House member for smoking a marijuana cigarette in the park.

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Speaker 1: So here in the studio today is one of the

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Speaker 1: activists for Ktown for All, Zabrina Johnson. Hi Fel, thank

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Speaker 1: you for having me. Yes, can you tell us a

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Speaker 1: little bit, how did you've decided to become a part

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Speaker 1: of the activist and working with end House. Yeah, so

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Speaker 1: I was involved with a volunteer group that my friend started.

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Speaker 1: Kenneth was actually running for Congress and he has a

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Speaker 1: volunteer group called We Can Make a Difference, and they

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Speaker 1: would go out and do outreach once or twice a

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Speaker 1: month in skid Row. And then when the shelter fight

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Speaker 1: went down in Koreatown, you know, Jake John and Grace

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Speaker 1: You and all those folks organized against her. Wasn't building

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Speaker 1: a shelter in Koreatown. We formed the counter movement from

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Speaker 1: a bunch of folks who lived in Ktown and owned

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Speaker 1: businesses and people who were activists, And because I live

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Speaker 1: in Koreatown, I ended up joining up with them. And

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Speaker 1: they actually built this from scratch, you know, Jane and

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Speaker 1: Mike and Sharon and Johnny. They kind of built creed

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Speaker 1: Tone for all from scratch. And yeah, I'm just a

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Speaker 1: part of it. And I like to think that I

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Speaker 1: will continue to be a far I hope you so too.

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Speaker 1: Can you tell us? Because I had an interesting email

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Speaker 1: from Jake John and Denial and he tried to gas

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Speaker 1: like me and stating that it had no anti black

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Speaker 1: sentiment against the house community. They had likened themselves, which

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Speaker 1: offended the African American community to Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parves

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Speaker 1: and Doctor King when they were fighting against the shelter.

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Speaker 1: So was this true? Was there a lot of vich

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Speaker 1: row spread by that community at the time. Yes, absolutely,

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Speaker 1: maybe not so overtly, but certainly for a wealthy, privileged

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Speaker 1: Korean man to call himself MLK is a faux pod

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Speaker 1: to say the least. But the reality is that any

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Speaker 1: anti homeless sentiment, any anti shelter sentiment, in any arguments

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Speaker 1: that are made around that are inherently racist. In Koreatown,

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Speaker 1: which is a predominantly Latino neighborhood, you know, that's really

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Speaker 1: affecting folks of Latino heritage. But in Los Angeles as

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Speaker 1: a whole, the African American community we see disproportionately represented

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Speaker 1: in the homeless population. Well said, And one of the

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Speaker 1: things that disturtaining when he was saying is they trying

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Speaker 1: to gaslight me and trying to nail down what did

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Speaker 1: he specifically say, He completely tries to erase the fact

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Speaker 1: that was nothing that existed there. And secondly, one of

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Speaker 1: the things that concerns me as well is he didn't

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Speaker 1: pick up the mantle if he was so concerned about

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Speaker 1: getting a shelter there. Why didn't he advocate if he

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Speaker 1: wanted to have a conversation about it. Why is he

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Speaker 1: not still advocating for supportive housing in the community. He's

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Speaker 1: stating that he was afraid to unhouse people near our

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Speaker 1: kids or businesses. Okay, what's wrong with that? Well to

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Speaker 1: your first point, yeah, absolutely, the space that they were

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Speaker 1: going to put the shelter on was a parking lot

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Speaker 1: and still is a parking lot to this day. And

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Speaker 1: you know, it's not parking garage. It's a parking lot.

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Speaker 1: It's not like there's a lot of people that park

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Speaker 1: there on the regular. It's just that he did not

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Speaker 1: want it in his community. And that to your second point,

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Speaker 1: there is a lot of rhetoric about you know, this

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Speaker 1: is a family community and we don't want these folks

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Speaker 1: around kids. And again, you know, whatever way you spin it,

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Speaker 1: that is inherently it is inherently racist. It is inherently

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Speaker 1: xenophobick against the un housed, against poor people, and that

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Speaker 1: community is primarily black and brown folks in Los Angeles.

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Speaker 1: Excellently put Jess for the audience to remember. I don't

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Speaker 1: know if anyone remember the issue with Latasha Harlan's and

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Speaker 1: Soon Duja and the anti black sentiment there. Fifteen year

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Speaker 1: old Latasha Harlans went into a grocery store owned by

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Speaker 1: Soon Duja and her husband, and she had a backpack

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Speaker 1: and she walked into the store and she saw a

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Speaker 1: bottle of oiin shoes. She was had the money in

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Speaker 1: her I believe it was in her right hand, and

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Speaker 1: she put the juice in her bag. Soon Duja saw that,

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Speaker 1: and when she confronted the young lady ju fifteen years old,

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Speaker 1: she was underage kid, a tussle ensued because she put

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Speaker 1: her hands on the girl, and the girl defended herself,

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Speaker 1: which was a contention point where she wasn't supposed to.

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Speaker 1: Some people I've heard said she wasn't supposed to defend herself,

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Speaker 1: which is nonsense. So what ended up happening was Latasha

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Speaker 1: Harlans went to the front of the counter, dropped off

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Speaker 1: the juice. Soon do Jaw, in her anti black sentiment,

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Speaker 1: turned around and pulled from her under her counter a

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Speaker 1: revolver and shot Latasha Harlan's in the back of her head,

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Speaker 1: who died instantly at the city. So that also which

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Speaker 1: one for a lot of the tensions between African American

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Speaker 1: community because they owned a lot of the liquor stores

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Speaker 1: and the treatment they were treating of African Americans. In

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Speaker 1: the African American community there were over three hundred liquor

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Speaker 1: stores owned primarily by the Asian community, and in the

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Speaker 1: treatment and the miscommunication therein started a lot of a problems.

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Speaker 1: So there's the root of that. Take us to the

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Speaker 1: night of the Echo Park, which smarn you to do

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Speaker 1: that because a lot of people were warm in their beds,

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Speaker 1: and because I was there, but I'm on house, and I,

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Speaker 1: like you say, you feel something about it at your house,

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Speaker 1: but you felt to do something. What was your thoughts

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Speaker 1: on it? Yeah, well, yeah you were there. Do you

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Speaker 1: say the night I was, I was asleep. I was

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Speaker 1: asleep in my tent. But yeah, thankfully that was uneventful

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Speaker 1: until the morning when the schedules sweep happened. But I

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Speaker 1: you know, I think what really spurred me to do

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Speaker 1: that is, you know, my work in the housing movement

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Speaker 1: and working with tenants. Will you know, occupy a building

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Speaker 1: to prevent somebody from being evicted, will occupy a low

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Speaker 1: income building? This is essentially uh an eviction. It's it's

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Speaker 1: essentially the same thing. You know, these folks live here

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Speaker 1: regardless of whether they ever signed a lease or not.

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Speaker 1: You know, they live in the park. They literally have

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Speaker 1: nowhere else to live. You know, we don't have the

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Speaker 1: kind of public housing that we need, we don't have

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Speaker 1: the kind of low income housing that we need, and

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Speaker 1: so this is an eviction and I do eviction defense.

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Speaker 1: So for me on Thursday, that meant sleeping in the park.

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Speaker 1: You know, I know people in that park. I know

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Speaker 1: people who live there, and they are people like me,

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Speaker 1: Like it couldn't be easily been me if I had

429
00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:19,159
Speaker 1: had the bad luck that they had, you know, and

430
00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:20,919
Speaker 1: if I didn't have the support systems that I have.

431
00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:24,000
Speaker 1: So here is a excellent point of to that, because

432
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,199
Speaker 1: this also is a counterweight, because if you do not

433
00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:30,480
Speaker 1: allow on house people in your community to be housed

434
00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:32,600
Speaker 1: and part of the community, then they're going to be

435
00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:34,880
Speaker 1: in your community and the way that you are trying

436
00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:36,920
Speaker 1: to fight against like a being in the park. Which

437
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:39,679
Speaker 1: brings up another point as well, is that when you

438
00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:42,320
Speaker 1: were there during the day that you noticed the stereotypes

439
00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:44,439
Speaker 1: were they're drug dealing going on. That's what one of

440
00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,359
Speaker 1: the parents was there. Well, I didn't buy anything, so,

441
00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:51,160
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm assuming there wasn't no, but I didn't

442
00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,800
Speaker 1: run into any drug dealers. I didn't run into any biolochemicals.

443
00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:56,800
Speaker 1: It was actually you know, the park is really clean,

444
00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:01,000
Speaker 1: especially around the encampment. It's well lit. The scariest thing

445
00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:04,119
Speaker 1: in that part was a goose. The geese came around

446
00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:06,560
Speaker 1: pretty much as soon as the sun started to peek over.

447
00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:09,480
Speaker 1: The geese were just coming around, kind of like shaking

448
00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:11,840
Speaker 1: the tents and stuff. I thought it was the cops

449
00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:14,880
Speaker 1: at first, but then I heard the honks. Well, it's

450
00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,399
Speaker 1: very territorial, so we might be having to deal with

451
00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:19,400
Speaker 1: a new anti geese movement. They are trying to run

452
00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:21,439
Speaker 1: us out as well. Is there anything would you like

453
00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:25,639
Speaker 1: to add to about getting people involved, the ones that

454
00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:27,760
Speaker 1: really want to do something, not the ones that have

455
00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:30,840
Speaker 1: something always nasty to say, but the ones that gensually

456
00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:34,360
Speaker 1: want to help. What would your advice would be? You know,

457
00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:40,080
Speaker 1: Twitter is cool, but actually showing up is cooler. There

458
00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:43,760
Speaker 1: are so many great local organizations that no matter what

459
00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:46,680
Speaker 1: your skill set is. You know, whether you're somebody who

460
00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:49,400
Speaker 1: can write and produce a podcast, or whether you're somebody

461
00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:52,760
Speaker 1: who is really good at conflict. The escalation or you

462
00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,120
Speaker 1: can interpret or whatever. There's a place for you in

463
00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:59,920
Speaker 1: this movement and in this community, and we really need

464
00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:03,000
Speaker 1: you exactly. The loudest voices that so far has been

465
00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:06,679
Speaker 1: dictating and overrunning it has been the police, the anti

466
00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:10,479
Speaker 1: the housed, uh, some of the house members and business owners.

467
00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:13,360
Speaker 1: They have come up and it overrode the whole conversation.

468
00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:16,200
Speaker 1: And it is this is the time where on housed

469
00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:19,119
Speaker 1: people are rising up and saying no more. We're tired

470
00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:24,119
Speaker 1: of being stepped on and being disrespected. So is there

471
00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:27,199
Speaker 1: anything else would you like to add? Can I curse?

472
00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:35,320
Speaker 1: I'm edited, but shut up? Well, I guess that's the

473
00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,479
Speaker 1: sound bite for today. Uh. This is THEO Henderson and

474
00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:40,679
Speaker 1: I thank you all for listening, and I thank you

475
00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,119
Speaker 1: for our guests, and please listen, go out there and

476
00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:45,439
Speaker 1: get to know your on House community members because they

477
00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:47,800
Speaker 1: are Thank you all for listening, and may we again

478
00:25:47,840 --> 00:26:11,800
Speaker 1: meet in the light of understanding. Good afternoon. This is

479
00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,680
Speaker 1: THEO Henderson from Weed the Young House, and I'm here

480
00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:18,000
Speaker 1: at an excellent location today. You can hear the sounds

481
00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,400
Speaker 1: of the music, friendship and camaraderie. We are here at

482
00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:24,200
Speaker 1: a potluck at Echo Park Lake and this is due

483
00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:28,520
Speaker 1: to a celebratory feel because the unhoused people are standing up.

484
00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,200
Speaker 1: You know, doctor King always says, the only way your

485
00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:33,760
Speaker 1: back could be rolled is if it's meant, and right

486
00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:36,159
Speaker 1: now is we are very proud and defining moment for

487
00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:39,480
Speaker 1: the unhoused community. They've chosen not to be written and

488
00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:42,000
Speaker 1: they're standing up with a certain pride and a certain

489
00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:44,560
Speaker 1: clarity to say we are human too, and we deserve

490
00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:47,199
Speaker 1: to have our rights and our voices heard. So in

491
00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,320
Speaker 1: the studios today, I'm having a talk with a celebrity

492
00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:52,840
Speaker 1: in his own right, Lloyd, who has just recently did

493
00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:55,520
Speaker 1: an interview with KPCC and if you haven't heard it,

494
00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,000
Speaker 1: please take the time to listen to it. So, without

495
00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:00,639
Speaker 1: further ado, let's welcome Lloyd to this. Yeah, thank you

496
00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:02,720
Speaker 1: for having me. I wouldn't say I'm a celebrity. I'm

497
00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:06,200
Speaker 1: just a voice for the people. The best that I can.

498
00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,800
Speaker 1: Thank you crap the best. It seems like it is

499
00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:11,600
Speaker 1: just enough. I want to say, tell us a little

500
00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:15,040
Speaker 1: bit about your story. How did you become unhoused? I

501
00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:19,480
Speaker 1: became unhoused. I moved here in LA about two years ago,

502
00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,480
Speaker 1: and the first place that I ran into was kid row.

503
00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:28,640
Speaker 1: I didn't have employment, and I had applied for housing

504
00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:32,600
Speaker 1: through a nonprofit by the name of People's Concern. I'm

505
00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:36,520
Speaker 1: currently waiting for housing, and I'm also in the works

506
00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:38,360
Speaker 1: of getting my California I D so I can get

507
00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:44,119
Speaker 1: employment here in the state, and so relocated actually from

508
00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:48,680
Speaker 1: Kansas City to Los Angeles. So I've been dealing with

509
00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:52,520
Speaker 1: homelessness for a couple of years. I'm really in the

510
00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:55,280
Speaker 1: transitional period of trying to get my feet on the ground.

511
00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:58,560
Speaker 1: But I do have resources that I tap into, like

512
00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:02,960
Speaker 1: the library, I have a caseworker, I have some nonprofit

513
00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:07,679
Speaker 1: organizations that are currently assistant me. So that's very well established.

514
00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:10,680
Speaker 1: You a lot of the myths that on house people

515
00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:12,919
Speaker 1: don't want to work, you're looking for you waiting for

516
00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:16,119
Speaker 1: your ID. You debunk the myth that you're not service

517
00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:19,119
Speaker 1: resistant that if you share the same thing that I am.

518
00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:23,000
Speaker 1: I'm also during the transitional period waiting on certain papers

519
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:27,000
Speaker 1: to get my housing situations much more secure. And this

520
00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:30,040
Speaker 1: is the reality that many of the politicians, particularly Mitchell

521
00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:34,080
Speaker 1: Ferrell and police officers lack the experience and competence to

522
00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:39,200
Speaker 1: explain to the house community. So after saying that what challenges.

523
00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:40,680
Speaker 1: Do you think it would be if you had no

524
00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:42,440
Speaker 1: idea would you be able to find work with if

525
00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:45,720
Speaker 1: you had no id at California, well, with the work

526
00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:48,600
Speaker 1: experience that I had in the previous state, I've never

527
00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:55,880
Speaker 1: really been employed at any company that wouldn't get my

528
00:28:56,000 --> 00:29:01,640
Speaker 1: identification and my Social Security information, not actually used to

529
00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:05,280
Speaker 1: that or kind of working at money under the table

530
00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:08,880
Speaker 1: kind of jobs. So I've just been used to that

531
00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:12,600
Speaker 1: kind of employment and so and on top of that,

532
00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:14,440
Speaker 1: as far as the politicians, you know, I can't really

533
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:16,720
Speaker 1: talk on behalf of the politicians. I know there's a

534
00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:20,720
Speaker 1: lot that they have to deal with as well, but

535
00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,600
Speaker 1: we just want to bring a light and an awareness

536
00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:27,400
Speaker 1: to them so they understand the situations we're going through.

537
00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:30,760
Speaker 1: One of those examples of a homeless man who didn't

538
00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:34,320
Speaker 1: choose this life by choice, which I think is a

539
00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:38,360
Speaker 1: big misconception that's given out, is that we choose this

540
00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:41,440
Speaker 1: life instead of a lifestyle that's kind of forced on us.

541
00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,360
Speaker 1: And so what we do is we just try to

542
00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:47,840
Speaker 1: find the best solution in the meantime. And that's currently

543
00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:50,440
Speaker 1: the situation that I'm in, which brings up to the

544
00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:54,920
Speaker 1: point that we lead leaders because I'm using my voice

545
00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:57,760
Speaker 1: to state that we need leaders that are willing to

546
00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:01,280
Speaker 1: listen and be able to offer create with solutions instead

547
00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,840
Speaker 1: of criminalization. You did state that you don't you can't

548
00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:08,920
Speaker 1: speak about politicians thoughts and actions, But can you speak

549
00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,520
Speaker 1: about the police harassment because that's at the behast to

550
00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,800
Speaker 1: Mitchell Farrell and the lass Angels released. I'm sure you

551
00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:18,240
Speaker 1: can give us some insight on that. I certainly can. Uh.

552
00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:20,520
Speaker 1: And that's something that I brought up a couple of

553
00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:25,840
Speaker 1: days ago, uh when speaking with NBR. There is a

554
00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:28,560
Speaker 1: sense of criminalization of homelessness, which I think is just

555
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:32,520
Speaker 1: a temporary uh, not even a solution, but kind of

556
00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:37,320
Speaker 1: putting a bandgaid on a on a gash, if you will. Uh,

557
00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:40,520
Speaker 1: that's not really solving solving the problem. And that's something

558
00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:43,320
Speaker 1: that we've been dealing with currently here in Equal Park

559
00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:47,160
Speaker 1: for the last I would say a month I've stayed

560
00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:50,120
Speaker 1: here for I've been here for about two months. Uh,

561
00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:52,560
Speaker 1: and as I mentioned before, you know, the interactions that

562
00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:55,360
Speaker 1: we've had with law enforcement has not been warm at all.

563
00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:58,240
Speaker 1: There's been a lot of police sweeps, uh, you know,

564
00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:02,920
Speaker 1: cops harassing us three times a day. You know, I

565
00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:06,240
Speaker 1: can't really as safe for sure if the helicopters have

566
00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:09,240
Speaker 1: been flying above us have been flying for us, but

567
00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:13,640
Speaker 1: sometimes they've been awfully close to our encampment and we're

568
00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:15,840
Speaker 1: just decent people just trying to make it. That's it,

569
00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:20,760
Speaker 1: you know. So the and I think these type of

570
00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:24,040
Speaker 1: actions are really due to the fact that people want

571
00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:26,840
Speaker 1: to perceive us in the wrong light. And that's the

572
00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:29,520
Speaker 1: reason why it shows like this of what we're doing

573
00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:33,440
Speaker 1: right now are important to bring about own awareness to

574
00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,000
Speaker 1: people so that they can actually see the other side

575
00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:39,959
Speaker 1: and the reality of things. And you'll find that a

576
00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:42,760
Speaker 1: lot of people in the community can relate. A lot

577
00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:45,840
Speaker 1: of people understand that they're just a paycheck away from

578
00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:51,200
Speaker 1: being in the same situation. So, you know, we would

579
00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:54,560
Speaker 1: wish that the law enforcement could feel the same, and

580
00:31:55,240 --> 00:32:00,240
Speaker 1: it just seems as if they are not getting the message.

581
00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:03,960
Speaker 1: The message seems to be that police officers are a friend.

582
00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:06,760
Speaker 1: But the problem is with that thinking of there are

583
00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:10,160
Speaker 1: maybe good people that maybe are in the uniform. However,

584
00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:14,000
Speaker 1: they are bad by the fault of the system because

585
00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:15,800
Speaker 1: in the choice of it, if they have to choose

586
00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:18,640
Speaker 1: feeding their kids and surviving, they're going to put you

587
00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:21,760
Speaker 1: in jail, whether they're nice or not. And that is

588
00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:24,760
Speaker 1: one of the biggest misconceptions that I've been trying to

589
00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:29,240
Speaker 1: educate people who think that police officers got a tough job.

590
00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:31,800
Speaker 1: The job is not tough for just standing up. Ford

591
00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,880
Speaker 1: was right, Doctor King always said the time to do

592
00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:39,440
Speaker 1: was right is always right. So when we do that,

593
00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:42,400
Speaker 1: that becomes a very better uh, a better solution for

594
00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:44,400
Speaker 1: all of us. And one of the things that I

595
00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:46,720
Speaker 1: wanted to talk about is like, when you came from Kansas,

596
00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,920
Speaker 1: what was your profession before all of this and how

597
00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:53,960
Speaker 1: cycle happened. I was a fringe product support specialist for

598
00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:56,640
Speaker 1: a big company. I will won't state their name just

599
00:32:56,680 --> 00:33:03,160
Speaker 1: for privacy purposes on behalf of that company, but I've

600
00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:06,760
Speaker 1: worked there for a couple of years. And uh. But

601
00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:10,160
Speaker 1: my personal work history, I've worked for big time companies

602
00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:15,360
Speaker 1: like GE, Synchrony Financial, uh, and uh, you know other

603
00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,200
Speaker 1: big companies in the area. UH. And I have a

604
00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:22,320
Speaker 1: work history about seven years, so you know, UH, And

605
00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:25,600
Speaker 1: that's what I wish to continue here in California. Hopefully.

606
00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:29,040
Speaker 1: My issue is this For me, I'm an educated man

607
00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:33,280
Speaker 1: and I had certain ideas about unhoused situations. Did you

608
00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:36,280
Speaker 1: share those or did you get an education on what

609
00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:39,320
Speaker 1: that's because of your work history, I'll use the terminology

610
00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:43,640
Speaker 1: on the job experience when you said housing and can

611
00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:46,440
Speaker 1: you repeat that of the question, can you specify please?

612
00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:49,280
Speaker 1: For example, I had the belief system like many had,

613
00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:53,200
Speaker 1: like unhoused people were unworthy because they made bad choices

614
00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:55,680
Speaker 1: and they just don't want to get help. And then

615
00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:58,840
Speaker 1: I had the only job experiences of my being unhoused.

616
00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:01,800
Speaker 1: And then it shiit I like to a lot of

617
00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:04,320
Speaker 1: the myths that were being debunk that I was seeing

618
00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:06,680
Speaker 1: on this on the job, I should say, because being

619
00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,920
Speaker 1: that house is a twenty four hour job. That's not

620
00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,439
Speaker 1: that's not a kid myself. So did you fall slate

621
00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:14,520
Speaker 1: to that or did you have an idea that there

622
00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:17,000
Speaker 1: was more than meets the eye with the situation? Well?

623
00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:19,680
Speaker 1: And then, and that's a very good question. When I

624
00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:24,080
Speaker 1: was in Kansas City, I never knew what homelessness was.

625
00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:26,239
Speaker 1: I didn't even know it was an epidemic. I didn't

626
00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:28,439
Speaker 1: know it was a problem. I didn't know how big

627
00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:31,720
Speaker 1: of a problem it was in California. Uh And and

628
00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:34,960
Speaker 1: just to be very you know, forthcoming with it. When

629
00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:36,799
Speaker 1: I looked at California, I just looked at it as

630
00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:40,640
Speaker 1: you know, Hollywood and and the Stars and eat you know,

631
00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:44,480
Speaker 1: and those those the celebrity shows, and you know, I

632
00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:49,319
Speaker 1: never really understood that side of reality. In fact, I

633
00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:53,719
Speaker 1: had been in LA for one time before finally moving

634
00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:57,680
Speaker 1: out here for a week, and I never actually ran

635
00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:01,520
Speaker 1: into areas like skid Row. Just went downtown next to

636
00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:04,759
Speaker 1: the Santa Monica Pier as a tourist, and that's all

637
00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:06,759
Speaker 1: I saw, you know, I just saw people on the

638
00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:10,000
Speaker 1: beach having a good time, people at the bars, you know,

639
00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:13,680
Speaker 1: late night. But I never got to experience, you know,

640
00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:16,880
Speaker 1: the real life, the other side of Los Angeles. And

641
00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:19,000
Speaker 1: so that's the reason why I like, you know, when

642
00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:22,840
Speaker 1: I hear about artists, uh, you know, like Kendrick Lamar,

643
00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:25,759
Speaker 1: that's you know, comes from like Compton, you know, and

644
00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:28,840
Speaker 1: you got other people coming from you know, areas that

645
00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:32,520
Speaker 1: you know, rest in peace, Nipsey Hustle and obviously rest

646
00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:35,600
Speaker 1: in peace Kobe Bryant. But you know my point is,

647
00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:39,080
Speaker 1: you know, some of these people that come from you know,

648
00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:43,120
Speaker 1: areas that are you know, as not as fortunate as

649
00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:47,200
Speaker 1: other other areas. You know, I, you know, being homeless

650
00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:50,200
Speaker 1: for the last two years, I relate to that. Now,

651
00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:53,080
Speaker 1: I understand what that means. You know, I understand what

652
00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:57,200
Speaker 1: poverty means. I understand what having nothing means. I understand

653
00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:01,360
Speaker 1: what depending on social services means. You know, if it

654
00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:03,359
Speaker 1: wasn't for eb T, I don't know what I would do,

655
00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:05,600
Speaker 1: if it wasn't for skid Row, I don't know what

656
00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:08,560
Speaker 1: I would do, you know. And that's and that's very heartfelt.

657
00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:12,360
Speaker 1: So you know, it's funny too, because I'm going to

658
00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:14,840
Speaker 1: be doing music as well, and that's kind of the

659
00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:16,719
Speaker 1: passion that I'm going to be bringing about in my

660
00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:20,120
Speaker 1: music to the people out there, you know, just to

661
00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,960
Speaker 1: not only think the community, think skid Row, think the

662
00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:27,400
Speaker 1: community here in Echo Park Lake, you know, all the

663
00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:31,680
Speaker 1: activists of a gentleman like yourself, you know, working hard,

664
00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:35,879
Speaker 1: tireless of you're homeless yourself and really trying to find

665
00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:38,960
Speaker 1: a solution. When we thank you, I thank you for

666
00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:42,920
Speaker 1: bringing light to this and and just providing that encouragement

667
00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:45,520
Speaker 1: that that you know, we we all need. So yeah,

668
00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:48,160
Speaker 1: I had a misconception of homeless since I didn't know

669
00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:52,400
Speaker 1: what it was. But going through it, it's not easy,

670
00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:55,040
Speaker 1: you know, and I'm hoping to get out of it. Soon.

671
00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:58,360
Speaker 1: I thank you for the courage you guys have shown

672
00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:01,840
Speaker 1: around the world, your courage of standing up and saying

673
00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:04,400
Speaker 1: no more, we want to be heard, and it gives

674
00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:07,279
Speaker 1: me the momentum of them patterns to keep going. There

675
00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:09,719
Speaker 1: are days that I have to confess that when I'm

676
00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:11,359
Speaker 1: in house and this is a twenty four hour job,

677
00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:14,719
Speaker 1: I'm dealing with my own challenges and health challenges and

678
00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:16,840
Speaker 1: things of that nature. And then I get up and

679
00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:19,680
Speaker 1: I realize that there is somebody out there that story

680
00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:21,600
Speaker 1: hasn't been told and they need the people need to

681
00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:23,640
Speaker 1: hear it and understand that we have to bring the

682
00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:28,279
Speaker 1: humanity back in human we're just being a body and

683
00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:31,480
Speaker 1: we're not human, and we need that to happen. Lloyd,

684
00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:33,879
Speaker 1: I don't want to take most of your time, but

685
00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:35,799
Speaker 1: the last thing I wanted to tell you is that

686
00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:41,160
Speaker 1: ask you is that what would you want to tell

687
00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:44,799
Speaker 1: someone that has never experienced this if they want to help.

688
00:37:45,560 --> 00:37:48,160
Speaker 1: What would your advice be? If you have an experience this,

689
00:37:48,239 --> 00:37:54,160
Speaker 1: then you want to help. There's several nonprofit organizations around

690
00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:56,799
Speaker 1: the LA area that you can speak to, but if

691
00:37:56,840 --> 00:37:59,560
Speaker 1: you really want to have a more direct approach to it,

692
00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:02,200
Speaker 1: which you know there are a lot of people who

693
00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:05,480
Speaker 1: do it and this should hopefully encourage you to do

694
00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:07,920
Speaker 1: the same. You know, you can literally just go to

695
00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:11,120
Speaker 1: the skid Row area on the weekends or whenever you

696
00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:16,680
Speaker 1: feel comfortable, you can come and donate food, clothing, Echo

697
00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:20,560
Speaker 1: Park Lake here we have a very strong and firm

698
00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:24,080
Speaker 1: community that's backing us that donate food here all the time,

699
00:38:24,600 --> 00:38:27,319
Speaker 1: you know, or wherever you meet a homeless person, at

700
00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:29,520
Speaker 1: least just you know, even if you have nothing to

701
00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:33,080
Speaker 1: give them, just for you to be able to hear

702
00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:36,319
Speaker 1: this podcast and hear two homeless men for example, that

703
00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:41,520
Speaker 1: are speaking to I'm African American, you know, and hopefully

704
00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:45,759
Speaker 1: just you having a positive insight. It's just a positive view,

705
00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:50,200
Speaker 1: you know, and not a judgmental view towards a homeless person.

706
00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,560
Speaker 1: Is already a step forward. But in practical terms, you

707
00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:56,160
Speaker 1: can come out to the skid Row area, especially on

708
00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:59,920
Speaker 1: Saturdays and Sundays, just bringing us you either's churches and

709
00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:03,000
Speaker 1: that area as well. You can donate food to anything

710
00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:06,319
Speaker 1: you want to give us charity. You can just talk

711
00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:08,480
Speaker 1: to the missions there as well. They'll be able to

712
00:39:08,520 --> 00:39:11,439
Speaker 1: gudge you in the right direction because of you. That's

713
00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:14,920
Speaker 1: the reason why I have food, I have clothing, I

714
00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:18,319
Speaker 1: have my hygiene solutions is because of you, guys that

715
00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:20,919
Speaker 1: I've been able to survive the Slaan, So thank you.

716
00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:23,399
Speaker 1: I also want to take a step if you want

717
00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:26,919
Speaker 1: to get into the activism front. There are other organizations

718
00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:29,799
Speaker 1: that I want to take for example, Los Angeles Can,

719
00:39:30,200 --> 00:39:35,600
Speaker 1: LA CAN, the Democratic Socialism Union, Street Watch. These are

720
00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:39,800
Speaker 1: also areas that we are active in helping and needing

721
00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:42,839
Speaker 1: help with people to watch and help our friends, our

722
00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:45,440
Speaker 1: neighbors out here that are being harassed by the police

723
00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:48,920
Speaker 1: under the behest of Lurie Martinez and Mitchell Farrell. So

724
00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:51,200
Speaker 1: we need that kind of help. We need you, guys

725
00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,440
Speaker 1: to call these offices and tell them to stop tasseling

726
00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:57,800
Speaker 1: our neighbors. We need you to show up for the

727
00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:01,879
Speaker 1: council meetings and express your concerns and anger at the

728
00:40:01,920 --> 00:40:05,320
Speaker 1: mistreatment of our friends. Because I look at these people

729
00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:07,920
Speaker 1: in the Eco Park, Chatsworth, in any area that I

730
00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:10,000
Speaker 1: have interviewed as these people are my friends and I'm

731
00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:12,360
Speaker 1: linked to them. I may not be family by blood,

732
00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:15,200
Speaker 1: but I'm family by our common circumstances. I'm part of

733
00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:17,959
Speaker 1: the human family, and so are you. This is Theil

734
00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:20,000
Speaker 1: Henderson from We the Young House, and I thank you

735
00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:22,200
Speaker 1: all for listening, and may we again meet in the

736
00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:35,000
Speaker 1: light of understanding. We the Young House is a podcast

737
00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:38,680
Speaker 1: we record every week. We interview people from different places,

738
00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:41,239
Speaker 1: and we use our resources in order for it to

739
00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:43,799
Speaker 1: make it happen, and up to now we have been

740
00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:49,080
Speaker 1: depleting all types of energy, time and patience to give

741
00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:52,440
Speaker 1: you a quality product. Now you will not hear our

742
00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:55,319
Speaker 1: recordings in a live, quiet studio, but what you will

743
00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:59,480
Speaker 1: hear is where we meet the clients or the listeners

744
00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:03,440
Speaker 1: and the guests after these places where they are. In

745
00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:05,399
Speaker 1: order for us to continue, we're going to need some

746
00:41:05,480 --> 00:41:08,040
Speaker 1: help for a lot of things like a new phone.

747
00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:12,800
Speaker 1: My phone is dying, my computer, I have none different

748
00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:15,279
Speaker 1: other equipment in order for us to start a new

749
00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:17,840
Speaker 1: project where we would have weekly on house for people

750
00:41:18,200 --> 00:41:21,120
Speaker 1: that want to share their stories visually, and then we're

751
00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:23,920
Speaker 1: going to have a podcast for WEEEDI on House for children.

752
00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:25,680
Speaker 1: So in order for this to happen, we're going to

753
00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:27,600
Speaker 1: need a lot of help from our listeners and for

754
00:41:27,719 --> 00:41:31,240
Speaker 1: people that are interested in doing something for their community.

755
00:41:31,320 --> 00:41:33,680
Speaker 1: If you would like to contribute to this campaign, you

756
00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:36,839
Speaker 1: can contact Weei on House on Twitter. That's my thing

757
00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:39,040
Speaker 1: where I have a PayPal link and you can make

758
00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:42,560
Speaker 1: any donation from two dollars to five or however he feels.

759
00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:53,920
Speaker 1: But it's really appreciated. This episode, in many of the

760
00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:57,040
Speaker 1: episodes of Wei on House requires a lot of work

761
00:41:57,160 --> 00:42:02,600
Speaker 1: time and scheduling of guests and basically long, far flung distances,

762
00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:06,640
Speaker 1: and this is not done alone. I have help, and

763
00:42:06,680 --> 00:42:09,880
Speaker 1: I've always appreciative of the help, and i also need

764
00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:14,279
Speaker 1: more of the help in the area of finances. In

765
00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:16,719
Speaker 1: order for us to expand and to get better at this.

766
00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:20,000
Speaker 1: We need you to if you like the episodes to

767
00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:24,000
Speaker 1: please donate to PayPal. Theodore Henderson as well as I

768
00:42:24,040 --> 00:42:27,080
Speaker 1: want to send some special thanks out to our guests

769
00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:30,680
Speaker 1: that took time on short notice to be interviewed and

770
00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:35,000
Speaker 1: explain their distressing stories. I also want to thank Sabrina Johnson,

771
00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:39,040
Speaker 1: I'm and I'm ed, Lloyd Edward, as well as my editor,

772
00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:43,360
Speaker 1: Karles Nieto Zin and Mario who has been very supportive,

773
00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:49,960
Speaker 1: Craig Wong of c CED, Annie Shan Taiji, and Jed

774
00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:53,239
Speaker 1: Perriot who is a very instrumental and street watch with me.

775
00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:56,600
Speaker 1: We do streach to watch together along with the residents

776
00:42:56,600 --> 00:43:00,920
Speaker 1: of Eco Park, Lake Chadsworth, and many other areas of

777
00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:03,960
Speaker 1: other people that are unseen that don't want to be mentioned.

778
00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:06,759
Speaker 1: I thank you again, and I also wanted to thank

779
00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:11,240
Speaker 1: my listeners. I had a interview yesterday at a forum

780
00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:13,640
Speaker 1: where they asked what can we do? There are many

781
00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:16,840
Speaker 1: things you can do. One is helped keep this podcast going.

782
00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:20,480
Speaker 1: The second thing is that you can make launch out

783
00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:26,800
Speaker 1: the appropriate arguments and these appropriate protests to our city council.

784
00:43:27,200 --> 00:43:31,520
Speaker 1: Me right now, Michelle Farrow is allowing the vigilanteism to

785
00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:35,759
Speaker 1: set up themselves so they can resist the Echo Park

786
00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:38,720
Speaker 1: residents in the park. These are the people, if you remember,

787
00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:43,480
Speaker 1: in Echo Park, were throwing explosive devices, shooting at unhoused people, attacking,

788
00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:48,000
Speaker 1: throwing missiles and other inappropriate things at them, and then

789
00:43:48,680 --> 00:43:54,000
Speaker 1: using the police to criminalize these guests and residents and neighbors.

790
00:43:54,560 --> 00:43:56,759
Speaker 1: So thank you again and maybe we again meet in

791
00:43:56,800 --> 00:44:13,319
Speaker 1: the light of understanding. As I close this episode out

792
00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:15,600
Speaker 1: of Weezy on House, I am here standing in the

793
00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:18,520
Speaker 1: Staples Center where they're honoring a man that was a

794
00:44:18,520 --> 00:44:22,040
Speaker 1: friend to the Unhouse, Kobe Bryant, and I'm reading from

795
00:44:22,360 --> 00:44:25,960
Speaker 1: nextdoor a email that's stating that Steve and Waughan are

796
00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:30,520
Speaker 1: frustrated from Mitchell Farrell's office because Mitchell Pharaoh wants the

797
00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:34,879
Speaker 1: anti unhoused people to protest like the people that are

798
00:44:35,120 --> 00:44:39,560
Speaker 1: demanding the humanity and civil rights of unhoused people. Now,

799
00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:41,279
Speaker 1: I want you to understand that we all have a

800
00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:44,960
Speaker 1: choice to side with evil. If you side with his

801
00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:49,160
Speaker 1: side of evil, are talking about having the unhoused population

802
00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:51,880
Speaker 1: that come in droves to run out on house and

803
00:44:51,920 --> 00:44:54,719
Speaker 1: vulnerable people, then there is you're on the wrong side

804
00:44:54,719 --> 00:44:57,440
Speaker 1: of history and you're on the wrong side of good.

805
00:44:57,880 --> 00:45:01,080
Speaker 1: You are basically complicit in the evil. This is Mitchell

806
00:45:01,120 --> 00:45:05,280
Speaker 1: Farrell who is the council member for all unhoused people

807
00:45:05,360 --> 00:45:08,400
Speaker 1: and house people as well, but yet he does not

808
00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:11,080
Speaker 1: see them as constituous. He doesn't want to take their meetings,

809
00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:14,960
Speaker 1: and he does not want to even respect them as

810
00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:18,120
Speaker 1: human beings. I want you to remember that when it's

811
00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:20,200
Speaker 1: for election time, and I want you to remember that

812
00:45:20,239 --> 00:45:23,160
Speaker 1: while you're looking at all of the tributes to Kobe Bryant.

813
00:45:23,360 --> 00:45:26,480
Speaker 1: Kobe Bryant had a rocky start when it's the beginnings,

814
00:45:26,719 --> 00:45:29,600
Speaker 1: but he ended up being a human being that wanted

815
00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:31,799
Speaker 1: to look out for his fellow human beings. That is

816
00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:35,920
Speaker 1: what I cannot say about Mitchell Farrell. Doctor King says

817
00:45:36,239 --> 00:45:39,200
Speaker 1: true compassion is more of a flinging a coin to

818
00:45:39,360 --> 00:45:42,080
Speaker 1: a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which

819
00:45:42,120 --> 00:45:46,000
Speaker 1: produces beggars needs restructuring. Thank you all for listening and

820
00:45:46,080 --> 00:46:03,000
Speaker 1: may we again meeting in a lot of understand you

821
00:46:03,600 --> 00:46:04,880
Speaker 1: don't any