1 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: Good morning, Keeps, and welcome to Okay f Daily with 2 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,080 Speaker 1: Meet your Girl Danielle Moody back in our pot Stream 3 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:22,240 Speaker 1: studios in Times Square. Folks, it has been a couple 4 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: of days since the Buffalo shooting. And later in the show, 5 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: I'm going to be joined by doctor Basil Smichael, who's 6 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: the director of public policy program at a Hunter College, 7 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: and Basil and I are going to get into a 8 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: conversation about what really is the Democrat's theory of power. 9 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,919 Speaker 1: How is it that Republicans have done something that, if 10 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 1: you look at it, as Basil will say, from a 11 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: purely political science perspective, is brilliant. How do you decide 12 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: that over decades, you're going to begin to invest in 13 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: the areas where this country has made intense change. It 14 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 1: has come through the courts, it has come through state legislatures, right, 15 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: it has very rarely come from the oval office. And 16 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: yet for Democrats, the only thing that we've ever been 17 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: focused on as democratic establishments are those higher echelons of office. 18 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: For the last five decades, Republicans have been making inroads 19 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: with secretary of States, with school boards, with city councils, 20 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: with governorships. We saw how this was unfolding while Donald 21 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: Trump was president, when you know the Senate was going 22 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: to decide while we're not sending COVID relief to blue states, 23 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: we're only going to pay attention to who's in the 24 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: red states. The reality is that we do not have 25 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: the opportunity to get another bite at the apple. I 26 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: have been saying this for years now. You lose democracy, 27 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: it does not come back. And there is no point 28 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: to be made over the last several years in this 29 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: country that says that our democracy is safe and secure. 30 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: We had a white domestic terrorists drive for hundreds of 31 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: miles to do reconnaissance in a black neighborhood to take 32 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: as many black lives as he possibly could. Now folks 33 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:48,679 Speaker 1: refer to this individual as a terrorist as I have, 34 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: as a white supremacist, as he so proudly wrote about 35 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: in his hundred and eighty page manifesto. Let me pose 36 00:02:55,720 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: this question in the eyes of the law. What the 37 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: fuck is the difference between Kyle Rittenhouse and the Buffalo 38 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: white supremist. Kyle Rittenhouse drove across two states within ar 39 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: fifteen over his shoulder, going to look for people to 40 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,679 Speaker 1: shoot and harm. Now, folks on the right want to say, well, 41 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: he was out there protecting property. It wasn't his motherfucking 42 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: property to protect, wasn't in his state, wasn't on his 43 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: front fucking lawn. Peyton can say the same shit, Well, 44 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: I was going to protect property from what. The only 45 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: difference in these scenarios is that the buffalo white supremist 46 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: decided that he was going to walk into a grocery 47 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: store and take as many lives as possible. Kyle Rittenhouse 48 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: decided to put himself in the middle of a peaceful 49 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: protest and erupt in violence. He got off. Not only 50 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: did he get off, he was fucking offered internships in 51 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: Congress at the goddamn White House. The reason why we 52 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 1: are seeing this persistence in violence and anti blackness is 53 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:28,119 Speaker 1: because there is no accountability. There has been no real 54 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: accountability for the thousands of white people that decided to 55 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:38,119 Speaker 1: attempt to overthrow our government. The democratic establishment doesn't even 56 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: outside of the one six House Commission, doesn't even really 57 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 1: talk and fucking remind people on a regular basis. You 58 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: see me if I were Nancy Pelosi and Chuck's humor, 59 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: every time I had a microphone in my face, somebody's 60 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 1: cell phone in my face, I would be talking about 61 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 1: white supremacy and how fucking dangerous the Republican Party is, 62 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: because you see, what they are not lacking on that 63 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 1: side is passion and rage. Their passion amounts to violence, right, 64 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: it amounts to legislation meant to threaten and cause as 65 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: much harm as possible for those that are not white, 66 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 1: not siss, not straight, and not Christian. For folks that 67 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,039 Speaker 1: think that they are sitting comfortably right now in blue 68 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: states and oh, this won't affect me, Doctor Basil Smichael 69 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: later on this show will tell you exactly how it 70 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:39,359 Speaker 1: is going to affect you that in the next six months. 71 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: The violence that we are going to see in this 72 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: country is going to grow as we head into midterm 73 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: elections where Democrats, Joe Biden, being our leader, has said, 74 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: We're going to focus on inflation. You're going to focus 75 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: on inflation. Yeah, I know that the cost of shit 76 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: is high. I know that gas prices are high. Do 77 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: you know what else? I know? Women and people with 78 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: uteruses are about to lose the ability to have an abortion. 79 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: Not only that they're going to lose the ability to 80 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 1: have access to birth control. Not only that they are 81 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: going to be tried and convicted as criminals for trying 82 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 1: to have bodily autonomy. Not only that that if in fact, 83 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: you attempt to move outside of your state in order 84 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: to get the kind of reproductive healthcare that you need, 85 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: that you can wind up in prison and those that 86 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:36,839 Speaker 1: helped you do that will also arrive in prison. So 87 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: how were we talking about freedom of movement or freedom 88 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 1: at all in a country that is going to begin 89 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:49,160 Speaker 1: to regulate the bodies of people with uteruses at our 90 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 1: state's borders. But the New York Times the other day 91 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:55,840 Speaker 1: wants to run articles about what the Taliban is doing 92 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: to women in Afghanistan, and oh my god, these people, 93 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: how heinous, how backwards? Where the fuck is the expose 94 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: on the Republican Party turned into a white supremacist, fascist 95 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: extremist cult. Where is that conversation you mean? Because they're 96 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: not talking about what he jobs that then we're not 97 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: talking about control, We're not talking about patriarchy, We're not 98 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: talking about Christian fundamentalism and the abuse that that reigns 99 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 1: down on people who do not subscribe to that way 100 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: of thought. Tell me how Republicans are different than the Taliban. 101 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: I will wait because I don't see it. What I 102 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: see is a right wing zealot political party that has 103 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 1: created a violent insurrectionist movement to threaten the lives of 104 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 1: people who they don't see as human. Within the hundred 105 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: and eighty page manifesto, the Buffalo Terrorist talked about white birthrates, 106 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: which is a point of conversation on Fox News often 107 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: from the mouth of Tucker Carlson. Talks about masculinity, talks 108 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 1: about replacement theory, which once again Fox News and entire 109 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: network has dedicated themselves to stoking the fears and escalating 110 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:46,320 Speaker 1: the violence of fragile white men. Tucker Carlson did a 111 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: documentary called The End of Men. The biggest problem in 112 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: America to him, is low testosterone rates in white men. 113 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: So what do you think that the action is going 114 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 1: to be When you have these mouthpieces like Tucker, like 115 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 1: Laura Ingram, like Ron de Santists, like Donald Trump tell 116 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: you to go and take your country back, tell you 117 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 1: that white people should not be feeling discomfort and if 118 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: they do, we must do something about that. Peyton like Kyle, 119 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: like Dylan. They're not fucking mentally ill. They've been fed 120 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: a steady diet that all Republicans have been fed, which 121 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 1: is that black and brown people are coming to take 122 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: from you. Meanwhile, if we actually taught history, which we 123 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 1: do not, all we do is provide American propaganda about 124 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:50,079 Speaker 1: exceptionalism that no one experiences. If we would actually talk 125 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:53,320 Speaker 1: about history in its real context, white people would know 126 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: that they have been the ones that have robbed everyone 127 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: and everything. Raping and pillaging is how they have had 128 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: access to power and have been a part of the 129 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:08,840 Speaker 1: hierarchy at the top. So the audacity to even have 130 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: the idea in your mind that somebody is coming to 131 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: take something from you that you did not willingly. You 132 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: do not own anything, you didn't create anything, you stole, 133 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: you robbed, you raped. That's how we are here. So 134 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: what black and brown people and other people from marginalized 135 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 1: communities are only trying to do is create equity. Because 136 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 1: white folks Republican, these conservatives operate from a place of 137 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: scarcity in the country that they then also want to 138 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: turn around and tell us it's the most powerful and 139 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 1: the wealthiest, but we can't do for the least. Oh, 140 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,920 Speaker 1: because you don't want people who don't look like you, 141 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: don't level like you, don't pray like you, to have 142 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: access in the way that you do. Folks, they've been 143 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: saying the quiet parts out loud four decades. We just 144 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 1: have always wanted to believe that somehow these people are 145 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: better than who they are showing themselves to be. President 146 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:21,680 Speaker 1: Biden gave what folks are saying. It is an emotional 147 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: speech about the shooting, about white supremacy being a poison, 148 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 1: about we as a country needing to hold one another. 149 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: I don't need a comforter in chief. I could give 150 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 1: a fuck about how you want to comfort people, because 151 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 1: you know what people find comforting safety protection policies that 152 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: hold the people that do violent acts accountable, and not 153 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: just the person that pulled the trigger, but the person 154 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 1: that riled up, the person that decided to pick up 155 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 1: the gun. Where is the FCC and their investigation into 156 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: Fox News? Why has nobody called into that? Because let 157 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 1: me tell you something, and I said this earlier in 158 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: the week, if Tucker Carlson were a Muslim and Fox 159 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: News was Al Jazeera and we were seeing the same 160 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: level of violence, what the fuck do you think they 161 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: the United States government would be doing. Where do you 162 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: think that those people would be you think that they 163 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 1: would be safely taken in their millions talking about freedom 164 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,680 Speaker 1: of speech. No, they would be someplace under a jail. 165 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 1: So why don't we have the same rules that apply 166 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: to white domestic terrorists. Whether you are holding a gun 167 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: or a microphone, you are still doing the same amount 168 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: of damage. And until we decide to start calling these 169 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 1: people out consistently and by fucking name, nothing is going 170 00:12:56,679 --> 00:13:01,200 Speaker 1: to change. It is only going to get worse. Coming 171 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:06,079 Speaker 1: up next, my conversation with Doctor Basil's Smichael about where 172 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: we go from here. It's no secret that the news 173 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: is horsepill hard to swallow. Thankfully, there's The Bituation Room 174 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 1: podcast hosted by comedian and commentator Francesca Freer and Tini 175 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: for a lighter take on the heavy stuff. Each week, 176 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:25,479 Speaker 1: The Bituation Room brings you progressive comedians, experts, and activists 177 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 1: to break down the issues in a way that won't 178 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 1: just leave you crying under a weighted blanket. Get The 179 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:34,199 Speaker 1: Bituation Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and streaming on 180 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 1: YouTube and Twitch. Get a behind the scenes look at 181 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:43,080 Speaker 1: Comedy Central's The Daily Show on Beyond the Scenes, an 182 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 1: original podcast from the Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Every week, 183 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: host Roy Wood Junior goes deeper with the notable guests 184 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: and experts from the Emmy Award winning series. Together, they 185 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 1: use comedy to tackle current topics from gentrification to gun laws, 186 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 1: and take a closer look at how and why these 187 00:13:57,480 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 1: topics matter. Listen to Beyond the Scenes from The Daily 188 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 1: Show with Trevor Noah on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast 189 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcast. New episodes every Tuesday, folks. 190 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 1: I am very excited to be back in studio and 191 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 1: to also be joined by old time friend colleague who 192 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 1: we haven't seen each other in two years, doctor Basil Smichael, 193 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: who is the director of Public Policy the Public Policy 194 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: Program at Hunter College, to talk about you know where 195 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 1: we have been, where we are right now, Basil. We 196 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: are days removed now from the most heinous shooting that 197 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: we have seen in the United States in the last 198 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: several years. I would love to say ever, but we 199 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 1: can't say that, because we are a country that is 200 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 1: in love with guns and in love with white supremacy. 201 00:14:56,320 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: Those two things collided in Buffalo, New York the Tops grocery. 202 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: Ten black people murdered, three other people, wounded, an entire community, 203 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 1: and frankly, a country rocked once again. What is your 204 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: initial reaction to learning about thee hundred and eighty page manifesto, 205 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 1: to learning about the reconnaissance that was done, the fact 206 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: that this white supremacist terrorists drove two hundred miles in 207 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: order to commit this act of terror. What do you 208 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 1: make of this? My initial reaction was that black people 209 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 1: are being hunted, were continuing and continue to be And 210 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: first and foremost, let me send my regards to the 211 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 1: Mayor of Buffalo, Byron Brown. We used to work together 212 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: at the State Democratic Party, where I was executive director, 213 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: and I spent a lot of time in Buffalo, a 214 00:15:56,360 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: lot of time in upstate New York. I had just 215 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: been in Upstate New York talking students at RPI read 216 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: to the Polytechnic Institute, and they were talking about how 217 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: they feel that so much has changed in this world 218 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:10,520 Speaker 1: and are fearful about what it's going to be like. 219 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 1: Why when they graduate in certain parts of upstate New York, 220 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: you know it as liberal as the state is, or 221 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:22,280 Speaker 1: we'd like to say that we are. They had reported 222 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 1: seeing more pockets of Confederate flags being flown from cars 223 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: on lawns, language about people of color, black people in 224 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 1: particular that they had not really heard before, so this 225 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: was making them feel very anxious. And then a day 226 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 1: later I heard about the shooting and I said, yes, 227 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: black people are being hunted in this country. I remember 228 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: in twenty seventeen a man traveling from Maryland to kill 229 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:49,760 Speaker 1: black people in New York and he didn't wound up 230 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 1: stabbing someone. This country is in love with guns, is 231 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: in love with white supremacy. We have not. The country 232 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 1: has not been absolved of its original sin of slavery. 233 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 1: And you know, I went to Catholic school for twelve years. 234 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: I'm actually an Anglican, and I was taught that there 235 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: has to be penance before forgiveness. And I have not 236 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: seen this country engage in any type of penance for 237 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 1: either their past or their present actions towards African Americans. 238 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:28,240 Speaker 1: Having said that, it's clear that individuals will travel great 239 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: distances and go to great lengths to manifest their hate. 240 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:36,359 Speaker 1: And we what we have seen certainly in the last 241 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: few days, but we continue to see in our country 242 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:44,679 Speaker 1: this inability for the nation to really not only reconcile 243 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: with the existence of domestic terrorism, but even fomented in 244 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 1: many instes certainly during the Trump earn. We can spend 245 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 1: a lot of time talking about Trump, we have, but 246 00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:00,200 Speaker 1: it really didn't start with him. It just gave people 247 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: who had these thoughts, who were organizing, and that's an 248 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:07,119 Speaker 1: important point, organizing around these thoughts and feelings about black people. 249 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 1: It gave them an opportunity to bring that to the 250 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: forefront without fear of retribution or consequence. And I think that, 251 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: in many ways is the biggest one of the biggest 252 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: lessons of the Trump era for me, action without consequence. Right, 253 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:27,600 Speaker 1: that folks feel compelled to and able to engage in 254 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: this behavior without fear that they'll have their guns taken away, 255 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: without fear that they're going to be prosecuted. That a 256 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:40,320 Speaker 1: guy Kyle Rittenhouse killed protesters in Kenosha, right, And so 257 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:44,400 Speaker 1: without that accountability, there is this freedom to act. And 258 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:48,639 Speaker 1: that makes me feel nervous for the first time in 259 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: my life. And I grew up in a bron and 260 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:54,720 Speaker 1: I've been shot when I was twelve, but I feel 261 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,399 Speaker 1: that as a as a black man, in this black body, 262 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 1: there are no safe spaces for me, and I've not 263 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 1: felt that way before a mon and that makes me 264 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,919 Speaker 1: really terrify because My question was going to be, you know, 265 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: when was there a time when you did feel safe? Right? 266 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:18,879 Speaker 1: But the reality is that we have watched a progression, 267 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:22,280 Speaker 1: just like your students that were talking about seeing the 268 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: slow population of Confederate flags. Similarly, I'm from out east 269 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:34,400 Speaker 1: on Long Island and Trump Country had has taken over 270 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:38,159 Speaker 1: Suffolk County in New York, and in my neighborhood that 271 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 1: I grew up in, right, it was always ninety six 272 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 1: ninety seven percent white, But I never felt unsafe as 273 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:50,960 Speaker 1: I started to see Trump flags populated, right. And I 274 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 1: mean not just a flag that says you know the 275 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:57,399 Speaker 1: candidate or the person that you're supporting, but it's the 276 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 1: actual threatening language that they are lying so freely in 277 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 1: front of their homes or riding around in their cars, 278 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,160 Speaker 1: like go ahead and take my gun if you want 279 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:12,680 Speaker 1: to this type of threatening posture. You know, what do 280 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: you if there were to be some type of penance, 281 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:21,439 Speaker 1: wouldn't that come from our education system, which I believe 282 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 1: has been the biggest perpetuator of white supremacy, and the 283 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: gaslight of American excellence comes from our public school system. 284 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:32,560 Speaker 1: A couple of things about that, weren't I also, yes, 285 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 1: I also don't think that I don't think a lot 286 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: of times people have this language. We all need to 287 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:40,919 Speaker 1: come to the table. And I'm like, wait a minute. 288 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 1: Black folk has been at this table for a long time. 289 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:47,119 Speaker 1: We've been saying this for a long time. And when 290 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:50,640 Speaker 1: Trump became president or started running for president, you're like, hey, 291 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: all right, even if you don't like Hillary, but this 292 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 1: thing here you've got to pay attention to because it's 293 00:20:56,520 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: a problem waiting to happen. So we've been at the table, 294 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: were waiting for a willing partner. So that said, Um, 295 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: you know, I feel very strongly that you know, this 296 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 1: is a conversation that it's happened in the black community. 297 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,119 Speaker 1: It needs to really happen in the way we should 298 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:16,920 Speaker 1: be there because we've got to be able to aid 299 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,479 Speaker 1: that conversation. But this is this is this is coming 300 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: for them. This isn't just about us. It hits us first, 301 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,359 Speaker 1: perhaps first and foremost, but it's also coming for different 302 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 1: parts of the white community too. So if they're not 303 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:31,920 Speaker 1: really awakened them and aware of this, it's going to 304 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 1: come to their doorstep next having and it already has 305 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:38,200 Speaker 1: in many instances. Oklahoma City, among other terms, right. So 306 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:43,360 Speaker 1: it's it's there the shooting of the baseball the congressional 307 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 1: baseball game, right, and even then they did not think 308 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:48,679 Speaker 1: to curb gun violence. The second point I want to 309 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,640 Speaker 1: make is on the flags themselves, because I've seen flags 310 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 1: from twenty sixteen, I've seen flags to twenty twenty, and 311 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: I'm seeing flags for twenty twenty four. What that says 312 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: to me is that this isn't just about the election. 313 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:05,359 Speaker 1: This is about a movement. It's about their movement. Trump 314 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:07,359 Speaker 1: might be the focal point of it and made by 315 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 1: the face of it, but it's a larger movement when 316 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: you see that kind of energy and vigor, right. And 317 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: the problem that we have is that on the other side, 318 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:20,400 Speaker 1: there isn't that movement. It is an incident to incident 319 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:23,920 Speaker 1: activity and objective. It is not a social political movement 320 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 1: meant to push that back. And that is one of 321 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,439 Speaker 1: the things that I that I'm nervous about that I 322 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,400 Speaker 1: talk about a lot, that there isn't that same level 323 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 1: of energy. Should we be focused more on what's happening 324 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:38,840 Speaker 1: in the schools, absolutely, but we should have always been 325 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: this whole thing about critical race theory, banning books and 326 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 1: so on. That's a that's not new, but it is 327 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:49,159 Speaker 1: a proxy for issues of race. It's a proxy for 328 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:53,719 Speaker 1: more or conversations about inclusivity that people don't want to have. 329 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: But here's my issue from an organizing standpoint, there are 330 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:03,639 Speaker 1: almost fourteen thousand school districts in the country. That means 331 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:06,640 Speaker 1: that there are fourteen thousand opportunities for us to be 332 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: in the room making arguments, organizing parents, which is what 333 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,760 Speaker 1: folks of color and African Americans they did pre and 334 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 1: post Brown. We did it pre brand talk about folks 335 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:21,399 Speaker 1: like Ella Baker in Harlem, among others, that were organizing 336 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 1: parents because they she believed and others believe that when 337 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:28,119 Speaker 1: you organize parents around the urgency of us happening in schools, 338 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:30,320 Speaker 1: you get them to develop urgency around other things in 339 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:34,199 Speaker 1: their community. So it leads to change. That is that 340 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 1: at the school level, but also at the city, state, 341 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 1: federal level, we're not doing that right now. The party 342 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:42,640 Speaker 1: could be doing that, should be doing that. They're not 343 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,439 Speaker 1: doing that. How does that change? That doesn't change on 344 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,080 Speaker 1: a dime. And that's the problem. But I think about 345 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 1: why I got motivated to be a politics because I 346 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:54,000 Speaker 1: saw Jesse in eighty four and eighty eight on TV 347 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: saying the party need to be more inclusive. In eighty 348 00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: eight he did it. And think about what happens. Eighty nine, 349 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 1: David It becomes the first black man of New York City. 350 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:05,440 Speaker 1: Ninety two, Doug A. Wil It becomes the first elected 351 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:09,120 Speaker 1: black governor of Virginia. Bill Clinton gets elected that same year, 352 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: and he started to see all these African Americans in 353 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:16,920 Speaker 1: positions of power. Alexis Herman, Rodney Slater, Ron Brown becomes 354 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:20,200 Speaker 1: was a DNC chair Secretary of Compress at one point. 355 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:24,159 Speaker 1: There is a direct there's a micro and sort of 356 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: a macro effect of my political engagement through Jesse's engagement 357 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: and movement. Right where is that movement today? Maybe it 358 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: was Bernie, maybe it's the Poor People's Movement, Reverend Barber. 359 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:41,199 Speaker 1: But there has to be something that brings us to 360 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: the table in every school district and every police precinct, 361 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:48,040 Speaker 1: every police jurisdiction across the country that gets as an 362 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: energized and engage you know. I do interviews with my friend, 363 00:24:55,960 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 1: another doctor, doctor Jonathan Mexol, who is the author of 364 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:04,159 Speaker 1: Dying of Whiteness, and he said to me recently, the 365 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:07,679 Speaker 1: problem that I'm seeing. And the consistent problem is that 366 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:11,199 Speaker 1: Republicans have a theory of change, a theory of power 367 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 1: is what he said, Actually, what is the Democrat's theory 368 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:19,399 Speaker 1: of power? And he said because marching and protesting great, 369 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:23,080 Speaker 1: But like you said, that is reaction to reaction. It 370 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:27,480 Speaker 1: is momentary, right, It is not about a consistent strategy 371 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:31,160 Speaker 1: or plan. If you were to say what you believe 372 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:34,440 Speaker 1: the democrats theory of power to be, what would that be? 373 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: I would have to say it is winning elections to 374 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: have more more of Democrats in the House of a Senate, 375 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: more governorships. Okay, The problem is there are two issues 376 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 1: with that one, because that is an election cycle to 377 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:56,440 Speaker 1: cycle strategy. If you think about what Republicans do from 378 00:25:56,440 --> 00:26:00,600 Speaker 1: a straight political science point of view, it's actually amazing. 379 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:06,440 Speaker 1: They have realized that in order to force change they 380 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 1: have to move multiple institutions at the same time. Think 381 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 1: about what they've done with judges. Think about what they're 382 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 1: doing with schools. Think about what they're doing with secretaries 383 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:19,400 Speaker 1: of state, many of whom are elected in this country 384 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: and run our election systems. They're focused on those elections, right, 385 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: all of these different institutions they are focused on and 386 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: managing operations and policies at the same time. And mind you, 387 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: these are institutions not previously designed for us. That's another issue. 388 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 1: But the fact is that these are institutions that they 389 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:46,919 Speaker 1: are moving and manipulating over time to force their theory 390 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:49,359 Speaker 1: of change. Because as you say, over time, because I 391 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:51,879 Speaker 1: want people to realize too, this is not something that 392 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:56,359 Speaker 1: has happening over night. Absolutely, this is the way that 393 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 1: Republicans have been moving. It has been a five and 394 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 1: six decade movement. That is that is now perfectly aligned 395 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 1: and meeting the moment that they but they have planned 396 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 1: for for decades. And they do it even through substantial laws. 397 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: They'll say, they'll say they'll take that lass, they'll take 398 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: the they'll take the Obama victory over over McCain, fine, 399 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 1: over Romney, fine, because we focused on this other stuff 400 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:29,879 Speaker 1: down here, right, They'll take substantial losses because they know 401 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 1: they're playing the long game. And if you think about 402 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:36,199 Speaker 1: the if you think about one particular issue, well, if 403 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 1: you took out any particular issue that's decided on a 404 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:41,920 Speaker 1: state level, like let's say voting rights, right, think about 405 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 1: what they have to do to make sure that they 406 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 1: change state legislatures across the country. During the Obama presidency, 407 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 1: Democrats lost about a thousand state legislatives LEAs across the 408 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 1: country on thousand, Now what that and it flipped state legislatures, 409 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 1: and in doing so, the Republicans are saying, hey, there's 410 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: a lot of policy on the federal level. Presidents matter absolutely, 411 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:07,480 Speaker 1: but state policy, state vocal policy, that's what's really that's 412 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 1: where the reborn really needs to grow. Let's stop focusing 413 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:13,399 Speaker 1: on that. We weren't focused on. Democrats weren't focused and 414 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:15,879 Speaker 1: as a result, we don't We didn't even contest in 415 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:18,080 Speaker 1: many races. There are races we don't even contest in 416 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:20,960 Speaker 1: because it's a foregone conclusion that we can't win or whatever. 417 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:26,480 Speaker 1: All right, But in making these decisions cycle to cycle, 418 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 1: you lose sight of the long term plan, which is 419 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,000 Speaker 1: what the Republicans have had for decades. As you said, 420 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 1: So here we have arrived where we have midterms in 421 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 1: six months. We have the Democratic Party that says that 422 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 1: they are going to run on inflation, not white supremacy, 423 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 1: not fascism, not authoritarianism, not voting, not any of those things. 424 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:58,600 Speaker 1: They're going to run on inflation. And I'm not saying 425 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: that kitchen table issues issues that the gasp. I'm not 426 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 1: saying that those don't matter. I'm saying that in the 427 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 1: large grand scheme of things, if you are not living 428 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:13,040 Speaker 1: inside of a democracy, those things start to matter less, 429 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 1: right because the gaps between the haves and the have 430 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:22,720 Speaker 1: not are going to be just ripped further apart. What 431 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 1: do we do because again we're only focused on mid terms, 432 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 1: then we're focused on twenty twenty four. I don't know 433 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 1: this country makes it to twenty twenty four intact. And 434 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 1: I have been saying that, and people tell me that 435 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:40,040 Speaker 1: I'm hyperbolic, and I'm like, tell me where I have 436 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: lied over the last several years. When I said in 437 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:46,200 Speaker 1: twenty sixteen that Donald Trump's presidency was going to be 438 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: white supremacies last stand, I said that on air the 439 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 1: minute that Florida went bread, here we are, and it's 440 00:29:54,200 --> 00:30:00,200 Speaker 1: not white supremacies last stand. It is a reaffirmation. Right. 441 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,680 Speaker 1: So that is the one clarification that I would make 442 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: about what I said. I said, Oh, this is going 443 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:07,960 Speaker 1: to be their last stand. No, they have doubled down 444 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 1: and they are reaffirming what white supremacy looks like in 445 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:18,200 Speaker 1: the twenty first century, and so six months I believe 446 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:21,480 Speaker 1: we will have another shooting. I think that we were 447 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:27,200 Speaker 1: going to see them more and more, because I honestly 448 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: I don't know the difference between what Kyle Rittenhouse did 449 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:34,320 Speaker 1: and what Peyton Gendrin did. I really I have no 450 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 1: except one was a march that you decided to shoot 451 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 1: up and a judge said that that was okay. But 452 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 1: you decided to drive cross states in order to do that. 453 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 1: This man decided to drive two hundred miles and shoot 454 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:51,440 Speaker 1: up a grocery store. What's what? Where's it? What's a difference? 455 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:56,680 Speaker 1: So what do you see over the next six months. Well, 456 00:30:56,720 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 1: the one thing that really troubles me is to a 457 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: point that you made earlier. You know, there's a really 458 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:04,040 Speaker 1: interesting report that I was done at. Seventy five percent 459 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 1: of the world's population now lives in the lives in 460 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 1: a country where the democracy is in backside, the democratic 461 00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 1: backside seventy percent of the world's population in the United 462 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:19,920 Speaker 1: States included. So our institutions are failing us and a 463 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 1: smaller and smaller number of people are making decisions for 464 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:27,280 Speaker 1: more and more of us. What I think, the point 465 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:29,760 Speaker 1: that I made before is is probably where I would 466 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:32,720 Speaker 1: go with this, because my mentor in this business told 467 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: me very very early on, people vote for one or 468 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:40,400 Speaker 1: two reasons, pride or anger. And if we're thinking about pride, right, 469 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:44,840 Speaker 1: what has really brought out people in major ways? Anger 470 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 1: doesn't do it enough, at least on the Democratic side. 471 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 1: It's got to be a little more kind. We kind 472 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,520 Speaker 1: of have to love people, right. And if I think 473 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 1: about it, if I think about major political movements, I 474 00:31:55,800 --> 00:32:01,080 Speaker 1: think that's where the Democrats should go. Clearly, it's really 475 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 1: difficult for the establishment to create it in and of itself. 476 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:06,600 Speaker 1: So go where the heat is. Go where the strength 477 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:09,000 Speaker 1: and the power is. If that means signing on and 478 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,200 Speaker 1: get it right, getting Rever Barbara or others to take 479 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:14,440 Speaker 1: a more forceful role in moving people through the party, 480 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:17,120 Speaker 1: do that. But we've got to go, We've got to 481 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 1: go where that power is. And I don't think I 482 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:24,520 Speaker 1: don't think the system, the institutions, the party, its structure 483 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:26,800 Speaker 1: itself is set up to do that. But we need 484 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 1: to find that. We need to find that thing that 485 00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: really creates that social political movement. It's happening in ways 486 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:35,800 Speaker 1: that are I don't want to say that disconnected but 487 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:40,120 Speaker 1: they are much more they're not as connected to what 488 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:45,280 Speaker 1: happens in the party as much as it probably should having. 489 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:48,720 Speaker 1: In addition to that, I also feel, and I'm going 490 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 1: to do a little more research on this, that one 491 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:54,000 Speaker 1: of the problems is trying to overlay all that we're 492 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:57,800 Speaker 1: doing on top of a Democratic coalition that no longer exists. 493 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:02,480 Speaker 1: Because if you look at that coalition that got Obama elected, 494 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:05,240 Speaker 1: there's the folks of color or the black foots, didn't 495 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:07,120 Speaker 1: come out for about a year, but eventually did it 496 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:11,720 Speaker 1: what we would call those Latte liberals, lives the liberals, 497 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:15,680 Speaker 1: high income, high educational team and Democrats, and historically it 498 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 1: was also blue collar, white white nails, mostly organized labor. 499 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:24,240 Speaker 1: The problem is that Obama did very well around those 500 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 1: high educational team and high income earners early on, eventually 501 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:30,800 Speaker 1: got people of color. That working class population never went 502 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 1: to him, and I think there's still this conversation about 503 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:38,080 Speaker 1: trying to bring those folks back into the party, trying 504 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:40,760 Speaker 1: to go get rural voters, try to talk to these 505 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:45,800 Speaker 1: suburban voters. All valuable and I think worthwhile, but we 506 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 1: really have to sit down and think about who the 507 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:52,320 Speaker 1: new Democratic coalition is, including a lot of young voters 508 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:57,120 Speaker 1: who need to who want to be a part of 509 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:00,080 Speaker 1: something right, including a lot of young birds voters. We 510 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 1: need to find what those people, who those people are, 511 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 1: what those policies are, and focus on that because if 512 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:09,520 Speaker 1: we try to, if we're trying to cobble together a 513 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:12,960 Speaker 1: frame coalition, it's going to keep falling out of our hands. 514 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 1: We need to find something that's strong, that is resilient 515 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:21,160 Speaker 1: and build upon that with the kind of policies like 516 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:24,080 Speaker 1: whether it's affordable college or more toward universal health care, 517 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:26,640 Speaker 1: whatever it is. We've got to find that sweet spot. 518 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:29,200 Speaker 1: But I think we are strategy and we're willing to 519 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:31,520 Speaker 1: take losses in the short term with a long term goal. 520 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:35,840 Speaker 1: I don't think we're there yet. Last question for you, Basil, 521 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:47,000 Speaker 1: is this, we lose midterms. Have you ever seen a 522 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:51,440 Speaker 1: democracy be lost and gained back in a handful of 523 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:56,680 Speaker 1: the years, Because I don't think that folks understand the 524 00:34:56,840 --> 00:35:03,880 Speaker 1: urgency and the alarming situation that we're in. I personally 525 00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:10,440 Speaker 1: believe that Democrats lose midterms, which everyone is normal political climate, 526 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:14,319 Speaker 1: the party in power all always loses. I get that 527 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:18,000 Speaker 1: we're also not in normal times. We're also not dealing 528 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 1: with two normal political parties anymore, we lose what happens 529 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,400 Speaker 1: everything that we're we're nervous about now, just that that 530 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 1: feeling becomes worse and the policies become worse. You think 531 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 1: this pro this pro life movement has strength with this 532 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:46,839 Speaker 1: Scotus decision. If the Republicans gained both houses, you're going 533 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:50,080 Speaker 1: to see lawmaking away from what the President wants to 534 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:54,080 Speaker 1: do that is going to be ten times as worse 535 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:58,040 Speaker 1: because they're going to find ways to create legislation that 536 00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:00,920 Speaker 1: if they can't do it, mashally push it into the 537 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:05,600 Speaker 1: States to try to really curtail people's rights and ability, 538 00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:08,799 Speaker 1: you know, sadly, maybe even ability to move around in 539 00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:10,959 Speaker 1: this country. And I don't I don't mean like show 540 00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:13,879 Speaker 1: me your papers communist Russia. I mean like you want 541 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:17,759 Speaker 1: to be able to go get services in New York 542 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:20,640 Speaker 1: and you live in Texas, They're gonna find and because 543 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:23,080 Speaker 1: you can't get what you need in Texas, they'll they'll 544 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:24,880 Speaker 1: find a way to keep you from getting what you 545 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:28,600 Speaker 1: need to get. You know, That's what that's what makes 546 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:31,600 Speaker 1: me most fearful. We're going to be in a position 547 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:34,799 Speaker 1: where where I live that is going to make it 548 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:38,719 Speaker 1: so that my movement is constrained, my ability to go 549 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:41,320 Speaker 1: and get the kind of services that I want to. 550 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:44,200 Speaker 1: But it's healthcarity. Thing else is how constrained is that 551 00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:47,920 Speaker 1: going to be? Um It used to be sort of 552 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:49,759 Speaker 1: that was a red state issue. It's going to be 553 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:52,520 Speaker 1: a red and blue state issue. If there even anything 554 00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:56,120 Speaker 1: as red and blue states anymore. M going forward. That 555 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:59,279 Speaker 1: is that is my real concern. Everything we take for 556 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:02,520 Speaker 1: granted and say that that's somebody else's probably will our 557 00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:07,000 Speaker 1: problem individually and it will not matter where you And 558 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:10,440 Speaker 1: that's that's the that's the that's the thing that excures 559 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:12,200 Speaker 1: me most because a lot of times you can use 560 00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 1: their money and mobility to say I'm just gonna go 561 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:16,960 Speaker 1: here and I'm gonna be okay, I'm not gonna save you. 562 00:37:17,880 --> 00:37:22,920 Speaker 1: That's the that's when you'll feel it, doctor Basils. Michael, 563 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:24,879 Speaker 1: thank you so much for making the time to join 564 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:35,120 Speaker 1: will kay as. We appreciate it absolutely. 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