WEBVTT - Civic Cipher 012222 How do I Become a Politician? ft. Leezah Sun (Part A)

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to another episode of Civic Cipher. I am your

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<v Speaker 1>host Ramsay's job. Big shout out to my co host

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<v Speaker 1>q Ward, who has the day off to be incredible.

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<v Speaker 2>But that is okay, have no fear. We have a special.

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<v Speaker 1>Guest in the building and sometimes contributor to this national

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<v Speaker 1>dialogue that we've been having here. She goes by the

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<v Speaker 1>name of Liza Sun.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome back, Thank you.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm so glad to be back, and.

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<v Speaker 2>We're glad to have you.

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<v Speaker 1>And I know that that is not the introduction that

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<v Speaker 1>you deserve, but I.

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<v Speaker 2>Never do your introduction justice.

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<v Speaker 1>So how about you let the folks know exactly who

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<v Speaker 1>you are and what you do.

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<v Speaker 3>I am a community activist here in Phoenix, Arizona. I'm

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<v Speaker 3>also a politician. I did run for the State House

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<v Speaker 3>of Representative in the twenty twenty cycle with very powerful incumbents,

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<v Speaker 3>and you know, as a result, I've really learn about

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<v Speaker 3>the political process within the Democrat Party. So moving forward,

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<v Speaker 3>I've decided to run again. So as of today, I

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<v Speaker 3>am officially announcing my candidacy for our new lines of

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<v Speaker 3>districts here in Arizona, as well as across the United

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<v Speaker 3>States of America. Is now the LD twenty two and

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<v Speaker 3>again I'll be running for the State House of Representative.

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<v Speaker 2>Excellent, very good.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I'm glad you made the announcement here on Zivic

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<v Speaker 1>Cipher and I look forward to having today's conversation with you.

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<v Speaker 1>In addition to that conversation, be sure to stick around

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<v Speaker 1>because we will be checking in for our Ebony Excellent segment,

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<v Speaker 1>which is coming up next also to become a better ally,

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<v Speaker 1>We're going to take a look at Judge Timothy Walmsey

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<v Speaker 1>who presided over the Amad Aubrey case. And we're going

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<v Speaker 1>to hear something from doctor Martin Luther King Junior for

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<v Speaker 1>our way Black History facts.

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<v Speaker 2>So a lot to stick around for.

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<v Speaker 1>But as I mentioned, first and foremost, let's celebrate a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit of Ebony excellence. So today's story comes from

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<v Speaker 1>the Atlanta Black Star. That is a favorite around here

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<v Speaker 1>because they cover a lot of stuff that we'd like

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<v Speaker 1>to talk about, and so we'll just share it with you.

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<v Speaker 1>In the midst of the pandemic, an entrepreneur by the

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<v Speaker 1>name of Robert Thomas made a serious one hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>eighty degree turn In early twenty twenty. Thomas was operating

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<v Speaker 1>District nineteen sixty nightclub. But when COVID nineteen hit, it's

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<v Speaker 1>shut down his business. He knew the end of his

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<v Speaker 1>five year run as the club owner was over. It's

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<v Speaker 1>a quote from him. He says, this was a club

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<v Speaker 1>before I renovated it. They shut me down when there

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<v Speaker 1>was a pandemic. And now Thomas, who was passionate about

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<v Speaker 1>food and wellness, decided to do something different. He shut

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<v Speaker 1>down the club, renovated the inside, and then opened a

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<v Speaker 1>grocery store.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to read this to you.

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<v Speaker 1>An estimated forty one percent in a black owned businesses

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<v Speaker 1>shut their doors between February and April of twenty twenty,

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<v Speaker 1>according to New York Federal Reserve. A New York Federal

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<v Speaker 1>Reserve study that looked at COVID nineteen's impact on entrepreneurs

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<v Speaker 1>across the US and the CULPRA was a lack of

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<v Speaker 1>savings and access to capital. But Thomas came out of

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<v Speaker 1>the shutdown with a vision not only to save his business,

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<v Speaker 1>but also to help the black community maintain its health.

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<v Speaker 1>On November twenty six, Thomas opened the District Market Green Grocer,

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<v Speaker 1>which he claims is Houston's first black owned grocery store

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<v Speaker 1>and juice bar in the space that had previously been

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<v Speaker 1>his nightclub. Customers come to the store and are able

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<v Speaker 1>to find fresh fruit, vegetables and other products from black

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<v Speaker 1>owned vendors. Another quote, right now, I have over thirty

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<v Speaker 1>black vendors and quote said Thomas, fruit vegetables, eggs, vegan

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<v Speaker 1>mills for the vegan community. Thomas told Fox twenty six Houston, quote,

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<v Speaker 1>we have a black owned washing powder, herbs and spices

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<v Speaker 1>as well as sauces. I want to be in the

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<v Speaker 1>running with the Whole Foods and the Trader Joe's. I

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<v Speaker 1>want to get to that level and making the black

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<v Speaker 1>vendors with me. As a fellow nightclub owner, I salute you.

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<v Speaker 1>You are an example of ebony excellence. Once again, shout

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<v Speaker 1>out to Robert Thomas of Houston, Texas. Moving on the

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<v Speaker 1>topic of the day, my good friend Liza's son. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>before you came up here today, you mentioned that there

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<v Speaker 1>were a lot of goings on within the Democratic Party.

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<v Speaker 1>Our might not have been our last episode, but a

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<v Speaker 1>couple episodes ago, Q and I discussed this question that

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<v Speaker 1>is posed by the right very often, which is why

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<v Speaker 1>do black people overwhelmingly vote Democratic? It's like a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of these folks can't see what the reality is for

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<v Speaker 1>many black people, because not all black people vote Democrat.

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<v Speaker 1>But we understand the point, most of us do, and

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<v Speaker 1>in that discussion we had to be very critical of

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<v Speaker 1>both parties. But you know, there's this point that you

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<v Speaker 1>hear time and again that it's effectively the lesser of

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<v Speaker 1>two evils, you know, and if you have to choose something, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I do want the lesser of two evils.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>But this conversation took on a whole new meaning off

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<v Speaker 1>air when you and I had a discussion because there

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<v Speaker 1>were some goings on within the Democratic Party itself that

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<v Speaker 1>even I was not made aware of until that conversation

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<v Speaker 1>with you. I am not a politician myself. I'm a

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<v Speaker 1>broadcaster and a person who's very passionate about making sure

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<v Speaker 1>that black voices and black thoughts are shared with the country,

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<v Speaker 1>and you are someone who works in that arena.

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<v Speaker 2>So let's talk about it. First question.

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<v Speaker 1>Is okay, So let me ask you this, because I

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<v Speaker 1>realized that we didn't give a proper background for you.

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<v Speaker 1>We had We initially met at the vigil for.

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<v Speaker 3>The Atlantic shooting back in March at the State Capitol, right,

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<v Speaker 3>and then we did a march rally at the Margaret

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<v Speaker 3>Hens Park and that's where you participated in was one

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<v Speaker 3>of our speakers. And then moving forward, I think we

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<v Speaker 3>did a show here on Civic Cyper on race relations,

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<v Speaker 3>which I believe was the very first time that our

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<v Speaker 3>audience here in Arizona is hearing anything along that line.

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<v Speaker 3>We've definitely took that from the national level and brought

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<v Speaker 3>here at the state level with you. So I was

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<v Speaker 3>really excited about that, And moving forward, I think there's

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of work that we can, you know, work

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<v Speaker 3>on as far as race relations, because that's actually a

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<v Speaker 3>taboo subject matter, to be honest with you, and I

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<v Speaker 3>know a lot of people are not comfortable talking about it,

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<v Speaker 3>So kudos to you.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, we're reading that.

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<v Speaker 1>Actually, we have an upcoming episode where we're going to

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<v Speaker 1>talk about the instances of violence we have seen on

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<v Speaker 1>this show where it's black people attacking Asian people and

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<v Speaker 1>we have to use this space to publicly and nationally

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<v Speaker 1>condemn those acts and stand in solidarity with our brothers

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<v Speaker 1>and sisters of Asian descent and you know from the

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<v Speaker 1>Asian community, which you are one, correct, yes, okay, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>And so that I believe was approximately the time when

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<v Speaker 1>you were starting to really engage in the political process.

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<v Speaker 1>If I'm wrong, you can correct me.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, by then I already ran in the twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 3>Okay election cycle, and after I ran for public office,

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<v Speaker 3>I realize that there's a huge void within our community

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<v Speaker 3>of information that is skewed by the Democrat Party from

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<v Speaker 3>certain elected officials, my incumbents, and you know, not too label.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't really like to call it the moderate Democrats

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<v Speaker 3>versus the Progressive Democrats, which is the two side within

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<v Speaker 3>the Democrat Party. The way I'm currently seeing it, and

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<v Speaker 3>I'm just calling it out just based on my anecdotal

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<v Speaker 3>experiences and viewpoint. These are my views only, is that

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<v Speaker 3>the moderate Democrats I usually call them corporate Democrats, and

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<v Speaker 3>then the progressive Democrats I would say they lean more

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<v Speaker 3>towards the we the people Democrats because they are the

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<v Speaker 3>lesser of too evil. Unfortunately, even within the Progressive Democrats,

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<v Speaker 3>we've seen and experience them running on that title label,

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<v Speaker 3>but then after a cycle or two, once they are elected,

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<v Speaker 3>they convert to the corporate Democrats.

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<v Speaker 2>I could see that.

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<v Speaker 1>We're gonna definitely talk about how that happens.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean, there are so many issues that we

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<v Speaker 3>can segue from the statements I just made, but obviously

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<v Speaker 3>I just want to move forward by sharing my anecdotal

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<v Speaker 3>experiences being a politician within the Democrat Party. We've heard

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<v Speaker 3>these statements time and time again that the Republicans are racist, right,

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<v Speaker 3>but we also know that the Democrat Party have time

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<v Speaker 3>at times shown that they are also racist, but with politeness,

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<v Speaker 3>and that evils.

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<v Speaker 1>I know it, but it doesn't make it right, So

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<v Speaker 1>please continue to minute throw you off.

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<v Speaker 3>No, that's fine. I mean what you just said is correct,

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<v Speaker 3>is that we know this, we know this, and then

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<v Speaker 3>we're not addressing it. We're not attacking it, We're not

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<v Speaker 3>holding our elected officials feet to the fire. And why

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<v Speaker 3>is that not occurring? So when I was running for

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<v Speaker 3>public office, I was running against incumbents. Encompass mean that

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<v Speaker 3>you're on the ballot with the same party members, meaning

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<v Speaker 3>that this can happen with the Republicans, this can happen

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<v Speaker 3>with the Independence, it can happen with the Democrats. So

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<v Speaker 3>happens the district that I will run again is predominantly

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<v Speaker 3>Democratic voters. Their constituents are largely Democrats, so the chance

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<v Speaker 3>of a Republican. Ever win our district is zero, it

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<v Speaker 3>will always be a Democrat. It's a safe blue zone.

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<v Speaker 3>And when that happens, a lot of the officials elected

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<v Speaker 3>officials get into public office and they're not being checked,

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<v Speaker 3>their feet are not held to the fire. They're going

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<v Speaker 3>to look at the lobbyists and the packs and their

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<v Speaker 3>influence to favor laws for corporations, where corporations hands are untied,

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<v Speaker 3>so they can tie our hands and strip our civil rights.

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<v Speaker 2>So you kind of alluded to it.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm glad that we took the time to do a

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<v Speaker 1>proper introduction because the question that I was originally going

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<v Speaker 1>to ask is why is it important for people to

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<v Speaker 1>engage in the political process? But I think you alluded

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<v Speaker 1>to some of those points just now by illustrating the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that if you're not as engaged, it can really

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<v Speaker 1>get away from me, if you're not holding your elected

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<v Speaker 1>representatives feet to the fire, so to speak, that other

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<v Speaker 1>interests can creep in when you're not paying attention to it.

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<v Speaker 2>Is that about right?

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<v Speaker 3>Oh? No, that's absolutely right. The question now is that

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<v Speaker 3>how does that look like? How do we get engaged?

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<v Speaker 3>And a lot of people feel like, well, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>I'm not political savvy, and I'm registered to vote for

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<v Speaker 3>the very first time twenty and eighteen. Was I political then?

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<v Speaker 1>No.

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<v Speaker 3>I didn't even know that there was a state capital

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<v Speaker 3>that has a Senate and a House versus one at

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<v Speaker 3>the federal level. So these are the things that I

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<v Speaker 3>was not aware of. But I did grow up being

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<v Speaker 3>very philosophical and a deep thinker for humanities. If you

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<v Speaker 3>have a heart, and you care about your family, and

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<v Speaker 3>you care about your communities and your neighbors, then you

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<v Speaker 3>are the right person to run for public office, believe

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<v Speaker 3>it or not, because you can learn on your way there.

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<v Speaker 3>And that's what happened to me. In twenty eighteen. I

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<v Speaker 3>registered to vote for the very first time and voted,

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<v Speaker 3>and then in twenty nineteen, I threw my hat in

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<v Speaker 3>the ring and ran for public office. Going through that

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<v Speaker 3>process was a whirlwind. There was great sacrifices personally, and

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<v Speaker 3>I don't regret every minute of it because at the

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<v Speaker 3>end of the day, that's how I was woked. We

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<v Speaker 3>hear that a lot be woked. You can't be woked

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<v Speaker 3>if you don't know what's going on. So the process

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<v Speaker 3>I'm still learning, and what I found out is that

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<v Speaker 3>there were so many gatekeeping and this happens on both

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<v Speaker 3>sides of the aisle, for the Republicans and for the Democrats.

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<v Speaker 3>The only difference I see from my perspective is that

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<v Speaker 3>the Republicans tend to have more candidates in every race

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<v Speaker 3>at every level. It's like almost like they have a

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<v Speaker 3>free for all, Like they just sign up and they

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<v Speaker 3>start running. And what I've noticed is the gap in

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<v Speaker 3>their funding. They tend to come from more of a

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<v Speaker 3>middle class and up, and then we don't have that

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<v Speaker 3>selection as much, so the money isn't as large. Therefore,

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<v Speaker 3>the money doesn't stretch as much to support a candidate

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<v Speaker 3>that is at the state or the federal level. If

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<v Speaker 3>that makes sense, sure, sure, And then what that creates

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<v Speaker 3>is a scarcity. And whenever there's a sense of scarcity,

0:14:14.840 --> 0:14:19.640
<v Speaker 3>it gives us a false sense of accountability to do

0:14:19.680 --> 0:14:23.280
<v Speaker 3>the right thing because it becomes competitive. Where we eat

0:14:23.280 --> 0:14:26.840
<v Speaker 3>our own now, we eat our own young almost.

0:14:26.560 --> 0:14:31.040
<v Speaker 1>So I can see from where I'm sitting right now

0:14:32.120 --> 0:14:37.680
<v Speaker 1>how corporate interests can creep into that equation, because if

0:14:37.720 --> 0:14:42.240
<v Speaker 1>a Democratic is less funded than a Republican candidate, the

0:14:42.320 --> 0:14:44.720
<v Speaker 1>Democrat has to seek some funding in order to create

0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:48.240
<v Speaker 1>awareness for his or her campaign and might need corporate

0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:51.440
<v Speaker 1>donors to do so. But corporations don't tend to donate

0:14:51.520 --> 0:14:56.640
<v Speaker 1>money unless they feel as though this candidate will protect them,

0:14:56.680 --> 0:14:59.680
<v Speaker 1>and a candidate seeking re election may need to lean

0:14:59.720 --> 0:15:03.760
<v Speaker 1>on that corporate donor again and therefore perhaps might vow

0:15:03.840 --> 0:15:06.800
<v Speaker 1>to that corporation's entrance in interests.

0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:09.960
<v Speaker 3>Right, it's not just bowing to that interest. I mean

0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:14.760
<v Speaker 3>we hear about backdoor dealings, and that backdoor dealings. Yeah,

0:15:14.960 --> 0:15:18.600
<v Speaker 3>it's where things are occurring behind the scenes. It doesn't

0:15:18.640 --> 0:15:21.080
<v Speaker 3>necessarily have to be with a bill. You know, you

0:15:21.080 --> 0:15:25.720
<v Speaker 3>could just staying quiet. So if you have elected officials

0:15:25.760 --> 0:15:31.320
<v Speaker 3>that ran on a campaign against vouchers, you know that

0:15:32.160 --> 0:15:35.760
<v Speaker 3>siphons money out of our public district schools that is

0:15:35.960 --> 0:15:40.280
<v Speaker 3>tax funded to a privatized institution like a private school

0:15:40.600 --> 0:15:43.960
<v Speaker 3>or a charter school. Even that is you know, privatized.

0:15:45.160 --> 0:15:49.120
<v Speaker 3>They don't need to have a bill to be bought out.

0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:52.600
<v Speaker 3>They can be bought out just by staying quiet or

0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:56.120
<v Speaker 3>not even standing up at the floor of their chamber

0:15:56.240 --> 0:16:00.480
<v Speaker 3>to speak up against Oh wow. So those are the

0:16:00.480 --> 0:16:06.360
<v Speaker 3>things that I've noticed, and that goes across all levels

0:16:07.080 --> 0:16:12.800
<v Speaker 3>of our elected officials. That's at the municipal level, state level,

0:16:13.160 --> 0:16:14.280
<v Speaker 3>and federal level.

0:16:15.280 --> 0:16:25.160
<v Speaker 1>So one of the things that I commend Republican voters

0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:30.760
<v Speaker 1>on is the level of engagement that they have. They

0:16:30.840 --> 0:16:34.800
<v Speaker 1>really really work to create the communities in which they.

0:16:34.680 --> 0:16:35.240
<v Speaker 2>Want to live.

0:16:36.920 --> 0:16:40.200
<v Speaker 1>The reason why my understanding based on the numbers, the

0:16:40.240 --> 0:16:45.239
<v Speaker 1>reason why elections, it's certainly the presidential election is even competitive,

0:16:45.840 --> 0:16:51.400
<v Speaker 1>is because of the turnout rate of Republican voters. Otherwise,

0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:58.800
<v Speaker 1>democratic ideals within human beings overwhelmingly outnumber those of conservative

0:17:00.960 --> 0:17:03.520
<v Speaker 1>people with conservative values. But there are more people in

0:17:03.560 --> 0:17:07.080
<v Speaker 1>this country with values that align with what we would

0:17:07.080 --> 0:17:11.440
<v Speaker 1>consider to be democratic democratic, but the engagement on that

0:17:11.520 --> 0:17:14.520
<v Speaker 1>side is so heavy. As you stated, there are lots

0:17:14.560 --> 0:17:18.560
<v Speaker 1>of people interested in engaging in the political process on

0:17:18.640 --> 0:17:23.040
<v Speaker 1>that side of the aisle. But hopefully this conversation and

0:17:23.080 --> 0:17:26.560
<v Speaker 1>by kind of demystifying the political process and the ways

0:17:27.160 --> 0:17:31.280
<v Speaker 1>that folks can use to get involved, hopefully we can

0:17:32.520 --> 0:17:35.960
<v Speaker 1>do our part at least to turn that tide.

0:17:36.520 --> 0:17:40.160
<v Speaker 3>Yes, I mean you just mentioned the visual level of

0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:45.000
<v Speaker 3>that noise and creating and generating people to come out

0:17:45.000 --> 0:17:48.320
<v Speaker 3>and speak on behalf of their party. We also have

0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:52.240
<v Speaker 3>to be very careful that that sound doesn't drown out

0:17:52.280 --> 0:17:56.600
<v Speaker 3>the state level's interests, because at the state level, that's

0:17:56.680 --> 0:18:00.920
<v Speaker 3>where our livelihood is being affected directly by like the officials.

0:18:01.280 --> 0:18:04.760
<v Speaker 3>We have predatory hias here in Arizona. I know, other

0:18:04.800 --> 0:18:08.040
<v Speaker 3>states they haven't been touched by that. Arizona as a

0:18:08.080 --> 0:18:10.600
<v Speaker 3>state has been used as a petri dish for so

0:18:10.760 --> 0:18:16.720
<v Speaker 3>many private tizes, you know, dark money, including vouchers, mass incarceration,

0:18:17.720 --> 0:18:23.200
<v Speaker 3>predatory hias. I mean, we are run under those systems

0:18:23.280 --> 0:18:28.280
<v Speaker 3>and it's not democracy is authoritarian, you know, society. And

0:18:28.920 --> 0:18:33.840
<v Speaker 3>when we just focus on federal initiatives when it comes

0:18:33.840 --> 0:18:41.639
<v Speaker 3>to election, that puts a blindfold for the state levels issues,

0:18:42.200 --> 0:18:45.120
<v Speaker 3>and that in itself is also another form of gatekeeping

0:18:46.080 --> 0:18:51.160
<v Speaker 3>to hold our communities, particularly people of color or those

0:18:51.160 --> 0:18:57.879
<v Speaker 3>that are marginalized or disenfranchised. I mean, we have huge, huge,

0:18:58.320 --> 0:19:02.680
<v Speaker 3>white communities out in the rule that are being marginalized

0:19:03.640 --> 0:19:06.879
<v Speaker 3>just as badly as those that live in the suburb

0:19:07.040 --> 0:19:14.160
<v Speaker 3>or the rural. The urban you know mostly usually yeah

0:19:14.560 --> 0:19:17.480
<v Speaker 3>they are, but they're also out in the rural area

0:19:17.560 --> 0:19:22.400
<v Speaker 3>where there's agriculture. They are are farmers, and these farmers

0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:27.239
<v Speaker 3>are kept in debt on purpose by corporate laws. You know,

0:19:27.440 --> 0:19:32.000
<v Speaker 3>you saw the documentary Big Chicken. It also happens for

0:19:32.040 --> 0:19:38.800
<v Speaker 3>the beef poor anything even now, the hemp, the yes,

0:19:38.960 --> 0:19:46.120
<v Speaker 3>their agriculture is already being course into a large pack

0:19:46.920 --> 0:19:50.320
<v Speaker 3>that we're going to support a corporation and then the

0:19:50.359 --> 0:19:53.800
<v Speaker 3>farmers are be the ones, just like it was for

0:19:53.880 --> 0:19:58.280
<v Speaker 3>the for the poultry industry, where they're literally being kept

0:19:58.359 --> 0:20:04.160
<v Speaker 3>in debt to produce the outcome.

0:20:05.119 --> 0:20:05.359
<v Speaker 2>Huh.

0:20:05.440 --> 0:20:07.600
<v Speaker 3>I don't know if you're aware of that is just

0:20:07.640 --> 0:20:11.000
<v Speaker 3>a system that's been in place for decades.

0:20:11.480 --> 0:20:14.399
<v Speaker 1>Well, I think that what it does is again, it

0:20:14.480 --> 0:20:23.560
<v Speaker 1>illuminates the fact that voting at the state level, voting

0:20:23.920 --> 0:20:27.200
<v Speaker 1>for change in your immediate community as opposed to change

0:20:27.400 --> 0:20:30.520
<v Speaker 1>at the national level, which, to be honest, lots of

0:20:30.600 --> 0:20:34.760
<v Speaker 1>working folks and pretty much all poor folks don't really

0:20:34.800 --> 0:20:37.080
<v Speaker 1>feel doesn't matter who sits in the chair, and this

0:20:37.119 --> 0:20:38.440
<v Speaker 1>is part of the reason why a lot of those

0:20:38.480 --> 0:20:42.800
<v Speaker 1>folks don't really involve themselves into the political process in

0:20:42.840 --> 0:20:45.080
<v Speaker 1>the first place, because it doesn't make a difference in

0:20:45.080 --> 0:20:47.800
<v Speaker 1>their day to day. But voting at the state level,

0:20:48.200 --> 0:20:51.560
<v Speaker 1>you know, voting for who's going to represent your district

0:20:51.640 --> 0:20:53.480
<v Speaker 1>and how your schools are going to be run and

0:20:53.600 --> 0:20:58.720
<v Speaker 1>you know how many fire stations are in proximity to

0:20:58.760 --> 0:21:01.240
<v Speaker 1>your house, and that sort of thing where your neighborshoods

0:21:01.280 --> 0:21:02.240
<v Speaker 1>are policed even.

0:21:02.200 --> 0:21:05.840
<v Speaker 3>Right preparatory lending practices from the banks. The ability for

0:21:06.000 --> 0:21:09.440
<v Speaker 3>communities to rise, you know, for their neighbors and their

0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:14.600
<v Speaker 3>own families by not having too many corporations, businesses franchise,

0:21:15.359 --> 0:21:19.320
<v Speaker 3>you know, stores in a community that are marginalized, because

0:21:19.440 --> 0:21:22.960
<v Speaker 3>that doesn't stay in our communities, it leaves. And then

0:21:22.960 --> 0:21:26.399
<v Speaker 3>if you go to a more well off communities, you

0:21:26.480 --> 0:21:31.080
<v Speaker 3>won't see a fast food chain restaurant within a mile radius.

0:21:31.320 --> 0:21:33.280
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, there are walmarts there either.

0:21:33.400 --> 0:21:40.159
<v Speaker 3>Because their resources is being protected and everywhere else is

0:21:41.520 --> 0:21:47.120
<v Speaker 3>fair game. So who who made that decision for us?

0:21:47.600 --> 0:21:48.359
<v Speaker 3>It was already like.

0:21:48.400 --> 0:21:50.920
<v Speaker 1>The official sure and one of the things that now

0:21:50.960 --> 0:21:53.199
<v Speaker 1>that you mention it, it occurs.

0:21:53.240 --> 0:21:57.600
<v Speaker 2>So I've been to forty nine of the fifty states.

0:21:57.320 --> 0:21:59.879
<v Speaker 3>So far, which one is missing.

0:22:03.000 --> 0:22:10.679
<v Speaker 1>I'm going to Alaska in February, so that'll be all fifty. Anyway,

0:22:10.880 --> 0:22:15.040
<v Speaker 1>One thing that I've noticed overwhelmingly is that when you

0:22:15.040 --> 0:22:17.680
<v Speaker 1>see like billboards and advertisements and things like that, they

0:22:17.720 --> 0:22:21.479
<v Speaker 1>tend to be in they tend not to be where

0:22:21.640 --> 0:22:25.160
<v Speaker 1>they're wealthy folks, you know what I mean. They are,

0:22:25.200 --> 0:22:27.479
<v Speaker 1>and that's a result of Yeah, that's a result of

0:22:27.520 --> 0:22:29.919
<v Speaker 1>them being engaged in the political process. I'd imagine. I

0:22:30.000 --> 0:22:32.560
<v Speaker 1>never put that together, but it's just something I picked

0:22:32.600 --> 0:22:34.120
<v Speaker 1>up on. Every time we go to a rich part

0:22:34.119 --> 0:22:37.000
<v Speaker 1>of town or place where there's money, you don't see billboards.

0:22:37.600 --> 0:22:40.520
<v Speaker 1>And that's not every time, every everywhere, but you know,

0:22:40.640 --> 0:22:46.480
<v Speaker 1>usually it's something like that. So you you mentioned political

0:22:46.520 --> 0:22:47.800
<v Speaker 1>You mentioned a lot of terms, and I do want

0:22:47.840 --> 0:22:53.080
<v Speaker 1>to cover them all, but this political party gatekeeping, what

0:22:53.280 --> 0:22:54.760
<v Speaker 1>exactly does that mean?

0:22:56.160 --> 0:23:07.280
<v Speaker 3>Gatekeeping is where democracy is unpracticed within the party. Democracy

0:23:07.320 --> 0:23:11.040
<v Speaker 3>based on the constitution allows any individual to run for

0:23:11.119 --> 0:23:14.760
<v Speaker 3>public office as long as if they fit the criteria

0:23:14.840 --> 0:23:18.800
<v Speaker 3>in citizenship and age and so forth. And what I've

0:23:18.840 --> 0:23:23.000
<v Speaker 3>noticed is that if you look at all the presidential elections,

0:23:23.080 --> 0:23:27.520
<v Speaker 3>like Barack Obama or even George Bush, they had to

0:23:27.560 --> 0:23:32.159
<v Speaker 3>be the darling of their party. And how do you

0:23:32.200 --> 0:23:37.200
<v Speaker 3>become a darling within their party is through that process

0:23:37.280 --> 0:23:39.840
<v Speaker 3>within their party. So I'm not just talking about the

0:23:39.880 --> 0:23:44.199
<v Speaker 3>Democratic Party. This happens with the Republicans. And when you

0:23:44.240 --> 0:23:50.920
<v Speaker 3>look at the election in the primary between Hillary and Bernie,

0:23:51.800 --> 0:23:57.120
<v Speaker 3>that's when you saw firsthand how gatekeeping looks like. When

0:23:57.160 --> 0:24:02.440
<v Speaker 3>the party literally was sabotaged their own in the humiliating

0:24:02.520 --> 0:24:07.520
<v Speaker 3>public way that it hurts our, It just hurt everyone.

0:24:07.800 --> 0:24:10.000
<v Speaker 3>But at the end of the day, that hurt that

0:24:10.119 --> 0:24:14.160
<v Speaker 3>hurt democracy. So when democracy is being attacked, we are

0:24:14.200 --> 0:24:18.639
<v Speaker 3>all being attacked. So I have too in good conscious

0:24:19.240 --> 0:24:25.080
<v Speaker 3>to say that gatekeeping is based on access and funding.

0:24:26.880 --> 0:24:30.040
<v Speaker 3>So if you are a candidate that has an accent

0:24:30.240 --> 0:24:34.879
<v Speaker 3>and you you don't speak with perfect you know, English

0:24:35.000 --> 0:24:37.520
<v Speaker 3>or accent, whatever the case may be, you have a

0:24:37.640 --> 0:24:41.080
<v Speaker 3>lesser chance to be the darling of the party.

0:24:41.320 --> 0:24:42.680
<v Speaker 2>Okay, I could see that happening.

0:24:42.880 --> 0:24:44.040
<v Speaker 3>So there's a lot of.

0:24:46.080 --> 0:24:50.880
<v Speaker 1>Gatekeeping that goes on. Well, I understand how that can

0:24:50.960 --> 0:24:57.040
<v Speaker 1>be problematic, absolutely, but this is good enough time for

0:24:57.119 --> 0:24:58.320
<v Speaker 1>us to take a pause for the cause.

0:24:58.359 --> 0:25:00.159
<v Speaker 2>So stick around with coming back with more civics for

0:25:00.280 --> 0:25:01.080
<v Speaker 2>right after this