WEBVTT - Knitting Community Back Together 0:00:11.880 --> 0:00:14.720 Good morning, peep Sen. Welcome to wok F Daily with 0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:19.759 Meet your Girl Danielle Moody recording or rather prerecording from 0:00:19.760 --> 0:00:25.560 my home bunker, folks. I am always very excited when 0:00:25.560 --> 0:00:29.080 I have the opportunity to welcome candidates for office on 0:00:29.320 --> 0:00:34.600 woke F. Christy Smith is running for the US House 0:00:34.600 --> 0:00:41.120 of Representatives in California's twenty seventh congressional district, and she 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:46.159 joins us today to one share a bit about herself 0:00:46.200 --> 0:00:50.800 and her campaign and why she's running, but also to 0:00:50.840 --> 0:00:56.160 engage in a conversation about how good people who want 0:00:56.600 --> 0:00:59.640 to be of service, who want to lift up their 0:00:59.640 --> 0:01:03.640 commune unities, who have a desire to and a vision 0:01:04.240 --> 0:01:09.640 to shape the future, are being pushed out of engaging 0:01:09.680 --> 0:01:13.520 in politics. Not just because of money, because we know 0:01:13.760 --> 0:01:17.319 that money is a major factor and who has the 0:01:17.360 --> 0:01:20.360 ability to run for office and it shouldn't be, but 0:01:20.440 --> 0:01:24.040 also Christy and I will talk about the fact that 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:28.600 the rise in political violence is even pushing those good 0:01:28.600 --> 0:01:33.520 people that would volunteer for candidates, that would volunteer at 0:01:33.560 --> 0:01:38.319 the polls to sit this one out and maybe the 0:01:38.400 --> 0:01:42.400 next one and the next one after that. And this 0:01:42.480 --> 0:01:47.680 is what the far right wants. This is what the 0:01:47.760 --> 0:01:51.280 Republican Party wants. They want people to be scared out 0:01:51.320 --> 0:01:54.760 of their minds. They want everybody to be living in fear, 0:01:55.640 --> 0:01:59.800 uncertain of what hit will be coming next, placing neighbor 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:07.559 against neighbor, community against community, desperate to scroungeohn to whatever 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:09.880 little piece of the pie that we're able to get 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:12.400 our hands on. Because they operate from a place of 0:02:12.480 --> 0:02:16.480 scarcity rather than the knowing place of abundance. We can't 0:02:16.480 --> 0:02:19.280 both talk about America being the wealthiest country in the 0:02:19.320 --> 0:02:22.480 world and then say that we don't have enough. No, 0:02:22.639 --> 0:02:25.239 we should just tell the truth. We have more than enough. 0:02:25.280 --> 0:02:31.080 We're just deciding who is deserving and who isn't. And 0:02:31.160 --> 0:02:34.240 so when good people like Christy Smith want to take 0:02:34.320 --> 0:02:38.320 up that baton and say that I have a message 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:41.440 to share that I want to be of service, we 0:02:41.480 --> 0:02:43.760 need to support them in any which way that we can, 0:02:44.200 --> 0:02:47.160 whether it is with our talent, our time, or our treasure. 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:50.960 Wonderful if you have all three, Okay, if you just 0:02:51.040 --> 0:02:56.520 got one. But folks, this democracy ain't going to save itself. 0:02:56.560 --> 0:02:59.120 That's the thing that I really want to drive home 0:02:59.320 --> 0:03:01.520 as we are making we just have a handful of 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:05.160 weeks left until midterm elections. Democracy ain't gonna save itself. 0:03:07.000 --> 0:03:12.800 The constitution cannot protect itself. It is up to we 0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:15.720 the people to decide how we are going to move, 0:03:15.760 --> 0:03:18.880 how we are going to engage, and whether or not 0:03:19.600 --> 0:03:25.040 we plan on showing the fuck up, because I'll tell 0:03:25.080 --> 0:03:26.760 you what the far right is hoping on is that 0:03:26.800 --> 0:03:28.960 we won't show up. And I'll tell you what else 0:03:29.080 --> 0:03:31.079 is that they hope that if we do show up, 0:03:31.080 --> 0:03:34.120 that they'll have their little militia boys and their white 0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:36.680 supremacist clans out there at the polls like this is 0:03:36.800 --> 0:03:43.160 nineteen fifty, fully in their military cosplay, fucking garb to 0:03:43.280 --> 0:03:48.640 scare the ship out of regular, well meaning, hard working 0:03:48.680 --> 0:03:52.000 Americans that just want to exercise their voice in their 0:03:52.000 --> 0:03:58.200 own goddamn democracy. So Christy Smith will share with us 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:04.360 today her vision for her future district and her constituents 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:08.400 and why she decided to get into this race and run. 0:04:08.920 --> 0:04:14.200 She'll also really share a terrifying story about what happened 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:21.600 to some of her campaign workers. Two women in an office, 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:25.800 not even late at night, just a regular evening, and 0:04:25.920 --> 0:04:29.400 what they came face to face with. We are living 0:04:29.600 --> 0:04:34.800 in dangerous time, perilous times. Folks, all of us have 0:04:34.880 --> 0:04:38.080 a responsibility to take our heads out of the sand 0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:42.560 and roll up our sleeves and figure out what we're 0:04:42.560 --> 0:04:44.599 made of and what we're willing to work for and 0:04:44.680 --> 0:04:47.040 what we're willing to fight for. Because let me tell 0:04:47.080 --> 0:04:51.520 you something, the right is ready to fight for their 0:04:51.560 --> 0:04:55.400 fucking lie. They're ready to come claim their power. And 0:04:55.440 --> 0:04:58.039 once they get power, dear friends, they ain't giving it up. 0:04:59.520 --> 0:05:02.240 I've said and I'll say it again. This midterm elections 0:05:02.320 --> 0:05:04.279 is going to be our last free and fair election. 0:05:04.960 --> 0:05:07.400 Don't be troubling yourself about who's running for president in 0:05:07.400 --> 0:05:09.680 twenty twenty four if you have no plans to vote 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:14.360 in twenty twenty two. We got a lot of work 0:05:14.400 --> 0:05:17.520 ahead of us and a lot of danger that is 0:05:17.520 --> 0:05:19.320 coming our way because they bring in this fight to 0:05:19.400 --> 0:05:22.160 our doorsteps. Whether we choose to wake the fuck up 0:05:22.279 --> 0:05:25.800 or not, they're common a knock in, and the question 0:05:25.960 --> 0:05:31.799 is are we going to be ready? So coming up next, friends, 0:05:31.880 --> 0:05:45.520 my conversation with candidate for Congress Christie Smith. The Damage 0:05:45.520 --> 0:05:48.240 Report with John Idarola is one of the most popular 0:05:48.279 --> 0:05:51.119 shows on the TYT network that serves as your daily 0:05:51.160 --> 0:05:54.360 breakdown of the genuine threats and challenges facing our country 0:05:54.400 --> 0:05:57.719 and world. These days, we're confronted with an overwhelming sea 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:01.760 of shocking, confounding, and devastating news stories. The Damage Report 0:06:01.880 --> 0:06:04.520 is your life raft, helping you navigate the day's news 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:08.960 and understand the damage caused by the corrupt establishment, politicians, corporations, 0:06:08.960 --> 0:06:12.960 and everything in between. Join the Damage Reports notorious fan club, 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:16.000 the Dragon Squad, where you become part of the fantastic 0:06:16.000 --> 0:06:19.360 community of progressives. Create a fun dragon nickname that fits 0:06:19.400 --> 0:06:23.440 your personality, collaborate and participate in fun activities like voting 0:06:23.440 --> 0:06:26.120 for the Garbage Person of the Week, and much more. 0:06:26.520 --> 0:06:29.640 Listen to The Damage Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or 0:06:29.680 --> 0:06:32.640 wherever you get your podcasts. If you like what you hear, 0:06:32.760 --> 0:06:40.480 be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Folks, 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:43.440 I am very happy to welcome to will Gate APPI 0:06:43.480 --> 0:06:47.400 daily for the first time, Christy Smith, who is a 0:06:47.480 --> 0:06:50.920 candidate for the House of Representatives out of California's twenty 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:57.440 seventh district running as a Democrat. And you know, Christy, 0:06:57.720 --> 0:07:00.200 I want to give you as you know. As as 0:07:00.279 --> 0:07:04.360 often candidates are given an opportunity to introduce yourself to 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:09.039 the woke af audience, particularly those folks that are that 0:07:09.080 --> 0:07:11.320 are going to be able to vote inside of your district, 0:07:11.720 --> 0:07:14.880 and tell us a little bit about yourself and why 0:07:15.520 --> 0:07:21.360 you're running right now. Oh thanks, I appreciate it. I 0:07:21.640 --> 0:07:23.760 think that's probably a top of mind question for a 0:07:23.840 --> 0:07:26.000 lot of us in the field right now in a 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:29.160 cycle like this where a lot in the political world 0:07:29.160 --> 0:07:32.560 seems to be kind of on fire. But I wouldn't 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:35.160 have gotten into this race this cycle if I didn't 0:07:35.160 --> 0:07:38.680 have a really hard infirm why. And my why is 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:40.320 the fact that I'm a mom. I'm the mother of 0:07:40.360 --> 0:07:42.920 two young adult women, but as someone who's been in 0:07:43.120 --> 0:07:46.280 education in my community, kind of a mom figure to 0:07:46.440 --> 0:07:49.480 a lot of folks here. And you know, the next 0:07:49.520 --> 0:07:54.160 generation of Americans will be the most diverse in her history, 0:07:54.720 --> 0:07:57.600 with the greatest number of challenges ahead of them, and 0:07:57.720 --> 0:07:59.640 right now, given the state of things, we are not 0:07:59.720 --> 0:08:02.920 given them a toolkit to be successful. We are at 0:08:03.040 --> 0:08:06.120 risk of not leaving them a functioning democracy. We are 0:08:06.160 --> 0:08:09.680 not opening channels of communication that help us move forward 0:08:09.720 --> 0:08:12.040 in a really diverse society. And what that means and 0:08:12.080 --> 0:08:14.800 how we're going to build community, build equity, build opportunity 0:08:14.840 --> 0:08:18.440 under those circumstances and keep the country moving forward after 0:08:18.480 --> 0:08:21.880 some of us retired to the sidelines in public service work. 0:08:21.960 --> 0:08:25.080 So I am in it to build that better future 0:08:25.120 --> 0:08:27.880 and then to hand off the reins to the next generation. 0:08:27.960 --> 0:08:30.520 I see gen Z as kind of the answer to 0:08:30.640 --> 0:08:33.160 many of our problems with the way that they're thinking 0:08:33.200 --> 0:08:35.480 about the role of government and the challenges that have 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:37.760 to be tackled and addressed. But I want to be 0:08:37.800 --> 0:08:41.200 in this fight right now to help get us there. Christie, 0:08:41.400 --> 0:08:46.320 you know you are a woman in this country who, 0:08:46.920 --> 0:08:52.600 like the majority of the population, now finds themselves under attack. 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:58.640 We in the summer as the Supreme Court closed out 0:08:58.720 --> 0:09:04.920 it's session, reversed a damn near fifty year precedent in 0:09:05.040 --> 0:09:08.840 terms of Rov. Wade. Can you talk to us about 0:09:09.440 --> 0:09:15.720 the importance of women and young women and young girls 0:09:15.760 --> 0:09:19.560 who are a voting age to get out to the 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:24.280 polls and what you are hearing from, you know, from 0:09:24.400 --> 0:09:28.360 folks on the ground about how this reversal of Roe v. 0:09:28.480 --> 0:09:33.920 Wade is affecting them and potentially their decisions to show 0:09:34.000 --> 0:09:39.280 up in November. Sure, it's so important and it's such 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:43.120 a generational conversation, I think we're realizing, like our conversations 0:09:43.240 --> 0:09:46.680 around civil rights, these are issues that we have to 0:09:46.720 --> 0:09:50.600 pass on to each generation and sadly in some cases 0:09:50.640 --> 0:09:54.080 relitigate them. So it's incredibly personal for me. I mean, 0:09:54.120 --> 0:09:57.280 I'm the daughter of a mother who had friends who 0:09:57.480 --> 0:10:01.679 was in pre row circumstances to be sent to their 0:10:01.760 --> 0:10:04.480 aunt's house for whatever amount of time to deliver an 0:10:04.559 --> 0:10:09.280 unexpected child, or unfortunately, to have to access abortion services 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:13.520 from a provider in unsafe circumstances. And so for me personally, 0:10:13.640 --> 0:10:17.000 as someone who survived a miscarriage and too high risk 0:10:17.040 --> 0:10:20.960 pregnancies and literally had to make this decision myself. You know, 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:24.000 if my miscarriage had been criminalized at the time that 0:10:24.040 --> 0:10:25.640 I had it in the state of Virginia, if I 0:10:25.640 --> 0:10:27.679 had the law enforcement had come in the emergency room 0:10:27.679 --> 0:10:30.400 and started asking me questions about my cycle or you know, 0:10:30.440 --> 0:10:33.440 what caused the miscarriage, my life would have had a 0:10:33.520 --> 0:10:36.320 very different trajectory. That could be true for hundreds of 0:10:36.320 --> 0:10:39.640 thousands of women across this country on simply on the 0:10:39.640 --> 0:10:42.920 issue of miscarriage alone, not to mention high risk pregnancies 0:10:42.960 --> 0:10:45.360 like I underwent, where I had the clampsy is so 0:10:45.440 --> 0:10:48.560 severe my daughter had to be delivered to save my life, 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:50.760 to keep me from having a stroke or cardiac arrest. 0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:53.959 So if my doctors at that point had had to 0:10:53.960 --> 0:10:57.000 call their lawyers or make a decision based on what 0:10:57.080 --> 0:10:59.360 state law was at that time, I may not even 0:10:59.400 --> 0:11:02.040 be here running from converse right now. So, yeah, I 0:11:02.080 --> 0:11:04.440 am a woman who has spent my entire lifetime with 0:11:04.480 --> 0:11:07.520 the privileges and protections of ROW and now my daughters aren't. 0:11:08.160 --> 0:11:10.720 So it's critically important. But you know, you raise another 0:11:10.760 --> 0:11:14.000 important point about where we are in this moment for women. 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:18.640 You can't extract what's happening in the MAGA movement issues 0:11:18.800 --> 0:11:23.160 of marginalized communities right. Our LGBTQ communities are communities of 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:26.760 color and women as a group who are being singled 0:11:26.760 --> 0:11:30.960 out by that movement right and really particularly around the 0:11:31.000 --> 0:11:35.120 issue of reproductive rights and freedoms. Sadly, last week I 0:11:35.160 --> 0:11:39.080 had two female staffers working alone in the office and 0:11:39.120 --> 0:11:41.319 the evening it wasn't late in the evening, about seven o'clock, 0:11:41.720 --> 0:11:45.360 and a group of drunk men came in and started 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:50.679 really berating them, harassing them about my politics, about the campaign. 0:11:51.040 --> 0:11:53.600 Couldn't be forced out of the office for about forty minutes, 0:11:53.640 --> 0:11:56.400 and through the duration of all of that, neither of 0:11:56.400 --> 0:11:58.520 these women felt safe enough to turn their backs to 0:11:58.520 --> 0:12:01.480 grab their phone because of conversation Asian kept escalating. And 0:12:01.520 --> 0:12:03.440 I couldn't help but think if those have been two 0:12:03.480 --> 0:12:06.600 men working in the office alone, would that ever even 0:12:06.640 --> 0:12:10.880 have happened? Right? And so this mentality, this this power shift, 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:15.959 in this really important moment, put so many people on 0:12:16.000 --> 0:12:19.080 their guard, and women in particular have a lot to lose, 0:12:19.640 --> 0:12:23.000 you know, God, that's that story is kind of sitting 0:12:23.000 --> 0:12:28.400 with me, um. You know, because good people who believe 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:34.000 in democracy and believe in candidates like yourself volunteer their 0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:40.360 time to be active participants in our democracy and now 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:44.120 or being faced with situations like you just you know, 0:12:44.360 --> 0:12:50.360 gave gave voice to that will deter people from wanting, 0:12:50.440 --> 0:12:53.840 particularly women, you know, particularly people of color, who are 0:12:53.920 --> 0:12:59.560 often targets of violence, right to want to, um, to 0:12:59.640 --> 0:13:04.199 be a service, right to to help. And so you know, Christie, 0:13:04.240 --> 0:13:07.920 I guess, how how have you been able I guess 0:13:07.960 --> 0:13:12.640 to to use that story and and and talk about 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:16.440 the climate that you are running in, talk about this 0:13:16.559 --> 0:13:21.120 climate of escalated political violence, and violence against women, and 0:13:21.240 --> 0:13:24.240 violence against black people and people of color. You know, 0:13:24.320 --> 0:13:30.200 how have you been messaging that that that kind of 0:13:30.280 --> 0:13:36.280 sense of urgency in where we are? Yeah? You know, 0:13:36.440 --> 0:13:39.040 so like people just know right, I've had a couple 0:13:39.080 --> 0:13:41.480 of town halls and people you don't even have to 0:13:41.520 --> 0:13:45.160 describe the circumstances or even individual events. People know how 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:48.640 divided we are. And so I preface this conversation with 0:13:48.640 --> 0:13:50.720 how are we going to knit our communities back together? 0:13:50.960 --> 0:13:53.760 And without fail, every public appearance that I've made where 0:13:53.800 --> 0:13:55.760 I start to talk about this issue and I say, 0:13:56.000 --> 0:13:57.960 you know, people are at a point where they want 0:13:57.960 --> 0:14:00.640 to talk to their neighbor again at the mailbox without cutporian, 0:14:00.679 --> 0:14:03.200 what kind of flag they're flying outside their health or 0:14:03.240 --> 0:14:06.160 what their political signage is on their car in their yard. 0:14:07.120 --> 0:14:10.120 It's the biggest applause line of every public appearance I've done. 0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:13.640 So I know that within our communities, within our small towns, 0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:16.560 people are ready to make that shift back. It's just 0:14:16.760 --> 0:14:20.160 providing that roadmap and open safe spaces for people to 0:14:20.200 --> 0:14:28.640 have these conversations where we can do it. Indisputable with 0:14:28.760 --> 0:14:31.600 doctor Rashid Ricci is one of the latest shows on 0:14:31.640 --> 0:14:35.160 the TYT Network and also the fastest growing news show 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:39.120 in America. On his show, Doctor Ricci plays no games 0:14:39.120 --> 0:14:42.480 regarding policy, delivering a heavy dose of fact based truth 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:46.080 and penetrating analysis on all the top news stories focusing 0:14:46.080 --> 0:14:50.960 on racism, criminal and social justice, politics, police brutality, parents, 0:14:51.000 --> 0:14:55.200 and much more. Listeners can also expect interviews with fascinating guests, 0:14:55.360 --> 0:14:59.880 political leaders, commentators, and even fiery debates with conservatives on 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:03.640 a wide range of policy topics. In the Bullpen, it 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:06.640 is an indisputable fact that you will love this show. 0:15:07.080 --> 0:15:11.640 Listen to Indisputable with Doctor Rashad Ricci on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 0:15:11.840 --> 0:15:14.480 or wherever you get your podcasts. If you like what 0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:17.680 you hear, be sure to subscribe so you never miss 0:15:17.760 --> 0:15:28.880 a new episode. You know people, Hi, God your state right. 0:15:29.080 --> 0:15:33.720 California has been dealing with a lot as it pertains 0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:37.480 to climate change, much in the same way that Florida 0:15:37.560 --> 0:15:40.600 has been in the headlines now because of Hurricane Ian 0:15:41.240 --> 0:15:46.360 and the aftermath of that devastation. California all throughout the 0:15:46.400 --> 0:15:50.320 summer the spring of this year had been in the 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:57.200 news because of the long time drought. Because of these 0:15:57.320 --> 0:16:02.640 unpredictable fire seasons that are burning much hotter and farther, 0:16:03.680 --> 0:16:08.080 losing acreage in ways that hasn't happened before. What is 0:16:08.240 --> 0:16:15.120 how do are you talking to your potential constituents about 0:16:15.360 --> 0:16:19.360 climate change? And how do you think that Democrats in 0:16:19.440 --> 0:16:27.120 general should be messaging on this issue. It's an excellent question, 0:16:27.160 --> 0:16:29.120 but I will tell you, in my district and districts 0:16:29.160 --> 0:16:33.360 across California, it's a bipartisan issue. When people aren't able 0:16:33.440 --> 0:16:37.200 to get their homeowners fire insurance renewed, when people are 0:16:37.240 --> 0:16:40.080 cutting back on water consumption, changing out you know what 0:16:40.120 --> 0:16:43.280 kind of landscaping they have at their house, worried about 0:16:43.320 --> 0:16:45.840 whether there's going to continue to be housing growth even 0:16:45.880 --> 0:16:49.880 because of the water shortage. People are experiencing climate in 0:16:49.920 --> 0:16:53.440 real time right just unfortunately, as Florida just did with 0:16:53.520 --> 0:16:58.320 Hurricane Ian, and people understand that there are significant multi 0:16:58.320 --> 0:17:01.520 billion dollar costs associated with the damage that's being done 0:17:01.520 --> 0:17:04.720 by the changes in our climate. It doesn't require convincing 0:17:04.760 --> 0:17:06.959 anymore now. I think what people have wanted to hear 0:17:06.960 --> 0:17:09.320 in the community is who's the candidate who actually has 0:17:09.320 --> 0:17:11.679 solutions and who's going to step into that policy space 0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:14.359 to deliver on the issue. But if people here know it, 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:17.679 they feel it day in day out. How do you 0:17:17.760 --> 0:17:21.120 think then that for those you know, because you'll be 0:17:21.400 --> 0:17:28.000 entering in god willing, uh, you know, entering into Congress 0:17:28.280 --> 0:17:38.520 with a really rapid group of Republicans who continue even 0:17:38.640 --> 0:17:42.480 as they are wading through waters, even as they are 0:17:42.800 --> 0:17:47.879 you know, picking up after these fire these these fire seasons, 0:17:49.200 --> 0:17:53.199 who don't believe in climate change? Right? Who are who 0:17:53.280 --> 0:17:56.280 are telling people no, this is this is normal? So 0:17:56.320 --> 0:18:01.159 how you know, how do you first see being able 0:18:01.240 --> 0:18:05.120 to combat that rhetoric which is going to be ever 0:18:05.280 --> 0:18:12.320 present upon your arrival. Yeah, I think very much like 0:18:12.400 --> 0:18:15.879 what has happened here in California, the more people directly 0:18:16.040 --> 0:18:19.640 experience the impacts of climate the more likely they are 0:18:19.760 --> 0:18:23.160 to buy into the need to address it immediately as 0:18:23.160 --> 0:18:26.480 a bipartisan issue. Right man, The Republicans definitely crossover in 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:29.639 my district. I can't imagine that all of these people 0:18:29.680 --> 0:18:34.560 whose lives have now been devastated in Florida don't demand 0:18:34.880 --> 0:18:38.640 of their leadership that something be done, especially if they 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:41.119 refuse investment in aid. And the fact that there were 0:18:41.160 --> 0:18:45.760 some elected representatives who were voting against relief packages to 0:18:45.840 --> 0:18:48.520 go in to rescue people, to clean up to rebuild, 0:18:49.320 --> 0:18:51.359 to try to redesign to be a little bit more 0:18:51.359 --> 0:18:55.640 climate resilient along the Florida coasts. It is kind of insane, 0:18:55.680 --> 0:18:57.560 and it will get harder and harder for the other 0:18:57.560 --> 0:19:01.960 side to justify continuing taking contributions from people who want 0:19:02.040 --> 0:19:04.320 the climate crisis to continue, those in the fossil fuel 0:19:04.400 --> 0:19:07.480 industry versus people who have actually had their entire lives 0:19:07.480 --> 0:19:10.480 destroyed by climate reality. Right, that will come to a 0:19:10.560 --> 0:19:14.240 head when people can no longer access their insurance to 0:19:14.280 --> 0:19:16.920 rebuild their lives. Then it's a life or death choice 0:19:16.920 --> 0:19:21.000 for people, and then the choice is clear. Unfortunately, I 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:27.920 want to switch gears to talking about the pandemic and 0:19:28.720 --> 0:19:32.080 that we are still in because there are four hundred 0:19:32.119 --> 0:19:35.280 people dying a day still in the United States, which 0:19:35.680 --> 0:19:42.680 roughly turns out to three thousand people a week. How 0:19:42.720 --> 0:19:46.960 are you talking about this the current way in which 0:19:47.000 --> 0:19:50.440 we are continuing to deal with the effects of COVID nineteen, 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:56.520 but also preparation for the next virus, which many doctors 0:19:56.520 --> 0:20:01.680 and scientists tell us will come as in part because 0:20:01.720 --> 0:20:05.520 of climate change, in part because of what is floating 0:20:05.560 --> 0:20:09.439 around in our atmosphere, what is being released via the 0:20:09.480 --> 0:20:13.720 melting of the glaciers. Bacteria that's being released that hasn't 0:20:13.720 --> 0:20:16.400 been in the air for a billion years. So how 0:20:16.400 --> 0:20:19.800 are you talking with your you know, with your constituents 0:20:19.840 --> 0:20:25.040 about you know, about these pandemics and about public health 0:20:25.080 --> 0:20:32.080 in general. Sure, I mean sadly, what COVID has laid 0:20:32.119 --> 0:20:35.720 bare is the significant fissures in the delivery of health 0:20:35.760 --> 0:20:39.400 across the United States. You know, as it was spreading 0:20:39.400 --> 0:20:42.159 like wildfire in the early days prior to the vaccine, 0:20:42.520 --> 0:20:46.080 and we were hearing these horror stories about counties across 0:20:46.080 --> 0:20:48.199 the country that didn't have an intensive care bed, that 0:20:48.240 --> 0:20:51.200 didn't have a ventilator, communities where people wouldn't have had 0:20:51.240 --> 0:20:53.719 easy access even to go get the vaccine once it 0:20:53.760 --> 0:20:56.080 was available. What it points out to me is a 0:20:56.160 --> 0:20:59.600 need to really do a significant investment in shoring up 0:20:59.640 --> 0:21:03.440 the structure where people can reach care across the country, 0:21:03.600 --> 0:21:08.040 and whether that begins by telehealth in our more rural 0:21:08.040 --> 0:21:11.359 and remote areas at least that is something. But doing 0:21:11.359 --> 0:21:14.400 a nationwide study and survey on where are these care 0:21:14.480 --> 0:21:17.520 deserts and how do we change that? And then the 0:21:17.520 --> 0:21:20.479 hospitals that communities rely on, do they have everything that 0:21:20.520 --> 0:21:23.240 they need? It is not cheap to build and maintain 0:21:23.280 --> 0:21:26.280 a hospital these days, but we know now we need them, 0:21:26.320 --> 0:21:28.439 and we need them equipped and ready to go in 0:21:28.480 --> 0:21:31.080 the case of a moment like this. And then further 0:21:31.160 --> 0:21:34.399 to just you know, shore up the faith and the 0:21:34.440 --> 0:21:37.960 credibility of our public health institutions and really make sure 0:21:38.119 --> 0:21:42.200 we are completely transparent about the development of pharmaceuticals, about 0:21:42.200 --> 0:21:45.800 the development of vaccines, and the health and the safety 0:21:46.400 --> 0:21:49.359 versus the potential risks. I think, you know, trying to 0:21:49.400 --> 0:21:52.719 have that the front and center and present in media 0:21:52.800 --> 0:21:57.359 that folks trust becomes increasingly important. But then again back 0:21:57.359 --> 0:22:01.240 to that concept of rebuilding community and knitting us back 0:22:01.280 --> 0:22:03.840 together and recognizing that, especially in the midst of a 0:22:03.840 --> 0:22:08.560 public health crisis, we have to sometimes take steps to 0:22:08.560 --> 0:22:11.680 protect ourselves, but more importantly the people around us who 0:22:11.720 --> 0:22:14.040 are a valuable part of our community, whose lives. I 0:22:14.080 --> 0:22:16.520 gotta tell you, I love the imagery of knitting the 0:22:16.560 --> 0:22:21.199 community back together, of knitting community back together, because you know, 0:22:21.280 --> 0:22:25.639 I like the idea of their being patches right and 0:22:25.840 --> 0:22:28.359 like and wanting to be a part of you know, 0:22:28.440 --> 0:22:30.639 a part of this, a part of this quilt, a 0:22:30.720 --> 0:22:34.120 part of of community, and the idea is that most 0:22:34.160 --> 0:22:37.080 people do they want you know, they they they want 0:22:37.119 --> 0:22:39.560 to know who who lives next to them and across 0:22:39.600 --> 0:22:41.560 the street, and who is going to school with their 0:22:41.640 --> 0:22:45.040 kids and you know, um and and and who is 0:22:45.280 --> 0:22:47.920 packing up your groceries and and all of these things. 0:22:47.920 --> 0:22:52.359 And so I love your term because it provides such 0:22:52.640 --> 0:22:57.080 you know, comforting imagery um and and you know, to 0:22:57.119 --> 0:22:59.880 the point around around COVID, I think that a lot 0:23:00.080 --> 0:23:05.359 of what did happen was the purposeful fracturing of community, 0:23:05.480 --> 0:23:08.840 of this idea that like, we're in it together. And 0:23:08.920 --> 0:23:12.720 so you know, how do you Christie, like as as 0:23:12.800 --> 0:23:17.520 this candidate for Congress, rebuild this idea right that we 0:23:17.600 --> 0:23:20.320 are all in this together, that we're not going to 0:23:20.400 --> 0:23:24.800 make it with this kind of individualistic you know, each 0:23:24.880 --> 0:23:27.200 person got to pull themselves up from the boots drops 0:23:27.240 --> 0:23:29.800 when we know some don't have boots, some don't have laces, 0:23:30.240 --> 0:23:33.639 you know, and and some need more care than others. 0:23:33.640 --> 0:23:37.359 And so you know, your what is your core message 0:23:38.080 --> 0:23:45.840 of community that you're sharing with the voters? Well, I 0:23:45.880 --> 0:23:48.520 really appreciate this question because this resonates with me. This 0:23:48.560 --> 0:23:50.800 is where I have spent my life's work in building 0:23:51.080 --> 0:23:53.439 partnerships and elevating those who are out there on the 0:23:53.440 --> 0:23:56.840 front lines doing the really important nonprofit work and supporting 0:23:57.119 --> 0:24:00.840 the most vulnerable areas and people in our communities. And 0:24:00.840 --> 0:24:03.560 so for me, it's two things. One it's showing up. 0:24:03.600 --> 0:24:07.040 It's being present. It's being present to serve the meals 0:24:07.040 --> 0:24:09.920 to our unhoused neighbors with the Dolores Quartok Foundation. It's 0:24:09.960 --> 0:24:13.000 showing up as I did last weekend for the young 0:24:13.080 --> 0:24:16.280 activist mom who had founded a nonprofit for mental health 0:24:16.320 --> 0:24:19.120 help and support in the community because her own son 0:24:19.680 --> 0:24:22.440 had taken his life. And it's about as I'm meeting 0:24:22.440 --> 0:24:24.520 these people in these groups, making sure that I connect 0:24:24.560 --> 0:24:26.600 them to one another as they need each other, as 0:24:26.640 --> 0:24:29.080 they might be able to benefit from each other's experiences 0:24:29.200 --> 0:24:31.800 or the work that they do. And then for people 0:24:32.320 --> 0:24:35.320 interested and wanting to be involved in public service, what 0:24:35.400 --> 0:24:38.520 I always say to young people is bloom where you're planted. 0:24:38.880 --> 0:24:41.120 If there is some aspect of this kind of work 0:24:41.160 --> 0:24:44.080 in the community that really lights you up and makes 0:24:44.080 --> 0:24:46.520 you want to get up every day, then start there 0:24:46.560 --> 0:24:49.880 and the opportunities for further leadership will present themselves as 0:24:49.880 --> 0:24:52.520 you are doing this work. But find that one thing. 0:24:52.600 --> 0:24:54.040 You know, we don't all have to show up for 0:24:54.119 --> 0:24:56.720 everything every day. But if each one of us finds 0:24:56.720 --> 0:24:59.439 that one piece of work, schools, a community garden, whatever 0:24:59.480 --> 0:25:02.840 it is, show up, be present. And that's part of 0:25:02.840 --> 0:25:06.439 that active process. Though. And I appreciate that you like 0:25:06.520 --> 0:25:10.000 knitting because it's deliberate, right, it's action driven to bring 0:25:10.040 --> 0:25:12.640 our communities back together. It doesn't take a whole lot 0:25:12.640 --> 0:25:14.639 of lift, but it just takes everybody doing their one 0:25:14.680 --> 0:25:18.520 little part that really inspires them. Yeah, I truly do 0:25:18.600 --> 0:25:24.720 love it. My last question for you is what I 0:25:24.760 --> 0:25:27.359 say every day and what I will continue to say 0:25:27.720 --> 0:25:33.080 until election day. This is this midterm is the most 0:25:33.080 --> 0:25:36.719