Speaker 1: Good morning, peeps, and welcome to wok F Daily with
Speaker 1: Meet your Girl Danielle Moody, recording from the Home Bunker. Folks,
Speaker 1: it is hard to believe that today is literally one
Speaker 1: year out until the twenty twenty four presidential election. As
Speaker 1: certain many of you have casted your ballots for local, state,
Speaker 1: city elections and potentially some members of Congress that are running.
Speaker 1: It is hard to believe that twelve months will go
Speaker 1: by from this moment on and it'll be time for
Speaker 1: the presidential If you are paying attention to the polls
Speaker 1: right now, they look like shit. And who would have
Speaker 1: thought right that Joe Biden in his administration would think
Speaker 1: that using our tax dollars to buy civilians into oblivion
Speaker 1: wouldn't be a winning strategy. That when we're looking around
Speaker 1: and wondering, oh, why do our schools look the way
Speaker 1: that they do, our roads look the way that they do,
Speaker 1: our airports look the way that they do, our rail
Speaker 1: stations look the way that we do. Why are we
Speaker 1: investing in any type of mitigation around climate change? But
Speaker 1: you got fourteen point three billion dollars right to go
Speaker 1: towards war, that that wouldn't be a fucking winning strategy.
Speaker 1: So here we are, folks, where we are being forced
Speaker 1: to make a really critical decision. And look, I will
Speaker 1: tell you that my anger is not going to stop
Speaker 1: me from making the decision between Donald Trump and Joe
Speaker 1: Biden because I know exactly what Donald Trump plans to do.
Speaker 1: I know exactly how he plans to round people up,
Speaker 1: I know exactly how he plans to persecute people. I
Speaker 1: know exactly how he plans to finish the job that
Speaker 1: he started on January sixth, twenty twenty one. That is
Speaker 1: not an option, But I do know that demanding better
Speaker 1: from this administration, demanding better from this president, needs to happen.
Speaker 1: You don't just get a fucking pass, because the alternative
Speaker 1: is the devil. And that is where I find myself
Speaker 1: right now. So coming up next, we have a conversation
Speaker 1: with a candidate for the House seat for Adam Shipp's
Speaker 1: House seat in California who next year, in twenty twenty four,
Speaker 1: will be time for his election, and that is jerar
Speaker 1: Radevosian coming up next to talk about being the first
Speaker 1: Armenian to run for a congressional seat. He will also
Speaker 1: give us some insight into the conflict and crises in Armenia,
Speaker 1: where he had visited recently, as well as talk about
Speaker 1: what he wants to see in Congress and what he
Speaker 1: will offer if if he has the ability to take
Speaker 1: over Adam Shipp's seat. That conversation is coming up next, folks.
Speaker 1: I'm very happy to welcome to wok F Daily for
Speaker 1: the very first time, hopefully not the last, a candidate
Speaker 1: for Adam Shipp's congressional seat California thirtieth district that will
Speaker 1: be up for election in twenty twenty four. We know
Speaker 1: this because we talk about the most consequential election of
Speaker 1: our times. Jar Redovosin, I am so happy to have
Speaker 1: you. You are openly gay, you are Armenian, and you know
Speaker 1: when folks here California, they think, oh great, like it's
Speaker 1: the land of diversity. But I would like for you
Speaker 1: to talk about one your reason for wanting to run
Speaker 1: and maybe some of both what is pushing you and
Speaker 1: some of the obstacles that you foresee over the next
Speaker 1: year as you uh work for this seat.
Speaker 2: Thanks so much for having me, Danielle, Yeah, thank you,
Speaker 2: it's it's it's a pleasure to be with you and
Speaker 2: to talk about these issues You're right, California is it's
Speaker 2: one of the most democratic state, uh in in in
Speaker 2: the country, and l A in particular where I am,
Speaker 2: We're we're blessed with so much diversity and strong progressive
Speaker 2: roots across across the city. But but it's definitely, you know,
Speaker 2: within pockets of different communities, there are a whole spectrum
Speaker 2: of different issues regarding healthcare, lgbt Q rights, women's rights,
Speaker 2: you know. So it's never as you know, it's never
Speaker 2: as simple as as you know, an Instagram video might
Speaker 2: might might showcase sometimes. I I'm born in raised here
Speaker 2: in Hollywood, in the district which is Adam Schift's district,
Speaker 2: as you said, and I'm Armenian. My parents immigrated here
Speaker 2: in the mid seventies. My mom's side came from Lebanon,
Speaker 2: dad's side came from Armenia, uh and being the first
Speaker 2: born son of those of my immigrant family, that is
Speaker 2: something a badge of honor that I carry with me
Speaker 2: every day, and it's also a huge reason why I'm running.
Speaker 2: When I started the race, I entered because I felt
Speaker 2: the American dream. And I know people are cynical about
Speaker 2: the American dream, but I still believe in the American dream.
Speaker 2: The American dream worked for me and my family and
Speaker 2: millions of other families, and I believe we have to
Speaker 2: work hard to fight for it and to make it
Speaker 2: possible for more people to achieve their dream. And that
Speaker 2: dream can be however they wanted to find it, whether
Speaker 2: it's access to education, healthcare, housing, But that American dream
Speaker 2: is slipping away from from millions of people. Uh. And
Speaker 2: even in this in this in this state of California,
Speaker 2: where we have more resources, uh, more more pro science legislators,
Speaker 2: so to speak. And uh, and that is that's a
Speaker 2: big reason why I'm fighting. I've always in all my work,
Speaker 2: I've worked to expand access to equitable healthcare to make
Speaker 2: uh society more just. And now it's uh. I I
Speaker 2: had I was working in Washington for for President Biden.
Speaker 2: I had to quit my job to come back to
Speaker 2: my hometown here because the issues were were so grand. Uh.
Speaker 2: And we need more young people in Congress to fight
Speaker 2: for for climate justice, environmental justice, housing justice, health care justice.
Speaker 2: That's what's on the line. And how I show up,
Speaker 2: Like you said, I'm lgbt Q, I'm Armenian, proud son
Speaker 2: of immigrants. These are the values and the resilience that
Speaker 2: I carry with me as I approach all the different
Speaker 2: challenges on a end of day basis.
Speaker 1: What are some of the issues that are coming up
Speaker 1: for folks in California's thirtieth district. Like we know right
Speaker 1: that the right likes to create a narrative around Blue
Speaker 1: States as some type of hellhole, right as some type
Speaker 1: of healthscape, And we know, just like in any place,
Speaker 1: there are challenges. There are challenges to housing and whether
Speaker 1: or not it can be affordable. There are challenges as
Speaker 1: it pertains to those that are unhoused. What are some
Speaker 1: of the things that are coming up for your potential constituents,
Speaker 1: for the people in the thirtieth district of California that
Speaker 1: you think need attention right now?
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I like the way you framed it, right
Speaker 2: because there's significant progress because of some of the policies
Speaker 2: that this state has put forward with regards to a
Speaker 2: clean air regulations. By twenty twenty five, LA's hosting the Olympics,
Speaker 2: and so there's a lot of movement around expanding transportation
Speaker 2: access and so many other things that they're that the
Speaker 2: city is doing to make it prepare for for for
Speaker 2: the Olympics. But there are a number of there are
Speaker 2: still many challenges. Housing, as you mentioned, is top of
Speaker 2: people's mind. I spend a lot of time door knocking, actually,
Speaker 2: I've been doing that for months, talking to voters about
Speaker 2: what's on their mind. People are, you know, people can't
Speaker 2: afford their rent rents California is California renters pay thirty
Speaker 2: eight thirty nine percent more in rent and then some
Speaker 2: other states in their number of reasons for that. But
Speaker 2: it's also home ownership is becoming harder and harder to
Speaker 2: hold on to. And because of skyrocketing interest rates highest
Speaker 2: than twenty five years and not having federal tax benefits
Speaker 2: for for some homeowners, You're seeing younger people not even
Speaker 2: plan for home ownership in their in their lifetime. And
Speaker 2: that's actually really scary because home ownership is it's a privilege,
Speaker 2: but it's also economic security for your house, for your family,
Speaker 2: for your kids, right and and and if young people
Speaker 2: are not thinking that that is part of their sustainable future,
Speaker 2: that that's that's something that we have to address. Voters
Speaker 2: here are also concerned about education. You know, I've heard
Speaker 2: a lot about student loans and and how people are
Speaker 2: struggling to break out of this pro pro profit institution
Speaker 2: that is our student loan repayment program and and folks
Speaker 2: have been paying into it for for eight nine, ten years,
Speaker 2: but still have hundreds of thousands of that And that's
Speaker 2: just that's just unconscionable. I think, so people a mother
Speaker 2: should not have two kids and two jobs to be
Speaker 2: able to pay for her student loans and also put
Speaker 2: food on the table.
Speaker 3: But that I've heard that story.
Speaker 2: Over and over again, and just as as as an
Speaker 2: openly gapers and I've also been attacked here by the way,
Speaker 2: verbally in Burbank, California, of all places, you know. And
Speaker 2: and it's because there's so much there the right ring,
Speaker 2: the extreme white ring rhetoric that we have seen fuel
Speaker 2: the fragmentation and the deep division that that is in Congress.
Speaker 2: And we know that a lot of that it's being
Speaker 2: fueled by outside organizations that has that has definitely infiltrated
Speaker 2: school board meetings here across the state and in this district,
Speaker 2: in liberal cities like Burbank. And you know, when my
Speaker 2: husband and I were at Burbank Pride, you know, someone
Speaker 2: came to me and said, you can't be Armenian and
Speaker 2: gay at the same time, that's just that the Armenian
Speaker 2: gays don't exist.
Speaker 3: He said, you.
Speaker 2: Should be denouncing one one of your two identities right now,
Speaker 2: and wow, can you believe it?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 2: And and of course that's you know, in the in
Speaker 2: compared to other people that you know, I'm not saying
Speaker 2: that story to generate sympathy, because people have to deal
Speaker 2: with a lot worse than that. Believe me, I had
Speaker 2: the protection of my husband and the community around me.
Speaker 2: But but that but it's just it's the kind of
Speaker 2: narrative that that this this this information system is creating
Speaker 2: that is definitely also infecting. I would say our cities
Speaker 2: here and I was at school board meetings fighting back
Speaker 2: against the parents who were protesting the inclusion of LGBT curriculum.
Speaker 2: Those issues are all alive and well in this election
Speaker 2: and also in cities across Los Angeles.
Speaker 1: I want to switch gears for a moment from your
Speaker 1: run and talking about your family's home, right of home
Speaker 1: country of Armenia and you know, on WOOKF I try
Speaker 1: every once in you know, in a while, to be
Speaker 1: able to bring in issues of global interest right in
Speaker 1: how different countries are moving, what issues are going to
Speaker 1: also affect us here in the US. While I have
Speaker 1: been posting about just the lack of humanity that I
Speaker 1: am seeing online that I'm seeing in the world, and
Speaker 1: really trying to center people into how they regain conversation
Speaker 1: and community and all of these things. Someone had posted
Speaker 1: underneath one of my messages and said, but you haven't
Speaker 1: spoken about Armenia and what is happening there, and they
Speaker 1: were right, I hadn't, And so I want for you
Speaker 1: to give my listeners the opportunity of fifty thousand foot
Speaker 1: view as to because you were there recently. There is
Speaker 1: ongoing strife and struggle that is happening in that region,
Speaker 1: and so I want to give you the opportunity to
Speaker 1: both educate me as well as the listeners to your
Speaker 1: experience recently.
Speaker 3: Thank you so much for raising it.
Speaker 2: And also, you know, I've always appreciated the way you've
Speaker 2: centered conversations around international issues, in particular on humanity, right,
Speaker 2: because we all have a common humanity think at the
Speaker 2: end of the day, and that also applies to people
Speaker 2: you know of Armenian heritage or people who are Armenian like.
Speaker 3: Me and my family.
Speaker 2: You know this, You know for Armenians across the country,
Speaker 2: and you know, there are more Armenians that live in
Speaker 2: the US than actually in Armenia. Armenians we have suffered
Speaker 2: genocide in the early nineteen hundreds. Between nineteen fifteen and
Speaker 2: nineteen eighteen, a million and a half Armenians were killed.
Speaker 2: And so through that awful chapter in our history, many
Speaker 2: Armenian families immigrated across the region and to different parts
Speaker 2: of the world. My mom's side, as I mentioned, came
Speaker 2: from Lebanon. Armians, but came from Lebanon. You have Armians
Speaker 2: from Iran, from other parts of the Middle East as well.
Speaker 2: Now fast forward to what's what's transpired over the last
Speaker 2: four or five years Armenia. There's a there's a there's
Speaker 2: an ethnic enclave of Armenians in a region called Nagarnojapah.
Speaker 2: You may have seen some Armians referred to it as Arta.
Speaker 2: That's how Armians like myself refer to that territory. It's
Speaker 2: got about one hundred and twenty It used to have
Speaker 2: one hundred and twenty thousand Armians living in that. That
Speaker 2: was a state that had declared its independence, that had
Speaker 2: a functioning government, It was autonomous, and it has thousands
Speaker 2: of years of history of religious artifacts. They were the
Speaker 2: first Christian nation and many other cultural identities that are
Speaker 2: so important to how Armenians identify, and they had been
Speaker 2: living there for over two thousand years. Just a couple
Speaker 2: of weeks before before the escalation of war in the
Speaker 2: Middle East, Azerbaijan, which is a neighbor to Armenia, had
Speaker 2: and there have been some border scrimmishes over the last
Speaker 2: few years, but Azerbaijan had decided to take distract and
Speaker 2: take advantage of the distraction that the world was on
Speaker 2: because of the war in Ukraine. Russia had also been
Speaker 2: weakened in the region and was occupied with Ukraine, and
Speaker 2: so Osby John attacked that ethnic enclave and one hundred
Speaker 2: and twenty thousand Armenians over night Danielle or I should
Speaker 2: say thirty six hours roughly. Not only were hundreds of
Speaker 2: hundreds killed on the spot because of the military onslaught,
Speaker 2: but because of the warnings from the Ozibi Jihan government
Speaker 2: that they would invade that territory. It led to an
Speaker 2: exodus of one hundred and twenty thousand, nearly every single
Speaker 2: Armenian in there except for a few hundred, according to
Speaker 2: a recent report and a mass exodus out of that
Speaker 2: ethnic enclave that was ours for two thousand years and
Speaker 2: into neighboring Armenia. And so now Armenia has a humanitarian
Speaker 2: crisis dealing with this influx of refugees, figuring out housing, education, healthcare, stipends,
Speaker 2: all the things that people need to survive.
Speaker 3: We talk about humanity, right.
Speaker 2: I was just there two weeks before this on Wow,
Speaker 2: and for me it was it was such a precious
Speaker 2: opportunity because I went back with my mom and dad.
Speaker 2: Mom and dad had n't been in fifty years since
Speaker 2: they came to this country. They were going through their own,
Speaker 2: their own enlightenment. I had been, I've been many times myself,
Speaker 2: but going through their eyes was helpful and just a
Speaker 2: whole different way of saying it. My Nigerian husband was
Speaker 2: also with us as well, and he was experiencing Armenia
Speaker 2: and analyzing the similarities between our two cultures, and that
Speaker 2: was a wonderful experience. We stood on parts of the
Speaker 2: land that are no longer part of Armenia now, believe
Speaker 2: it or not. Because we had gone to that border,
Speaker 2: I wanted to see the humanitarian situation firsthand. I forgot
Speaker 2: to mention eight months prior to the attack, Azerbaijan had
Speaker 2: blockaded this small region, very similar to the situation now
Speaker 2: that we're seeing happening.
Speaker 3: With Israel and Gaza.
Speaker 2: And these people were did not have access to food, electricity, internet, water,
Speaker 2: eight months, eight months, and then came the military onslaught
Speaker 2: and so of course people are going to run away
Speaker 2: and come back. And so I want to see the
Speaker 2: humanitarian convoy of trucks that were parked firsthand and asked
Speaker 2: questions about you know, who was getting in what the
Speaker 2: ICRS was doing for Armenians that live in Los Angeles,
Speaker 2: and it's a big part. Then, you know, fifteen percent
Speaker 2: of the of the constituency in this district is our Armenian.
Speaker 2: Many of us have friends and family impacted by what's
Speaker 2: happened over the last twelve months. So it's a difficult
Speaker 2: time for all of us.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's thank you for that. Thank you for sharing
Speaker 1: that and providing some context. I think that you know
Speaker 1: what happens oftentimes unfortunately inside of the United States, that
Speaker 1: we are so self focused, so self centered right on
Speaker 1: what is happening in our own body politic, that we're
Speaker 1: we don't pay attention unless it is a headline grabber
Speaker 1: with millions of people. Do we pay attention to the
Speaker 1: moves right that are being made by aggressive military forces
Speaker 1: and aggressive countries to gain land, right to you know,
Speaker 1: to enhance their own power, and they think that what's
Speaker 1: important about that region and what is happening is that
Speaker 1: it is also emblematic and indicative of our own instabilities
Speaker 1: that are happening. That what seemed you know, let me
Speaker 1: ask you this jorre like what seemed to me ten
Speaker 1: fifteen years ago as worlds away, right when war would
Speaker 1: rerupt or there would be a rush of violence in
Speaker 1: a particular region, there was still the illusion, if anything,
Speaker 1: of safety where we were in the United States. I
Speaker 1: don't feel that anymore, right, And so I'll ask you,
Speaker 1: you know, does do these conflicts even though with Armenia
Speaker 1: that is a simal for you, But do they seem
Speaker 1: far or like they're at your doorstep at this time?
Speaker 2: Oh? Yeah, no, they definitely feel close, not only because
Speaker 2: I'm ourmedian, but but very much because you know, you know,
Speaker 2: they it feels part of a bigger, bigger shift in
Speaker 2: in in in geopolitics, you know, and and the way
Speaker 2: the world is aligning, you know, I've I've read some
Speaker 2: people call it, you know, are we in World War
Speaker 2: three now? With the way you know, countries are are
Speaker 2: aligning themselves with the West, with the US and UH
Speaker 2: and Israel versus versus you know, Russia and China right,
Speaker 2: and look at the U N. I mean, the UN
Speaker 2: is completely ineffectual now. The Security Council hasn't made a
Speaker 2: single important resolution in years because of China, China, China's
Speaker 2: and Russia's you know, UH impediments. So I do think
Speaker 2: that what is happening, and COVID nineteen showed this in
Speaker 2: real time for anyone who needed a history lesson, that
Speaker 2: all of us are interconnected, and what happens two thousand
Speaker 2: miles away, whether it's in Gaza or whether it's in Armenia,
Speaker 2: is very much connected to all of us. And that's
Speaker 2: why I love your word humanity in terms of.
Speaker 3: How we frame all of this.
Speaker 2: So yeah, I mean not that it doesn't mean that
Speaker 2: I don't feel safe, but it does mean that if
Speaker 2: if there's injustice somewhere else, as Martin Luther King Junior said,
Speaker 2: there's injustice here at home. And so I feel that
Speaker 2: whether it's Armenia, whether it's even even public health issues,
Speaker 2: whether even if it's the housing crisis in the US.
Speaker 2: We have forty five thousand people who are experiencing homelessness
Speaker 2: in Los Angeles. That affects me, even though it doesn't
Speaker 2: affect me. But if people are in house and I
Speaker 2: see them on my way to work or or you know,
Speaker 2: if they're down the street, for me is that's part
Speaker 2: of my common humanity and we it's a moral crisis
Speaker 2: of our our of our lifetime, I feel like. And
Speaker 2: so it's very it very much feels close.
Speaker 1: The last question that I'll ask for you is one
Speaker 1: that you know has been new over the last you know,
Speaker 1: couple of months of a lot of my listeners as
Speaker 1: well as myself, you know, struggle with finding hope during
Speaker 1: these times of like darkness and hopelessness. And so what
Speaker 1: is providing you hope right now? And what advice do
Speaker 1: you have for others that are struggling to find any
Speaker 1: type of light?
Speaker 2: You know, I you're gonna laugh, or your listeners might
Speaker 2: laugh when they hear me say this, But I actually
Speaker 2: am not cynical about Washington and as dysfunctional and as
Speaker 2: crazy at it as it is, and we just reached
Speaker 2: a new new height of that with the most anti speaker,
Speaker 2: anti woman, sorry, anti LGBTQ, anti woman speaker elected. But
Speaker 2: I'm still not cynical about about Congress and about Washington
Speaker 2: and the role that government can plain in the betterment.
Speaker 3: Of our lives. And I'll tell you why.
Speaker 2: It's because I've seen good things happen. I was Congresswoman
Speaker 2: Barbara Lee's legislative director for twelve years ago, twelve thirteen
Speaker 2: years ago, and working for her and with her, you know,
Speaker 2: I learned.
Speaker 3: I learned so much. She's my role model.
Speaker 2: And you know, we were able to work with Republicans
Speaker 2: on HIV globally to fight HIV around Africa and Asia.
Speaker 3: We were able to curtail the war.
Speaker 2: Powers that a president has through the authorization of use
Speaker 2: of military force.
Speaker 3: Barbara Lee was the.
Speaker 2: Only one who voted against that, and now the majority
Speaker 2: of Congress supports her, you know, twenty two years later.
Speaker 2: So even amidst that this function and chaos that is
Speaker 2: part of our democracy, there are there are, there are
Speaker 2: there's a hope that I have that because more young
Speaker 2: people are entering the political process, because more young people
Speaker 2: are awoke, because they want to take matters in their
Speaker 2: own hand, just like I have. I had a great
Speaker 2: job in Washington, I left my home, been there, and
Speaker 2: I came to LA where I'm from to run for Congress, right,
Speaker 2: And that's because I felt the responsibility to represent. Because
Speaker 2: we only have eleven LGBTQ members in the House of Representatives. Yeah,
Speaker 2: because we have no our minions in the House of Representers,
Speaker 2: right and so, and we have so many now young
Speaker 2: people in Congress, thirty year olds. That gives me hope.
Speaker 2: That gives me hope because if more and more of
Speaker 2: us can be part of the process, be part of
Speaker 2: that constructive change, we can better not only make Congress
Speaker 2: work better for us and make Congress represent be representative
Speaker 2: of the people that tries to represent. I think that
Speaker 2: that'll bring the kind of change and progress that we
Speaker 2: all want to see, whether it's in our cities, or
Speaker 2: it's in our country, or whether it's in the defense.
Speaker 3: Of our democracy.
Speaker 1: Wonderful, well, Duror. We hope to have you back, you know,
Speaker 1: as you continue your quest for the California's thirtieth congressional seat,
Speaker 1: and as we you know, kind of look ahead to
Speaker 1: twenty twenty four and we are in it. We would
Speaker 1: love to have the opportunity to revisit this conversation and
Speaker 1: check in on how your campaign is going. But thank
Speaker 1: you so much for your time today and words.
Speaker 2: Thank you so much. Yeah, thanks for being bring a
Speaker 2: light on so many issues and on Urmnian issues today
Speaker 2: and for everything you do. I look forward to being
Speaker 2: back talk to you soon.
Speaker 1: Appreciate you. That is it for me today. Dear friends
Speaker 1: on woke a app as always, power to the people and
Speaker 1: to all the people. Power, get woke and stay woke
Speaker 1: as fuck.