1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 1: It's that time. Time, time, time, Luck and load. The 2 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: Michael vari Show is on the air. The following feature 3 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: has been rated R. It is intended for mature audiences. 4 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 2: I just wanted to say to everyone out there, I'm 5 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 2: no longer mainlining acid or smoking PCP. 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: It's official. Well here's a story, you know. 7 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 3: The wretch says a lot about what most of us 8 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 3: think of art, particularly what would be called fine art. 9 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,239 Speaker 1: A museum volunteer. 10 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 3: Was cleaning the museum voluntarily, big fan want to help, 11 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 3: accidentally destroyed an art piece. No, not moving it, not 12 00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 3: lifting it or hanging it, after mistaking it for a 13 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 3: dirty mirror and cleaning it because it well, if you 14 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 3: see a picture of it, it looks like a dirty mirror. 15 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 3: The work by Chin Sung Chi is said to symbolize quote, 16 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 3: the distorted self awareness of the middle class. A volunteer 17 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 3: at the Key Lung Museum of Art in Taiwan actually 18 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 3: destroyed a valuable artwork by cleaning it with toilet paper. 19 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 3: The piece, entitled Inverted Syntax sixteen, features a dust covered 20 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 3: mirror mounted on a simple wooden board with a smudge 21 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 3: in the center. The piece, which symbolized the cultural consciousness 22 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 3: of the middle Class was created by Chin Sung Chi. 23 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 3: I guess you're supposed to know who that is. The 24 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 3: volunteer thinking the mirror was dirty, wiped away forty years 25 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 3: of dust, irreparably damaging the artwork. 26 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: Oh no, the dust was part of the artwork. 27 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 3: The museum's management has apologized to the artist and is 28 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 3: discussing potential compensation. The artwork was part of the We 29 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 3: Are a Me exhibition, showcasing works created from building materials 30 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 3: and everyday objects. The report mentioned that some critics even 31 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 3: argue that the accidental cleaning has become part of the artwork. 32 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: And should be left as it is. So there you. 33 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:33,119 Speaker 3: Talk about a class differential when when you see cases 34 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 3: like this, you know Rauschenberg did did the white painting 35 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 3: where there was nothing on there and it represented I 36 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:50,359 Speaker 3: guess infinity or limitlessness, And you know your average rednecks going, well, hell, 37 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 3: I could have done I could have done the blank canvas. 38 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 3: I mean I could have done that. There is a disconnect, 39 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 3: and there's nothing wrong with it. There are people who 40 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 3: would say, when I walk in and look at that stuff, 41 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 3: I don't see anything. I see a bunch of I 42 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 3: see people making a mockery of their hoity toity ways, 43 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,359 Speaker 3: and a lot of people standing around pretending that they 44 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 3: love this. Because if you don't love it, you don't 45 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 3: get it. And if you don't get it, you're a heathen. 46 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 3: So in order to show how much you how smart 47 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 3: you are. We see this with bands. It's less pretentious, 48 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 3: but still the same mindset. People will say they like 49 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 3: a particular song or a particular band because you're supposed to, 50 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 3: if you're sophisticated, you're supposed to like that particular thing. 51 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 3: And so we see this, and we see this with caviar. 52 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 3: I don't believe caviar tastes good, and in fact, caviar 53 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 3: was cheap until relatively recently, until it was made available 54 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 3: to a larger until it was until it was. 55 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: Oh what was story? 56 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 3: I just read this the other day. How the price 57 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 3: of caviar spid Oh, it doesn't matter. But the point 58 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 3: is caviar used to be considered trash, and then once 59 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 3: the value shot up, you had sturgeon being pulled out 60 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 3: of the water, cut open for the caviar, the eggs, 61 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,720 Speaker 3: and just discarded as trash because the price went up. 62 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 3: It does feel to some of us I think a 63 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 3: lot of people that there are things that are given 64 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 3: an artificial value because they are supposedly so rare, or 65 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 3: so elegant, or so special. And there is a class 66 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 3: of people who reinforced this notion because it adds to 67 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 3: their unique I get it, and you don't. It's hipsterism 68 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 3: writ large, just refined and more expensive. 69 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 1: It's as simple as that. 70 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 3: But I also understand that there is a place in 71 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,919 Speaker 3: the world for art and for artistic be and for 72 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 3: stopping and smelling the roses. That's just not what I 73 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 3: sense when I go to an art gala, or I 74 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 3: don't go to art gather it's to an art gallery. 75 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 3: That's not what I sense is going on. I just 76 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 3: I don't see that as as I don't see that 77 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 3: they are celebrating art in natural beauty story out of well, 78 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 3: it's out of Florida, but it involves three Houston men. 79 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,479 Speaker 3: They were involved in a scheme with another man to 80 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 3: try and cash a US Treasury check worth more than 81 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 3: twenty seven million dollars in Florida. 82 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 1: Go big or go home, I guess. 83 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 3: According to the federal criminal complaint, agents arrested Carlos Manuel 84 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 3: Villa via Nueva thirty seven of Hyalia, Florida, Eric Renard 85 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 3: Bedford forty four of Houston, Jorge CRUs Garcia thirty of Katie, 86 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 3: and John Ryan Boxey forty three of Houston. The four 87 00:05:57,279 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 3: men face one count of conspiracy to defraud the United 88 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 3: States in one count of theft of government property. The 89 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 3: tax refund check, which totaled twenty seven million, nine hundred 90 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 3: ten thousand that's almost twenty eight man, was supposed to 91 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 3: go to an unnamed company in Richmond, Virginia, and it 92 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 3: had not been cashed. According to the criminal complaint, a 93 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 3: source of information told federal agents that Vieanueva had access 94 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 3: to the check. 95 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 1: On November fifth. 96 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 3: Vianueva opened talks with a man called Banker in the complaint, 97 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 3: who he believed could help him cash the check. The 98 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 3: banker was an undercover officer with the US Treasury Inspector 99 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 3: General for Tax Administration. Theanueva showed the undercover officer photographs 100 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 3: and videos of the check and said that three other 101 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 3: men who lived outside Florida had it. He added that 102 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 3: the trio could travel to Florida, but stressed that he 103 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 3: needed help cashing the check because the company was closed 104 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 3: and the check was expiring on November twelfth. Vianueva told 105 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 3: the agent that his cut of the check could be 106 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,599 Speaker 3: five point six million, and he asked the officer to 107 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 3: create three separate bank accounts to disperse the funds. He 108 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 3: allegedly added that the men had quote access to other 109 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:16,679 Speaker 3: checks of a large amount and can get more. According 110 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 3: to investigators, Garcia quote claimed to have extensive experience in 111 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 3: negotiating stolen checks, particularly US Treasury checks, and also mentioned 112 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 3: that he operates a business that is used to funnel 113 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 3: the proceeds from these stolen checks. The four men made 114 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,239 Speaker 3: their first appearances on No. Number twelfth in a federal 115 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 3: court in Fort LAUDERDALM. So these people are running a 116 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 3: syndicate to get a hold of foreign checks, to get 117 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 3: i mean stolen checks, to get these checks, to steal them, 118 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 3: take possession of them, cash them, and then launder the 119 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 3: money out afterwards. These are very sophisticated operations. This is 120 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 3: happening all around us. And what about the person or 121 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 3: company who's checked it really is that maybe went under 122 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 3: and wouldn't have but for that. The number of frauds 123 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 3: and schemes that are being carried out in this country 124 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 3: and not being prosecuted sufficiently. If people feared that they 125 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 3: would be locked away for a very, very long time, 126 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 3: I don't feel. 127 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: They'd do this. Michael Berry's show. 128 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 3: Delicia Ballinger, I hope I pronounced that correctly. We'll find 129 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 3: out in just a moment. Lives in Memphis, Tennessee. She's 130 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 3: a mother journalist and until last month, a freelance reporter 131 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:41,559 Speaker 3: for the Tri State Defender. The Tri State Defender publishes 132 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 3: online news, entertainment, and information specifically focused on the African 133 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 3: American community in the greater Memphis area. 134 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 1: That's black people, Remont. It's not Elon. I don't when 135 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: you get. 136 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 3: A stupid idea, and they have since nineteen fifty one. Well, 137 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 3: in September, as you know, President Trump signed in an executive 138 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 3: order ordering the National Guard into Memphis to help combat crime, 139 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 3: which is good for the people of Memphis. A few 140 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 3: weeks later, Delicia shared her observations and her experience, but 141 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 3: apparently her experience did not conform to the standard. She 142 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 3: wasn't reading the rules. She was not going to be malmoued. 143 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 3: She wasn't going to be told what to do and 144 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 3: what to say. She's an independent black woman, and I thought, 145 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 3: remind me, I thought that was a good thing. 146 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: No, it's not. 147 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 3: It's only if you say what you're supposed to say. 148 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:33,199 Speaker 3: People like Delicia are far more damaging and detrimental and 149 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 3: dangerous and subversive than I could ever. 150 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: Be, because she. 151 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 3: Is a black woman who dares to have her own opinion, 152 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 3: and that makes people angry. 153 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:43,080 Speaker 1: She's our guest. Welcome to the show, sweetheart. 154 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so happy 155 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 2: to be here. 156 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 1: You have a great voice, Delicia. 157 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:48,480 Speaker 2: Thank you. 158 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 3: All right, so tell your story. Let's first catch up 159 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 3: with who you are. Where were you born, who were 160 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 3: your parents? Where'd you go to school? 161 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 2: Yes, so again, I'm Delisia Blinger, and I'm o Mysia. 162 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 2: I've been a lifelong Miphian and I did spend a 163 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 2: little bit of time away in Chicago, so I'm a 164 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 2: little mixed with the little Midwest there. My parents are 165 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 2: originally well, I have one that's originally from Florida and 166 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 2: then another one that's also a Memphian here too, you 167 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 2: know as well. I'm a mom, a wife, I'm a boy, 168 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 2: mom of two amazing children, and I love Memphis and 169 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 2: I love being a journalist and just being for the people. 170 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:31,679 Speaker 2: That's just always been my thing is to always just 171 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 2: kind of see things from my point of view, seeing 172 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:37,079 Speaker 2: things from my eyes, and just being honest. And that's 173 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 2: just something that I've just always just kind of carried 174 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 2: with me throughout the years. I've always been outspoken. I've 175 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 2: always been the type to just say how I feel 176 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 2: and again just from a point, from an honest point 177 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 2: of view. 178 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 3: And how did you get involved as a freelance reporter? 179 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 3: What was your professional background? 180 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 2: So I come from the media world. Of course, I've 181 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 2: been a freelance journalist for well over ten years. This 182 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 2: was just a dream that I had and I was 183 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 2: actually taken off of the street by the publishing editor 184 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 2: at the time, benal Smith for The Tried State Defender, 185 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 2: and he merely just saw my extreme passion and my 186 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 2: love and just my gift of writing, and he hired 187 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 2: me off the spot, off the street. At the time. 188 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 2: I didn't have a degree or anything. He just merely 189 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 2: just saw my passion and he knew that I was 190 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 2: there for the people, and he actually hired me off 191 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 2: of the street. And from that point going forward, I 192 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 2: just kind of tapped a little bit more into the 193 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 2: entertainment side, working doing entertainment for quite some for years, 194 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 2: and then pretty much kind of towards the middle of 195 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:53,200 Speaker 2: my tenure it kind of shifted one to the educational side, 196 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 2: working with the government, doing things of that nature, and 197 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 2: just kind of just doing a tidbit of everything at 198 00:11:59,400 --> 00:11:59,839 Speaker 2: that point. 199 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 3: And so, how long had you been reporting for the 200 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 3: African American community for the Tri State Defender. 201 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 2: So I've been there nearly eight years? 202 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 3: Okay, all right, so you've been at this for a while. 203 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 3: And the art of storytelling, which is something I'm passionate about. 204 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:20,199 Speaker 3: I think that I think that good preaching and storytelling. 205 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 3: I think that good book writing and storytelling, his songwriting, songwriting, 206 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:27,719 Speaker 3: stories and film is storytelling. A good salesman is a storyteller. 207 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 3: How if you look back in your life, sit on 208 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 3: your therapists couch here, and tell me why you think 209 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 3: you wanted to tell stories? Who was that influence in 210 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 3: your life that you think led you to want to 211 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 3: tell stories? 212 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 2: You know, really it was from my own personal experiences 213 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 2: that made me want the story that to me, you 214 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 2: want to tell stories? You know, I was pregnant and 215 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 2: homeless with my first child, I've also before that too. 216 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 2: You know, I was wasn't on the straight and narrow. 217 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 2: I was in and out of the system for quite 218 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 2: some time. I didn't make the decisions, but I knew 219 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 2: what my focus was. I knew that my purpose was 220 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 2: bigger than me. I know that God had something planned 221 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:11,560 Speaker 2: bigger for me. It was changing my mindset, and that 222 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,440 Speaker 2: came from me telling my own story and changing the 223 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 2: own my own narrative for my life. And once I'd 224 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,080 Speaker 2: done that, it opened a sick way for me to 225 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 2: be able to do that for others. And that's what's 226 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:24,440 Speaker 2: something that I try to incorporate within my writing, is 227 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 2: to be able to not only narrate the story, but 228 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 2: to be able to, you know, tell the truth and 229 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 2: to be able to capture what it is that my 230 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 2: audience wants to know and be able to fully grasp 231 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:40,439 Speaker 2: and tell that story. But I can honestly say that 232 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 2: my own story was pretty much my foundation on being 233 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 2: able to do the same thing for others. 234 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:50,559 Speaker 1: It's a gift. 235 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 3: You know, A journalist should be a truth teller, and 236 00:13:56,040 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 3: that should be the top of the mountain, the gold 237 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:04,199 Speaker 3: the gold standard. It should be what a journalist is 238 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 3: seeking to do, and the belief that sunlight is the 239 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:12,559 Speaker 3: best disinfectant, that telling the stories and exposing things, people 240 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 3: will come to the best conclusions. You know, Thomas Jefferson 241 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 3: famously said, do you want the media regulating the government 242 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 3: or the government regulating the media, And I think we 243 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 3: all know where that stands. But now we moved to 244 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 3: the next step. How did you find out living in 245 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 3: Memphis that the President had signed the executive order? What 246 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 3: can you remember the first time you heard that he's 247 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 3: going to be sending troops to Memphis? Because Memphis is 248 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 3: never Look, I'm an Elvis fan, been to Beale Street, 249 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 3: There's FedEx, there's Saint Jude, which we're one of their spokesmen, 250 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 3: So I understand Memphis, but it does not come up 251 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 3: in the conversation of major cities. You expect federal troops 252 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 3: to go into La Chicago, Atlanta, New York. Memphis is 253 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 3: never on that list or DC. And then it was 254 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 3: do you remember when you learned that? 255 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 2: Absolutely? I started hearing rumors rell around the top September 256 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 2: and it wasn't until I woke up one morning and 257 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 2: I saw President Trump. I believe it was on Good 258 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 2: Morning of America or something like that of the sort 259 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 2: where he basically said, hey, Memphis is pretty much next 260 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 2: on the list, and I was like, wow, you know, 261 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 2: I was pretty skeptical at first. I'm thinking, okay. On 262 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 2: behalf of me is saying, okay, relief, because again, I 263 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 2: live in these neighborhoods where I'm pretty much a victim, 264 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:34,080 Speaker 2: and I'm seeing others around me are become victims of 265 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 2: the high crime here within the city. So I'm relieved 266 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 2: that he's doing this. And then the other half of 267 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 2: me is kind of like, so, what is this going 268 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 2: to be like, because again you have the fear mongering 269 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 2: coming in from the community, from the media here, especially 270 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 2: the local media here at this point that's basically just 271 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 2: kind of pouring into us. That's like, oh my god, 272 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 2: they're going to come down here. It's kind of giving 273 00:15:57,800 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 2: Nazi vibes. You know, they're going to be marching down 274 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 2: the streets. You're going to be doing this in the 275 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 2: third and doing a bunch of harassing so that she's 276 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 2: you know, be prepared, you know for that. So I 277 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 2: was a big fifty sixty on the fence about it. 278 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 1: But wait right there. 279 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 3: Licia Balinger is our guest more with her and how 280 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 3: she lost her job. 281 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 2: When first I've been destroying the black community is to 282 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 2: dismantle the black family. 283 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 1: To Michael Berry Show. 284 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 2: Why don't we ask missus Willie Brown if Kamala Harris 285 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 2: cares about black families. 286 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 3: Licia Balinger was a reporter for the Tri State Defender 287 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 3: in Memphis, and she dared to write about her perspective, 288 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 3: her observations, her experience after President Trump signed an executive 289 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 3: order ordering the National Guard into Memphis, where crime was 290 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 3: notoriously bad. Luisa, let's start before we get to your 291 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:57,760 Speaker 3: perspective on that action and the result. How bad was 292 00:16:57,760 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 3: it in Memphis? Because we hear stories. 293 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 2: It was awful. I again, I lived in a neighborhood 294 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:12,439 Speaker 2: it's majority black, and the crime is extremely high, and 295 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 2: there were things that I was dealing with, such as burglaries, 296 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 2: you know, the shootings. That was a constant, constant thing. 297 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 2: It was a normalcy for my family. I just think 298 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:27,200 Speaker 2: we remember being on the phone one day with my neighbor. 299 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 2: We I'm pretty close with my neighbors, and I just 300 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 2: happened to be on a phone call with my neighbor 301 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:36,960 Speaker 2: and as we're chatting, I'm hearing gunshots. It sounds like 302 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,679 Speaker 2: a machine gun. It's just like thirty shots within a 303 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 2: span of minutes, and we're both on the phone like 304 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,680 Speaker 2: what's happening here? And then literally five minutes later, we're 305 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 2: seeing crime, seeing tape, and we couldn't even leave off 306 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 2: of our streets. You know, this is going on both ends. 307 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 2: It's again, it was a normal sea. I was afraid 308 00:17:56,040 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 2: for my children to come outside because I'm afraid that 309 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:04,439 Speaker 2: we were going to be innocent bystanders from bullets. You know. 310 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,879 Speaker 2: There was an instance where I was in my backyard 311 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,159 Speaker 2: just trying to pull some yards on, some weeds and 312 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:13,239 Speaker 2: things out of my yard, and before you know it, 313 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 2: I'm hearing gunshots and I had to run in the house. 314 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 2: You know, I couldn't complete the things that I wanted 315 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 2: to do around my home because I was so fearful 316 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 2: of going outside. And it was to the point that 317 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 2: I did not let my children outside. They were not 318 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:28,959 Speaker 2: outside plane and if they did, it was heavily supervising. 319 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:32,159 Speaker 2: It wasn't for long with us being outside. So the 320 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:35,919 Speaker 2: crime was absolutely terrible. You couldn't go places, you couldn't 321 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 2: do things without you know, things happening. You know, people 322 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:43,679 Speaker 2: pulling out guns, people shooting everywhere. This is even happening 323 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 2: in spaces where children are and people aren't in full 324 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 2: control of themselves. It was very scary for sure. 325 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:56,880 Speaker 1: I don't know. 326 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 3: What led President Trump to make the decision to make 327 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:06,199 Speaker 3: that executive order, but I have spent a lot of 328 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:08,399 Speaker 3: time and you would have no reason to know this. 329 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:10,479 Speaker 3: But in my early life I was in politics. I 330 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 3: was a citywide city councilor for the city of Houston, 331 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 3: and I was the Mayor pro tem and I got very, 332 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 3: very involved in the parts of town that most people 333 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,400 Speaker 3: never go to. And these are the almost exclusively black 334 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:23,720 Speaker 3: parts of town. And Houston has a great and rich 335 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 3: history legacy in our black community. Barbara Jordan was the congressman. 336 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 3: Music came out of this area, and culture and cuisine 337 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 3: and personalities and the like. But one of the things 338 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 3: I found was there was the sense of quote unquote 339 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:41,159 Speaker 3: black leaders who were themselves black, and before that it 340 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 3: was white liberals. And I've always said that they referred 341 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 3: to this as their own little fiefdom and they don't 342 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,120 Speaker 3: want anybody from the outside coming in. It's like when 343 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:56,399 Speaker 3: Boris Yeltsen came and visited Houston, Texas, and he saw 344 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 3: the grocery store. It was a Randall's grocery store, and 345 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 3: he saw all the options in produce. He said, Communism 346 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:06,200 Speaker 3: is sunk. America wins. Communism won't last in Russia because 347 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 3: when the people realize there are all these options, so 348 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:12,120 Speaker 3: many different grapes and apples and bananas, they won't live 349 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 3: under our system. Again, it's as if it's as if 350 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 3: these elected black officials, the Democrats don't want people to 351 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 3: see that you don't have to live this way. There 352 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 3: don't have to be drive bys, there doesn't have to 353 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:26,440 Speaker 3: be filed. This could be a nice place to live 354 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:30,280 Speaker 3: in America. And so I'm really proud of President Trump 355 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 3: that he was willing to say I'm going to do 356 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 3: the right thing for the people who live there, even 357 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:36,680 Speaker 3: though their elected officials are going to make me out 358 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 3: to be a monster. It would be easier to just 359 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 3: forget about Memphis, which is what's typically done. 360 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:47,199 Speaker 2: Mm hmmm, yep. I agree with you, you know, And 361 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:49,399 Speaker 2: that's why I feel like a lot of this, when 362 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 2: you're talking about President Trump, I feel like a lot 363 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:58,359 Speaker 2: of people's anger are is totally misdirected. And that's where 364 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:02,919 Speaker 2: that separates me from the majority, because at first I 365 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 2: felt like everyone else, I'm like, what is President Trump doing? 366 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 2: What is he on? But then once I realized and 367 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 2: took a look at the scope of things, and I'm like, 368 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 2: this is the He's an actionable president. He came in 369 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:22,840 Speaker 2: swiftly after I've seen that interview. It was nearly two 370 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 2: weeks later before we saw an influx of the Tennessee 371 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 2: Highway State Patrol or the Memphis Pass Force and a 372 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:34,360 Speaker 2: bit of the National Guard. And that was when that 373 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 2: viral video was made. Because that's when the light bulb 374 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 2: clicked in for me and was like, Wow, my local 375 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:48,760 Speaker 2: city leaders have done nothing. They've done nothing, and these 376 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 2: are the people who we've elected and have been in 377 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:54,920 Speaker 2: office for quite some time, and it's nearly taken two 378 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 2: weeks of President Trump's action for them to come in 379 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:01,840 Speaker 2: and swiftly give me peace and give me and my 380 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:05,879 Speaker 2: family peace. That was an eye opening moment for me 381 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 2: and made me realize that I have been voting incorrectly. 382 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:14,120 Speaker 2: I've been voting wrong. I've been I have not been 383 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 2: making the best decisions not only for my family but 384 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 2: for the citizens of mythist Because he created this action. 385 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 2: He gave me peace to me and my family. He 386 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:27,920 Speaker 2: restored some form of order within my city. And again, 387 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:30,959 Speaker 2: this was just in two weeks for me to feel 388 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 2: like this, and I commend President Trump for it. 389 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 3: You know the line, the line they use online is 390 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:42,520 Speaker 3: we don't have to live like this, and it's so true, 391 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:45,680 Speaker 3: it is so very true. I can remember going into 392 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:49,439 Speaker 3: communities and campaigning, and then I can remember I was 393 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 3: on city council for a week and we got a 394 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 3: call to our office from one of the black pastors 395 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 3: who had endorsed me, and almost all of them did. 396 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,440 Speaker 3: And here I was a Republican, but we we took 397 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 3: care of our people. And they had a hole out 398 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 3: in front of the church that was a crater you 399 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 3: could you could lose a car in. And they called 400 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 3: and said, we just want this hole in front of 401 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 3: our church fixed because there's one way in and one 402 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:15,920 Speaker 3: way out of our church, and everybody there's scraping the 403 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:19,359 Speaker 3: undercarriage of their vehicle and it's frustrating, and why can't 404 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,359 Speaker 3: we get it fished? And they had supported the mayors, 405 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 3: and we had a black mayor and he had been 406 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 3: to that church and he had received their endorsement, and 407 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:29,159 Speaker 3: he had received all their votes and nobody ever did anything. 408 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:31,880 Speaker 3: And they called us on like a Tuesday, and by 409 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 3: Friday we had the hole field. 410 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:35,480 Speaker 1: And he brought me up to. 411 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 3: UH to the pulpit that Sunday, and he said, I 412 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:41,800 Speaker 3: know what you're saying. 413 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:43,960 Speaker 1: Why are you letting that white boy up. 414 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:46,879 Speaker 3: At the pulpit, Because he's my white boy, and he 415 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:50,080 Speaker 3: took care of my people, and he's my counselman, and 416 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:53,240 Speaker 3: he cares about us. And what he was trying to 417 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 3: say was open your eyes to good government. And I 418 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 3: think this is a problem that plagues I hate to 419 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 3: term black communities because there are well it's a complicated question, 420 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 3: but I think this is a problem that plagues communities 421 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:12,959 Speaker 3: that are exclusively or close enough to being black. Is 422 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 3: this is the brainwashing that the people who are here 423 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:17,879 Speaker 3: to represent you are the people who keep telling you 424 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 3: that white he's evil. 425 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: Well, that's not true. 426 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:25,199 Speaker 3: You want everybody working for you, you want everybody trying 427 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:26,679 Speaker 3: to trying to protect you. 428 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:30,200 Speaker 1: Hold On Delicia Ballinger in Memphis, Tennessee. 429 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 3: We're going to talk about how she was fired from 430 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:37,560 Speaker 3: doing something she loved to do, reporting truth telling in Memphis, 431 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,640 Speaker 3: because she dared say nice things about President Trump making 432 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 3: Memphis better. 433 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:44,919 Speaker 1: The hell I'm gonna be. She was twelve, I was thirty. 434 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 1: But it was wonderful to have you, mister President. The 435 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: Michael Barry Show. 436 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:01,200 Speaker 3: Delicia Balalinger is our guest. She came to my attention. 437 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 3: I should probably tell you. We have a listener in 438 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:06,240 Speaker 3: just outside of Houston about two hours named Dan Agan. 439 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 3: And he started a charity a few years ago, a 440 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:13,840 Speaker 3: charity with a real purpose called we Won't be Canceled 441 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 3: dot org. 442 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 1: We Won't be Canceled dot org. 443 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:18,679 Speaker 3: And when he first told me about it, everybody's going 444 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:20,240 Speaker 3: to start a charity and nobody ever does it and 445 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 3: ever funded, and he's funded it. He seated it himself 446 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 3: with money and lo and behold, I would have people 447 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:28,639 Speaker 3: on like the guy who went to prison for a 448 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:29,840 Speaker 3: meme about Hillary Clinton. 449 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:30,680 Speaker 1: How ridiculous is that? 450 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 3: I had to got on, and in short order he 451 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:34,199 Speaker 3: had sent him the cash to get back up on 452 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 3: his feet. When people speak out and do the right thing, 453 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:41,359 Speaker 3: then this charity with a purpose advocates on their behalf 454 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:45,440 Speaker 3: and provides financial assistance so that they don't suffer from 455 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:48,399 Speaker 3: being fired. It's called we won't be canceled dot org. 456 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:50,920 Speaker 3: It's a pretty pretty neat deal. So instead of him 457 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:53,399 Speaker 3: this time hearing me talk about somebody and saying I 458 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:56,000 Speaker 3: want to support them, which I think he's done that 459 00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:57,920 Speaker 3: for thirty people or so so far, and it's real 460 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:01,199 Speaker 3: money every time, real money, he reached out and said, hey, 461 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:03,119 Speaker 3: I want you to know about this woman to Luicia Balinger, 462 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:05,680 Speaker 3: and we've had her on. Now what happened? How did 463 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 3: you find out that's saying something nice? Where did you 464 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:11,960 Speaker 3: say that the support that President Trump was giving was 465 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 3: a good thing? 466 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:14,200 Speaker 1: And then how did it happen that it fell apart? 467 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 4: So this was a day, this is a Friday, and 468 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:26,200 Speaker 4: I'm something getting postponed, and so I had a moment 469 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 4: to sit. 470 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:30,120 Speaker 2: Out on my porch and I grabbed some tea and 471 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 2: that's when the light bulb clicked in. For the first 472 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 2: time in five years of me being in my neighborhood, 473 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:39,879 Speaker 2: I am hearing the bird's turn. I am seeing families outside. 474 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 2: I'm seeing a family. I'm seeing a father throw a 475 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:45,720 Speaker 2: football at these kids. I'm seeing families walking. It's peaceful, 476 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:50,919 Speaker 2: it's quiet, it's different, and I'm like, what in the 477 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:56,919 Speaker 2: world this is peace. And I grabbed my phone and 478 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:00,120 Speaker 2: I set on my porch and I talked about it. 479 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 2: And that's when I said, you know, I again, you know, 480 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 2: I'm not into politics or anything. I don't like to 481 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,440 Speaker 2: get into all of that, but thank you President Trump, 482 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 2: because who else could I have thanked for doing this. 483 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:17,399 Speaker 2: It was President Trump that did it. So I merely 484 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 2: told him to thank you and shared my experience on 485 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:25,400 Speaker 2: what was happening in my neighborhood at that time. And again, 486 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 2: I'm not thinking anything of it, you know, I'm just 487 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 2: to share my experience, and before i know it, I'm 488 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 2: just seeing the numbers just blow up and I'm like, 489 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 2: oh wow, this is I didn't I wasn't expecting this. 490 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 2: So I ended up reaching out to the Tri State 491 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:43,359 Speaker 2: Defender because again I'm a journalist. I believe in communication, 492 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:45,240 Speaker 2: and I reached out to some of the editors there 493 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 2: and when I first initially told them, you know, they 494 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 2: were they were fine with it. You know, I told 495 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:52,920 Speaker 2: them my experience. My editor at the time, she's also 496 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 2: from a different community. She's from Jackson, Mississippi, which is 497 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:58,960 Speaker 2: basically like a smaller version of Memphis, so she understood 498 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:02,680 Speaker 2: at that time where I was coming from. But then 499 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 2: the numbers started climbing and climbing and climbing some more, 500 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 2: and then eventually, I guess people started sending her the 501 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 2: video and then she reached out to me and said, hey, 502 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 2: why did you thank Trump? And I'm like, well, he's 503 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:20,280 Speaker 2: the president. Because she was like, well that made me 504 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:23,400 Speaker 2: want to cut your video off because you said thank you, 505 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:28,280 Speaker 2: And I said, well, who else am I supposed to think, 506 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:32,719 Speaker 2: because he's the person that did this, and then she 507 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,400 Speaker 2: went silent, and then I began to tell her like, hey, 508 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 2: you know, I'm getting other opportunities to be on Fox 509 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:41,000 Speaker 2: News things of that nature. She was like, well, if 510 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 2: you go, because these people are pro Trump, they're going 511 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 2: to make you look like Diamond and Silk. They're going 512 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 2: to make you look like these supremes, like pretty much 513 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 2: she ever wants you to a boot licking Trump supporter, 514 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 2: and if you do this, you will no longer be 515 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 2: affiliated with the tri State Defender. And I sat there 516 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,520 Speaker 2: for a minute and I was just like okay, and 517 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 2: then it just kept bothering me. It just kept itching 518 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,480 Speaker 2: away with me because I'm like, I feel like I'm 519 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 2: being silenced. I feel like I'm being biased because the 520 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 2: whole time before all of this came about, I'm in 521 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:19,880 Speaker 2: the city. I actually filmed where the state troopers rolled 522 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:21,600 Speaker 2: upon us while i was talking to a family that 523 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:25,840 Speaker 2: was pulled over. I'm covering so many different viewpoints of 524 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 2: what's happening in the city, and they were fine with it. 525 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 2: But the first moment that I said thank you to 526 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:35,160 Speaker 2: Trump or anything in relation to the Trump administration, my 527 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:39,360 Speaker 2: career was on the line. And so from that point 528 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 2: I went back online and I just kind of gave 529 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:44,960 Speaker 2: my following update was like, hey, like, my media company 530 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 2: is actually trying to silence me all because I'm telling 531 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 2: the truth. And before I know it, the next day, 532 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:54,800 Speaker 2: I'm getting they removed me from all of their social 533 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 2: media platforms. I'm getting emails stating that my assignments that 534 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 2: I had, you know, longer wanted me to do and 535 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 2: that was it. They no longer wanted anything else to 536 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:07,680 Speaker 2: do with me. And then they came out with this 537 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:10,520 Speaker 2: statement like I've never worked there when I've been there 538 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 2: for almost ten years, and just tried to, of course, 539 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 2: make it seem like it was my decision to do 540 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 2: or voluntarily to do. When they gave me an ultimatum, 541 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 2: and so yeah, it was really, you know, disheartening because 542 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 2: again it's like having your own people slammed the door 543 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:34,840 Speaker 2: in your face because I actually told the truth, which 544 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:38,080 Speaker 2: again opened my eyes even more to the fact because 545 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:40,719 Speaker 2: I'm like this whole time, I'm thinking I'm working for 546 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 2: a company that's not biased, and the whole time I'm 547 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 2: on a side and I did not know, And it's disheartening. 548 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:54,320 Speaker 2: It was very disheartening. I worked as I did my 549 00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:58,400 Speaker 2: research more and more the owners they're very far left, 550 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 2: and so me saying what I said was a huge no. 551 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:08,280 Speaker 1: No, you know, I could go through. 552 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:10,240 Speaker 3: So Marcus Charles, good friend of mine, he wrote the 553 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:12,720 Speaker 3: book Lone Survivor began a movie and he had to 554 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:16,520 Speaker 3: go through hell and in his three mates, his his 555 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:21,040 Speaker 3: fellow seals, his his his buds, his. 556 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:24,520 Speaker 1: Brothers died for this story to be told. 557 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 3: And I often think about, you know, and and as 558 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:33,560 Speaker 3: a as a believer, and I think of Christ's suffering 559 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:38,040 Speaker 3: and that it was it was, it was preordained, it 560 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:41,440 Speaker 3: was destined, and I think about the suffering that has 561 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:45,000 Speaker 3: to happen, that the things we go through in order 562 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:49,120 Speaker 3: to reach the point that our voice has meaning. The 563 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,000 Speaker 3: fact is it brought us together for you to tell 564 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:54,120 Speaker 3: this story to a lot of people, and it's brought 565 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:57,320 Speaker 3: you to a lot of people, and there's somebody out there, 566 00:31:57,560 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 3: maybe they're black, maybe they're white, maybe there's something else 567 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 3: who is saying. You know, I might not be exactly 568 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:07,320 Speaker 3: like Alicia Bellinger, but in my life I'm ready to 569 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 3: be a full person as well. I consider the suppression 570 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:17,680 Speaker 3: and repression of black independent thought in this country to 571 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 3: be absolutely disturbing. And I see it every day. I 572 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:25,160 Speaker 3: see it, and I see it being done by other blacks. 573 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 3: The crab in a bucket theory, the social hierarchy, political hierarchy, 574 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:32,600 Speaker 3: and the way that there is a regimented system of 575 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 3: enforcement like a capo system, And it bothers me, It 576 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 3: really really bothers me. 577 00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:40,760 Speaker 2: You know, this makes me think a whole lot in 578 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:43,800 Speaker 2: which I have to sit back and think a lot 579 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 2: about Charlie Kirk. And I owe that man an apology 580 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 2: because I realized I am him, you know. He The 581 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:57,760 Speaker 2: difference is, especially when you're talking about the black community. 582 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:01,320 Speaker 2: You know, I'm black, okay, And it's bad enough that 583 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:03,880 Speaker 2: me as a black person that I can't say anything 584 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:07,120 Speaker 2: about my community. And it's different, even even more different 585 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:10,360 Speaker 2: when you have a white man that's literally think the 586 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:13,560 Speaker 2: exact same thing that I'm saying, and it did not 587 00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 2: so well recepted. 588 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 3: Delicia Allinger, we're up against a break. You are wonderful. 589 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 3: I adore you. 590 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:20,040 Speaker 1: You be strong. 591 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:22,400 Speaker 3: Anyone out there that wants to learn more reach out 592 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:25,520 Speaker 3: to her. You can go to we Won't be Canceled 593 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 3: dot org and us see her as one of the 594 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:31,360 Speaker 3: people on that site. We won't be Canceled dot org, 595 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:34,200 Speaker 3: and you can support the great work they are doing. 596 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 3: It's one man funding at all. He can't fund it forever. 597 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 3: He's not wealthy. He's made a little money, but he 598 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:41,440 Speaker 3: wants to make a difference, and he's putting his money 599 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 3: up to make a difference for people like Alicia and. 600 00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 1: Lust. Thank you and good night.