WEBVTT - Unafraid with Enes Kanter Freedom 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:04.120 I love this country. I love being an American, but 0:00:04.280 --> 0:00:10.560 having grown up here, we've seen our freedoms being increasingly 0:00:10.760 --> 0:00:14.720 taken away. We've seen the increase of censorship. We saw 0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:20.360 during COVID lockdowns, forced vaccinations, things taking place that are 0:00:20.520 --> 0:00:24.520 contradictory to what we believe as a country. But with 0:00:24.560 --> 0:00:27.960 all that being said, it's important to get perspective. It's 0:00:28.000 --> 0:00:32.320 important to talk to people who have truly experienced authoritarianism, 0:00:32.360 --> 0:00:36.320 and one of those individuals is Ennis Cantor Freedom. I 0:00:36.360 --> 0:00:39.440 had the ability to meet him at Fox News Patriot Awards, 0:00:39.440 --> 0:00:43.519 where he received an award the Most Valuable Patriot Award 0:00:43.680 --> 0:00:47.760 for his human rights stances for standing up for freedom. 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:49.920 He grew up in Turkey, came to the United States 0:00:49.960 --> 0:00:53.000 at just seventeen years old. But he has drawn the 0:00:53.040 --> 0:00:56.120 ire of the NBA, he's drawn the ire of companies 0:00:56.160 --> 0:00:59.160 like Nike because he actually has put his money where 0:00:59.200 --> 0:01:01.440 his mouth is. He has stood up for freedom. He 0:01:01.480 --> 0:01:04.600 has spoken out against human rights abuses being taken place 0:01:04.640 --> 0:01:07.520 against the weaker population at the hands of the Chinese 0:01:07.560 --> 0:01:10.840 Communist Party, and that's not been well received by some 0:01:10.920 --> 0:01:14.679 of his colleagues. So what is it like to have 0:01:14.840 --> 0:01:20.080 truly grown up with authoritarianism, to truly have seen authoritarianism. 0:01:20.080 --> 0:01:23.720 He's seen retribution being taken against his family, against him 0:01:23.720 --> 0:01:27.120 by the Turkish government, against Irwin for speaking out. He's 0:01:27.160 --> 0:01:30.560 faced personal and professional retribution in the n b A, 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:34.640 he got kicked out for his stances. So we're going 0:01:34.680 --> 0:01:37.200 to talk to him to get true perspective, talk to 0:01:37.280 --> 0:01:40.399 him about what that is like and why freedom is 0:01:40.480 --> 0:01:43.720 so important and it's worth preserving, it's worth fighting for. 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:47.240 I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I 0:01:47.280 --> 0:02:06.480 did with Ennis Cantor Freedom. Yeah, and as I got 0:02:06.560 --> 0:02:08.960 to beat you at the Fox News Patriot Awards, and 0:02:09.000 --> 0:02:11.800 it was so cool to see you get rewarded because 0:02:11.840 --> 0:02:15.040 you have been such a fearless advocate for freedom in 0:02:15.120 --> 0:02:19.960 so many ways. You faced personal repercussions for it, professional 0:02:20.000 --> 0:02:23.960 repercussions for What does that mean to you to receive 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:28.360 the most Valuable Patriot Award? Yeah? The last five six months, 0:02:28.400 --> 0:02:30.840 I've definitely have been getting so many awards, but that 0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:33.720 one was definitely the most special one. I think what 0:02:34.240 --> 0:02:37.760 made it so special was, you know, when I received awards, 0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:43.080 seeing all the crowds reaction, it was just so I 0:02:43.080 --> 0:02:45.520 don't know how to describe it with wards was so amazing, 0:02:45.600 --> 0:02:49.440 so unbelievable. So it's really touched my heart. You know, 0:02:50.480 --> 0:02:54.399 that crowd has got up and started champing freedom. And 0:02:55.000 --> 0:02:58.400 I had so many messages right after the event and 0:02:58.520 --> 0:03:02.480 saying we are your family, you are welcoming off Thanksgiving dinner. 0:03:02.639 --> 0:03:05.520 This is you know, we are our new we want 0:03:05.520 --> 0:03:08.560 to host you now. So it was like unbelievable feeling. 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:11.920 You know, I think more than the ward, that feeling 0:03:12.080 --> 0:03:14.480 was just the most special thing of the night. Well, 0:03:14.560 --> 0:03:17.800 I believe people just respect you so much because we 0:03:17.800 --> 0:03:20.480 always see these athletes in the NBA and the NFL 0:03:20.520 --> 0:03:23.000 who purport to believe in things right. They purport to 0:03:23.040 --> 0:03:26.080 believe in human rights and all these different things, but 0:03:26.120 --> 0:03:28.639 then in reality they want that money, right, They want 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:30.960 the income from Nike. They you know, they don't actually 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:33.720 want to put the money where their their mouth is, 0:03:33.800 --> 0:03:36.960 but you do, and you have why do you think 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:41.120 so many athletes are really actually afraid to stand up 0:03:41.120 --> 0:03:43.520 for the things they say they care about. You know, 0:03:43.600 --> 0:03:45.440 the last thing when I was started to, you know, 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:49.840 talk about the problems we're happening in China, I wished 0:03:49.880 --> 0:03:52.440 out I wish out to everybody, not only my teammates. 0:03:52.520 --> 0:03:55.360 But you know, it was the perfect moment because it 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:58.839 was right before the Beijing Olympics. So I literally try 0:03:58.880 --> 0:04:01.680 to reach out to not just people in NBA or 0:04:01.720 --> 0:04:06.560 my teammates, but NFL, MLB, MLS. I even try to 0:04:05.880 --> 0:04:10.320 reach out to or some Olympians. They all told me 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:12.800 the same thing. They said, Listen, I think what you're 0:04:12.800 --> 0:04:15.600 doing is so amazing, so inspirational. Keep doing what you're 0:04:15.600 --> 0:04:19.359 doing so brave, but we love you with supportable We 0:04:19.480 --> 0:04:22.279 just cannot do it out loud. I asked them why. 0:04:22.480 --> 0:04:25.960 They said, well, we have shoe deals, we have endorsement deals. 0:04:26.160 --> 0:04:28.960 We want to get another contract. And I asked them 0:04:29.040 --> 0:04:31.680 one simple question. I was like, put yourself in their shoes. 0:04:32.200 --> 0:04:34.880 If your mother, if your daughter, if your sister, or 0:04:34.880 --> 0:04:39.120 whoever was getting torture and rate every day in concentration camps, 0:04:39.400 --> 0:04:43.080 which is still pick money over your morals, values and principles, 0:04:43.480 --> 0:04:46.039 and they usually turn around and leave. You know. I 0:04:46.120 --> 0:04:48.800 talked to many of my teammates. Unfortunately, not one of 0:04:48.839 --> 0:04:51.520 them I wanted to stand with me, you know, but 0:04:51.800 --> 0:04:54.360 when it comes to every other issue in the world, 0:04:54.800 --> 0:04:57.520 that they are the first one or the first organization, 0:04:57.720 --> 0:05:00.240 the NBA. They just go out there and just say 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:04.080 things about what's happening. I don't even remember, you know, 0:05:04.240 --> 0:05:08.280 my uh you know teammates were wearing the Ukrainian flag 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:12.640 pins on their on their chest when right after the 0:05:12.760 --> 0:05:16.880 you know, the war started in Ukraine. Um I was like, 0:05:17.560 --> 0:05:22.560 this is so hypocratical because if just God whole by 0:05:22.640 --> 0:05:27.640 think about if China, Taiwan. I promise you all the 0:05:27.720 --> 0:05:30.640 teal or all these companies, all these athletes, players or 0:05:30.680 --> 0:05:34.200 whoever would not say a word about it because they 0:05:34.320 --> 0:05:37.440 know the consequences that they will face. Quick commercial break 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:44.320 more with edis cantor well and for people at home, 0:05:44.520 --> 0:05:47.320 if you're you're unfamiliar. Um And has has done things 0:05:47.440 --> 0:05:49.760 like when he was in the NBA wearing shoes that 0:05:49.880 --> 0:05:53.560 said things like free Tibet and calling out Nike for 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:57.200 using the weaker population. Who are you know there's a 0:05:57.240 --> 0:06:01.360 genocide against them in China using Nike of slave labor, 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:03.920 which is what they've done. Uh you know, I mean 0:06:03.960 --> 0:06:06.760 there is a cost to that though you know you're 0:06:06.760 --> 0:06:10.880 no longer in the NBA. Uh, I mean what does 0:06:10.920 --> 0:06:14.560 that tell you? I mean, at the end of I'm 0:06:14.920 --> 0:06:17.160 still closing a must have an NBA player does. That 0:06:17.480 --> 0:06:19.160 is one of the biggest reasons that I did not 0:06:20.200 --> 0:06:23.320 and asked my retirement because I'm not retired, you know, 0:06:23.920 --> 0:06:27.159 I'm just starting thirty. I can play another five six 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:32.280 series in this league. So um, I mean that basketball 0:06:32.320 --> 0:06:34.800 was my passion. Basketball was my dream, especially to play 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:36.719 in the NBA since I was a little kid, since 0:06:36.800 --> 0:06:40.040 the first day that I picked up the basketball. But 0:06:40.880 --> 0:06:44.360 I mean, I was just seeing the hypocrisy. I was 0:06:44.480 --> 0:06:48.840 just seeing how people are using this, this the social 0:06:49.040 --> 0:06:53.240 justice warrior title to make a name for themselves, you know, 0:06:53.839 --> 0:06:58.520 because I remember two years ago when they put us 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:02.360 in an NBA bubble for over eighty days and and 0:07:02.520 --> 0:07:05.120 being was like, it is all about the social justice. 0:07:05.160 --> 0:07:07.360 It is all about you know, things that that things 0:07:07.400 --> 0:07:09.760 that are bigger than basketball. I was like, okay, fine, 0:07:10.120 --> 0:07:14.440 you know, the kneeling and then talking about this issue 0:07:14.520 --> 0:07:18.680 that issue. Fine, But then two years later this happened, 0:07:19.000 --> 0:07:22.040 and people are picking and choosing what's happening. And I 0:07:22.120 --> 0:07:25.120 told him, like, human assuming it doesn't matter that you 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:27.920 know the things are happening in America or anywhere else, 0:07:28.640 --> 0:07:32.320 you know. Um, I mean, yes, it did come a 0:07:32.440 --> 0:07:35.080 lot of you know, consequences. I pretty much you know, 0:07:35.240 --> 0:07:37.960 past my job. But I feel like someone had to 0:07:38.040 --> 0:07:40.840 open that door. Someone had to open that door because 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:43.480 I was like, not not only in the NBA, but 0:07:43.640 --> 0:07:48.520 you see Hollywood, Um, I guess Wall Street Academias, big 0:07:48.600 --> 0:07:52.360 Tag Congress, and local congress that are being run by 0:07:52.400 --> 0:07:54.480 the Chinese government. I was like, you know what enough 0:07:54.480 --> 0:07:56.720 to see now someone had to say stuff to this 0:07:57.680 --> 0:08:01.680 uh big mess and ione out then spoke up. But 0:08:01.760 --> 0:08:04.320 you know, even beyond the professional aspect of it, you know, 0:08:04.640 --> 0:08:06.800 right now we're we're seeing in the World Cup you 0:08:06.880 --> 0:08:11.239 have Iranian soccer players. The team captain spoke spoken support 0:08:11.360 --> 0:08:14.480 of protests that are happening uh in his own country, 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:17.520 saying that you know, we support the protests, we support them, 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:20.000 and we sympathize with them regarding the conditions. And as 0:08:20.040 --> 0:08:23.280 a result, their families are being threatened back home, being 0:08:23.360 --> 0:08:26.040 threatened with torture, imprisonment. But this is something that you've 0:08:26.120 --> 0:08:29.760 experienced with speaking out against Urdawan and your own government. 0:08:30.280 --> 0:08:32.079 Intern Well, now you're an American, but when you know, 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:35.400 growing up in Turkey, of of calling out Urtawan, your 0:08:35.440 --> 0:08:38.080 family has faced retribution for that there was an ex 0:08:38.200 --> 0:08:41.280 edition request for your life and for you so so 0:08:41.400 --> 0:08:44.520 talk about sort of that experience with uh, you know, 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:48.360 having that fear of you know, your government back home 0:08:48.600 --> 0:08:50.559 wanting to to do harm to your family and to you. 0:08:50.960 --> 0:08:53.280 Of course I'm back in two thousand Ceartain there was 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:56.480 a coruscious scandal happening searching and it was the first 0:08:56.520 --> 0:08:59.160 time that I said something about it, you know, um 0:08:59.520 --> 0:09:02.120 and because of the NBA platform, and became a conversation 0:09:02.280 --> 0:09:05.000 in the United States and in Turkey, and I was like, 0:09:05.120 --> 0:09:09.000 even one simple you know, either tweet or interview, you 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:10.760 can affect as much from now and I'm going to 0:09:10.840 --> 0:09:13.640 start pay attention about what's going on in my country. 0:09:13.720 --> 0:09:16.160 More so, I started to study and started to you know, 0:09:16.280 --> 0:09:20.360 speak up. And the more I talked about it, the more, um, 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:23.120 you know, they put pressure on me and my family. 0:09:23.400 --> 0:09:26.360 You know, my dad was a scientist. You got fired 0:09:26.400 --> 0:09:29.079 from his job. My sister went to medical school for 0:09:29.240 --> 0:09:31.840 six years. She still cannot find a job. Actually, until 0:09:31.880 --> 0:09:35.120 this day, my little brother was playing basketball. He literally 0:09:35.160 --> 0:09:38.360 got kicked on every every team. Um. They were getting 0:09:38.400 --> 0:09:40.600 affected so much they had to put a statement out 0:09:40.640 --> 0:09:43.360 there and saying we are disowning and as publicly the 0:09:43.480 --> 0:09:47.079 lot of still lot that actually on the internet. Um, 0:09:48.120 --> 0:09:50.599 you know, they the government, Turkish government didn't believe that. 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:52.680 They sent police to my house in Turkey and they 0:09:52.800 --> 0:09:55.440 raided the whole house and they took every electronics away 0:09:55.559 --> 0:09:58.079 because they wanted to see if I am still in 0:09:58.160 --> 0:10:00.880 contact with my family or not. And they couldn't find 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:02.960 no evidence, but they still took my dad in jail 0:10:03.000 --> 0:10:06.480 for a while, and then you know, they revoke my passport, 0:10:06.520 --> 0:10:09.240 put my name on into polars. Um. That's what That's 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:11.839 what I'm trying to show, like my teammates, that's what 0:10:11.880 --> 0:10:14.400 I'm trying to show people in America. Like I understand, 0:10:15.440 --> 0:10:18.360 I'm not saying anyone is perfect in the country is perfect, 0:10:18.760 --> 0:10:22.280 but I really want to take my teammates buy their 0:10:22.320 --> 0:10:28.000 ticket right taking to these countries like China, like Russia, Iran, 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:31.640 or Korea and Aziel Cuba, and I can go on 0:10:31.800 --> 0:10:34.600 and on, you know, and say, listen, you couldn't decide 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:37.880 this country and that you know here, but look at Iran, 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:40.400 look at China, look at Russia, look at North Korea, 0:10:40.520 --> 0:10:42.199 look at it as you are like Cuba who have 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:47.280 or Turkey you know, Um, you know, the athletes definitely 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:50.560 needs to speak up more about what's going on because 0:10:51.600 --> 0:10:55.000 I mean, they're one word could affect and inspire millions 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:57.839 of kids. Um, it's important. Well, you know, and it's 0:10:57.880 --> 0:11:00.079 also important because you know, I am an America and 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:02.559 I grew up here. But you know, we we do 0:11:02.720 --> 0:11:04.880 see sort of you know, censorship and things like that 0:11:05.160 --> 0:11:08.679 increasing in our country, and it's important to know the 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:12.480 purpose and what's important about freedom so that we preserve it. 0:11:13.000 --> 0:11:14.880 So you know, what would you tell people as someone 0:11:14.960 --> 0:11:18.559 who has really experienced authoritarianism in a real, real way, 0:11:18.640 --> 0:11:21.120 in a way that we haven't yet, thank god here 0:11:21.200 --> 0:11:24.480 in America, But you know, we fear that happening. What's 0:11:24.520 --> 0:11:26.880 the purpose of freedom, what's the importance of it? Why 0:11:26.920 --> 0:11:30.360 should it be preserved? Yeah, things can change so quickly. 0:11:30.480 --> 0:11:32.400 I remember that things that were happening in my home 0:11:32.440 --> 0:11:35.200 country church Yell. I was like, no, this is one 0:11:35.280 --> 0:11:37.719 of the most modern Muslim country in the world, that 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:41.160 things won't get worse, And it literally changed in like 0:11:41.360 --> 0:11:45.480 few years. So I feel like, start taking off freedom 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:50.240 for you know, uh, granted, and we don't. We don't 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:53.839 if we don't educate ourselves things can turn not very 0:11:54.400 --> 0:11:58.599 quickly in a bad way. Um No, it's it's like 0:11:58.800 --> 0:12:01.400 I remember, like I agree. So I'll give you guys 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:05.120 some examples so that whoever listening to this can understand 0:12:05.480 --> 0:12:11.400 way better. My manager's wife is Turkish and her death 0:12:11.840 --> 0:12:15.640 liked one of my tweet on Twitter. He was in 0:12:15.720 --> 0:12:19.079 jail for certain days. This is how crazy that he 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:22.320 can get, you know, Um, that is only one. There 0:12:22.360 --> 0:12:24.679 are so many other people that are that who was 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:28.280 supporting me was in jail right now. And the crazy 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:30.360 thing is, I don't know. I never talked about politics. 0:12:30.600 --> 0:12:33.199 I talk about human rights. I talk about human rights, 0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:36.079 I talk about freedom of speech, fremo religion, I talk 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:40.440 about democracy. Um, so things needed to turn out bad 0:12:40.720 --> 0:12:43.360 very quickly. So that's why I feel like we have 0:12:43.480 --> 0:12:46.439 to educate ourselves and we have to do what we're 0:12:46.440 --> 0:12:48.960 supposed to do to, you know, just go out there 0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:51.760 and live our freedom. And as you're talking about, you've 0:12:51.800 --> 0:12:55.400 not made this political. It's just the inherent human desire 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:58.480 for for freedom and for you know, human rights. And 0:12:58.800 --> 0:13:00.880 one thing that really got you when you're talking on 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:03.719 stage at the Patriot Awards is you're talking about when 0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:07.160 you were young in Turkey and how your friends were 0:13:07.320 --> 0:13:11.000 burning American crosses and American flags and they encouraged you 0:13:11.280 --> 0:13:13.719 to take partner, but you were like, I don't know 0:13:13.800 --> 0:13:15.400 if this is right. And you went to your mom 0:13:15.480 --> 0:13:17.839 and you said, Mom, this is what's happening, you know, 0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:20.720 talk about that and sort of just this inherent desire 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:24.360 and people for for goodness and a desire for for freedom. 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:29.800 So yeah, if you're if you're a politician in Turkey, right, 0:13:29.880 --> 0:13:31.719 the first thing you do, if you want to be 0:13:31.760 --> 0:13:34.000 elected again, the first thing you do that you attack, 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:37.720 your tack America, you attack Israel, your attack to us. 0:13:38.360 --> 0:13:42.080 The base is just so uneducated. Unfortunately, they just don't 0:13:42.120 --> 0:13:45.880 know any better. So every time whenever the politicians hold 0:13:45.960 --> 0:13:48.400 their rally or doing interview, the first thing they do 0:13:48.559 --> 0:13:51.320 they attack, and the base is like, wow, look at 0:13:51.360 --> 0:13:55.720 our leader that's standing toll against you know, strong countries 0:13:55.760 --> 0:14:00.400 like America, Israel or days of that, right, Uh, which 0:14:01.240 --> 0:14:03.640 it's not true. They don't. They just all they do 0:14:03.840 --> 0:14:08.880 is just talk um. That affects millions of kids in 0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:14.000 the country because all they do is just see propaganda 0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:17.240 in TV, on the streets all realities all day. So 0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:19.640 when I went downstairs to play with my friends. They 0:14:19.640 --> 0:14:23.520 were you know, they were burning flags. They were burning 0:14:23.520 --> 0:14:26.680 American flags, and it's really flags. They were breaking crosses. 0:14:27.480 --> 0:14:29.640 And that's why it was so important to be coming 0:14:29.680 --> 0:14:32.880 from an educated family. They're like, you know, this is 0:14:33.000 --> 0:14:37.000 not the right thing to do. Meet with people first 0:14:37.120 --> 0:14:39.960 and then decide if they're good or bad. So that's 0:14:40.000 --> 0:14:42.480 why I was like, promise, I'm not gonna you know, 0:14:43.160 --> 0:14:46.240 I'm not gonna say who's good or bad to like 0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:48.280 meet them. So when I come to America for the 0:14:48.320 --> 0:14:50.240 first time, I met mom, like, these are one of 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:55.000 the like the most nicest and freedom loving and democracy 0:14:55.040 --> 0:14:58.640 love of people that I ever met. And I visited 0:14:58.720 --> 0:15:02.640 over fifty six count around the world, you know, um, 0:15:03.600 --> 0:15:07.240 so I just hope that people can see this in 0:15:07.600 --> 0:15:10.520 America quick break, trust me, you're gonna want to stay 0:15:10.560 --> 0:15:18.640 with us. You're seventeen when you came to America. Was 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:21.480 that it was seventeen, correct, Yeah, for the first time 0:15:21.520 --> 0:15:23.640 I came here when I was seventeen. What was that like, 0:15:23.960 --> 0:15:25.800 you know, as a seventeen year old to go to 0:15:25.880 --> 0:15:28.760 an entirely new country kind of what was that experience 0:15:28.840 --> 0:15:32.040 like for you? It was very scary because I think 0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:34.360 about this, that you grew up in a country where 0:15:35.600 --> 0:15:38.400 the whole your whole life, the whole seventy years of life, 0:15:38.440 --> 0:15:42.040 the only here is propaganda. All you here is how 0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:45.360 bad Americans are, how evil the Americans. You know that. 0:15:45.400 --> 0:15:49.400 That's what That's what you'll hear. My family was so educated, 0:15:49.680 --> 0:15:53.240 Like you know what, the best the best way to 0:15:53.320 --> 0:15:57.520 get your education is not Turkey, going America, learning other language, 0:15:57.720 --> 0:16:01.920 learn different cultures, learn uh, met with people that decide 0:16:01.960 --> 0:16:04.480 they're good or bad, you know. So that's why they 0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:07.080 sent me here. When I was seventeen innute, I remember 0:16:07.360 --> 0:16:09.800 I landed for the first time, I landed in Chicago. 0:16:10.720 --> 0:16:15.400 I am so nervous. I just don't know what's going 0:16:15.480 --> 0:16:19.440 on and people I'm looking at the people weird. I 0:16:19.640 --> 0:16:21.680 just don't know if they are good or bad, or 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:23.640 what they're gonna do to me and stuff. But the 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:26.600 more that the more that you talk to people, you 0:16:26.680 --> 0:16:29.040 get to know people you give a chance. They're like 0:16:29.880 --> 0:16:31.600 I was like that one of the nicest people. They're 0:16:31.600 --> 0:16:34.240 asking me if I need to go to a masque. 0:16:34.720 --> 0:16:37.520 They asked me if I want to eat some holal food. 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:39.840 They're asking me to some places that where I can 0:16:39.960 --> 0:16:42.840 live my culture and religious Really, I was like, this 0:16:43.000 --> 0:16:46.120 is so amazing, you know. Um, I think that the 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:48.640 one thing that I've seen in America that amazed me 0:16:48.720 --> 0:16:50.800 the most is how much people spake each other up. 0:16:50.800 --> 0:16:53.560 And that's what I said from my teammates, uh and 0:16:53.960 --> 0:16:58.920 some some American friends, and I gave me so much hope. 0:16:58.960 --> 0:17:01.400 At the same time, it broke my heart because there 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:07.159 are over million people I lives in Turkey and there 0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:09.560 are other millions of hundreds of millions of people that 0:17:09.680 --> 0:17:12.800 lives in the Middle East. Every day, these kids are 0:17:12.880 --> 0:17:16.760 growing up with this propaganda. So and not many of 0:17:16.840 --> 0:17:18.720 them trust me when I say not many of them 0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:22.000 has come from an educated family, so they're growing up 0:17:22.560 --> 0:17:25.639 without knowing what America is about. That they're growing up 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:30.240 very anti Semitic, very entire West, very anti American. Um. 0:17:30.640 --> 0:17:32.960 So that's why it breaks my heart every day that 0:17:33.200 --> 0:17:36.800 no one that these kids, you know, could be a 0:17:37.000 --> 0:17:40.720 threat or to be very dangerous for for for the West, 0:17:41.240 --> 0:17:44.239 just because of the politicians, just because of how they 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:47.000 grew up and stuff. Um. So that's why I'm trying 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:49.600 to find ways to change that. Well, I believe you 0:17:49.720 --> 0:17:52.600 are and I have an immense matter of respect for you. 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:55.560 You've actually, you know, sacrificed for for freedom in a 0:17:55.640 --> 0:17:58.159 way that so many people are too afraid to do. 0:17:58.440 --> 0:18:00.800 So it's incredibly honor roll. So you should be so 0:18:00.920 --> 0:18:04.520 proud of what you've done. I read that SpongeBob and 0:18:04.600 --> 0:18:08.399 Jersey Shore helps you learn English. I'm sorry about the 0:18:08.520 --> 0:18:10.320 Jersey Shore. It is. I'm not sure if that's the 0:18:10.359 --> 0:18:15.600 best example of America, but oh god, so I'll tell 0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:17.639 you the study it is. Actually, so first time I 0:18:17.720 --> 0:18:20.159 remember came to America, I was in college. I went 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:22.960 to the University of Kentucky. So, like, I let me say, 0:18:22.960 --> 0:18:25.320 I'm like trying to learn English, and I have a 0:18:25.359 --> 0:18:28.680 lot of tutors and going to class and stuff. Unlike 0:18:28.720 --> 0:18:33.040 the it's just not the English that I wanted to learn. 0:18:33.119 --> 0:18:34.760 I really wanted to learn in English so where I 0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:38.080 can communicate with my teammates, my coaches and my friends, 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:41.280 you know. So one day I asked my one of 0:18:41.359 --> 0:18:43.280 my team and I was like, Hey, I really want 0:18:43.320 --> 0:18:45.840 to get to like, you know, learn about like the 0:18:45.920 --> 0:18:49.960 American culture and the street language that they speaking in 0:18:50.080 --> 0:18:52.520 all the streets and stuff. Tell me a show that 0:18:52.600 --> 0:18:55.040 I can watch where I can't just you know, because 0:18:55.119 --> 0:18:59.119 like watching the TV or like movie whatever with subtitle 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:00.800 is the best way to one of the best ways 0:19:00.840 --> 0:19:02.960 you can last darn English, he said, I go, Actually, 0:19:02.960 --> 0:19:04.320 I got the best show for you. I was like, 0:19:04.400 --> 0:19:07.280 what is it? He said, Jersey Show. I thought, okay, 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:10.000 I had no idea what the show was. I started 0:19:10.000 --> 0:19:12.719 watching Jersey Show. The first episode, the second episode, all 0:19:12.760 --> 0:19:18.000 but this is the crazieste uh yeah, Like if this 0:19:18.200 --> 0:19:24.160 is what America is about, they have a problem. Uh Well, 0:19:24.280 --> 0:19:27.520 later on I learned that it's not about assurance stuff. 0:19:27.960 --> 0:19:30.680 It was just a funny funny that's hilarious. I love that. 0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:34.080 I love two and in one, Uh, you became an 0:19:34.080 --> 0:19:38.120 American citizen. You change your name to Freedom, which I love. 0:19:38.200 --> 0:19:41.560 Your last name to Freedom. Is there anything else you 0:19:41.760 --> 0:19:43.840 want to leave us with before we go? And us 0:19:43.920 --> 0:19:46.720 I can't hear. When I was when I was seventeen, 0:19:46.800 --> 0:19:50.040 back in two thousand nine, I had a practice. I 0:19:50.119 --> 0:19:52.600 wasn't I was in prep school. I had a practice. 0:19:53.160 --> 0:19:55.600 And after the practice, you know, all all my teammates 0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:57.600 just sitting down in the locker room just well on 0:19:57.720 --> 0:20:00.399 our phone and stuff, and I s one of my 0:20:00.800 --> 0:20:05.000 one of the posts that my teammate posted on on Facebook, 0:20:05.040 --> 0:20:08.600 he was criticized in the president. I immediately turned around. 0:20:08.640 --> 0:20:11.159 I was like, dude, what are you doing. And he's like, 0:20:11.280 --> 0:20:13.520 what happened. I was like, I saw your post. He said, okay. 0:20:14.000 --> 0:20:17.119 I was like, well, you know, you might be in 0:20:17.280 --> 0:20:21.320 jail tomorrow. They might come and take you away. And 0:20:21.440 --> 0:20:24.040 he's like, the all my team I started to laugh 0:20:25.080 --> 0:20:28.119 because they know the environment that I came from, and 0:20:28.520 --> 0:20:30.680 they said listen to don't worry about it. This is 0:20:30.760 --> 0:20:33.440 not Turkey, this is American. And I was very confused. 0:20:33.920 --> 0:20:36.159 So we all sit down and we we started to 0:20:36.160 --> 0:20:38.959 talk about the freedom we having this country. Freedom of speech, 0:20:39.440 --> 0:20:44.520 religion expression, freedom of protests. Just because of you say something, 0:20:44.560 --> 0:20:48.439 you don't go to jails, your family won't be torturing stuff. 0:20:48.520 --> 0:20:50.600 And I was like, I thought they were just talking 0:20:50.640 --> 0:20:52.879 to a different language because I was so it was 0:20:52.960 --> 0:20:56.920 just so random, and you know, and uh, the more 0:20:57.040 --> 0:21:00.200 I grew up in this country, you know that I 0:21:00.760 --> 0:21:04.080 became my twenties, early twenties, late twenties, and I was like, 0:21:04.280 --> 0:21:07.280 this is the best thing that the God ever given 0:21:07.359 --> 0:21:09.920 to this country, to freedom. I want to put that 0:21:10.040 --> 0:21:13.120 behind my Jersey and literally inspire millions of kids out 0:21:13.160 --> 0:21:17.080 there and just carry that word everywhere. Were with me. Um. 0:21:17.280 --> 0:21:22.080 The last thing I will say is, uh, whoever listening 0:21:22.080 --> 0:21:24.639 to this, we definitely do our part to make this 0:21:24.760 --> 0:21:28.960 country better. It doesn't matter you're Muslim, Christian, white, black, 0:21:29.040 --> 0:21:32.200 or whoever you are. We only have one America and 0:21:32.320 --> 0:21:36.080 we need to make this country better together. So that's 0:21:36.160 --> 0:21:38.399 my message. I love that, and it's always good to 0:21:38.480 --> 0:21:41.040 get perspective. You know, we've got to preserve freedom. We've 0:21:41.080 --> 0:21:44.399 got a fight for it. And as cantor freedom, you're awesome. 0:21:45.080 --> 0:21:47.920 Deep deep respect for you and your voice. Thank you 0:21:48.040 --> 0:21:49.760 for what you do, thank you for being you, and 0:21:49.920 --> 0:21:52.040 thank you so much for joining the show. Thank you 0:21:52.119 --> 0:22:11.760 so much. I appreciate that. H H. What a remarkable guy. Uh. 0:22:12.160 --> 0:22:14.360 That was really cool to have that conversation with him. 0:22:14.480 --> 0:22:17.120 I I deeply respect what he's done and the stances 0:22:17.160 --> 0:22:19.520 that he has taken. It is incredibly brave. Not a 0:22:19.600 --> 0:22:21.560 lot of people can say that the stances that they 0:22:21.560 --> 0:22:24.359 have taken have led to, you know, the arrestment or 0:22:24.680 --> 0:22:28.640 the retribution being done to their family. So deep respect 0:22:28.680 --> 0:22:31.280 for him. Thanks so much for listening to the show. 0:22:31.400 --> 0:22:33.800 Every Monday and Thursday, but you can listen throughout the week. 0:22:33.920 --> 0:22:38.000