1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: All media. Hi everyone, it's me James. This is a pickup. 2 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:09,640 Speaker 1: It's Thursday morning. I recorded with Joseph on Wednesday night. 3 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: Someone destroyed or removed one of our callers. Since then, 4 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: I've received photos this morning of a place where we 5 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: put it and it's gone. You can probably draw your 6 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: own conclusions as to how I feel about that, and 7 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: probably tell from how I'm talking to it, and I'm 8 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: pretty pissede off. Also, our friend Rafael, Rafael from Los 9 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: Angeles de la Desierto is without a vehicle at the moment. 10 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: His truck broke. This is a person who gives every 11 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: ounce of his being to rescuing migrants. He is there 12 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: with them in their hardest times. When they pass away, 13 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: he's there to recover their remains with dignity, to connect 14 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: their families with the passing moments of their loved ones. 15 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 2: He's there to rescue people. He rescued a woman and 16 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 2: child on Monday. 17 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: His truck's broken, and if you're able to give, I'm 18 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: going to include a link in the show notes. 19 00:00:58,440 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 2: I talked to Borderland Reef Collective. 20 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: We all agree that the most important thing right now 21 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: is to get money to Raphael so he can continue 22 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: doing that life saving search and rescue work as we 23 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: hit record temperatures here and before it gets freezing cold 24 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: in the winters. So if you can, please please just 25 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: a few bucks, like we'll buy them an old track. 26 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 1: I'll fix it. I just don't want more people to 27 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: die out there, and I think having a track for 28 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: Rafael would meaningfully make it safer for people. So if 29 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: you're able to give, please give. Otherwise, please enjoy this podcast. 30 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: And yeah, I understand if you can't. It's a hard 31 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: time for everyone, but yeah, either way, help if you 32 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: can enjoy this podcast. BI Hi everyone, and welcome to 33 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: the podcast today. It's me James and I'm joined by 34 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: Joseph Hauser, who's a volunteer from Borderlands Relief Collective who 35 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: was out with me on Sunday. We're recording this on 36 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: Wednesday night and we were dropping water at the border. 37 00:01:57,160 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: We wanted to describe for you a little bit of 38 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: our what we we were at there. It was very hot, 39 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: things were in a bad way. I think it's fair 40 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: to say like despite all of our best efforts, things 41 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:09,799 Speaker 1: were really difficult. That there's only so much we can 42 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: do when it's one hundred and five degrees and there 43 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: are dozens of people and we're trying to get water 44 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: to all of them. 45 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 2: So welcome to the show. 46 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, thank you, James. Thanks for having me on. 47 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 2: No, I appreciate you being gay. 48 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: So I think if we begin by like describing preps 49 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: for people, and we first started messaging a boy going 50 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: out on Sunday, like Saturday afternoon, right, I think. 51 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, Yeah, it was yeah, early Saturday afternoon. I had 52 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 4: just finished getting my haircut, I'd gone and grabbed an 53 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 4: early lunch, and I saw a message from you and 54 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 4: one of our group chats that some of the local 55 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 4: grocery stores were selling those big orange five gallon water 56 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 4: jugs for like thirteen dollars, Like apparently they're trying to 57 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 4: like get rid of their stock or something. So yeah, 58 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 4: you and me a couple of other people were scrambling 59 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 4: around the county trying to buy up as any of 60 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 4: them as we could. 61 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, like, I think that's a normally one hundred bucks 62 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: for reference. They're like an insulated water vessel with a 63 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: spout on the bottom. And given that we knew it 64 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:12,519 Speaker 1: was going to be a record temperature and it was 65 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: already really hot on Saturday, we wanted to try and 66 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: get folks water that was as cold as possible. So yeah, 67 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: we went all around, bought all the ones from that 68 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: chain of grocery stores that we could and sort of 69 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: corralled them, and then we put ice in them. Right, 70 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 1: But this is the next day on Sunday, and then 71 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: you and I met up and we went out. Do 72 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: you want to just give people a sense of the 73 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: people we met right from all over the world, the 74 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: different places we met them, and then then the sort 75 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: of condition that we found them in. 76 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 3: Yeah. 77 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 4: So the first group of people we met, we ran 78 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 4: into four Mauritanian men. Yeah, they seemed to be in 79 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 4: pretty good spirits. They were all traveling together. Give them 80 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 4: some food, gatorade, water, kind of our typical stuff that 81 00:03:56,240 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 4: we hand out. Yeah, and I don't know, maybe three 82 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 4: minutes down the road from there. I don't know where 83 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 4: the man was from, but is Asian man that did 84 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 4: not look to be in great shape. His clothes was 85 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 4: torn up, his face was really dirty. He from what 86 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 4: we could understand, he was saying he had been mugged, 87 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 4: his cell phone had been stolen from him. Yeah, and 88 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 4: he just looked in a bad way. So we you know, 89 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 4: gave him water, gave him again some gatorade, and when 90 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 4: we tried to give him some food, he was just like, 91 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:37,040 Speaker 4: I can't, like, I'm so like, he's just so dehydrated. 92 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 3: He couldn't stomach anything other than liquid. 93 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 2: Yeah. 94 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: It was like we see people all the time who 95 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: who were in a bad state, but it's pretty rare 96 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: people to be like, I can't eat, I'm too dehydrated, 97 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 1: I can't face food right now. Because he'd been walking 98 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: for at least seven eight hours, I'm guessing, if not days. 99 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's how he came man. 100 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: Because we would just drive along and he came out 101 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: of the verge like with his hands in the air, 102 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: looking just so afraid, like I'll stay with me for 103 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: a while, like absolute like fear, but he. 104 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 3: Had yeah, like he just looked stricken. 105 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, like just really, it's just so sad to 106 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: see someone like reduced to that. I'm glad we were 107 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: able to help him and get him the stuff that 108 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: he needed. And then from there we moved on to 109 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: I'm trying to think where we went next. We went 110 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: up to the top, right, we drove up to the 111 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:33,559 Speaker 1: top of them mountain. 112 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,719 Speaker 4: Yeah, we went up to an area where Borderlands Relief 113 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 4: Collective has set up what we call a welcome station. 114 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 4: It's up on top of one of the smaller peaks 115 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 4: in the area. It gives us a good view, like 116 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 4: you can see all the way down to the actual 117 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 4: border and stuff and kind of take note of like okay, 118 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 4: like we've got a group coming up here, there's some 119 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 4: people crossing over there. And then we've primarily done that 120 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 4: in the winter time, just to greet people with some 121 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:04,840 Speaker 4: like some hot teas, some water food, just basically things 122 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 4: to say like hey, like you know you're here, yeah, 123 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 4: and at least give them a friendly face, because who 124 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,919 Speaker 4: knows what they've you know, what everyone's been through just 125 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 4: to get to that point. But yeah, So we dropped 126 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 4: one of our water jugs there and then went a 127 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 4: little bit further down the road to a gate that 128 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 4: I think Border Patrol maintains that gate maybe cal fire 129 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 4: yeah as well, they keep that locked pretty much always, 130 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,479 Speaker 4: but we know people take that road up obviously, So 131 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,040 Speaker 4: we left one of the smaller water jugs we were 132 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 4: able to pick up. 133 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:39,719 Speaker 3: I think that one was like a two or three 134 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 3: gallon that we left there. 135 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, because people people walk up for the boarder. 136 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,679 Speaker 1: I always like that spot. Oh it's weird because sometimes 137 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:49,679 Speaker 1: you see people in your they've got a long walk 138 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: and it's hot and I'm up here. 139 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 2: And there down there and that that sucks. 140 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, sometimes it's a really if it was anywhere else, 141 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 1: it would be a beautiful view. It's a baby though, 142 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: with little oak grove and like the times you'll see 143 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: like a red tailed hawk or something and it'll be 144 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: like level with your eye line because you're at the 145 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:07,919 Speaker 1: top there and it's but unfortunately, yeah, it's at the border, 146 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: so people have to suffer miserably there. 147 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's absolutely gorgeous like natural landscape, but it is 148 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 4: like just so unbelievably deadly and unforgiving. 149 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, Like you and I have both hiked, like alongside 150 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 1: hiking up and down the roads. We've hiked on the 151 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: trails and microans often take. And I've hacked a lot, 152 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 1: you've hiked a lot. It's incredibly difficult going. It's difficult 153 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: for us as like fit people with technical apparel and 154 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: good shoes, like we often see people in flip flops 155 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 1: or like crappy sneakers. 156 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, if they have footwear at all at that point. 157 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, I remember a number of the people we ran 158 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: into didn't have shoes, like later in the day. Yeah, 159 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: and I've definitely given away shoes before. And then we 160 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: have some of my drug. I'm a giant person, not everyone. 161 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 1: It's like penguin flip of feet, so I wasn't able 162 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: to help everyone. And so yeah, we went from there, 163 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 1: we dropped another We hiked to water in a little bit. 164 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: The road was too narrow to turn the truck around, 165 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: and we dropped that and a navigate and then I 166 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 1: think at that point things were pretty normal, and that 167 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: was like a normal water drop day or a driving 168 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: to drop day, I should say, not a hiking one. 169 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: Do you want to describe what we saw at the 170 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: next place you went to, because I think that was 171 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: when both of us realized that, like things were going 172 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: to be worse than normal and people needed as much 173 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:32,559 Speaker 1: helps as we could possibly get them. 174 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 3: Yeah. 175 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 4: So basically, once we finished up in that area, we 176 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 4: went from where we were, we went a little bit 177 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 4: further south. 178 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 3: I don't know, I was like maybe a ten minute drive, 179 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 3: you think. 180 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 4: Once we got back to the main road, Yeah, we 181 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 4: ran into. 182 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 3: A group of three men. 183 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 4: Believe they were more Aitanian again a different group of men. Yeah, 184 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:57,199 Speaker 4: when we came across them, they were kind of walking 185 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 4: almost like just middle of the on the road, Yeah, 186 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 4: which was kind. 187 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 3: Of like keyed us in that, like, oh, like we 188 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 3: should stop and check on these guys. They overall seemed to. 189 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 4: Be doing pretty well, like they were obviously very tired, 190 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 4: exhausted from their journey, but they were telling us that, 191 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 4: you know, like oh we've got another. 192 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 3: Two, We've got two more they fell behind. 193 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 4: So we gave these guys, you know again the normal 194 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 4: like food, gatorade, water, checked in with them to see 195 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 4: if they had like any wounds or anything we could treat, 196 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 4: and they seemed pretty good. So we hung out in 197 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 4: that area for I don't know, it was maybe five 198 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 4: ten minutes max. Before we saw the people that they 199 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:43,679 Speaker 4: had mentioned were further down the road. 200 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 3: So another two guys came up. 201 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 4: We again gave them what supplies they seemed like they needed. 202 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 4: The the fifth guy in that group seemed to be 203 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 4: in the worst shape. 204 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 3: Of all of them. 205 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, he was upright. 206 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 4: And you know, like moving under his own power, but 207 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 4: like you just kind of see that little wobble in 208 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 4: his step. So we kind of took some extra time 209 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 4: with him. I believe we got him like a little 210 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 4: ice pack to put on the back of his neck, 211 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:15,679 Speaker 4: just to try and bring his body temperature down, and 212 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:19,199 Speaker 4: then kind of just got that. All five of them 213 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 4: regrouped together under a tree in some shade, and then 214 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 4: from there we went, I don't know, maybe we got 215 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 4: maybe three hundred feet down the road and we came 216 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 4: across a group of five I believe they were all 217 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 4: Spanish speakers. 218 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 3: I didn't catch where they were from. 219 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think once it's from Colombia. I can't remember 220 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:46,080 Speaker 1: where the whole group were from. 221 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:48,839 Speaker 3: There, but that was so far. 222 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 4: Everyone we had run into was by a parent's middle 223 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 4: aged men I shouldn't say middle age, like young adult. Yeah, yeah, 224 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,199 Speaker 4: like thirty thirty five maybe, like you know some we're 225 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 4: in that range. 226 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, they could be anywhere from like twenties to thirties. 227 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. 228 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 1: Like I think some of that is because it was 229 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 1: such a difficult day that like some folks who have 230 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: children or older people maybe decided not to make the 231 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 1: journey that day. 232 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, they had that choice. But this, yeah, this group 233 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 2: was yeah. 234 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 4: This group of five we I want to say it 235 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:24,679 Speaker 4: was three men in that age range. There was a 236 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:28,080 Speaker 4: woman with them and then a kid that if I 237 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 4: had to guess, probably fifteen at the oldest, like I 238 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,320 Speaker 4: seemed to remember like clogging that he had braces on, 239 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 4: Like he just he seemed young. 240 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, he seemed like a child. Yeah, it wasn't like 241 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 2: a young man. 242 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:42,440 Speaker 4: And so you know, we got off to the side 243 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 4: of the road again, we're giving them food, water, all that. 244 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:49,200 Speaker 3: Again, like this is all off the main road for 245 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 3: that area. 246 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 4: And like as we're interacting with these groups, you know, 247 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 4: like several border patrol cars are just zooming passed, like yeah, 248 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 4: just about nobody. Nobody's stopping the check in and that 249 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 4: nobody's you know, like you stopping them from big finger 250 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 4: quotes here invading. 251 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 1: Right getting getting on a bus. Is like people are 252 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 1: going so mad about us. We before they got mad 253 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 1: about Haitian people. 254 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:21,079 Speaker 4: But yeah, so we we worked with that group. Nobody 255 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 4: really seemed to be in dire straits there. So we're 256 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 4: working towards a trailhead which we could actually see from 257 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 4: where we were working with this group of five, and 258 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:39,319 Speaker 4: there's like a little bridge there and we just kind 259 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:41,319 Speaker 4: of see some heads popping up. 260 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:43,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, and we're. 261 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 1: Like, oh, I think you have my binoculars. We were 262 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:46,559 Speaker 1: like checking to see yeah, and. 263 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:48,319 Speaker 3: We're like, oh, like we like we need to get 264 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 3: over there. 265 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 4: So we get back in the truck after we get 266 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 4: them kind of you know, as settled as we can, 267 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:59,560 Speaker 4: and we get over to this trailhead, which is like, really, 268 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 4: I think where the day because, like you said, like 269 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 4: it was kind of a normal day up until we 270 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 4: got to this trailhead and then things kind of seemed 271 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 4: to take a turn. 272 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:11,439 Speaker 1: Yeah, talking of taking a turn, where don't we take 273 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:14,199 Speaker 1: a turn to advertisements and then come back. 274 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 3: That's why they're paying you the big bucks. 275 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 2: That is. Yeah, I see did you see that? No, 276 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:18,679 Speaker 2: no one saw that. 277 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: Come all right, we are back. I hope that you 278 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:36,200 Speaker 1: haven't bought anythink you could give money to board Lands 279 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 1: Relief Collective of Google it. 280 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, that would be really nice. I would appreciate that. 281 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, who would I do that? Don't go to chamber Causina. Yeah, 282 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: so we got over there and like that location just 283 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: to give people like paint a picture. There's the road 284 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 1: which we were traveling on and then parallel to that, 285 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: parallel to it ninety degrees. It's a dirt road which 286 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: we pulled into the road that we had traveling on. 287 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 1: Was it going over a creek which is dry at 288 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: this time of year, So there's a bridge, and it 289 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 1: was under that bridge that people were hiding from the sun, 290 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: and so that's why we couldn't see them until we 291 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: were very close. And yeah, describe what we saw there, 292 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: because that was when I was like, oh shit, that 293 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:24,400 Speaker 1: was when we started to run out of enough bottles 294 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: for people to drink out of. So we had to 295 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 1: like just start opening like cans of energy drink and 296 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: beer and stuff or whatever we had just to use 297 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 1: them as bottles. 298 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 4: Yeah, so we we pull off the road and underneath 299 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 4: that bridge, I mean I didn't do like a head 300 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 4: count necessarily or anything, but there was a group of 301 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 4: like fifteen twenty at least. Yeah, you know, again like 302 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 4: mostly men in that like twenty to thirty age range, 303 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 4: but there were moms with kids and there were just 304 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 4: there were so many people. 305 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 3: We at that point, we had you know. 306 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 4: Some water bottles as we had that one five gallon 307 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 4: jug with the ice water in it left that we 308 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 4: were going to take up to the top of this pass, 309 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 4: and we just like by the time we got done 310 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 4: getting every one water. 311 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 3: We ran out of water in the jug. 312 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 4: I think we had just about cleared out all the 313 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 4: food we had. 314 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 3: We had no more gatorades. 315 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 4: We were scrounging around in the back of your truck 316 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 4: trying to just find vessels essentially to give people what 317 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 4: liquid we could, you know, like get at shakeout of 318 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 4: the ice. 319 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was not good. 320 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 4: And so then that was when there was one young man, 321 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 4: I believe he said he was from Jordan. He was 322 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 4: trying to get our attention and telling us, you know, 323 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 4: like I've got two like I've got family up there too, 324 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 4: two family And he keeps pointing up up the mountain 325 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 4: towards the pass, saying he's got two family members up there. 326 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 4: And then another man I didn't catch where he was from, 327 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 4: but he was telling us there were two family members 328 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 4: of first man. And then there was another three men 329 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 4: traveling up there, and they were trying to indicate to 330 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:18,479 Speaker 4: us that one of them had heart problems. 331 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, was how they how they put it. 332 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 4: So we kept telling them like, hey, like you know, 333 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 4: we're we're going to go help them. But the gate 334 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 4: to access that the road that goes up that pass 335 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 4: was locked. So first we had to figure out like 336 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 4: who we could contact to get through the gate. And 337 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 4: then that poor guy that you know said his family, 338 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:45,560 Speaker 4: his family members were up on that mountain, Like he desperately, 339 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 4: desperately wanted us to drive him up there with us, 340 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 4: but we had to keep telling him, like we just 341 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 4: we can't, Like it is so illegal. 342 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 3: For us to put you in a vehicle. Yeah, you anywhere? 343 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, Like, at least the interpretation of the lowest Border 344 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: Patrol sees is that we would be like trafficking them 345 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,439 Speaker 1: at that point. And like maybe one could defend it 346 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: in court if the person was like bleeding out or 347 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,639 Speaker 1: you know something, but pretty much that is something that 348 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:13,400 Speaker 1: we can't do. 349 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:17,119 Speaker 4: Yeah, We've been out on a water drop together, just 350 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 4: handing out food and water to people on foot next 351 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:23,959 Speaker 4: to the truck, and Border Patrol has threatened, like an 352 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 4: agent has threatened to write us up for trafficking. 353 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, in this particular incident, which like I don't 354 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: really care, This agent can go fuck himself like we were. 355 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 1: This girl was probably four years old. I would say, 356 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:42,360 Speaker 1: I don't know exactly. I didn't ask. Wasn't the most 357 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 1: important thing at the time. She was with her mother. 358 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 1: They were both from Guinea and a Nigerian woman. Like 359 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: I speak French, so I was speaking to the Guineaian 360 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 1: family and like, I remember you were trying to feed 361 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: the little girl right like she had. 362 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 4: Yeah, another another volunteer and I were trying to feed 363 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 4: her some trail mix I had and she she wouldn't 364 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:04,679 Speaker 4: touch any of it but the but the dried banana 365 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 4: chips that were in there. So yeah, like actually, ever 366 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:10,399 Speaker 4: since then, anytime I make trail mix for drops, I 367 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 4: always make sure that I've got dry banana trips in there, 368 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:15,640 Speaker 4: just you know, in case there's another kid that that's 369 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 4: all they'll eat. 370 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I remember like she wasn't very responsive. I've 371 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:22,639 Speaker 1: been talking to her mom, and her mother's feet were 372 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 1: in a very bad way, like immersion foot. And after 373 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 1: a while we were like, this little girls is like 374 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:34,119 Speaker 1: not very talkative at all, like maybe to a degree 375 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 1: that we should be concerned. And I think we both 376 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: we all kind of quickly realized she was very cold, 377 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 1: like potentially hypothermic. 378 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 2: I remember having there. 379 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:46,680 Speaker 1: I tried to record some of this for the podcast, 380 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:50,200 Speaker 1: but it's all fun, it's all. I had to wrap 381 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:52,119 Speaker 1: her up in a mile out blanket such that like 382 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: I was sitting behind her so that she would get 383 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 1: like warm from me right now and sit my jacket 384 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: so she would get warm from me. And obviously the 385 00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 1: whole fucking podcast bit is my love blanket noise, which 386 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 1: is a shame because at that point a border patrol 387 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 1: agent arrived started swearing at us, accusing us of trafficking, 388 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 1: just like as if this little girl wasn't having the 389 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 1: worst day. 390 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 2: Of her life anyway. 391 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, just like someone who's paid by my taxes and 392 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: your taxes turns up to scream at the only people 393 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: who are helping her that day and her right like 394 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 1: it scared them. And eventually one of our friends was 395 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:33,480 Speaker 1: able to de escalate that situation and those people got 396 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: taken and hopefully protested, and I hope that they are 397 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: living a happy life in the US. 398 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:39,119 Speaker 3: Yeah for sure. 399 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 2: But yeah, that was a bad day. 400 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 1: So yeah, we as you said, right, we can't take 401 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 1: this guy with us back up the hill, and we're 402 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: now trying to get so it's about ten kilometers to 403 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: the top, and it's ten kilometers and I have no 404 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:57,720 Speaker 1: idea how it's a lot of climbing, Like it's ten 405 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 1: kilometers all uphill. Yeah, and so like, it's not really 406 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: possible for us to hike up that road and get 407 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: to these people who need help in a timely manner, right, 408 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 1: in a manner that so we need to drive. I 409 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:14,440 Speaker 1: think in the end we ended up calling nine one 410 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,240 Speaker 1: one Yeah, I think that was what we also called 411 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: a friend who personally contacted Yeah. 412 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 3: Then yeah, somebody got cow fire out for us. 413 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 4: They opened the gate and kind of let us take 414 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,880 Speaker 4: the lead up that dirt road. Yeah. 415 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 1: I thought that was really cool of them, Like it 416 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 1: would have been easy for them to be like, yeah, 417 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: we're here to save you and like credit where it's 418 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: to you. They were like, your truck is going to 419 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:41,440 Speaker 1: go fast enough, fire rangine, you guys should go first. 420 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:45,400 Speaker 4: Yeah. So we get a portion of the way up 421 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 4: and we run into the group of three men that 422 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:50,879 Speaker 4: we were told were there and. 423 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 3: Were At this point, I think is when we realized like. 424 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 4: Oh shit, like the only water we have on our 425 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 4: that we have at all is our personal water. 426 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:05,920 Speaker 3: So I actually I have water bottle right here next 427 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:08,680 Speaker 3: to me. I I like was. 428 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:12,119 Speaker 4: Literally pouring what I had left into their water bottle 429 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,679 Speaker 4: for them. Luckily, this is like an insulated thing, so 430 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,200 Speaker 4: it's cold for them, but you know, we're trying to 431 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:21,120 Speaker 4: figure out like shit, like when we get to when 432 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 4: we find these you know, two women, the family members, 433 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 4: the guy kept talking about like yeah, what are like, 434 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 4: what are we going to do? 435 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 1: Then? 436 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:31,560 Speaker 4: Like I think we ended up giving when we came 437 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 4: across them further up the mountain at that point, like 438 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 4: we basically just had my backup now Gene. Yeah, left, 439 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:42,679 Speaker 4: So we were like, hey, we want you to to 440 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 4: take this, Like, we just gave them the full now 441 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 4: Gene and tried our best to explain to them that 442 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 4: we were going to go to the top make sure 443 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:53,960 Speaker 4: that there wasn't anybody else up there. 444 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:56,080 Speaker 3: And then we were going to come back down to 445 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:56,880 Speaker 3: check on them. 446 00:21:57,680 --> 00:21:58,679 Speaker 2: So we do that. 447 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 4: We go up to the top where you and some 448 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:05,439 Speaker 4: other volunteers have built like a little shade structure to 449 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 4: try and just give people some relief. 450 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 1: Yeah I didn't built that one. I built that previous 451 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 1: one that got torn down. Okay, bye, some type of 452 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:20,720 Speaker 1: cop lovely yeah great, really nice, really help. It wasn't 453 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: actually a cop, to be fat I'm pretty sure it was. 454 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 1: It was some other federal agency BLM or BP or someone. 455 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 4: But so when we got up to the top. We 456 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 4: didn't see anybody else. We couldn't find anybody up there. 457 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:38,119 Speaker 4: We were doing our best to try and use our 458 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:39,639 Speaker 4: language skills. 459 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:43,200 Speaker 1: To Yeah, we were just shouting in various languages to 460 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 1: see if anyone needed help. 461 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 4: Then the CalFire guys met back up with us up there, 462 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,160 Speaker 4: you know, figured out like, hey, like you know, we 463 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:56,040 Speaker 4: we're not seeing anybody else. So you and I decided 464 00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 4: that basically all we could do at that point was 465 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 4: go down the mountain and go further south to a 466 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 4: little town that's like pretty much right on the border. 467 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:10,120 Speaker 2: I think, Yeah, it's literally a boat a crossing. 468 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:13,399 Speaker 4: Yeah, because we ended up, we drove down, checked in 469 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:16,160 Speaker 4: on the women, the two women that were traveling down. 470 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 4: They seem to be doing about as okay as they 471 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:22,119 Speaker 4: could at the time. Again, it's like, I don't know, 472 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:25,160 Speaker 4: one hundred and five, Yeah, completely exposed up there. 473 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's no tree co a, you're not getting any shape. 474 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 4: I don't I don't remember it being particularly windy at all. 475 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:37,919 Speaker 3: So it's just like hot still still. Yeah, But we get. 476 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 4: Down the mountain kind of give everyone like the big 477 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 4: group that's there under the tree at the bridge at 478 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:48,439 Speaker 4: the bottom heads up of what we're doing. We go 479 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:52,680 Speaker 4: into this little town and like again like tiny little place, 480 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 4: like it's basically from what I saw, just parking lots 481 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,760 Speaker 4: and then like a gas station and border crossing. 482 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:02,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's it. 483 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,120 Speaker 4: We went into this gas station and bought I think 484 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:08,399 Speaker 4: like sixteen gallons worth of water. 485 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:11,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, Livia had to go around the back to get 486 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:13,680 Speaker 1: the rest of the water. Like we we took all 487 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: the gallons jugs they had. 488 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 4: They had one of those little like displays of like 489 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 4: I don't know, I think it was like little keebler 490 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 4: like cheese cracker sandwiches. 491 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 5: Like we just bought the whole display. Yeah, just to 492 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:30,720 Speaker 5: try and give people some some more food. And then 493 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:33,720 Speaker 5: from there, like we just high tailed it back to 494 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:37,439 Speaker 5: the bridge, like distributed out some more water, checked in 495 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 5: with them again, just like explained like we're going back up. 496 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 3: And as we were going. 497 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 4: Back up the mountain, we started seeing these like little 498 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 4: rain drops hitting our windshield. Yeah, like oh that that 499 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,440 Speaker 4: can't be good, you know, so we continue up. When 500 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 4: we when we found the two women, they were both 501 00:24:57,320 --> 00:24:59,640 Speaker 4: just kind of lying in some shade just. 502 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:00,199 Speaker 3: On the road. 503 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 2: Yeah. It was not a good scene. 504 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:06,479 Speaker 4: Yeah, and so we got out, we mixed I think 505 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:09,639 Speaker 4: it was we got one gallon of cold water and 506 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 4: then we took another of the gallon jugs and just 507 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:14,720 Speaker 4: mixed up like a full thing with some catorade powder 508 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:18,919 Speaker 4: we found in your truck. Yeah, and just kind of 509 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 4: sat down with them, and then we got help with 510 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:26,679 Speaker 4: some translation over the phone, trying to like talk to 511 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 4: these women figure out like what exactly was going on. 512 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,400 Speaker 3: Because one of them kept like kind of pointing to her. 513 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:35,960 Speaker 1: Chest, yeah, and she was doing the like thump thump thump, 514 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:38,560 Speaker 1: Yeah she was concerning. Yeah. 515 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:41,400 Speaker 4: You know, like through through the help we got translating 516 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 4: over the phone, just basically explained like we like we 517 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:48,359 Speaker 4: just absolutely cannot transport to like we we want nothing 518 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 4: more in this world than to be able to take 519 00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 4: you down the mountain, but we just can't. 520 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, Like I would very happily put those ladies in 521 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: my truck and driven them down, like it that would 522 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: have considerably improved my day to do that, because it 523 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 1: is fucking heartbreaking trying to tell someone they have to 524 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:12,159 Speaker 1: keep walking when they're maybe halfway down and they're like 525 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 1: just lying there, exhausted, ready to I don't know what 526 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 1: just give up. 527 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 2: But yeah, it fucking sucks. It sucks. 528 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: We now know that several people died that day and 529 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:29,679 Speaker 1: the day before and the day after. I guess I 530 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: don't know exactly how many because the medical examiner hasn't confirmed, 531 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 1: and I'm not going to say their names or really 532 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,159 Speaker 1: much about the location beyond that because I want to 533 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:42,400 Speaker 1: respect the privacy of their remains and their family. 534 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, and so. 535 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 1: Until we hear from them, I won't. But like, it's 536 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:50,640 Speaker 1: I found out some people had died in the vicinity 537 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:54,120 Speaker 1: of where we were, and I don't know exactly where 538 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:54,720 Speaker 1: it's people died. 539 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 2: I don't know who they were, but. 540 00:26:56,119 --> 00:26:59,040 Speaker 1: Like it's a really fucking hard thing to say with Like, 541 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 1: I think those people we helpful, probably, Okay, I think 542 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:07,160 Speaker 1: between the fact that as we'll get onto a giant 543 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:11,199 Speaker 1: thunderstorm soak soaks them to the degree that we had 544 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:14,400 Speaker 1: to give them like ponchos, and then but just having 545 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:16,760 Speaker 1: to deal with like I would happily if driven up 546 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:18,159 Speaker 1: and down that road all day, but people in my 547 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:21,159 Speaker 1: truck wouldn't bother me in the slightest. We're not not 548 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:26,439 Speaker 1: able to. And somebody's journey ended in tragedy, and like 549 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 1: it's I don't know, like we we try our best 550 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: rather a lot, and it's not we do more than enough. 551 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 1: Like I'm not saying that, like I said, it's on 552 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:38,199 Speaker 1: any way on us, but like we would love to 553 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:41,320 Speaker 1: do more if they would let us. And like shit 554 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:43,080 Speaker 1: like that, like not began to put people in the vehicle. 555 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 1: It's just it's just hard to live with, you know, 556 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: when you're sitting in bed at night or whatever your dinner, 557 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 1: like it sucks. 558 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:57,600 Speaker 4: But yeah, because like there's I feel like there's this 559 00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:00,359 Speaker 4: picture like when you talk about San Diego just kind 560 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:03,840 Speaker 4: of southern California in general, it's oh, like it's sunny beaches, 561 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 4: it's nice. 562 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 3: Days, like it's mild weather year round. 563 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 4: But as we've said multiple times at this point, like 564 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:12,200 Speaker 4: it gets fucking hot. It gets It was one hundred 565 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 4: and five degrees on that mountain. A thunderstorm rolled in, 566 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 4: and in a matter of I don't know, twenty thirty minutes, 567 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:21,679 Speaker 4: our conversation went from like, oh, like I hope they 568 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 4: are you know, are not coming down with like a 569 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:25,520 Speaker 4: heat illness or you know, gonna get heatstroke, to like, 570 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 4: oh shit, like are they gonna go hyperthermic? 571 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 3: Like what do. 572 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:31,600 Speaker 4: What do we have to get them warm? We're trying 573 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:33,320 Speaker 4: to cool them down. Now we're trying to warm them up. 574 00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:35,880 Speaker 4: Like what kind of cruel joke is this? 575 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, like it does seem like this most perverse thing 576 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 1: to be. Like then worried about fucking lightning on the 577 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: other side of the valley, you know, like it was 578 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: insane just from like we then we carried on up 579 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:52,320 Speaker 1: the mountain, dropped some water, and then returned down to 580 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 1: check on these women again. And when we were at 581 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: the top of the mountain, we could look down on 582 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:00,440 Speaker 1: the thunderstorm. Yeah, see it beneath us. And then yeah, 583 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 1: we drove into it and like just what an apocalyptic 584 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:08,240 Speaker 1: scenario to be in, you know, like it's jumping with rain, 585 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:12,840 Speaker 1: triple digit temperatures and or you have the only thing 586 00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: you're allowed to do is walk, like it was difficult. 587 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 1: And then like I guess the last thing the last 588 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 1: person we ran into as we came down the mountain 589 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:26,520 Speaker 1: was the guy who'd been pleading with us to go 590 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 1: help them. Yeah, God, and like had decided Border patrol 591 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:34,120 Speaker 1: had collected everyone to take them to process them right 592 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:36,200 Speaker 1: for their asylum claim and that we've heard on this 593 00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: podcast before about what it's like when that happens. It's 594 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: not nice, it's not a pleasant stay. It's now considerably worse. 595 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:46,480 Speaker 1: I imagine people are being moved to Texas. They stayed for weeks. 596 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:50,040 Speaker 1: I met a young man a few months ago now 597 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:52,720 Speaker 1: who was in detention for three or four weeks before, 598 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 1: I presume being deported back. I can't find any record 599 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:59,040 Speaker 1: of him being released, which fucking sucks. So like this 600 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:02,880 Speaker 1: guy had chosen not to go back, and instead he'd 601 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: chosen to hike back up the mountain without any food, 602 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:08,840 Speaker 1: without any water, to try and rescue these women, which 603 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 1: I mean, it's an incredibly selfless thing to do, but 604 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 1: he was in a bad, bad way, right. 605 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, because when we so we passed the two women 606 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:22,800 Speaker 4: on the way down, kind of gave them little snacks 607 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 4: here they're like, just tried to encourage them as much 608 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 4: as we could. And then when we ran into this man, 609 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 4: he you know, kind of had that I don't know 610 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:33,320 Speaker 4: what other word to use, but kind of like crazed 611 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 4: look in his eyes, like he wasn't sure, like yeah 612 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:37,960 Speaker 4: I do I just go back down, like I can't 613 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:39,480 Speaker 4: leave them, like I need to keep going, Like I 614 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:42,880 Speaker 4: feel like I can't, and so we tried to get 615 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 4: him settled as much as we could. 616 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 3: We got them some water. 617 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:48,680 Speaker 4: I think you dug out some like gummy worms or 618 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 4: something from one of your bags. 619 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, it had a bag of hot It wasn't. It's 620 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:57,440 Speaker 1: like an open back of harrabo that he was happy 621 00:30:57,480 --> 00:30:57,959 Speaker 1: to receive. 622 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,160 Speaker 4: Yeah, and you know, we're just did our best to 623 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 4: try and convince him to just kind of sit there 624 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 4: rest a little bit and you know, like assure him 625 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 4: that they're coming. 626 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:11,680 Speaker 3: They're walking down now. 627 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 4: And it was honestly kind of beautiful the one woman 628 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:18,480 Speaker 4: because the two women had kind of split up a 629 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 4: little bit while they were walking downhill. So the one 630 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:24,920 Speaker 4: comes around the bend and like when they saw each other, 631 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 4: like he just kind of. 632 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:28,960 Speaker 3: Like you could see like just everything about him just kind. 633 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 4: Of elevated, and he, you know, pepinist stuff, was like, 634 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 4: oh my god, like I'm so happy to see you. 635 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:36,959 Speaker 1: And yeah, he got up because he'd just been kind 636 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:42,120 Speaker 1: of slouched there almost like just looking exhausted. 637 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 4: Yeah, So like seeing them kind of reunite was really nice, 638 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:50,640 Speaker 4: and they had a quick conversation and seemed like they 639 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:53,120 Speaker 4: kind of decided she was going to keep going down, 640 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:57,320 Speaker 4: and you know he just seemed like energized by that 641 00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:00,600 Speaker 4: and decided to keep going up to find other woman 642 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:02,760 Speaker 4: to make sure she made it down as well. 643 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:05,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, which was like not an easy choice, I'm sure 644 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: for him. Like like at that point, again, we were 645 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 1: out of food. We we mixed him up some gatorade. 646 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:14,440 Speaker 1: I think we took the sugar backets from m E 647 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 1: and like mixed them in there and some salt, just 648 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:21,120 Speaker 1: like try and give him, like I guess something some 649 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 1: fluid he could hold on too, so he doesn't get 650 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:26,600 Speaker 1: hype and a tree make right, which is definitely something 651 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 1: when you see the amount of salt on people, like 652 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:33,480 Speaker 1: the white crusting on them, like they're only drinking water 653 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:36,960 Speaker 1: and they're not replacing electrolytes, like it becomes a concern. Yeah, 654 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 1: that I guess was us for the day, right, Like 655 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 1: we we drove home and like we don't get to 656 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 1: really find out how any one did and we don't 657 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:49,680 Speaker 1: get to follow up, right, Like it's kind of not 658 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:50,600 Speaker 1: how that works. 659 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 2: But yeah, that's just one day. 660 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:57,480 Speaker 1: Like I spoke to Raphael from and Helisted and he 661 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 1: was out on Monday, said it was just bad, right, 662 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:03,880 Speaker 1: doing a search and rescue on Monday for a mother 663 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 1: and child and that they were able to rescue them, 664 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 1: And like, I felt like it was a value to 665 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 1: highlight what we saw in one day because it's it's 666 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:15,840 Speaker 1: every day. I mean, it's cooled off now and Wednesday 667 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:18,240 Speaker 1: it's well, that's hot, which is good, but it's every 668 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:19,040 Speaker 1: day at the moment. 669 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 4: Well, and I guess, for like context, cooled off means 670 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:27,120 Speaker 4: it's like load of mid nineties. 671 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:30,960 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's still like it's still not 672 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:34,240 Speaker 1: safe to make that hike without water. People are often 673 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:36,920 Speaker 1: mugged right when they cross the border or sometimes before. 674 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,120 Speaker 1: Sometimes they get their bags stolen. That often involves them 675 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:42,560 Speaker 1: getting their water bottles stolen that they've taken with them 676 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 1: right and makest journey a lot more dangerous. They also 677 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:47,120 Speaker 1: get their phone stolen, so even if they need help, 678 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 1: they can't call nine one one. Border Patrol sometimes has 679 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:52,520 Speaker 1: like rescue beacons that you can press them and it 680 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 1: calls Border Patrol. On the route that we run for 681 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:57,960 Speaker 1: the back half of the day, there are none of 682 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 1: those I saw, Like, I know, I came back and 683 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:05,160 Speaker 1: then you know, I sort of tried to process my 684 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 1: day and get on with my life when you do. 685 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:11,040 Speaker 1: And and I saw the presidential debate last night, and 686 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:12,759 Speaker 1: it just makes me so fucking angry. I mean, we 687 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:16,640 Speaker 1: shouldn't expect anymore from these people. They're politicians. They don't 688 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:17,920 Speaker 1: give a shit about you, they don't give a shit 689 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:21,000 Speaker 1: about me, and they certainly don't care about these poor, 690 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:25,359 Speaker 1: desperate people. And like, and it's then that people want 691 00:34:25,360 --> 00:34:28,160 Speaker 1: to vote for Kamala because maybe she's less bad than Trump. 692 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:31,440 Speaker 1: But like, I have a real fucking hard time thinking 693 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:33,839 Speaker 1: about the parents of the young man who died at 694 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 1: the border having to deal with Okay, well, she's less 695 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:37,760 Speaker 1: bad than Trump. 696 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:41,480 Speaker 2: Cool, it doesn't bring their baby boy back, you know, Like, and. 697 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:45,759 Speaker 1: Just seeing both of them, Like, the whole framing of 698 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 1: the immigration discussion was how do we reduce numbers and 699 00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: make it harder. They didn't entertain for a moment that 700 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:53,880 Speaker 1: someone might come here because they've got nowhere else to 701 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:57,080 Speaker 1: go and they need to be safe, or because they 702 00:34:57,080 --> 00:34:58,640 Speaker 1: want to work hard and have a better future for 703 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:01,319 Speaker 1: their family. There are a million reasons to come here, right. 704 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:03,560 Speaker 1: I came here to fucking do a PhD in Spanish history, 705 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:06,120 Speaker 1: and no one made me race my bike. 706 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:08,160 Speaker 2: No, no, one made me walk across the desert. You know, 707 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:10,320 Speaker 2: it's the reasons. 708 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 1: Were a lot more valid than mine would And like I, 709 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:16,320 Speaker 1: I guess, I guess we should take a commercial break. 710 00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:28,080 Speaker 2: Okay, we're back. 711 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 1: I guess I want to finish up. You told me 712 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:34,799 Speaker 1: a story about why you started volunteering, which I thought 713 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:36,759 Speaker 1: was really meaningful and I'd like people to hear it. 714 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:38,280 Speaker 1: Would you mind sharing that with everyone? 715 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:39,840 Speaker 3: Oh, yeah, no problem. 716 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:44,239 Speaker 4: So my grandmother on my father's side came to the 717 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:49,719 Speaker 4: US from Panama to go to college. My grandma on 718 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:54,200 Speaker 4: my mother's side. My understanding is they originally came to 719 00:35:54,239 --> 00:35:58,080 Speaker 4: the US because somewhere down the line they were German. 720 00:35:58,680 --> 00:35:59,760 Speaker 3: One of them was a duke. 721 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 4: Fell in love with you know, like a servant girl 722 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:05,319 Speaker 4: or something, you know that old story. Yeah, got ostracized 723 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:09,160 Speaker 4: from the family and fled to you know, the United States, 724 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:12,440 Speaker 4: and so like even though looking at me like, I'm 725 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:15,879 Speaker 4: a why does white can be freckles? And all right, 726 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:19,759 Speaker 4: like my family it's immigrants like you go back, yeah, 727 00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:24,239 Speaker 4: like you know, as we all are. And this was 728 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:30,799 Speaker 4: twenty nineteen. I didn't know what I was doing. I 729 00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:34,440 Speaker 4: felt stuck in my job. I just kind of wanted 730 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:38,160 Speaker 4: to get away from my family for you know, lack 731 00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:42,239 Speaker 4: of a better phrase, and I thought, hell, why not 732 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:46,040 Speaker 4: the like why not the Peace Corps? Go do something 733 00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:49,719 Speaker 4: good on the government's dime. And you know, see the world, 734 00:36:49,719 --> 00:36:51,720 Speaker 4: it's you know, it's big, it's sexy, it's foreign. 735 00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:54,799 Speaker 3: And so I went. 736 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:59,200 Speaker 4: I got placed in Swatini, which is a country in 737 00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:06,360 Speaker 4: southern Africa, and I was in the youth development sector there. 738 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:08,040 Speaker 3: So I got placed. 739 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:10,840 Speaker 4: I was working at a high school there and I 740 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:13,880 Speaker 4: was having a conversation one day with the religion teacher 741 00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:18,080 Speaker 4: who just couldn't he could not understand the idea of 742 00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:22,319 Speaker 4: like why we don't teach religion in high schools in 743 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:24,400 Speaker 4: the US. Like he's like, you know, how can you 744 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:26,879 Speaker 4: learn to understand somebody else's point of view if you're 745 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:30,279 Speaker 4: not allowed to learn about it. And so like talked 746 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:33,360 Speaker 4: about like how we value the concept of separation of 747 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:36,239 Speaker 4: church and state, and it just kind of got on 748 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:40,120 Speaker 4: the topic of different viewpoints between our two cultures like that, 749 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:46,800 Speaker 4: and this man looked at me and said, I feel 750 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:50,560 Speaker 4: so blessed that there is a country in this world, 751 00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:55,520 Speaker 4: like the United States, where there's no poverty, nobody goes hungry. 752 00:37:56,120 --> 00:38:01,719 Speaker 3: Everybody has a job, and there are people like you willing. 753 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:05,600 Speaker 4: To leave such a beautiful place to come here and 754 00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:08,960 Speaker 4: help us, which you know, naturally, I was like, oh, 755 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:11,439 Speaker 4: like that's, you know, really nice of you to say. 756 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:13,719 Speaker 4: But you know, like in the United States, like we 757 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:19,000 Speaker 4: have people that go hungry, we you know, deal with poverty, homelessness, 758 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:22,879 Speaker 4: et cetera, et cetera. And I'll never forget this guy 759 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:26,920 Speaker 4: looked me dead in the eyes and just said like, oh, 760 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:31,880 Speaker 4: then why are you here, Why aren't you at home 761 00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:37,399 Speaker 4: helping them? And it just kind of shattered me in this, 762 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:42,400 Speaker 4: you know, like yeah, no, like you're right, Like I 763 00:38:42,440 --> 00:38:44,680 Speaker 4: totally and completely joined the Peace Corps for like these 764 00:38:44,719 --> 00:38:48,200 Speaker 4: super selfish reasons. And so, like I said, I was 765 00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:51,319 Speaker 4: there twenty nineteen, So I was there. 766 00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 3: I don't know if you were. 767 00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:54,799 Speaker 4: The listeners heard about this thing called COVID and the 768 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:57,960 Speaker 4: pandemic that happened, But I was part of the global 769 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:00,759 Speaker 4: evacuation order that went out for Peace Corps or came 770 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:03,800 Speaker 4: back to the US, moved around a little bit, and 771 00:39:04,680 --> 00:39:08,319 Speaker 4: last year I was listening to your podcast at work. 772 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:11,960 Speaker 4: You interviewed a couple of people that do work with 773 00:39:12,520 --> 00:39:17,040 Speaker 4: Borderland's Relief Collective and just kind of thought to myself, well, like, shit, 774 00:39:17,120 --> 00:39:19,279 Speaker 4: I live near there, Like I can carry stuff in 775 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:21,560 Speaker 4: a backpack, Like I know how to hike, you know, 776 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:22,440 Speaker 4: why not me? 777 00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:24,759 Speaker 3: Why not go see how I can help out? 778 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:28,320 Speaker 4: And you know, it's been a year and some change 779 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:30,840 Speaker 4: at this point that I've been with the group, and 780 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:34,800 Speaker 4: you know, like it's not like I've got some big 781 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:39,080 Speaker 4: fancy degree in like international relations or anything like that. 782 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:40,799 Speaker 3: I'm just a I'm some guy. 783 00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:44,560 Speaker 4: I'm a graphic I'm a graphic designer that can carry 784 00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:47,399 Speaker 4: stuff at a backpack. Yeah, but you know that makes 785 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:50,840 Speaker 4: all the difference sometimes. Yeah, it's just being willing to 786 00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:55,080 Speaker 4: go out there and you know, like put that compassion 787 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:56,080 Speaker 4: to you know. 788 00:39:56,080 --> 00:39:56,479 Speaker 3: To work. 789 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:00,759 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it like we just two dudes with 790 00:40:00,840 --> 00:40:03,720 Speaker 1: the truck and like a credit card to buy water bottles. 791 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:08,319 Speaker 1: Like it doesn't take brilliant or command. I speak a 792 00:40:08,320 --> 00:40:11,440 Speaker 1: couple of other languages, but often like maybe I'll make 793 00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:14,520 Speaker 1: the image for this show my Google Translate app for 794 00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:19,240 Speaker 1: that day. We were just using the tools that most 795 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:22,080 Speaker 1: of us have, right like, and it doesn't have to 796 00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:23,680 Speaker 1: be at the border obviously, lots of people listen I'm 797 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:27,360 Speaker 1: the border, but like things would be so much worse 798 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:31,640 Speaker 1: there if local folks didn't just take it upon themselves 799 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:33,600 Speaker 1: to do the things that the state refuses to do. 800 00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:37,799 Speaker 1: And like that applies to the unhoused population too, write 801 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:40,000 Speaker 1: like I know my friends were also carrying water for 802 00:40:40,080 --> 00:40:42,319 Speaker 1: them this weekend because it was hot trying to get 803 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:46,560 Speaker 1: and the city shut down the Homelessness Resource Center because 804 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:50,319 Speaker 1: the temperatures were too high for the stuff, which is 805 00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:53,759 Speaker 1: fucking just something else. But I don't think we should 806 00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:55,680 Speaker 1: expect anymore from the state. That's not what it's for. 807 00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:59,360 Speaker 1: It's not to keep us safe. It's to keep capital safe. 808 00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:01,920 Speaker 1: It's to keep else safe. It's to keep a certain 809 00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:04,759 Speaker 1: class of people's faith. And it camouflages itself and all 810 00:41:04,800 --> 00:41:08,279 Speaker 1: these institutions which say they're there to look after us. 811 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:10,080 Speaker 1: But like when it comes down to it, like when 812 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:12,680 Speaker 1: those ladies are lying on the dirt, it's just two 813 00:41:12,719 --> 00:41:16,640 Speaker 1: toots in a truck kind of scrounge around for gatorade, right, 814 00:41:16,719 --> 00:41:20,799 Speaker 1: And like I want people listening. I know I harp 815 00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:22,319 Speaker 1: on this a lot, but like the only way that 816 00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:25,359 Speaker 1: we fix it is you. It's not someone else. It's 817 00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:28,799 Speaker 1: not posting I would love it if you could donate, right, 818 00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:30,719 Speaker 1: I'll include a link in the show. 819 00:41:30,760 --> 00:41:31,239 Speaker 2: That'd be great. 820 00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:32,719 Speaker 1: But I would love it so much more if you 821 00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:36,560 Speaker 1: could do something wherever you are, Like, just don't think 822 00:41:36,600 --> 00:41:39,880 Speaker 1: that anyone doing this is special, Like, of course the 823 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:42,680 Speaker 1: things that I think they're special, people enjoy spending time 824 00:41:42,719 --> 00:41:46,560 Speaker 1: with them. But like, you could do it too. There's 825 00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:51,920 Speaker 1: nothing that's inherently stopping you from doing it. And it 826 00:41:51,920 --> 00:41:54,960 Speaker 1: doesn't matter who wins the election, right, it really doesn't matter. 827 00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:58,400 Speaker 1: Every year that Joe Biden has been president, more people 828 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:00,520 Speaker 1: have died than the year before. And he was the 829 00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:02,560 Speaker 1: guy who was supposed to be kind. He didn't even 830 00:42:02,719 --> 00:42:06,400 Speaker 1: run on a harsh border policy. Harris is running on 831 00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:09,360 Speaker 1: a half border policy. It's only going to get worse. 832 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:13,640 Speaker 1: She's even renegged on building more wall, like they are 833 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:16,320 Speaker 1: beginning to construct wall around her cumber in the places 834 00:42:16,360 --> 00:42:18,799 Speaker 1: where we looked after people last winter. So that'll push 835 00:42:18,800 --> 00:42:22,320 Speaker 1: people to Valley of the Moon, where it is impassable terrain, 836 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:25,279 Speaker 1: where more people will die in the cold and more 837 00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:27,080 Speaker 1: people will die in the heat. And I guess we'll 838 00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:28,960 Speaker 1: probably be out there too trying to help them. But 839 00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:34,000 Speaker 1: I just want everyone listening like, I know we've covered 840 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:37,680 Speaker 1: the election a lot. It doesn't I don't want to 841 00:42:37,719 --> 00:42:39,960 Speaker 1: tell you it doesn't matter. I'm sure it matters, like 842 00:42:40,040 --> 00:42:42,440 Speaker 1: it matters for my friends in Kurdistan who Trump fucking 843 00:42:42,480 --> 00:42:45,640 Speaker 1: abandoned left to die after they gave thousands of their 844 00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:46,239 Speaker 1: children to fight. 845 00:42:46,320 --> 00:42:46,960 Speaker 2: Isis right? 846 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:52,600 Speaker 1: But even if Harris wins, like, donations went down so 847 00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:56,160 Speaker 1: much in the Biden earror compared to to Trumpira and 848 00:42:56,239 --> 00:43:00,359 Speaker 1: people died in the desert, people died in Tijuana, right, 849 00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:05,120 Speaker 1: because that's what this system does. But people stop caring 850 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:07,759 Speaker 1: when a lot of big commercial networks start reporting on it. 851 00:43:08,360 --> 00:43:10,120 Speaker 1: And I would like you will still to care whoever 852 00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:11,799 Speaker 1: win the election. I'd like you will still to care 853 00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:14,920 Speaker 1: before the election. And the way you can show that 854 00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:17,759 Speaker 1: you carry showing up for your community whatever it is, right, 855 00:43:18,239 --> 00:43:22,240 Speaker 1: Homona isn't going to fucking solve homelessness. OI there. So yeah, 856 00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:25,239 Speaker 1: you got anything to leave people with if anything you 857 00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:28,520 Speaker 1: want to you want to say, want to plug just. 858 00:43:28,960 --> 00:43:34,200 Speaker 4: You know, order lands relief, collective order, kindness, Raphael's group, 859 00:43:34,239 --> 00:43:38,520 Speaker 4: the anhelas the Desier though, I think, yeah, you know, 860 00:43:38,719 --> 00:43:41,080 Speaker 4: just if you can come out like if you're in 861 00:43:41,120 --> 00:43:43,480 Speaker 4: the area. If you can come out, you can help great. 862 00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:46,160 Speaker 4: Like the more people that carry supplies, the more we 863 00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:50,359 Speaker 4: can leave. If you're not in the area or you know, 864 00:43:50,440 --> 00:43:54,480 Speaker 4: like hiking and carrying heavy things is not what you're into. 865 00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:59,799 Speaker 4: Donating always super appreciated. I know, specifically Order Lands Relief 866 00:43:59,840 --> 00:44:03,759 Speaker 4: collect of every single cent that is donated to us 867 00:44:04,080 --> 00:44:09,279 Speaker 4: goes to supplies that we leave for migrants. And even 868 00:44:09,320 --> 00:44:11,879 Speaker 4: if it's only a few dollars, I mean, like we're 869 00:44:11,920 --> 00:44:16,560 Speaker 4: talking bottled water. I mean the sixteen gallons of water 870 00:44:16,600 --> 00:44:19,520 Speaker 4: that we bought I think ended up running somewhere in 871 00:44:19,560 --> 00:44:22,520 Speaker 4: ballpark like fifty bucks. Like yeah, you know, like it's 872 00:44:22,600 --> 00:44:26,160 Speaker 4: it's water, gatorade. Sometimes it's you know, off brand gatorade. 873 00:44:26,200 --> 00:44:29,200 Speaker 4: So like a few dollars can go a long way, 874 00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:32,839 Speaker 4: and that long way could mean saving someone's life. 875 00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:36,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, totally. So you know, whatever you can give I 876 00:44:36,080 --> 00:44:41,480 Speaker 1: would be appreciated. I know our friend Befael from Lochanngelestill, Desierto, 877 00:44:41,680 --> 00:44:44,560 Speaker 1: is his vehicle broke this weekend. He does search and rescue. 878 00:44:44,920 --> 00:44:46,239 Speaker 1: I gave you got a few bucks, and you want 879 00:44:46,239 --> 00:44:49,040 Speaker 1: to pass him his way. It's Los A Hills, like 880 00:44:49,080 --> 00:44:52,120 Speaker 1: the town del Desierto or that in the link too, 881 00:44:52,239 --> 00:44:56,320 Speaker 1: but we'll put both those in the show notes. Please 882 00:44:56,360 --> 00:44:59,319 Speaker 1: do whatever you can and yeah, hopefully next time I 883 00:44:59,320 --> 00:45:00,920 Speaker 1: talked to you about what stuff, it'll be better than you. 884 00:45:01,920 --> 00:45:02,520 Speaker 3: Thank you, James. 885 00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:03,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks man. 886 00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:09,960 Speaker 6: It Could Happen Here is a production of cool Zone Media. 887 00:45:10,160 --> 00:45:13,240 Speaker 6: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 888 00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:16,880 Speaker 6: coolzonmedia dot com, or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, 889 00:45:16,960 --> 00:45:20,520 Speaker 6: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can 890 00:45:20,560 --> 00:45:22,880 Speaker 6: now find sources for It Could Happen Here listened directly 891 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:25,200 Speaker 6: in episode descriptions. Thanks for listening.