1 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: Welcome back to It Could Happen Here, the show about 2 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: things not being great and maybe trying to make them better. UM. 3 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: I'm Robert Evans. Uh. This week we got we have 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: a special, little, little little episode for you. UM, I'm 5 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: gonna sit down and talk with Lucas Herndon. Um. Lucas, 6 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: you are from New or you live in New Mexico 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: at least, um, and you wanted to talk to me 8 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: a bit about some stuff that's going on in your 9 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: school boards. We just did a two parter on fascist 10 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 1: attempts to kind of take over and dominate school boards 11 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: around the country, and you've got some personal experience with that, 12 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: so I wanted to kind of just turn this over 13 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 1: to you to start us off. Yeah, thanks for Robert, 14 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: thanks for having me on the show. Um. Yeah, my 15 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 1: name is Lucas and I live in mos Cruces, New Mexico, 16 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: which is in the southern part of the state. Were 17 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: close to the border for people that are interested. Um, 18 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: and yeah, like you know that my experience had happened 19 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: last week is sort of the quintessential It could happen 20 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 1: here exactly. LUs LUs Cruses Um, politically speaking, is actually 21 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: a very progressive little town I mean in general, New 22 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: Mexico has been for what you know, however you consider 23 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: the progressive or not is has been blue for quite 24 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 1: a while. Is in terms of like voting like it's 25 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: not it's not like Texas politically at least, right that's yeah, exactly, Yeah, 26 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: we voted for we voted for Bush the first time, 27 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: but have voted blue every election since two thousands four. 28 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:35,400 Speaker 1: Like federally, so in my little stretch of the of 29 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: the state, our congressional district has been read. But the 30 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:41,759 Speaker 1: city of Los Cruces, which is the like where the 31 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: biggest city in the southern part of the state, where 32 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: the second biggest city in the state. UM, our city 33 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: council has not only been democratic, but like progressively democratic. 34 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: UM we have UM. As of this recent election. You know, 35 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: from the beginning of November, we now have an all 36 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: female city council. UM there is at least we have 37 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: UM one one if not too trying to think. Sorry, 38 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: Currently there are two UM folks on the city council 39 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: have immigrated from Mexico in their life. UM one will 40 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: still be on. One is now running for congress. UM 41 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,919 Speaker 1: we have UM. The school board that currently is sitting 42 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: is generally progressive, and the one we just elected, we 43 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: just elected our first openly queer person onto that school board. UM. 44 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,519 Speaker 1: Our little group of of legislators that go up to 45 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: Santa Fe every year is very progressive. So again, just 46 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: to kind of reiterate, like Las Cruces, New Mexico, pretty 47 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: progressive little place, and yet at the school board meeting 48 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:48,519 Speaker 1: last week, UM, totally dominated by a public attendance of 49 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: very far right extremists, UM, spouting all kinds of nonsense 50 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: about all kinds of things. So yeah, it was pretty 51 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: well yeah, and this, I mean, this has happened. This 52 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: happened in Portland, Oregon too, which is also famously I 53 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: don't know, I wouldn't call Portland politics progressive but solidly democratic. 54 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: In the school board meeting gets taken over by by 55 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: far right activists. This is a yeah. So when did 56 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: you kind of first become aware of this? Well? So, 57 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 1: UM it was it was a weird convergence of my 58 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: personal and my and my private or I'm sorry, my 59 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:27,239 Speaker 1: personal and my professional life where I UM, I work 60 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: for an organization called progress Now in Mexico. So it's 61 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: like I do progressive politics for a living, but um, 62 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: and a colleague who works for the a c LU 63 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: here had asked if I would go and help lend 64 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: support to this gender inclusion policy that the school board 65 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: was going to be um commenting on. They weren't voting 66 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: on it. That day. It was what's called the first reading, 67 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: and she asked if I could go and if I could, 68 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: you know, just speak, and I was like, yeah, absolutely, 69 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: be happy too. So I was gonna go and and 70 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: talk about this in a I'm sorry professional capacity. And 71 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: then and that day, um, as like before I went 72 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: to that, my daughter, who's in middle school, texted me 73 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: a picture a bunch of kids had on Monday of 74 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: of last week, which was like trans Awareness Week or 75 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: Transvisibility Week. Some kids had shown up wearing trans flags 76 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,239 Speaker 1: and pride flags on that Monday. The following day, that Tuesday, 77 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: some kids showed up wearing UM thin blue line flags 78 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: in in response like indirect response um and in my daughter, 79 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 1: and you know, my daughter is aware enough to know 80 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: what that means. So she texted me and was like 81 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,160 Speaker 1: I can't believe this ship and I was like I know. UM, 82 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: So then I'm like right, So then I'm like, okay, well, 83 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: now I want to go speak about this gender inclusion 84 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: bill or policy personally right like now like has impacted me. Um, 85 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: So I show up at uh, you know, about an 86 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 1: hour before the meeting is supposed to start. Because the 87 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: third thing that kind of happened was that I, um, 88 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: I am, I'm on like a bunch of ailing lists 89 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:05,720 Speaker 1: because of my job. And sure enough, the local gop um, 90 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 1: who is not very active because again they kind of 91 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: lose all the time, they sent out a like come 92 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: show up at this thing, you know email. So I 93 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 1: showed up early, thinking okay, well I want to see 94 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,359 Speaker 1: if there's going to be something. And at first I 95 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: was like, oh, like I don't think they showed up. 96 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 1: I don't think that they turned out that's good. But 97 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: it turns out they were all like hiding in their 98 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: cars so that they could like swarm the building at once. 99 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: And so then like about half an hour before the meeting, 100 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: they all walked in at once, and like I was 101 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: already sitting inside the room and they all came in 102 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:37,720 Speaker 1: at once, and they took over all the chairs. They 103 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: was standing room only. Um to the point where like 104 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: the there was a bunch of f f A kids 105 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: that were there that was supposed to be recognized for 106 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: you know, f A something or other, and like they 107 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: had to kick some people out so that they weren't 108 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: violating the fire code. Um. But that's how many. Yeah. 109 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 1: So anyway, that's kind of how it all. That's the 110 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 1: setting for where this all happened. Um. It turns out 111 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: that at the same meeting there was gonna be a 112 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: policy discussion on a different policy that had to do 113 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: with New Mexico's revision of Social studies standards. Um. And 114 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 1: of course that got everybody hot and bothered about so 115 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: called c RT, which isn't a thing. But so like 116 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: they were there, but I mean, but the folks that 117 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 1: showed up to speak, I mean, they were all over 118 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 1: the place. They were talking about critical race theory. They 119 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 1: were talking about the Gender Inclusion Bill, and like trans 120 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,600 Speaker 1: violent the myth of trans violence and um. But then 121 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 1: of course like like COVID protocols and all kinds of 122 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 1: I mean just again like way out their stuff. Um. 123 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:42,679 Speaker 1: And actually kind of funny. I was listening to Knowledge 124 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: Fight this morning, and uh, Jordan and Dan really hit 125 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,479 Speaker 1: on it that like they have just figured out that 126 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: these are places they can go and yell at like 127 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,120 Speaker 1: no one you know, like school board people aren't gonna 128 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 1: like they're all just these are all just like teachers, 129 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: like retired teachers who are on these school boards, and 130 00:06:57,960 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: they're like they're not there to just you know, have 131 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 1: the is like whatever discussions, so they're not gonna you know, 132 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: they just like let these people yell and they did. 133 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,839 Speaker 1: So anyways, it got it got heated, uh pretty quickly 134 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: because I mean again, these people just like go off 135 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: and they get they riled themselves up and those lots 136 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: of applause and anyway, that's kind of how it all started, 137 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: I guess, or that's what it was. And I mean, 138 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: has has there have you noticed kind of any sort 139 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: of mobilization in the community now that this has happened, 140 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 1: because it seems like the first ones of these, at 141 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: least always take everybody by surprise. People are not used 142 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: to still not really used to school board meetings being 143 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: um shall I say interesting, um, certainly important, but like 144 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:38,640 Speaker 1: not a thing that you have to really be concerned 145 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: about for the most part. And that's that's changing. Have 146 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: you seen the community kind of start to adapt to that? Yeah, 147 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: you know, since so you know, I put some content 148 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: out on my you know, local Twitter. Um and and 149 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,239 Speaker 1: and um got some traction there things to sort your retweet, 150 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: I think. But um, but then the biggest thing was 151 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: that kind of going back to what had happened at 152 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 1: my daughter's school, that progress that got worse, if you will. 153 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: The following day, the Wednesday of last week, some kids 154 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: showed up in an actual Confederate stars and bars flag, um, 155 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: which is yeah, that's nuts. Famed Confederate state New Mexico. 156 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: You know Messia, New Mexico, which is right down the 157 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: road was it was the capital of the Confederate territory. 158 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,320 Speaker 1: But yeah, but it wasn't a state at that point. 159 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: It was not a state. And I'm not aware of 160 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: with their battles in New Mexico. And I know we 161 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: had some in like further south Texas than you would think, 162 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 1: but I was not there any There's a couple there 163 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,839 Speaker 1: was one of famously up north called the Battle of Glorietta, 164 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: and then um, and then there was one here where 165 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: I live. Wasn't a battle. It was a bunch of 166 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: Confederates got um stranded and super drunk, and then I 167 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: couldn't cross the desert fast enough, so they got stranded 168 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 1: up in the mountains that if they called Baylor Canyon 169 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:04,559 Speaker 1: and then they get to the top and like the 170 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 1: North was just sitting there like waiting for them and 171 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 1: was like, well, you're captured now, we'll see. That's clearly 172 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: that's some history worth celebrating right there. I think that 173 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: the biggest, like one of the scariest but biggest things 174 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:22,439 Speaker 1: is like and this goes towards the This is a 175 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: slight tangent, but like the social studies revision, for instance, 176 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: in the state of New Mexico. Uh, there are two 177 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:32,320 Speaker 1: paragraphs in our history book about the Gaston Purchase. Um 178 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 1: like I live in the chunk that is the guest 179 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: and Purchase, and um, like the guests and Purchase is 180 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: like James Gaston was a notorious racist who left the 181 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: South and took all of his railroad money, went to 182 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: California and Mexico, lobbying hard, using his influence and money 183 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: to try to create a slave state in Baja in Mexico. 184 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: Like that's what he was trying to do, and like 185 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 1: that part of that, part of the context of why 186 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 1: the guests and Purchase even happened, is like totally left 187 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:07,559 Speaker 1: out of history books. And it's like if anywhere should 188 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:09,319 Speaker 1: be taught. It should be taught in the place that 189 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: is called the guests and purchase when it comes to 190 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: the United States. So anyway, just a little tangent there 191 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: why it's important to have context in history. Um so 192 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: sorry going back to my daughter's school and these kids 193 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: wearing the stupid stars and bars so um that. So, 194 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 1: like I went and spoke to the assistant principle and 195 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: was like, so, I understand that your answer to this 196 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 1: was to ban all flats and he was like and 197 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:38,839 Speaker 1: he was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, because they're causing a 198 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 1: disruption to education. And I was like, yeah, but I 199 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: you know, I think I feel like you're giving a 200 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: false equivalency to like, you know, gender and and pride 201 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: acknowledgment to verslag. Yeah, it's it's I mean, it's this constant. 202 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 1: This has happened in a couple of places, including a 203 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 1: town in Oregon, where it's like this is sort of 204 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: the the centrist and kind of the right wing solution 205 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: to this. It's just that like, well, if if kids 206 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:07,079 Speaker 1: can't wear racist hate flags, then gay kids can't wear 207 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: a flag that says that their existence is valid. Uh, 208 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: you know, because those are the same thing. Yeah, yeah, 209 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: it's frustrating. It is frustrating. So that was not my 210 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: favorite thing. Um. And so then the culmination of that 211 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: this week was that my daughter's social studies teacher, who 212 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 1: had allowed the kids in her class to make little 213 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 1: paper flags after the real flags were banned, um, was 214 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 1: fired Jesus Christ. And because it's a personnel matter, no 215 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: one is willing to tell me more. I've I've called 216 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 1: the president of the school school board, who actually, in 217 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: all fairness, he doesn't actually probably have that much sway 218 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 1: over these kinds of things. I would imagine that happened 219 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: at a level, a level that was not his. But yeah, yeah, 220 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: but I mean, but I but I have anyway, so 221 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 1: I did call him. I also called the school and 222 00:11:56,440 --> 00:12:01,079 Speaker 1: got very little information from them, obviously, so you who knows. 223 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:04,200 Speaker 1: But again, like that's how it was perceived from the 224 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 1: kids in her class, um. And that's so like what 225 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:11,559 Speaker 1: we know happened is that we know that after the 226 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:14,680 Speaker 1: flags got banned, she let kids make flags out of 227 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: paper and hang them up, and by Friday she was gone. 228 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:22,199 Speaker 1: So like not a great response, no not not not ideal? 229 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: Not ideal? Yea, yeah, So anyway, that's kind of where 230 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: we left at. But I guess maybe what maybe what 231 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: I should say to get back to your original question, 232 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 1: which is to say, like, have we seen a mobilization 233 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: that Yeah, Like so I learned the newspaper the reporter 234 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:41,080 Speaker 1: who that teacher like a couple of weeks ago, had 235 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 1: actually been in the newspaper because she had also like um, 236 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: she she spearheaded this like response like a support, like 237 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: a girl who wore her job to school had been bullied, 238 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 1: and like when news got around in the school, like 239 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: the like the majority of the student body, and this 240 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 1: team sure like went up and above out of their 241 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: way to make her feel welcome and like walk her 242 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 1: to her class, and like it we got kind of 243 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:11,199 Speaker 1: viral on local TikTok. So like this teacher got quoted 244 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 1: in the newspaper. So I like called them. I called 245 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:15,680 Speaker 1: the rapport. I tweeted the newspaper and I was like, like, 246 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: you guys know that the teacher who was in like 247 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:22,559 Speaker 1: startlet in your article is fired for allowing kids to 248 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: waste their thoughts about these flags things, right, And they 249 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: were like no, we didn't know, And I was like 250 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: you should probably find so, so you know, I don't 251 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: know where we're gonna be at now. The next reading 252 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:38,199 Speaker 1: for the gender Inclusion Policy is UM December, so we've 253 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: got a couple of weeks before that next school board meeting. UM. 254 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: I think that on my end, like there's gonna be 255 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: some local organizing to try to get some better, more 256 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 1: inclusive voices to be a part of things. UM. I 257 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 1: don't you know, I don't know what the interim will 258 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: hold UM, because it's like, you know, it's the holidays 259 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: and there's a lot going on and Kyle written how 260 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: else and build black better? I mean, there's like, you know, 261 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 1: there's always a million things happening, so it'll you know, 262 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 1: there will have to be some drum beating to like 263 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 1: get people to show up to that. But on the 264 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 1: other hand, I think with some of the momentum we 265 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 1: have and I think people will show up in Mass 266 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 1: for the fourteenth UM in support at least this is 267 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 1: the kind of community that in general we have shown 268 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: up and shown out to support, you know, these kinds 269 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 1: of issues in the past. But I do think that 270 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: up until now people felt for pretty asleep about it. Yeah, 271 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: I mean, and hopefully you do see the kind of 272 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 1: response you're expecting can you walk me through sort of 273 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: how the kind of attempts like you talked about getting 274 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 1: the local media aware of what had happened to that teacher. Um, 275 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: how are people like what does the actual organizing effort 276 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 1: look like on the ground, Like, how are you trying? 277 00:14:58,120 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: How are you and others trying to get the word 278 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: out so that you know there's a response to this. Yeah, 279 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: so I think that, Um, the first thing is is 280 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 1: that there was there was a problem with the way 281 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 1: that the school board handled public comment that first time. 282 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 1: In an attempt to help limit their own sort of 283 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 1: exposure to some of the toxic stuff they knew was 284 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 1: coming their way, they had they had instituted a limit 285 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 1: on public comment. Um, you had to show up by 286 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: a certain time and fill out these little pieces of 287 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 1: paper saying that you were there to comment about something, 288 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: and if you weren't there, then you couldn't sign up. 289 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: And the problem was was that all these like old 290 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: white male retirees who are sitting around listening to Alex 291 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 1: Jones all day, they had nothing better to do than 292 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,160 Speaker 1: show up to this meeting at three o'clock in the afternoon, 293 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 1: whereas a bunch of for instance, teachers students parents, Um, 294 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: they were busy because they were in school or like 295 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 1: picking their kids up from school. UM. So I think 296 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 1: one of the things that we're going to try to 297 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: do is get public comment ahead of time, and we're 298 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 1: gonna try to like bombard the not bombard that's that's 299 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 1: a violent word. But we're gonna try to like just 300 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 1: make sure that UM voices from the community that hadn't 301 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: been represented are represented and sent to the school board 302 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 1: ahead of time. UM. I think we're gonna try to 303 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: go and save physical space ahead of time for those 304 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 1: of us that can write, for those of us that 305 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: can will go and we'll try to save physical space. 306 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:34,480 Speaker 1: And we did learn that even if they keep that 307 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: policy for the little forms, we can UM, we can 308 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 1: actually give that time. We can fill out other people's names, right, 309 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: So we're gonna try to like make sure that we 310 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: have better voices. That was one of the things if 311 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: you listen to the recording of what I said at 312 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: that meeting, UM, I asked the school board president if 313 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: it's possible for me to yield my time because it 314 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 1: had literally been like a dozen white men out there 315 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: spouting nonsense. And then I get up there and I'm like, yeah, hey, um, 316 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,040 Speaker 1: we've heard from enough white men. Can we have like 317 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: a member of the trans community or one of the 318 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: women of color who are here to talk about this, um, 319 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:11,720 Speaker 1: but couldn't get here in time and there they're legal 320 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 1: team was like, oh no, like you didn't sign up 321 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:15,919 Speaker 1: in time or whatever. So um, but it turns out 322 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:18,159 Speaker 1: we could have put their names down ahead of time. 323 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: So we're gonna try to organize that thing so that 324 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 1: people can show up and save you know, physical space. Um. 325 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 1: And then UM, I think the other thing too is 326 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,000 Speaker 1: to try to involve some other local elected officials from 327 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 1: the county and city level, because again we have these 328 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,920 Speaker 1: really amazing progressive candidates who have come from all walks 329 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 1: of life, including immigrants and members of you know, l 330 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 1: g B, t q A community. UM. So having them 331 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:46,920 Speaker 1: come and speak in their official capacity UM, I think 332 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: will carry a lot of weight um for the both 333 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:52,199 Speaker 1: for the school board but also just for the public 334 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: to hear from those voices. Yeah, where are these like? 335 00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:58,600 Speaker 1: Have you have you gotten any kind of research on 336 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:00,880 Speaker 1: where the people showing up are coming from? Are these 337 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 1: like folks within your community or these people coming from 338 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 1: kind of outlying areas um to swarm these meetings, Like 339 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 1: is there is there kind of an active research contingent. 340 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: I mean, that's part of what I do. It's part 341 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 1: of part of my job with Progress now in Mexico. 342 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 1: My my title is Energy Policy Director. I usually spend 343 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:22,200 Speaker 1: most of my day talking about oil and gas stuff. However, 344 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 1: I've been doing this job long enough that before I 345 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 1: became that person, I was actively researching and tracking a 346 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: lot of white supremacy activity in the in the state, 347 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:35,359 Speaker 1: especially along the border, some of the border militia stuff 348 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: a couple of years back. So in that regard, I knew, 349 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:41,680 Speaker 1: and I knew a number of these folks. A lot 350 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:45,120 Speaker 1: of them do live in the city, but so our 351 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: our county is considered rural by the census, even though 352 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 1: we're a city of a hundred thousand people. But we're 353 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:54,400 Speaker 1: a big county. So there's there's two people here, so um, 354 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:56,120 Speaker 1: so there's you know, it's it's hard to tell how 355 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:58,640 Speaker 1: many people may or may not have lived in, for instance, 356 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 1: the public school district. But what I can tell you, 357 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 1: like hands down, is that of those dozen folks that 358 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,919 Speaker 1: spoke before I did, like, there's no way that at 359 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 1: least I mean, maybe one or two of them had 360 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 1: kids that could have gone through the last CRUSES public 361 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,639 Speaker 1: school system, but like the majority of them far and away, 362 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 1: like either aren't from here at all, or you know, 363 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,320 Speaker 1: they've lived here for a long time, but they are 364 00:19:22,359 --> 00:19:24,920 Speaker 1: They are not active parents or even grandparents of kids 365 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:26,879 Speaker 1: that live and we'll go to school in this in 366 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:31,240 Speaker 1: this district. They're just they're just agitated right wingers. Yeah, 367 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: and it's how does this all tie in? Because New 368 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: Mexico has had I think it's kind of been on 369 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: the back burner in terms of like national attention, But 370 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 1: y'all have had some really significant dust stops, not just 371 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 1: with you know, the border militias. For years there have 372 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:46,639 Speaker 1: been violent um acts and even murders as the result 373 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:50,159 Speaker 1: of that stuff going on. But like during last year's 374 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,560 Speaker 1: the protests over George Floyd's murder, y'all had some really 375 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:57,399 Speaker 1: ugly who shall be the dueling rallies were like right 376 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: wingers shot at people um and some really some nasty situations. 377 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:05,639 Speaker 1: I'm wondering, are like those folks, like are you seeing 378 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:09,160 Speaker 1: that kind of organization being brought into the school board 379 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: meeting or is this just kind of bubbling up as 380 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 1: part of the same stew it is. Yeah, there, it's 381 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: loosely affiliated for sure. UM. And and the crossover, the 382 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:25,399 Speaker 1: crossover is hard to tell. Depend I mean, what am 383 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 1: I trying to say? There's there is crossover. It's hard 384 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:32,160 Speaker 1: to tell how on purpose it is or sort of 385 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 1: the fact that this is like a small population community states, right. 386 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,080 Speaker 1: So what I what I mean by that is that 387 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:43,719 Speaker 1: some of the some of the physical white supremacists who 388 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 1: showed up last year at one of our um BLM 389 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: support you know, George Floyd related peaceful protests, who they 390 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 1: showed up at a parking lot across the street, you know, armed, 391 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:01,440 Speaker 1: long guns, tech vests, all that kind of stuff. Who 392 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 1: that those were the folks that when I when I 393 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:07,639 Speaker 1: went and filmed them and put them on blast to 394 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:10,159 Speaker 1: to try and sort of out them as best we 395 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: possibly could or at least identify them. Um, they came 396 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 1: back and ducked me. As And then when after a 397 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:21,359 Speaker 1: number of my colleagues up north in Albuquerque, that was 398 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 1: about a week before there was the there was a 399 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 1: shooting of a of a UM anti fascist protester in Albuquerque, 400 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:31,199 Speaker 1: and and it was during sort of all of that 401 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 1: stuff that I was like trying to talk about all 402 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:38,160 Speaker 1: this out loud um and got tied into a few 403 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 1: more other anti fascist voices in the state. So since 404 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 1: then we've all been kind of working together. Um we 405 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 1: found each other on Twitter, thankfully, and so so what 406 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:49,159 Speaker 1: it seems like is is that like the folks that 407 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: showed up to the UH school board meeting were what 408 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: I'll call usual suspects, like politically active old you know, 409 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:02,880 Speaker 1: right wingers that being had um in that room. There 410 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:07,240 Speaker 1: were a number of people that I've identified as showing 411 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:11,479 Speaker 1: up to anti vax rallies, a number of the Trump 412 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 1: train rallies that happened last year before the election, and 413 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 1: at least one person who I recognized as being I 414 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 1: have never seen carry a firearm, but like has been 415 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: at rallies where people were carrying firearms and that kind 416 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: of thing um in response to these, you know, in 417 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: response to like peaceful protests. So there is crossover for sure. 418 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,680 Speaker 1: Where do you see this going, like, because You've been 419 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 1: kind of paying attention to this for a while, not 420 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 1: just the school board stuff, but just kind of the 421 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 1: general problem of right wing um organizing in your area. Like, 422 00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 1: where do you where do you see this heading within 423 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:01,200 Speaker 1: kind of the context of New Mexico. Well, I mean, 424 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 1: so we haven't really talked about this, but like, so, 425 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:07,879 Speaker 1: while while here in Los Cruces, we did really well, 426 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 1: UM during the November election in terms of our school 427 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:15,280 Speaker 1: board be re elected a really good progressive school board 428 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:19,200 Speaker 1: president and two new good progressive candidates, including, like I said, 429 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:22,640 Speaker 1: the first you know queer openly queer person. So that's amazing. However, 430 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:26,919 Speaker 1: up in Albuquerque, Uh, they lost seats to some of 431 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 1: these far right wing UM candidates and UM, so the 432 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 1: Albuquerque school board is um not UM not looking as 433 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: good politically. So, I mean, so on the like, I 434 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,199 Speaker 1: guess what I'd say is on the soft end, what 435 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:48,160 Speaker 1: I expect is more continued pressure in sort of the 436 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 1: UM the way these things are supposed to happen, which 437 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 1: is to say, like continued presence of the right wing 438 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: folks at meetings, yelling, taking up space, UM, slowing things down, 439 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 1: running for office when the time comes, you know, those 440 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:05,360 Speaker 1: kinds of things I see. UM. I guess I wouldn't 441 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:09,440 Speaker 1: be surprised though if UM, if I if there were 442 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:14,399 Speaker 1: further escalation of things UM in a you know, in 443 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:16,919 Speaker 1: the way we've seen other places in terms of some 444 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,679 Speaker 1: sort of you know, an armed response or somebody showing up. Um. 445 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:23,359 Speaker 1: You know, in New Mexico's an open cary state, and 446 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 1: so people can walk around with guns all the time. UM. 447 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:29,520 Speaker 1: And and you know, I mean that's the thing too, 448 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 1: is like, well, I didn't see anybody with an open 449 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 1: carried firearm at the school board meeting. There were guys 450 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 1: wearing like, you know, Vortex Optics brand hats, thin blue 451 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 1: line shirts, a guy with that like a Remingtons shirt, 452 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: you know. And and like, I don't regret anybody from 453 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 1: gun culture. I'm you know, I'm a lefty with a gun, 454 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 1: So it's like I get gun culture. But like when 455 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 1: you show up in those things and then those spaces 456 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 1: with that kind of yeah you're making a point yep, yeah, yeah, yeah, 457 00:24:55,000 --> 00:25:00,399 Speaker 1: you're you're you're not Yeah, I get that. Um, have 458 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:02,639 Speaker 1: you is there some kind of have you seen, like 459 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:06,440 Speaker 1: any kind of budding left wing armed response? Like is 460 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: there do you guys have like an organized group of 461 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:10,880 Speaker 1: folks who have been showing up, um when there are 462 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: armed protests in the area. Um, I mean I always 463 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:18,879 Speaker 1: have my gear with me. UM. I mean I've got 464 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: I've got a ceramic plate. I've got my you know, 465 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 1: rifle and pistol. I I am a member of a 466 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: number of different groups. I've been a member of the 467 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 1: s R A UM, I've I've worked with some of 468 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,479 Speaker 1: the armed groups up in Albuquerque. So down here there 469 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,360 Speaker 1: hasn't been a ton But um, I've got a I've 470 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,600 Speaker 1: got what I'll call a luciffiliation with a number of 471 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 1: folks that I would trust to be armed if need be. 472 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 1: Thankfully that hasn't happened yet. Thankfully, the one big big 473 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:47,359 Speaker 1: protests that happened here in Las Cruces that I was 474 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 1: sort of nervous about, and I did have my gear 475 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:53,760 Speaker 1: for remained peaceful and and we you know, we took 476 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 1: over some streets since blocks traffic for a couple hours 477 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: and there was never any violent response from anybody other 478 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:01,919 Speaker 1: than you, like one car at one point trying to 479 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: push through and car got banged on and that was 480 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:09,800 Speaker 1: about it. But um so so, so to answer your question, like, yes, 481 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:12,359 Speaker 1: there are those of us that are left wing and armed, 482 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: and there are those of us that have been able 483 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 1: to show out if we needed to. Thankfully we haven't 484 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:22,199 Speaker 1: had to at this point. Yeah, Well, all right. I 485 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 1: think that's everything. I had to ask. Is there anything 486 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 1: else you wanted to to get to to make sure 487 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:28,960 Speaker 1: to talk about today? Well, I just I mean I 488 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 1: would be I would be um not doing the best 489 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: of my job if I didn't mention the fact that 490 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:37,359 Speaker 1: like one of the so one of the talking points 491 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 1: of the right wing here and our school board is 492 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 1: that New Mexico's education system is is fifty feet in 493 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:48,280 Speaker 1: the country. And I the the my assumption is that 494 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:52,639 Speaker 1: that has to do with DC's public schools being um. 495 00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:55,920 Speaker 1: So it's not a great Yeah, that's not a great record. Yeah, 496 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:58,879 Speaker 1: it's not a it's not a great record. And um 497 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,200 Speaker 1: and and I and I you know, as a parent 498 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: of a kid who's in the public schools, I uh, 499 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:06,679 Speaker 1: you know, I cannot ignore that, right. That's so that's 500 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,399 Speaker 1: a legitimate talking point. But the but the thing that 501 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: they want to bring it about is that you know, 502 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:15,560 Speaker 1: there you know, it's because we're trying to be gender inclusive. 503 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: It's because we're trying to like, you know, teach kids 504 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:23,480 Speaker 1: about like actual history that happened whatever. Um, And the 505 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 1: reality is it's because our education system is, unlike most 506 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 1: places funded by the oil and gas industry and not 507 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:37,399 Speaker 1: by like our communities. Um. And so like you know, 508 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:42,120 Speaker 1: eighteen months ago, oil prices crashed, right and the State 509 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,960 Speaker 1: of New Mexico had to have an emergency special session 510 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 1: for a legislature to figure out how we were gonna 511 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:52,040 Speaker 1: like fund things like cops and schools and like whatever. Um. 512 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:54,680 Speaker 1: And then like now you know, oil and gas is 513 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 1: like gangbusters and where you know, record prices and like 514 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,240 Speaker 1: the State of Mexico has this like surplus budget. But 515 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:03,440 Speaker 1: the thing is is that like that that extra money 516 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:05,359 Speaker 1: that we're gonna get this time doesn't make up for 517 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:08,560 Speaker 1: the like cyclical bad you know way that we fund 518 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:11,399 Speaker 1: our schools. So I just want to like tie in that, 519 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 1: like like all of these things tie in together, right, 520 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,080 Speaker 1: Like we can't talk about education in New Mexico without 521 00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 1: talking about the oil and gas funding and so anyway, 522 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 1: so like because that's my you know, that's part of 523 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:27,000 Speaker 1: the reason why I was going to go talk about 524 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 1: this stuff at the on my professional level, is that 525 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:33,919 Speaker 1: like I get to talk about education as an as 526 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,760 Speaker 1: an energy expert in the State of New Mexico because 527 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:42,400 Speaker 1: energy and education are so intertwined here. Um. And like 528 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 1: when you have literal like Koke Brothers founded UM and 529 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: and UM like monetarily supplied think tanks in the state 530 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: of New Mexico who are pushing out this kind of 531 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:57,240 Speaker 1: propaganda and encouraging people. So that there's a group called 532 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 1: the Rio Grand Foundation and like another one called Power 533 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 1: the Future uh PTE Power of the Future in New Mexico. 534 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 1: Like both of those organizations are like tied to the 535 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:12,120 Speaker 1: Cooke Brothers because the Kope Brothers are tied to oil 536 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: and they're pushing these right wing talking points UM and 537 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 1: it's all part and parcel of just like you know, 538 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: clouding the information space. That's what they want to do. 539 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: They want to have, They want to have the new 540 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: cycle dominated with things like CRT and gender inclusion studies 541 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 1: to you know, to tie up things like school boards 542 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 1: so that so that the electorate is busy talking about 543 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 1: these things. Well meanwhile they're just raking in money, hand 544 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: over fist um, you know, stealing our oil. So anyway, 545 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,720 Speaker 1: I just that's so important to me to like make 546 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:49,720 Speaker 1: those connections UM, especially in this state, and it's something 547 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: that a lot of people don't consider and don't think about, 548 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 1: and it's just really important to me that people understand that. 549 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:59,400 Speaker 1: So yeah, UM, all right, well, thank you so much, Lucas. 550 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,920 Speaker 1: This has been I'm not gonna say fun, but certainly 551 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:05,920 Speaker 1: enlightening and I think valuable A good a good dispatch 552 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 1: from you know, a fight that we we continue to 553 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:12,200 Speaker 1: see is important here and that everybody should be paying 554 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:15,840 Speaker 1: attention to both wherever it happens, including in Los Cruses 555 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 1: and around the country. UM, because they ain't given up, um, 556 00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 1: and they can't be ignored. Um. Yeah, and that's you've 557 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 1: mentioned this many times over the years, but like that's 558 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:31,200 Speaker 1: the kind of thing is that we have to show up. Um. Yeah, 559 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 1: we can't just let them have these spaces and um. 560 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:36,680 Speaker 1: And I think that this this past school board meeting 561 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:40,280 Speaker 1: was a great example of why. Um. And and I'm 562 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 1: I'm really counting on a lot of my my, my 563 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 1: friends and close you know, the folks that I have 564 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,600 Speaker 1: come to love and support in this community, UM, to 565 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:51,240 Speaker 1: show up and show out for that, because that's you know, 566 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:52,960 Speaker 1: we've been there, right we, Like I said, you know, 567 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 1: and if you look up Los Crusies politics over the 568 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:57,480 Speaker 1: years on the news cycle, like you'll see stories about 569 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:01,000 Speaker 1: our you know, progressive City Council and passing a living 570 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:03,720 Speaker 1: wage and you know, banding classic bags. I mean like 571 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:05,520 Speaker 1: all these like you know, we've we've tried, we've we've 572 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:09,200 Speaker 1: tried to be that kind of little community and and 573 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:11,560 Speaker 1: and yet you know, these folks are still there and 574 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:13,920 Speaker 1: they're still allowed and if we give them the space, 575 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:17,800 Speaker 1: they will take those spaces over. So yeah, yeah, absolutely, 576 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 1: so thanks for having me on. Let me talk about this. Yeah, 577 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:22,959 Speaker 1: it really means a lot, thank you for stepping up, 578 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: because it is this is the thing that's a giant 579 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:28,480 Speaker 1: pain in the butt, Um, is that everybody's got a 580 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:31,080 Speaker 1: lot going on. Life is complicated. There's all sorts of 581 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 1: shipped to do in the old world. Um, but every 582 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: time these fascists and their their affiliates decide they're going 583 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 1: to try to take over something, you know, as busy 584 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:43,719 Speaker 1: as people are, as exhausting as it is, you do 585 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:45,720 Speaker 1: have to like they can't just be able to have 586 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 1: to do it. Like That's how they win, is they 587 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:51,040 Speaker 1: have they have unlimited energy for this ship and um, 588 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,400 Speaker 1: if they're not, like the thing that causes them to 589 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:59,240 Speaker 1: lose energy is actually um being outnumbered and shown to 590 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:04,320 Speaker 1: be like like like being kind of pushed out by communities. Um, 591 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 1: you can do it. It takes it, but it requires 592 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:11,840 Speaker 1: people showing up. Yes, that's exactly right. So um, I 593 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:15,400 Speaker 1: appreciate the signal boost means a lot to me. Uh 594 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,960 Speaker 1: and this is there any local organs that people can support, 595 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:22,000 Speaker 1: so big shout out to a group called Cafe here 596 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:25,040 Speaker 1: in Las Cruces that works on all kinds of border 597 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:30,000 Speaker 1: issues immigrant rights but also like workers rights and um, immigrants, 598 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:33,920 Speaker 1: like student rights, migrant student rights. Um. They've been very 599 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 1: active in this for a long time. Um. And so yeah, 600 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:41,400 Speaker 1: I definitely shout out Cafe uh here in here in 601 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 1: I mean all of New Mexico, but specifically in southern 602 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 1: New Mexico they're doing a lot of work. And then 603 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:48,480 Speaker 1: um uh Dreams in Action, which is part of a 604 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:51,959 Speaker 1: national network for dreamers. But um again here in New 605 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: Mexico have done a lot of good work. Okay, yeah, 606 00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:57,800 Speaker 1: thank you very much, Lucas. All right, um, and that 607 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: is going to do it for us here. It could 608 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:05,160 Speaker 1: happen here until next time. Go uh, I don't know, 609 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:10,880 Speaker 1: hang out at a school board meeting. Go take up 610 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:13,560 Speaker 1: space from fascists. Yeah, go take up space from fascists 611 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 1: in general. It could happen Here is a production of 612 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 1: cool Zone Media. For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, 613 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:25,080 Speaker 1: visit our website cool zone media dot com, or check 614 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 1: us out on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 615 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to podcasts, you can find sources 616 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,120 Speaker 1: for It could happen here, updated monthly at cool zone 617 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 1: Media dot com slash sources. Thanks for listening.