WEBVTT - Hip Hop Activist Roqy Tyraid on Protesting a Hostile Regime 0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:02.880 Broadcasting from the Hip Hop Weekly Studios. I'd like to 0:00:02.920 --> 0:00:05.720 welcome you to another episode of Civic Cipher, where our 0:00:05.800 --> 0:00:09.119 mission is to foster allyship, empathy and understanding. I am 0:00:09.160 --> 0:00:11.440 your host, Ramsey's job. Big shout out to my man 0:00:11.520 --> 0:00:16.959 q Ward, who is traveling for a funeral, so our 0:00:17.360 --> 0:00:19.959 thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family 0:00:20.480 --> 0:00:25.000 this week. But have no fear. This is business as usual, 0:00:25.040 --> 0:00:27.640 so we're gonna hold it down here in studio. Live 0:00:27.760 --> 0:00:30.680 on deck with me is the one and only Jacob 0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:35.560 Rayford aka Rocky Tirade, the hip hop activist and community 0:00:36.080 --> 0:00:40.320 organizer extraordinaire. Today we're going to be discussing ways communities 0:00:40.360 --> 0:00:45.120 and individuals can organize and respond to political hostilities as 0:00:45.159 --> 0:00:48.400 well as local grievances. So welcome back to the show. 0:00:48.400 --> 0:00:49.960 It's good to have you, bank you, Yeah, thank you, 0:00:50.000 --> 0:00:51.800 thank you for having me back of course, of course, man, 0:00:52.240 --> 0:00:56.440 So stick around. We're going to be discussing we've had 0:00:56.480 --> 0:01:00.360 a number of like police shootings of on our black 0:01:00.400 --> 0:01:04.400 men or whether or not they're arm posing no threat, 0:01:04.520 --> 0:01:06.840 you know whatever. The kid, I gotta be mindful that 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:11.320 it's not illegal to have a gun. But we're gonna 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:13.319 we picked one story to talk about it just because 0:01:13.319 --> 0:01:16.280 we've been covering so much in the political space and 0:01:16.520 --> 0:01:20.160 a lot of like boycotts, things like this. We we 0:01:20.200 --> 0:01:22.800 can't overlook kind of what's happening on the ground and 0:01:22.880 --> 0:01:27.520 what the community's response to that could be, should be, 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:30.600 what it looks like now given the current political climate, 0:01:30.680 --> 0:01:32.559 So we appreciate you taking the time out to come 0:01:32.840 --> 0:01:35.520 and discuss that with us. For those that are able 0:01:35.560 --> 0:01:38.319 to the second part of today's program, we're going to 0:01:38.400 --> 0:01:47.840 be discussing Trump's address to Congress. Yeah, yeah, yeah, so yeah, 0:01:47.960 --> 0:01:51.960 maybe yeah, you know, delusion may well maybe we want 0:01:52.240 --> 0:01:53.960 we want to jump ahead, We want to jump at 0:01:53.960 --> 0:01:56.279 any event. That and so much more to stick around 0:01:56.320 --> 0:01:59.560 for on today's episode of Civic c Apper. But before 0:01:59.600 --> 0:02:03.160 we go any further, as always, it's time to share 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:06.840 some Ebony excellence, and today's Ebny Excellence comes from ABC 0:02:06.960 --> 0:02:12.200 eight wriic dot com. This one goes back to November 0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:14.320 of twenty twenty four of last year. It took us 0:02:14.320 --> 0:02:16.040 some time to get and we have a lot of 0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:18.640 these to get to, but we couldn't overlook this. Doctor 0:02:19.000 --> 0:02:22.760 Hadiya Nicole Green has been selected as a Distinguished twenty 0:02:22.760 --> 0:02:27.240 twenty four Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award honoree. This prestigious recognition 0:02:27.680 --> 0:02:30.840 is a testament to doctor Green's exceptional dedication and service 0:02:30.840 --> 0:02:34.440 to her signific and her significant impact on countless lives 0:02:34.520 --> 0:02:40.119 nationally and internationally. Doctor Green is a STEM pioneer, leader, humanitarian, 0:02:40.160 --> 0:02:42.600 and entrepreneur who is ushering in the next generation of 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:45.919 cancer treatments, cancer charities, and affordable healthcare. She is one 0:02:45.919 --> 0:02:50.640 of the nation's leading medical physicists and one of the 0:02:50.639 --> 0:02:53.240 first African American women to earn a PhD in physics. 0:02:53.520 --> 0:02:56.600 She developed a localized cancer treatment that eliminates tumors in 0:02:56.680 --> 0:03:00.799 mice after one ten minute treatment without observable side effects. 0:03:01.040 --> 0:03:05.080 To fundraise for human clinical trials and ensure affordability, Doctor 0:03:05.080 --> 0:03:07.720 Green founded a five oh one C three nonprofit organization 0:03:08.120 --> 0:03:11.200 or a Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation. If you want 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:14.880 to learn more, that is or Lee dot org. The 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:19.160 article continues. Doctor had Nicole Greene's nomination and selection for 0:03:19.240 --> 0:03:24.720 the Esteemed Award result from her exemplary commitment to service, 0:03:24.840 --> 0:03:28.080 exceeding the stringent criteria set for this prestigious honor. Her 0:03:28.160 --> 0:03:32.320 proven track record of impactful contributions and commendable deeds have 0:03:32.360 --> 0:03:34.680 solidified her reputation as a true leader in her field 0:03:34.840 --> 0:03:38.840 and a source of inspiration to her peers. The President's 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:42.240 Lifetime Achievement Award, which includes a lifetime pen, a golden medallion, 0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:47.400 and a letter signed by President Biden, was presented to 0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:50.760 doctor Green during a special ceremony. The event brought together 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:54.360 outstanding citizens from Fulton County and neighboring areas to celebrate 0:03:54.400 --> 0:03:58.080 her honor and all of their exceptional achievements. So again, 0:03:58.080 --> 0:04:01.280 big shout out to doctor Green fighting cancer. Uh as 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:06.880 only as only a black woman could. All right, So, 0:04:08.880 --> 0:04:13.320 Jacob Brayford, that is uh, you know, we won't pretend 0:04:13.320 --> 0:04:17.960 that we don't know each other. Rocky. Yeah, and do 0:04:18.040 --> 0:04:21.520 me a favor for folks that that may not know 0:04:21.600 --> 0:04:25.320 about your your activism. You know, give a little bit 0:04:25.360 --> 0:04:28.240 of background just so people know who we're talking to today. Yeah. 0:04:28.480 --> 0:04:30.040 So I guess I came up in the shows Rocky 0:04:30.080 --> 0:04:31.800 Tirade or you know, however you want to address me, 0:04:32.040 --> 0:04:34.840 Jacob Brayford. But I got started. You know, I've been 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:37.080 doing this for like the past decade or so a 0:04:37.120 --> 0:04:40.279 little bit over a decade since you know, the days 0:04:40.279 --> 0:04:42.479 of the occupy movement and things of that nature, and 0:04:42.480 --> 0:04:44.479 then showing up is like, you know, someone who is 0:04:44.520 --> 0:04:47.760 just a concerned citizen pertaining to things that were going 0:04:47.760 --> 0:04:50.960 on at that time, whether it was the mishandling of 0:04:50.960 --> 0:04:55.159 our law enforcement agencies or the criminal justice system, uh, 0:04:55.200 --> 0:04:58.159 the the harming of black men at the hands of 0:04:58.720 --> 0:05:02.880 law enforcement officers. But showing up in terms of like 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:05.440 speaking up and being a part of a collective that 0:05:05.680 --> 0:05:07.840 spoke truth to power. It was something I've been doing 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:09.960 for the past decade. But what really brought me into 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:14.000 this space I was in twenty twenty during the demonstrations, 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:18.159 the nationwide demonstrations surrounding George Floyd and overall again the 0:05:18.200 --> 0:05:22.000 mishandling of our law enforcement agencies, particularly in regard to 0:05:22.080 --> 0:05:24.720 black men. So it was one of the individuals who 0:05:24.760 --> 0:05:28.640 helped form the organization in Phoenix, Arizona called the Rising Project, 0:05:28.720 --> 0:05:32.560 and we let sustained demonstrations centered around that and then 0:05:32.680 --> 0:05:36.920 you know, just really intersectional allyship for about about five 0:05:36.960 --> 0:05:39.200 months or so, And it was one of those moments 0:05:39.240 --> 0:05:43.600 that inspired me to continue my work in that particular field. 0:05:44.120 --> 0:05:46.840 The next year was centered around pushing for an advocacy 0:05:46.920 --> 0:05:50.880 program a centered around victimist non violent dispatches. You know, 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:52.440 we come from hip hop, so we called it the 0:05:52.480 --> 0:05:56.039 Neighborhood Organized Crisis Assistance Program or no CAP, but we're 0:05:56.040 --> 0:05:58.960 talking about behavioral health, substance abuse, the in house community, 0:05:59.240 --> 0:06:02.200 anything that's a victimists and non violent dispatch in general. 0:06:02.240 --> 0:06:05.160 We advocated for a program within the City of Phoenix 0:06:05.160 --> 0:06:08.040 centered around that, and of course the tenants were eventually 0:06:08.080 --> 0:06:13.159 adopted into a similar shell program and then the development continues, 0:06:13.200 --> 0:06:16.600 but fell into the ACLU here in Arizona and nationally 0:06:16.640 --> 0:06:19.520 as a board member vice president here in Arizona, but 0:06:19.640 --> 0:06:24.279 also working within you know, the local political space as 0:06:24.360 --> 0:06:27.160 a co chair of the Black Engagement Committee former COOPADEMS, 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:32.680 which is really the primited like county Democratic County in 0:06:32.720 --> 0:06:35.920 the United States is one of the largest counties, largest 0:06:35.920 --> 0:06:38.520 in population, and of course in a swing state such 0:06:38.520 --> 0:06:41.520 as Arizona that does hold a considerable amount of weight. 0:06:41.839 --> 0:06:45.640 And then also you know, just utilizing my ability to 0:06:45.680 --> 0:06:48.839 operate in this space and connect people to move specific 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:52.400 you know policies, advocate for policies, push for elections that 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:54.920 are centered around you know, things that we value as 0:06:54.920 --> 0:06:58.560 progressive folks, and then of course working in the Arizona 0:06:58.600 --> 0:07:01.920 Democratic Party as the political directors. So I mean, it's 0:07:02.040 --> 0:07:05.200 just a long laundry list of random things, but all 0:07:05.240 --> 0:07:07.159 of that ties to me being a hip hop artist 0:07:07.200 --> 0:07:09.200 like it, you know, the ability to communicate things that 0:07:09.240 --> 0:07:11.600 I'm passionate about and then connect people together. 0:07:11.640 --> 0:07:15.520 It should we do, sure, Sure, And you know, one 0:07:15.560 --> 0:07:17.600 of the other things is that, you know, it's important 0:07:17.640 --> 0:07:20.480 to bear in mind that you know, my background is 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:23.520 in hip hop radio, and initially I knew you as 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:27.000 an artist, and so you know, when you made this 0:07:27.160 --> 0:07:29.440 transition and started to kind of take on more of 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:32.680 a national stage with your with your activism, uh, and 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:35.320 then this show, of course began to grow as well. 0:07:36.000 --> 0:07:39.640 We often would would lean on you for your expertise 0:07:39.680 --> 0:07:43.800 because while we're very good at making radio programming, we 0:07:43.840 --> 0:07:47.440 are not necessarily community organizers in the same way we're 0:07:47.440 --> 0:07:52.200 not necessarily were well, this this is very community d 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:57.520 really well to be fairer r, you know, in terms 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:00.000 of getting folks out on the streets and marching. That's 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:04.840 sort of thing I've always found myself in the march, 0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:08.640 not kind of organizing the march right, And so you know, 0:08:08.680 --> 0:08:12.040 there's a lot of people around the country who I 0:08:12.240 --> 0:08:17.440 feel are really wanting to explore new ways of pushing 0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:21.240 back against what many folks feel as a hostile, you know, administration. 0:08:21.800 --> 0:08:24.560 And so again, your expertise and insight into matters like 0:08:24.600 --> 0:08:29.080 this will certainly help those folks around the country. So absolutely, Again, 0:08:29.360 --> 0:08:31.920 the story that we chose is Q's fingerprints are on 0:08:31.960 --> 0:08:35.679 the episode, just so you know he's He's just at 0:08:35.679 --> 0:08:40.280 a funeral. But we picked this story. It's from the 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:43.000 Black Information Network, and I'll share it with you. Video 0:08:43.040 --> 0:08:45.480 footage has been released of a fatal police shooting that 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:47.880 left a sixteen year old black teen dead as he 0:08:48.080 --> 0:08:52.080 was fleeing from another shooting, per NBC San Diego. On Friday, 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:55.800 February twenty first authorities released video footage of the January 0:08:55.800 --> 0:08:59.040 shooting involving San Diego Police Department officer Daniel Gold and 0:08:59.080 --> 0:09:02.440 the teenager. Surveillance video showed the teen walking toward a 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:05.960 group of miners when suddenly one of the kids opened fire. 0:09:06.280 --> 0:09:09.520 The sixteen year old boy ran for his life after 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:12.520 the other child fired at least two shots at him. 0:09:12.800 --> 0:09:16.240 Gold was responding to an unrelated call in that area 0:09:16.480 --> 0:09:19.199 when he encountered the teen at the Santa Fe depot. 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:23.280 The officer shot him at close range. The boy tried 0:09:23.280 --> 0:09:26.920 to run away before he collapsed. Officers performed CPR on him, 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:29.040 after which he was taken to a hospital, where he 0:09:29.120 --> 0:09:32.920 was pronounced dead. Following the teen's collapse, officers said they 0:09:33.000 --> 0:09:36.080 found a gun concealed under his clothes. However, there are 0:09:36.120 --> 0:09:38.959 no signs that the teen ever fired the gun or 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:42.400 was holding it when Gold fatally shot him. The San 0:09:42.440 --> 0:09:45.240 Diego County Sheriff's Office has launched an investigation into the 0:09:45.280 --> 0:09:48.760 officer's use of force. Following the probe, the District Attorney's 0:09:48.760 --> 0:09:51.959 office will decide whether to pursue charges against Gold. Another 0:09:52.000 --> 0:09:54.280 sixteen year old has been arrested in connection to the 0:09:54.280 --> 0:09:57.680 initial shooting that occurred prior to the victim's fatal encounter 0:09:57.800 --> 0:10:00.880 with police. So again, and I want to I want 0:10:00.880 --> 0:10:05.320 to remind folks that we picked one story. There are 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:10.000 tons of these stories and we just haven't been able 0:10:10.040 --> 0:10:12.320 to get to them. We have an hour show, you know, 0:10:12.760 --> 0:10:18.920 but this one, it it felt like we needed to 0:10:18.920 --> 0:10:25.400 to talk about this one. And with again with this 0:10:25.440 --> 0:10:31.480 current administration, with you know, the president very pro police, 0:10:32.120 --> 0:10:37.080 with his right hand person hinting that George Floyd should 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:42.760 receive a presidential pardon. It kind of gives exactly exactly 0:10:42.880 --> 0:10:43.560 did I say that wrong? 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:47.200 Yeah, I mean Georg George like Derek Shelvin, And that's 0:10:47.200 --> 0:10:47.959 what I mean. 0:10:47.800 --> 0:10:53.640 I mean, yes, absolutely, And uh, you know, they're they're 0:10:53.840 --> 0:10:57.800 very much you know, pro police. And anytime the police, 0:10:58.640 --> 0:11:01.079 you know, are under screwtiney or held accountable or something 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:04.080 that it feels like this administration is going to push 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:07.800 back against any sort of police accountability. And so we 0:11:07.840 --> 0:11:10.680 need to have a conversation about how we show our 0:11:10.760 --> 0:11:16.640 displeasure with the police. So really, before we start, give 0:11:16.679 --> 0:11:18.880 me your your thoughts on the story that that we 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:20.480 just read, and then I'll ask a few questions. 0:11:21.440 --> 0:11:23.160 You know, I want to even say it's not even 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:25.920 because I know when certain people hear at the term ProPolice, 0:11:25.960 --> 0:11:28.080 they'll say, well, I like law enforcement, and you know, 0:11:28.240 --> 0:11:31.640 of course, like the tenets of like protecting our community 0:11:31.720 --> 0:11:34.439 you know, should be important. But you know, the language 0:11:34.440 --> 0:11:38.480 the connotation behind that is the lack of accountability, you know, 0:11:38.600 --> 0:11:43.280 turning weaponizing community resources that are supposed to again as 0:11:43.320 --> 0:11:46.480 we recognize them to be like serve or as they 0:11:46.520 --> 0:11:49.400 should be serve and protect our community and that is 0:11:49.440 --> 0:11:52.680 all community members. And when it is there is an 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:59.520 overhanded or heavy handed, disproportionately you know, aggressive response to 0:11:59.720 --> 0:12:04.000 urban communities and within that black people specifically, and within 0:12:04.040 --> 0:12:08.400 that black men specifically, that is a problem. So, you know, 0:12:08.480 --> 0:12:10.600 and I know that there's other things taking place in 0:12:10.600 --> 0:12:14.160 in this in in this current environment, this this current 0:12:14.200 --> 0:12:17.400 point in time, but we can't shy away from things 0:12:17.400 --> 0:12:19.480 that have continued to exist and will exist within the 0:12:19.480 --> 0:12:22.040 background while we talk about other economic issues and stuff 0:12:22.080 --> 0:12:26.000 like that, which is the mishandling of our community resources, 0:12:26.000 --> 0:12:28.800 and that would be our first responder system and within 0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:34.640 that the police department and within specific communities such as 0:12:34.640 --> 0:12:37.560 San Diego, and then what we have experienced with different 0:12:37.880 --> 0:12:41.160 DJ investigations and things of that nature within different communities, 0:12:41.160 --> 0:12:46.080 Phoenix being one of them. You know, But we need 0:12:46.120 --> 0:12:49.920 to address alternative to police responses. I think that is 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:55.560 the overarching I guess unifying centralized conversation. How do we 0:12:55.640 --> 0:13:00.600 create a non violent response to dispatches that are not 0:13:00.760 --> 0:13:04.480 warranted in violence if something has already occurred, you know, 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:09.160 that should not like showing up with you know, guns 0:13:09.240 --> 0:13:15.160 drawn or ready to further escalate a situation. Is it's 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:17.640 a point at that in that particular point in time 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:22.680 because the transgres transgression has already passed. But you know, 0:13:23.440 --> 0:13:26.079 looking at that, I see it's no different than what 0:13:26.120 --> 0:13:30.400 we experienced, would say, Anthony Conna or mistaken identity situations 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:36.520 like James Garcia or again a you know, unnecessarily violent 0:13:36.600 --> 0:13:42.000 response that's such a you know, Alton Sterling, you know, uh, Brianna, 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:46.240 you know, going back and forth, Sean Bell, I mean, 0:13:46.240 --> 0:13:47.840 we can we can con see exactly. 0:13:48.600 --> 0:13:50.400 Let me let me offer this too while we're here. 0:13:51.559 --> 0:13:53.199 You know, I've heard a lot of good ideas that 0:13:53.920 --> 0:13:58.680 really bring the conversation back to police accountability and for 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:01.360 folks around the country who do want to organize, who 0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:03.880 do want to you know, push back against, you know, 0:14:03.920 --> 0:14:06.719 the hostilities they may experience in their own community at 0:14:06.720 --> 0:14:09.240 the hands of police. One of the things that I 0:14:09.520 --> 0:14:12.760 that I strongly believe in is having police carry insurance. 0:14:12.880 --> 0:14:16.440 I think that that is something that if an officer 0:14:16.480 --> 0:14:19.440 carries insurance, you know, their premiums go higher if they 0:14:19.560 --> 0:14:22.840 are prone to misconduct, and then they become uninsurable at 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:24.800 a point if they you know, step over the line 0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:27.880 if they're an habitual line stepper, so to speak. Another 0:14:27.920 --> 0:14:30.040 thing that you know, I've learned just kind of traveling 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:33.560 around the world is that you know, here in this country, 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:37.280 police carry their guns on their person, and they're trained 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:40.680 to respond to fear, and therefore they when they show up, 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:43.120 they're looking for the thing to be afraid of. And 0:14:44.240 --> 0:14:46.280 if in other countries, they'll keep their guns in the 0:14:46.280 --> 0:14:49.440 trunk of the car, and if it necessary, then they 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:51.280 go and get the trunk. And I think that things 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:59.840 like this can certainly impact the disproportionate amount of executions 0:14:59.840 --> 0:15:02.240 of young black men that we see in this country 0:15:02.280 --> 0:15:03.880 at the hands of police. And one more thing I 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:06.160 do want to say, because I do know that in 0:15:06.160 --> 0:15:09.640 this article the young man was carrying a gun. But 0:15:09.880 --> 0:15:13.680 for folks with a modicum of empathy that may not 0:15:13.800 --> 0:15:17.600 agree with the premise of this show, I need you 0:15:17.640 --> 0:15:21.080 to imagine that, and I don't know this to be 0:15:21.200 --> 0:15:24.600 factual in this story, but imagine that this young man 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:30.720 lives in an environment where it's very tense and it's 0:15:30.720 --> 0:15:34.040 a scary place. There's a lot of economic inequality, there's 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:36.160 a lot of systemic things that have resulted in you know, 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:38.880 certain environments just not being doing as well as others, right, 0:15:39.640 --> 0:15:42.760 and walking to school is scary. You know, people will 0:15:42.800 --> 0:15:45.640 steal your shoes and you know people will try to 0:15:45.720 --> 0:15:49.120 jump you or people whatever. Right, And so you know, 0:15:49.200 --> 0:15:53.440 at sixteen years old, whereas most people are playing basketball, 0:15:53.600 --> 0:15:58.640 you know, just being sixteen, you resort to carrying a gun. 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:03.480 And as it turns out in his case, there are 0:16:03.520 --> 0:16:05.840 people out there who do want to hurt you. It's 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:07.760 another sixteen year old, but you know, this is the 0:16:07.840 --> 0:16:12.640 environment that this child lived in. And as we've seen, 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:15.160 the police are also trying to get you. And we 0:16:15.360 --> 0:16:18.160 you know Exhibits an artist that we kind of grew 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:20.240 up with, and he has a song where in the 0:16:20.240 --> 0:16:22.000 hook he says, I'd rather be caught with it than 0:16:22.000 --> 0:16:24.280 caught without one, referring to a gun. And so I 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:26.800 say this to suggest to people that may not agree 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:29.880 with the premise of the show that it is this 0:16:29.960 --> 0:16:32.200 child was born into a set of circumstances and an 0:16:32.280 --> 0:16:35.840 environment that was hostile towards him. And this was a 0:16:35.920 --> 0:16:38.600 move that he perhaps made, and he didn't show the 0:16:38.600 --> 0:16:40.120 gun to the officer, none of that, so he lost 0:16:40.120 --> 0:16:40.640 his life. Neither. 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:45.440 Can I say something, Yeah, he like when you look 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:48.920 at the advocacy around you know, the right to bear 0:16:49.040 --> 0:16:52.880 arms that is centered around life preservation. There is a 0:16:52.920 --> 0:16:57.760 sense of desperation within that. Regardless of whatever economic standing 0:16:57.800 --> 0:17:00.640 you're in, what moment in history you're in, and where 0:17:00.680 --> 0:17:05.840 you live your background. Life preservation is the reason why 0:17:05.880 --> 0:17:10.760 the majority of people carry or or purchased, especially in 0:17:10.800 --> 0:17:13.080 these times. You look at the massive amount of people 0:17:13.119 --> 0:17:15.400 in twenty twenty. It wasn't just toilet paper that people 0:17:15.400 --> 0:17:17.840 were buying. They were buying ways to protect their family. 0:17:18.320 --> 0:17:20.200 And when you know, we could talk about the social 0:17:20.200 --> 0:17:23.399 economic issues and all the nuance that ties into that, 0:17:23.400 --> 0:17:26.320 which would result in someone living in a state of 0:17:26.920 --> 0:17:29.920 feeling that they need to preserve their you know, their 0:17:30.040 --> 0:17:32.600 you know, their body bodily integrity, or protect protect their 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:35.679 protect themselves. We can look at it from that stance, 0:17:35.880 --> 0:17:38.040 and we can also say that no one was harmed 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:40.399 in that particular situation. There was no threat, There was 0:17:40.440 --> 0:17:44.320 no reason to draw and kill a human being, a child. 0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:46.920 So I just know how folks on their rights. Yeah, 0:17:46.960 --> 0:17:49.120 well he had a gun, so he had it coming, right, 0:17:49.160 --> 0:17:52.760 and they lose sight of the fact, right, And. 0:17:52.760 --> 0:17:55.560 Then we could say he had you know, someone had 0:17:55.560 --> 0:17:59.920 a cigarette, someone potentially had a gun which was a wallet, 0:18:00.600 --> 0:18:03.920 someone had a loud voice, someone was taking the wrong train, 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:07.560 you know, you know, why did he run away? You know, 0:18:08.280 --> 0:18:11.600 So it's it's always a looking at that. It's like 0:18:11.600 --> 0:18:14.960 the common denominator is, you know, this kind of ethnocentric 0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:18.200 prejudice that you know, uh, you know, black folks, black 0:18:18.200 --> 0:18:22.240 men in particularly particular, have experienced for hundreds of years, 0:18:22.280 --> 0:18:23.920 and you know, we need to be in a space 0:18:23.960 --> 0:18:26.159 to be able to speak about that and how we 0:18:26.200 --> 0:18:29.199 can address it in substantive ways, one of which is 0:18:29.280 --> 0:18:32.800 addressing the lack of accountability in this particular space and 0:18:32.880 --> 0:18:36.520 that his you know historically mind you, and how we 0:18:36.720 --> 0:18:40.600 can as a community come together recognize that, you know, 0:18:40.760 --> 0:18:44.640 if we do not push for a level of accountability, 0:18:44.640 --> 0:18:49.400 a system of accountability and allow you know, these individuals 0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:53.080 who engage in illegal or you know, practices and things 0:18:53.080 --> 0:18:57.479 of that nature to be held legally responsible, we are 0:18:57.480 --> 0:18:59.920 going to continue to perpetuate this issue. And right now 0:19:00.040 --> 0:19:03.480 as we go into further like strenuous times and emotionally 0:19:03.880 --> 0:19:06.760 trying times with this current administration, and how that just 0:19:06.800 --> 0:19:10.880 trickles down in society there's going to be more cases 0:19:11.040 --> 0:19:14.879 where you know, people are in this low vibrational state 0:19:14.920 --> 0:19:18.760 that results in someone end up ending up engaging in 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:23.280 harmful behavior against a citizen or community member while representing 0:19:23.440 --> 0:19:26.639 their the the city and its municipal resources. 0:19:26.720 --> 0:19:35.399 So let me ask you this, under normal circumstances, you know, 0:19:35.480 --> 0:19:38.359 something like this happens, the community gets together and they 0:19:38.680 --> 0:19:43.639 they protest, they organize, and they you know, galvanize their 0:19:43.720 --> 0:19:46.959 voices and they you know, approach the police department and 0:19:47.000 --> 0:19:49.760 they insist on accountability and change and things like that. 0:19:49.960 --> 0:19:52.080 Do you think or how about this? Because I know 0:19:52.119 --> 0:19:53.919 that the answer to that would be yes. But in 0:19:53.960 --> 0:19:58.720 what ways do you think this administration will affect people's 0:19:58.760 --> 0:20:02.160 capacity to to pro test what they feel is injustice. 0:20:02.640 --> 0:20:04.640 I mean, we already see it right now. And it's 0:20:04.880 --> 0:20:07.720 regardless of the type of demonstration, whether it's when of 0:20:07.760 --> 0:20:10.320 the's something that involves someone gaining a permit and then 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:12.800 you know, having a giant rally in a park or 0:20:12.800 --> 0:20:15.680 at a capital, or you know a group of activists 0:20:15.760 --> 0:20:20.080 or organizations just deciding to you know, utilize their constitutional 0:20:20.160 --> 0:20:23.240 right and engage in a peaceful, non violent demonstration. This 0:20:23.320 --> 0:20:26.399 has the the uptick in the past, what thirty what 0:20:26.520 --> 0:20:29.560 about forty days or so, you know, since this new 0:20:29.640 --> 0:20:34.199 administration has it has risen exponentially. So I mean, of 0:20:34.240 --> 0:20:38.040 course it is encouraged for people to engage in dialogue 0:20:38.119 --> 0:20:40.840 and then ask what they could do. But you know, 0:20:41.000 --> 0:20:44.040 the real what's next is to get involved in your 0:20:44.119 --> 0:20:47.280 local political structure to affect policy change. So in a 0:20:47.320 --> 0:20:50.359 way that's meaningful. So we have, you know, within your 0:20:50.440 --> 0:20:54.280 party within your state, there is you know, your your 0:20:54.359 --> 0:20:57.120 state party, you may have your county party. And then 0:20:57.200 --> 0:20:59.760 within particularly work depending on where you live, whether it's 0:20:59.760 --> 0:21:03.440 a board or you have a district, you have your 0:21:04.040 --> 0:21:08.480 the party within that particular structure, and within that it's 0:21:08.520 --> 0:21:10.800 broken down because you know how you have for instance, 0:21:10.800 --> 0:21:12.560 like you said, hey, you have like a school district. 0:21:12.560 --> 0:21:16.159 For instance, we have in using Arizona as an example 0:21:16.200 --> 0:21:19.120 on overspeaking to the entire nation, but we have what's 0:21:19.160 --> 0:21:23.240 called a legislative districts, and within that district are precincts 0:21:23.240 --> 0:21:27.360 which make up those districts. Within those precincts, it is 0:21:27.520 --> 0:21:30.720 operated by what are called precinct committee people, and within 0:21:30.800 --> 0:21:33.400 the United States it may be called precinct committee officers. 0:21:33.480 --> 0:21:37.480 Like in Washington or I believe, Pennsylvania. But it's the 0:21:37.520 --> 0:21:40.440 same structure. So you have the foundation of that, which 0:21:40.480 --> 0:21:43.720 would be the precinct committee people or precint committee officers. 0:21:44.160 --> 0:21:47.800 They represent that legislative district and its party, and then 0:21:47.920 --> 0:21:50.280 you know that is how you can be directly connected 0:21:50.320 --> 0:21:54.360 to your party. The elected officials serve as a conduit 0:21:54.400 --> 0:21:58.120 between your community. I believe, for instance, the state of Arizona, 0:21:58.240 --> 0:22:00.480 I think it's one hundred and twenty five. For instance, 0:22:00.520 --> 0:22:04.120 registered Democrats makes up one precinct committee person, So you're 0:22:04.160 --> 0:22:07.600 talking about someone who is a representative of their entire community. 0:22:07.840 --> 0:22:10.560 And when you add to that, you have the politically, 0:22:11.320 --> 0:22:15.520 you have the ability to affect policy change, run for 0:22:15.600 --> 0:22:19.520 office within your local party, and affect your county party 0:22:19.560 --> 0:22:23.080 for instance. You're talking about something that is revolutionary in 0:22:23.200 --> 0:22:26.439 terms of our involvement in this space. The antithesis of 0:22:26.480 --> 0:22:29.040 that is when Steve Bannon ten or so years ago 0:22:29.160 --> 0:22:31.199 was telling people, if you have an issue with the 0:22:31.240 --> 0:22:34.320 Republican Party, become a precinct committee person and then take 0:22:34.320 --> 0:22:36.760 over your party, and now we have an entire maga cult. 0:22:37.160 --> 0:22:41.479 So the good natured version of that is people who 0:22:41.520 --> 0:22:45.800 are finding issues within their municipal structure, city state, what 0:22:45.880 --> 0:22:48.919 have you. Society in general become a part of the solution. 0:22:49.480 --> 0:22:52.240 It's never about, oh, the Democrats. It's not this like 0:22:52.320 --> 0:22:56.160 collective person. A party is nothing more than a set 0:22:56.200 --> 0:22:59.879 of administrative paperwork, legal paperwork, a domain name, and a 0:23:00.040 --> 0:23:02.720 bank account. It is a vehicle if you want to 0:23:02.720 --> 0:23:04.720 compare it to anything, and if you don't like where 0:23:04.760 --> 0:23:07.720 it is going, get in a vehicle and help change 0:23:07.720 --> 0:23:09.960 it in a different direction that is more centered around 0:23:09.960 --> 0:23:13.800