[00:00:00] Welcome. I'm Erik Fleming, host of a moment with Erik Fleming, the podcast of our time. I want to personally thank you for listening to the podcast. If you like what you're hearing, that needs you to do a few things. First, I need subscribers.
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[00:01:37] I am your host, Erik Fleming. And today, ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in a long time, this is going to be a hot mic episode. Yes, no guests. It's just going to be me.
[00:01:58] And there's, I guess, you know, it worked out pretty good because there are some things I need to talk about. A couple of things anyway in the time that I have.
[00:02:14] So before we get into all of that, let's start off with a moment of news. We're Grace G. Thanks, Erik. President Biden announced a new program to provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants married to US citizens.
[00:02:40] The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against a federal ban on bump stock devices. Maryland Governor Westmore, part in over 175,000 low-level marijuana convictions. The 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the Biden administration's directive allowing transgender students to use facilities and joint sports teams.
[00:03:03] Several federal judges blocked US Department of Education protections for LGBTQ students against discrimination in 10 states. Anderson Lee Aldrich, the convicted shooter of a 2020-to-attack at a Colorado gay nightclub, led guilty to federal hate crime and gun charges.
[00:03:22] US Catholic Fishops apologized to Native Americans for past trauma and adopted new guidelines for ministry. The US House Ethics Committee expanded its investigation into representative Matt Gats to include potential obstruction of the inquiry.
[00:03:39] Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a bill mandating the display of the 10 commandments in all public school classrooms. The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted to ban smartphones for its 429,000 students.
[00:03:55] Cruise began demolishing the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School building in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed in a 2018 shooting. An armed man injured nine people at a water park near Detroit before fatally shooting himself. Massachusetts 911 system experienced an hour-long outage during a severe heat wave.
[00:04:17] A CDC report from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey reveals 4% of US adults aged 65 and over have been diagnosed with dementia, and baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays died at the age of 93. I am Grace G, and this has been a Moment of News.
[00:04:42] Alright, thank you Grace for that Moment of News. Now to start off this hot mic episode, let me take one of those headlines that Grace read and go into it a little deeper. This comes from Reuters where I get most of my news.
[00:05:07] And the headline is Louisiana requires a display of 10 commandments in all classrooms. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and Wednesday signed into law. A bill that makes the state the only one in the country to require the displaying of the 10 commandments in every public school classroom.
[00:05:26] The American Civil Liberties Union immediately announced it with suit a block the law, saying in violates the Constitution of separation of church and state, and a US Supreme Court ruling.
[00:05:38] Landry signed a bill along with a package of others who said we're designed to expand faith in public schools. If you want to respect the real law, you've got to start from the original law giver which was Moses, Landry said at the signing ceremony.
[00:05:56] In a Christian and Jewish faith, God revealed the 10 commandments to Hebrew prophet Moses. Other measures were authorized to hiring of chaplains and schools, strict teachers from mentoring sexual orientation or gender identity, and prevent schools from using transgender students preferred name or pronouns a list granted permission by parents.
[00:06:21] Landry also signed bills that would expand tutoring for underperforming students, help improve math skills, and impose fewer curricular mandates on teachers. Civil rights groups, civil rights groups excuse me ACLU and as Louisiana chapter along with Americans united for separation of church and state.
[00:06:42] And a freedom for religion, foundation and now state with our law suit. The challenge a lot of requires a specific text of the teagun commandments be promptly displayed in our classrooms. No other state has such a law that groups said in the state.
[00:06:59] Politicians have no business imposing a preferred religious doctrine on students and families in public schools to state consent. The first amendment of the U.S. Constitution for his government from the establishment of religion, and in 1980.
[00:07:16] The U.S. Supreme Court ruled and stone versus Graham that a Kentucky law on posting of the 10 commandments in school was unconstitutional. Now before I tear into the land and his ilk.
[00:07:43] I am glad that the Louisiana legislature at least passed something dealing with tutoring and did something on paper to try to improve math skills. But posting the 10 commandments in a public school is not going to improve the lives of these children.
[00:08:27] Especially since Louisiana is considered one of the poor states in the United States. It has been ranked as the most dangerous state to live in the United States.
[00:08:45] There is literally a part of Louisiana that stretches from Baton Rouge to New Orleans that they refer to as cancer alley. Because of the number of factories that are there and exacerbated by the poverty.
[00:09:16] There were people not getting the healthcare that they need because for the most part they can afford it. But you're most important thing, and the year before there's one particular legislator that introduced the legislation for the 10 commandments.
[00:09:38] And they're saying women introduced legislation in the year before to mandate that in God we trust the put in every classroom. So in 2025 teachers may not have supplies. Now they did improve a stipend for teachers. And that stipend would be an additional $2,000 to whatever they make. $2,000.
[00:10:24] So the state of Louisiana passed legislation in with math trying to improve math skills. The past legislation to try to help the folks tutoring. They passed an additional $2,000 per teacher stipend.
[00:10:48] But in 2025 it's going to be mandated that every classroom has in God we trust and in 10 commandments in the room. And when asked about the constitutionality of this proposed legislation, Governor Landrie said, I look forward to being sued. I served in the legislature from 1999 to 2008 in Mississippi.
[00:11:36] During that time a group called the American Family Association which is based in Tupelo. You've probably heard me tell this story before but I think it's relevant to tell it again.
[00:11:54] This group pushed, well what they did the first year to kind of get us set up for what is they gave each member a poster. That was framed, real nice framed. And it said in God we trust on.
[00:12:17] And you know, just gave it to us as a gift and sure a lot of members put that in their office, their home somewhere.
[00:12:29] The next year came back with legislation to say that every classroom in the state in the city of Mississippi shall display in God we trust in the classroom. I tried to amend that law. Well, the bill at the time.
[00:12:54] And I wanted to change the word shall to make. And the argument I made was not about constitutionality because the speaker was like, really going to talk 10 minutes about the constitutionality. I said no, I'm a speaker but just watch.
[00:13:18] So what I did was I went and found my framed and got retrust poster. I brought that to the Capitol. Then I got a dollar bill.
[00:13:34] And in my remarks, I basically stated that you know, my dear body that American Family Association gave us these nice plaques and got retrust. This is basically what they're demanding that every classroom has.
[00:13:56] But then I pulled out my dollar bill and I said, this dollar bill also says on the back. And God we trust. The question I have is, how many of these dollar bills are going to be used to put up these posters?
[00:14:24] And I pointed out that there was no appropriation in the Department of Education budget for these posters. So I made the argument that this is what we call an unfunded mandate and every Republican in the room panic.
[00:14:48] Because the conservative viewpoint has always been going to implement these programs, we got to have money. And anything that they thought would benefit poor children or black children, brown children or whatever. That's the question they would ask. And as a label they would put on it.
[00:15:14] If it wasn't in the appropriation, excuse me for their Department of Education, they would say it was unfunded mandate. So I threw it back at them. Inside this was an unfunded mandate.
[00:15:29] Well, I guess they had to Republicans panic and even though my amendment was defeated, they got on the phone with the American Family Association. And literally by the time I got them speaking, a number of Republicans surrounded me on the floor.
[00:15:50] And they said that we have a commitment to deal with your concern. What they had done was they got the American Family Association to donate all the posters.
[00:16:13] So however many classrooms in the state of Mississippi, the American Family Association was to print enough of those posters and give them to the schoolers. Perfery. That was one.
[00:16:28] And then two, if the schools decided that they wanted to have them framed, that that would be responsible of local business people to donate the cost of framing those posters to that school district. In other words, I made them put their money where they're mouthless.
[00:16:58] So the question I had in listening to the stories and no report, not writers, not emissed, and we seen that Fox, not CNN.
[00:17:08] Nobody said how much money was put into the Department of Education by the state of Louisiana to pay for the Ten Commandments to be posted at every school.
[00:17:34] So that means that every school district has to come up with the money to get these Ten Commandments posters and post them in every classroom. So they got two posters that they have to put up. Now, there's no requirement that every high school classroom has the periodic table.
[00:18:21] So requirement every classroom has to display the US Constitution. There's no requirement in the state of Louisiana that Louisiana Constitution has to be in public display.
[00:18:33] Boyd are very least the bill of rights for the US Constitution or the reason of Constitution, but the Ten Commandments they have to have to be displayed. So let's deal with some facts, right? So we mentioned mentioned in that order is that there was a case in 1980.
[00:19:04] Where the state of Kentucky wanted to do the same thing. And the US Supreme Court at that time said no, that's not going to happen. That's a violation of the First Amendment. That's imposing the legit government imposing the legit and public schools. Public school districts are government entities.
[00:19:33] In many states, if not all states, they have taxation power. You pay taxes to you. County government, some places in pay city taxes. And you pay taxes to state. Pay taxes to federal government and in most jurisdictions, you pay taxes to the school district.
[00:19:59] That comes out of your property tax. So as a government entity, and here we have a government entity imposing religion. Now I'm a Christian, so I'm not opposed to the Ten Commandments. I have tried and failed to live up to each one of them.
[00:20:29] Done pretty good on an overwhelming majority of them. So the concept of the Ten Commandments is not my issue. But there's two things about it. One of already explained in detail that you want people who are not Christian.
[00:21:05] Some people who don't believe in God at all to pay for your belief that the Ten Commandments will improve the lives of the students. And my question is if their lives haven't been improved by the church at the Ten,
[00:21:43] on Sundays, maybe for a lot of them, on Wednesday evenings in Bible study, what makes you think that the Ten Commandments is going to help them to school? That's one. Two, why is it so important that you push this on everybody? Jesus said, and I'm paraphrasing.
[00:22:23] But Jesus said those of you who get on street court and try to call yourself evangelizing or stand up to express your faith. Don't improve your chance to go to heaven that way. People that pray in the privacy of their own home in their closet,
[00:22:55] I think it's actually worth it. Have a better chance of getting to heaven than you do. Who's out here trying to force people? Because we're taught in our faith that we're supposed to come to God at our own will. We're not supposed to be coerced.
[00:23:18] We're supposed to be our commission is to tell the story of the good news. That's what the gospel is. And then people are supposed to take that good news and make their own decision. People who are Christian Nationals don't get that. They miss that part.
[00:23:42] Didn't Matthew think it's Matthew 28 28. I think they missed that all together. What they want to do is homogenize as many people as they can. They want to browbe their faith into this question. They want to revise history because Governor Landry and he was corrected.
[00:24:14] To a certain degree by a lady that was sitting next to him after he made a statement about the foundation. But she corrected them different ways and said, They actually, the commandments came from God. Moses just delivered them and kind of said, Yeah, that's right on over Mike.
[00:24:31] But you're out here that the first laws will pass where the code of hemorabies. The first recorded set of laws in humans of the place. That was before the Tinkerman.
[00:24:54] And the purpose of the Tinkerman was God was displaced with the idolatry and the gratitude that the Hebrews had shown after he had Moses lead them out of captivity from Egypt. So it seems to me that the people that need the Tinkerman,
[00:25:26] the other people who are pushing the Tinkerman is because what we're seeing now, especially in the conservative movement and Republican Party, is the ultimate form of idolatry. We're not going to have a party platform. We just go with Donald Trump says.
[00:25:50] They're literally at meetings have been golden statues of Donald Trump where people have. For lack of a better word, worshiped at paid homage to it. And there's nothing in the Tinkerman that will cure cancer in cancer alley. There's nothing in the Tinkerman's double raised math scores.
[00:26:29] Or reading comprehension levels. Or make sure that teachers get paid what they're worth without having to have an additional stipend. There's nothing in the Tinkerman that's that will improve the quality of life other than in a spiritual sense.
[00:26:54] For those who believe, for the majority of the citizens in the state of Louisiana. We know those of us who are other faith, we know that all things are possible through him that strengthens us. And so in our lives, our private lives, we turn to God for guidance.
[00:27:32] The majority of us do not try to impose our will on our fellow citizens. The whole concept of the United States was to get away from this form of religious persecution.
[00:27:57] There were people who did not want to be members of the Anglican, which we call the Piscopelean Church in England. So they decided to set up colonies in the Newark. They are those who are Catholic who have kind of a variation of the Tinkerman.
[00:28:27] And there are people who are Muslim, who are Buddhists, who are agnostic, who are atheists. Who don't have described to them, they have their own set of rules and moral codes if you will. To follow.
[00:29:01] So not only is posting the Tinkerman's in public schools, unconstitutional, it's not even patriotic. It defies the very spirit of independence that the original settlers of the colonies sought. Now whether they have described to the Tinkerman's in their own particular way, it's a whole other conversation.
[00:29:48] But the whole purpose was that they did not want the government to tell them how to pray. They didn't want the government to tell them how to worship.
[00:29:59] And contrary to the belief of these fanatics, the Tinkerman was not the inspiration for the bit of rights or to you as constitution. It was things like the MacArthur which stressed individual rights. American democracy is the most unique democracy on the planet.
[00:30:36] And it was designed to be different because of the experience that these Europeans had dealt with in their previous countries.
[00:30:59] It is a symbol that even through all the racism and all of the economic evs and flows still appear to the world as a place of hope and opportunity.
[00:31:17] And that's why people from all over the world see to come here, whether to visit to study or to live. And there are group of folks who don't get that. They are blinded by their zealousness. They are blinded by the greed. They are blinded by their covetedness.
[00:31:45] That they don't get it and then they push this type of legislation. If you want to take commandments and in God we trust and all the stuff displayed in your crib, knock yourself out. You have that right to do that. Don't force it on anybody else.
[00:32:18] And hypocrisy and the dichotomy is psychotic. Because you don't want the government to tell you to wear a mask, but you want the government to force the tink of mhmins on everybody. You want the government to force women to have children.
[00:32:44] You don't want the government to tell you to stop the pollution that creates cancer alley. And you don't want the government to regulate. Finance.
[00:33:10] These same people who are pushing the tink of mhmins are also saying that credit card companies and banks have the right to charge where everyone in fees. President Biden is trying to limit how much they can do.
[00:33:31] And these folks, these Bible-thumping folks said, no, as a matter of fact we love it. That's what one congressman literally said. People love paying fee. But you turn right around in campaign to say people upset about aches costing more than $3.
[00:33:50] I don't want my age to cost more than $3. I don't want my gas to cost more than $3 but I'll pay $34 for a bank fee. I'll do that. That's why I use the words psychotic. That's why I use the word insane.
[00:34:18] Because it's not based in logic is based on greed. It's based on covetedness. It's not based biblical. Just remember that most of the folks are pushing these quote unquote Christian nationalist tenants are not coming from God.
[00:34:44] As somebody who is a practitioner in Christian faith, I can say that. They're not. It is coming from an invidious evil place. Masquerading as. Faith. We don't need fanatics in government. We need leaders. We need people to lead the masses, not the masses leading them.
[00:35:24] You're supposed to represent the interests of the masses. But if you're going to be the leader, then you have to dictate the terms. We literally have a political party that doesn't understand. We want to cater to the world of people we want to address their concerns.
[00:35:48] And when politicians like me go out and campaign, we're seeking to get the majority approval based off of the concerns that we have heard. And the idea is that we are presenting to help alleviate those problems to come up with solutions.
[00:36:08] But we're not supposed to be guided by conspiracy theories. It's supposed to be guided by facts. No, it's supposed to be guided by zealoteness. Zealot, yeah. Zealot behavior. We're supposed to be guided by intelligence. Wisdom. That's what people look for in leaders, wisdom.
[00:36:47] I don't know when this nightmare is going to end or where it is going to be contained. But it has to be soon because this country is going to move forward. And to be as the Bible says, a light, a shining light on the hill. Right?
[00:37:12] Shining city on the hill. Then it has to lead by example. Not by foolishness, not by hypocrisy. Not by a finettasy. It may be too late for the state of reason. It may be too late, it's a city or some other southern state.
[00:37:51] But it's not too late for rest of the nation. And I'm hoping that in those states, we're hope, facing loss that there are enough people will courage to fight back. And the best way to fight back is to vote. All right.
[00:38:22] Let me catch all on the other side. Hello, this is Eric Flaming, host of a moment with Eric Flaming. And I need your help. We have an opportunity to cover the democratic national convention in Chicago this August. But I need to raise some money.
[00:38:49] So I need you to go to gofundme.com slash help a moment with Eric Flaming broadcast from DNC 2020. As Gofundme.com help a moment with Eric Flaming broadcast from DNC 2020. 24. Thank you so much. All right, we're back.
[00:39:21] So I got one thing off my chest. Let me get this other thing off my chest. And for a lack of a better term, you all heard of movie, Willie Walker and the Chocolate Factory. Let me talk about Donald Trump in his chocolate city tour.
[00:39:48] And more specifically, his quote unquote appeal to Black voters. Most of us who understand politics know that Donald Trump is not going to get the majority of the Black vote. The Black vote in America has been primarily since the 1960s democratic.
[00:40:36] And the main factors of that was the efforts of civil rights activists in the South to infiltrate the democratic party of the South at that time, which was implementing Jim Crow. And from the time, family of Hayvern gave her speech on behalf of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party
[00:41:00] and the Democratic Party. The Black folks have not only shifted their vote to the democratic party, but they've taken over leadership. Who was chair of the Democratic National Committee now from a southern state, South Carolina.
[00:41:35] There's even been a Black man to become president of the United States as a Democrat. And now there is a black woman sitting as vice president as a Democrat. It was Democratic presidents who put people like Robert Weaver in the cabinet, Patricia Harris
[00:42:00] in the cabinet, Ron Brown in the cabinet. The very good Marshall on the Supreme Court. It was Democrats who started pushing for protecting the rights gained already and pushing for new rights for African Americans, Afro Americans, Kulabons in America.
[00:42:41] Black folks, however you want to be identified, it's been a democratic party. Well, you hear a lot from the Republican side. Say, the Democrat party and my response has always been that Democrat party seems pretty evil. I'm a member of the Democratic Party.
[00:43:06] And the Democratic Party of the United States has done everything within this power to try to make things better, utilizing the power of government to make it so whether it's laws, whether it's through appropriations and in some cases the courts.
[00:43:35] A lot of the early civil rights leaders were Republican because of the history that Republicans were the party of Lincoln. Lincoln was considered a great emancipator. If you learned anything on June 10, you know that the emancipation proclamation was limited to the states that had slaves.
[00:43:56] And it wasn't really enforced although if slaves managed to get away, they were protected because the union was going to keep them and not enact the future to slave act. And even would encourage them to enlist to fight for everybody else's freedom.
[00:44:22] And two years later on June 19, 1865, the group of slaves finally found out that this emancipation proclamation existed. And also during that time it was a general name Sherman who basically threw a field order and was field order number 15.
[00:44:48] Grant it land which if those black folks had kept it, we were allowed to keep it. We were $640 billion because it was basically from the coastline from South Carolina to Florida, waterfront property. $640 billion. So hopefully during June, if you learned all about that.
[00:45:27] What the first thing I want to address is these black folks who want to support Donald Trump. Now here's my thing. If you want to support Donald Trump and you're black, knock yourself out. Think it's cutting off you know, despite your face.
[00:45:47] But in America you have to write to support you on. But be factual. Right? Understand that the Republican Party now is not the Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln or Charles Sumpton.
[00:46:08] It is not the Republican Party anymore. It's not even a party of every Dirkson or John Lindsay or Nelson Rockefeller. It's not even the party of Richard Nixon, a Gerald Ford or Ronald Reagan. This is the Republican Party that is more like Ross Barnett and George Wallace.
[00:46:32] They are billboards. Richard Russell, strong thermon, Jesse Helms. That's the Republican Party now. So if you're black and you want to associate it with the legacy of those people, knock yourself out. Every book will be considered a liberal or a rhino in Massachusetts.
[00:47:11] Now, Oscar de Priest will be considered a liberal or a rhino in Illinois. Now compared to the Republican Party that exists today, Blanch gave births or higher revels. Even Martin Luther King would be considered a rhino in this modern day Republican party. They would not be considered conservatives.
[00:47:42] They would not be a part of maga. They would not be down with the grift. Right? Times have changed to Democrat Party in the South now. Looks more like black for so much so that I literally saw it happen.
[00:48:10] I literally ran against the guy who when he first got involved in politics was a Southern Democrat. And he switched over to the Republican Party as it became more appealing to those Dixie Crats from back in today.
[00:48:30] So when you hear a black person get on social media, whether it's TikTok, ex, Facebook, whatever and say, Oh, the Democrats were the Jim Crow Party. They work. And then all those folks by 1979 and 1980 when Ronald Reagan was running for president and coming to them to show
[00:48:52] But County Fair and Miss Sippy and saying state rights forever echoing better go waters appeal in 1964, 60 years ago, all that changed. And all those folks came to the Republican Party and I will start by Richard Nixon and what we call the Southern
[00:49:14] Strategy. If you don't believe it, look it up. It's documented. The Lee at Waters, the Roger Ailes. All these guys cut their teeth. And while they're teeth, it roll and all these guys cut their teeth.
[00:49:31] Implementing the Southern Strategy. The conversion of taking Southern Dixie Crats and bringing them over into the Republican Party, which led to the Tea Party, which leads to Magga. So the Republican Party that you're affiliated with is an extension of the Dixie Crats.
[00:49:55] They say that black folks shouldn't vote for. And you're right, black folks shouldn't vote for Dixie Crats as why he shouldn't vote for Republicans, because all the Dixie Crats are not Republicans.
[00:50:07] There are black Republicans who still follow the addition of John Lindsey and Nelson Rockefeller and Gerald Ford. God bless you. Keep up the good fight. Try to get those Dixie Crats out of your party. So you can get back to relevancy.
[00:50:32] But as long as those fanatics, those Christian nationals, and you know, remember to plan based themselves as the religious organization. That's why they burn crosses. Right? The White Knights. Yes, there's Italian with the Ten Commandments being displayed in schools and racism.
[00:50:58] And to get back to that point, to add on to it, that's why they felt in the Europeans felt they could cover Africa, that's why they tried to convert the natives here in North America to Christianity and stuff because they felt they were heathens.
[00:51:19] And it's that same mentality that Dixie Crats, them trying to inflict religion on the masses because they feel we need it. That's why they are against abortion. Not because of some great biblical concern, but because they're trying to
[00:51:58] they're trying to deal with Roosevelt said it was genocide to white people. But you've heard me say that, anyway, back to you, Black folks, that are supporting this chocolate city tour of Donald Trump. The church in Detroit has gotten a lot of the 180 church.
[00:52:26] And it's pastor who obviously had a domestic road experience who was leading a life of crime. He found God, now he's a minister and he has set up a church. But for some reason, he feels that Donald Trump is the answer to his questions.
[00:52:57] Now, I'm not the shadow. I don't know what's in the heart of that pastor any human being for that matter. But I'm looking at actions. And when I look at legitimate rap artists or other celebrities who are lining up that way,
[00:53:22] you know, if I'm in a certain income tax bracket, I'm looking for people that are talking about, yeah, I ain't got to pay that many taxes. Right? Although most Americans don't like taxes. The rich of you are the less you like them. It seems.
[00:53:42] And so, I get it if you make X amount of dollars. You want to be conservative. If you're one of the mega rich people in America, you want it. But for those of us who are working paycheck to paycheck,
[00:54:01] those of us who are just getting by with a little savings, especially in the black community, that's not the answer. We want people who are trying to alleviate debt like student loans, for example. Either through forgiveness programs or putting more money in black colleges,
[00:54:32] where two wishes don't have to be so high for the group of people that are trying to get in to give them a college education. Right? We want a government that makes sure that our roads and our bridges are safe.
[00:55:02] And in the process creating jobs for us to do that kind of work. We want to make sure that our schools are safe. That want to put people in positions of authority and law enforcement that makes the streets safe, not just to stop criminals,
[00:55:35] but also to not terrorize our communities. Because you can get rid of a criminal element without terrorizing every black person that lives in the community you're supposed to serve and protect. You can do that. That's what most black people want.
[00:56:03] There's a group of us who feel that the government owes us some money in the form of reparations, repairing the damage that they systematically have inflicted on us whether it was the actual institution of slavery or the Jim Crow that followed. The deconstruction, right? That is illegitimate. Crane.
[00:56:44] When you look at economic indicators, again, for every hundred dollars, a white family has a black family has five. There's some historical damage attached to that. Whether it was redlining programs, whether it was legislation that was supposed to help all veterans but only helped the white ones.
[00:57:10] Get housing and jobs and all that stuff. Damage was done. And it was generation. And we want to support people who are trying to fix it. Not continue to take advantage of it. And most black people that vote,
[00:57:39] see the Democratic Party as the party that is trying to repair the damage. Now, since the majority of people in the political process, the majority of population in this country is white, it's not going to be any unanimity as far as everything the black community wants.
[00:58:11] You got white Democrats who are not down with reparations. That's the fact. They're not necessarily racist, but they're not necessarily progressive either. But I know that I can approach them and say, look, this is what we need. How can we get there and have a meaningful dialogue?
[00:58:46] Because the other party will not have the meaningful dialogue. They won't even have a platform so you don't even know what they stand for. Right? The beauty of these conventions. You know, I can't get to that in a moment.
[00:59:09] The beauty of these conventions is that even though the candidates pretty much have determined the platform that the candidates run on, whether it's for president or for the House of Representatives or the Senate. The national platform is what's determined these conventions.
[00:59:41] The Democratic side, it's a chance for people who are delegates to push for an agenda that's inclusive of people. On their public and side, they don't have a platform. So those black folks that are under public and side don't have any sex other than
[01:00:12] pledging fealty to their nominee. So I'd rather be affiliated with a political party that at least gives me voice. Then one that just wants me to be loyal. Because there are some people that ask the question,
[01:00:35] what Democrats done and not are done this, that the other and it's like a lot more than the other side. Because we are in a position based on our votes and based on people that we elect to get into certain positions like the House of Representatives.
[01:00:55] And even the U.S. Senate and even in the White House, where Arkansas's are at least heard. And some of them are addressed. Took a lot of meetings from our Luther King and Whitney Young, and very welcome to all of them guys to get Lyndon Johnson
[01:01:17] to go all in on both the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, understanding the repercussions of that politically. But it worked. And now we need more people like that in positions to get the George Floyd,
[01:01:36] but at least reformat past to get the John Lewis voting rights act passed. So we got to get people in not only in the White House that are sympathetic to our cause. But in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate.
[01:02:02] Now, I started off by saying that the majority of the Black vote is going to go to the Democrat candidates. Republicans understand that all they're trying to do is get enough of the Black vote to swing their way. Right?
[01:02:30] We used to make the argument in Mississippi that if 20% of the White vote went with the Democratic candidate, the Democrat were win. Whether it was governor, US Senate, whatever. They were win based on the Black turnout, whether it was anywhere from 40% to 80.
[01:02:58] If 25% of the White vote that turned out voted for the Democratic candidate, we win. Republicans are trying to do the same thing. If they can get 25% of the vote or higher in the Black community, they win nationwide and in their respective locales. That's all they're trying to do.
[01:03:24] They're trying to get enough Black votes to switch over so that the votes that they figured they got in the bank. They show up, they'll win. Now, in these jury-manor districts and all that stuff, it's not fair, so it doesn't matter.
[01:03:51] They've got more and enough votes where if every Black person voted against them, they win. And you really would need an incredible high percentage, like close to 50% of the White vote, to run them out. Which could happen if white women vote against Republican? That's a whole other show.
[01:04:21] What I want Black folks to understand is that you're not going to be happy with white people making decisions about Black, Black folks quality of life because they're not going to address everything. Only we are going to do that, right?
[01:04:44] But since we don't have Black candidates in every race, nor do we have any state where we make up 50% of the state's voting age population, they're going to be white folks that we're going to have to trust and empower.
[01:05:07] We're for our vote to do what needs to be done. I was told once that the speeches I was giving may resonate with Black people, but they won't resonate with white folks. They were wrong. I didn't win the election,
[01:05:33] but I got more votes than they thought because white folks voted for me. Not a whole one, but I got it because what I was saying resonated with them. Right? When you talk about hope when you talk about progress, when you talk about a vision,
[01:05:56] human beings responded to that regardless of their ethnic background because we're wired that way. When we talk about independence, we're wired that way. But we are also wired to be scared, shitless. And the Republicans tap into that. But we have been always taught that hope triumphs over fear.
[01:06:27] And if you can overcome your fears, you can achieve great things. Courage is not just being brave, it's being able to overcome fear. And there's a guide that's on YouTube who basically makes an argument that Black conservatives are lazy.
[01:06:48] I would agree with that premise because the easy thing to do is to cater to fear. As the easy human emotion, that's what gets our instincts going is fear. In comic books like The Spidey Sense and all that kind of stuff. That's fear.
[01:07:07] But believing that you can overcome obstacles, dealing with day to day challenges, making it to the next day, making it to the next week, making it to the next month, making it to the next year. That's hope. And when you look back on a life based on hope,
[01:07:32] you look back at the fears that you had and you laugh. Why was I scared? Look at where I am. And that is really where the power of our vote comes in as Black people. It is our hope. It is our tool for progress.
[01:07:53] It is our weapon against fear. And those Black folks who are just looking for money, those Black folks who are just looking for acceptance, those Black folks who want us to come to fear and hate and anger, you'll get what you pay for. Your laziness will be rewarded.
[01:08:21] And the reward will be inactivity toward your cause, of more oppression and more rhetoric that is divisive. Enrages us. That's your reward for those of us who believe in hope, or expiles hope, or embrace hope. Our reward will be progress.
[01:09:00] Our reward will be the eroding of these barriers and these attitudes. Technology has helped a lot. There's no law about that. It just is what it is. If I can pick up a phone. And talk to somebody in a whole other country. Then cost me anything.
[01:09:33] I can find out information with press of a button or touch screen. That helps because the more information we have, the better we are geared toward progress. So, when you see Donald Trump and those Black folks who are supporting him, try to convey this message.
[01:10:14] I mean, if you're going to convey the message, put some effort into it. The ultimate act of laziness is to say you have a Black church, but you stick white faces in there to create a crowd. That's lazy.
[01:10:30] I don't care if you only have eight Black people in there. If your whole goal is to get Black voters, then you've got those eight. If your whole day is Black people and your audience is white people, that doesn't get the Black vote.
[01:10:47] Just as a point of reference. Even if you only had eight Black people in there, that's eight Black people you didn't have. So if you really want to get the Black vote, get it. And talk about things that Black folks want to talk about.
[01:11:11] Don't just say I got Black friends vote for me. That's not going to cut it. You got white folks wearing black blacks for Trump t-shirts, for crying out loud. Then put some effort into it. If you're trying to get 25% or higher to Black vote,
[01:11:35] you've got to do better than that. Because the Democratic Party has put that effort into it. And they put that effort into it because we forced the conversation, like fanning the hammer. We forced the conversation so that every Democrat,
[01:12:02] not just the ones in the North but the ones in the South, relate to us. And those folks who didn't want to relate to us, the Republicans let them in. So if we really want to end the legacy of Jim Crow, then we don't vote for Republicans.
[01:12:22] If we really want to end racism in our public policy, we don't vote for Republicans. That's what the agenda for Black people should be. Until the Republican Party starts addressing it. If Byron Donalds was fanny Lou Hamer, we'd be having a whole different discussion.
[01:12:44] If Tim Scott was fanny Lou Hamer, we'd be having a whole different discussion. We have had Black folks agree to oppression before. That's happened. We've managed to overcome that. And we are still moving forward. In this election, regardless of how you feel about democracy,
[01:13:13] regardless of how you feel about Supreme Court justices and all that, which all ties into the big picture. If your motivation is to get more progress for Black people, then you don't have any options other than Joe Biden and Kim Lewis. You don't.
[01:13:45] I wish Cornell West had an agenda and the money to expose it. But he doesn't. I wish there was a Black candidate that we could galvanize around that addresses our issues and our concerns. 100%. Some of them ran in local races and achieved nominations and secured positions.
[01:14:23] But a lot of them didn't. That's part of the process. But their voices were out there. And that's a good thing. People with criticizes one brother, I guess he was in South Carolina, who challenged Clyburn. Why? He wanted to bring reparations to the table. He did that.
[01:14:50] So much so that there's been national discussion about it. Along with some other, some key races. But that one brother in particular gets the table like Lee's going against a Black guy. Whether this is a Black guy has been an office for a long time.
[01:15:06] And his challenge to him was he wasn't addressing an issue that Black people needed to discuss. Now that person is discussing that issue because that brother ran in that race. That's how the process works. If you have Black candidates in the Republican Party pushing Black issues, different discussion.
[01:15:30] That's our goal. Again, my dream is that one day have a Black man or a woman has the Democrat nominee for president and a Black man or woman as the Republican nominee for president. And they got to those positions of dressing issues
[01:15:53] that would have a positive impact on Black folks. Now, whatever helps, Black people is going to help other folks too. But that's my dream. So for those who are angry or disparaging about seeing Black folks line up with Donald Trump, just keep it pushing.
[01:16:25] Don't even worry about that. You're always going to have Black folks who are going to act in a contrarian when it comes to their political beliefs. It's just how it is. We're not supposed to be monolithic and thought
[01:16:42] other than looking out for the best interest of Black people. There's different ways to get that. But I'd rather go with people that actually say, this is what I plan to do instead of to alternatively just vote for that guy. All right. We catch Ellen at the side.
[01:17:21] All right, so we're back. So let me just close out real quick. Thank you all for listening. I just want to close out real quick by making another appeal. As you know, we've started to go for me.
[01:17:50] And you will hear in every episode at least a 30 second appeal to raise money for the podcast to be at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and August. The podcast was approved as far as press credentials and is estimated that the cost,
[01:18:20] you know, travel and accommodations wherever other expenses are needed during that week. We've around $3,500. As of this recording, we've knocked out a hundred of that. And we're just trying to ask, well I'm asking for all of you all who follow me on social media
[01:18:56] who listen to the podcast, taking treatment. And like I said, the plan is to have episodes on Patreon for free and having special episodes with some key people that I'll get a chance to interview while I have to convince you.
[01:19:20] I put in my list of people that I want to interview and we'll see how many of those are actually granted. And I'm going to ask you how many of those are given on the quote unquote big attractions will be in the special episode
[01:19:44] and other interviews along with daily reports but what's going on will be on the Patreon. So that's the plan, but I need to help. So, you know, in the 30 second appeal, I'm going to go find me address. But if that's too much to try to retain
[01:20:08] or stop pause right down, the best way to do is go to www.momentarek.com. Just go to the podcast website. There's a link to the GoFundMe page. There's a link to all the episodes and anything else. If you want to learn more about the podcast,
[01:20:28] just your first time listening. You know, the website has all that. It has links to all the guests that's been on. Most of the guests. So, you'll get to learn more about this podcast. But again, just go to www.momentarek.com and give what you can.
[01:20:55] And I would greatly appreciate it. All right, guys. Until next time.