Every morning holds the promise of a fresh start, and today we're embracing that with open hearts as we chat about the delicate balance of caring for our loved ones, both human and animal. We love the mornings
Turning the page, we discuss a recent email. We
confront the vexing question of youth representation in politics head-on. My roommate's 26th birthday becomes a launchpad to dissect the hurdles young individuals face in this arena. We peel back the layers of political engagement and mental health, wrestling with the conundrum of choosing the least worrisome option during elections. Our dialogue stretches from the deeply personal to the broadly political, as we recount our own awakenings and advocate for an active role in the process, no matter how flawed it may seem.
In the home stretch, we spotlight the significance of making an informed vote and the transformative potential of local politics. From organizations like Run for Something that champion the rise of young, diverse voices, to the unavoidable influence of wealth in political races, we're unpacking it all. We don't shy away from heated topics, diving into the evolving landscape of education legislation and women's rights debates. And to cap it all off, we share a slice of our personal lives—the triumphs and challenges—as we invite you to join our community of listeners navigating the intricate web of life, family, and the society we're all a part of.
Thanks for listening!
Every morning holds the promise of a fresh start, and today we're embracing that with open hearts as we chat about the delicate balance of caring for our loved ones, both human and animal. We love the mornings
Turning the page, we discuss a recent email. We
confront the vexing question of youth representation in politics head-on. My roommate's 26th birthday becomes a launchpad to dissect the hurdles young individuals face in this arena. We peel back the layers of political engagement and mental health, wrestling with the conundrum of choosing the least worrisome option during elections. Our dialogue stretches from the deeply personal to the broadly political, as we recount our own awakenings and advocate for an active role in the process, no matter how flawed it may seem.
In the home stretch, we spotlight the significance of making an informed vote and the transformative potential of local politics. From organizations like Run for Something that champion the rise of young, diverse voices, to the unavoidable influence of wealth in political races, we're unpacking it all. We don't shy away from heated topics, diving into the evolving landscape of education legislation and women's rights debates. And to cap it all off, we share a slice of our personal lives—the triumphs and challenges—as we invite you to join our community of listeners navigating the intricate web of life, family, and the society we're all a part of.
Thanks for listening!
good morning. Good morning, rachel. How cold is it?
Speaker 2:we're doing it in the morning yay, we're doing it in the morning. You guys are gonna?
Speaker 1:get the best of the best here. Ah yes, brain clarity is better in the morning so much better?
Speaker 2:oh, my god, for sure is that, like the, the, the beginning of the descent of our, our mental capacity.
Speaker 1:I think that happened about like four years ago. I started noticing that, maybe a little longer than that, but like I started noticing a descent um Todd I kind of want to get that, yeah, but, um, I kind of want to get that testing, um that you get that's like a to see what your markers are for, like all that shit. It's so expensive and, of course, insurance doesn't pay for it. But I kind of want to get it done but then I'm also like maybe the unknown is better, right.
Speaker 2:I don't know, I don't know. You know, roommate four has the. In my medical directive anyway, I probably. Well, once they're over 18, it doesn't matter. But in my medical directive she has the steering wheel. So I told her, if I have diminished capacity and I don't remember her birthday or who she is, then she has. Like I don't want to be a burden on society, so, like it's, she could pull the plug, basically.
Speaker 1:And Randy. Randy and I have each other's and we're the same way.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 1:I was like telling this story to someone one day with Randy there. And I was like I was like telling this story to someone one day with Randy there and I'm like, yeah, if Randy like is like out of it and can't respond or whatever, I'm pulling the plug. And he's like, well, give me a couple days.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, I guess so yeah, I'll, I'll give you a couple days, like I mean, obviously I'm gonna verify that, like there's no life there, or you know, and I'm the same way. Um, it's, that's a very, very touchy subject, like you know.
Speaker 1:Oh, and it's really hard in the moment, but like I don't want to be here if I'm not myself. You know what I mean. Like I'm like, oh my God, like I don't want to be a burden. Yeah, number one, I mean dementia is like, oh, my biggest fear, well, because that is so hard on loved ones, yeah, it's so hard, I mean.
Speaker 2:Well, even if it diminished mental capacity, for sure, because there's no reward in that Cause. They don't remember you and all of that, right. But then there's also the physical part too. Yeah, if you, if you can't, you know, get up and walk Go to the bathroom. Yes, yeah, that's also hard because full-time care is expensive.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Yeah, it's crazy, I mean, and it's necessary. That's one other thing that people struggle with is like, do you put them in a like a home or something, Because for somebody else, if they need full-time care, I mean it's too much for some people. I don't know, I probably would do it for mom as long as I possibly could. I mean I know I would. She asked me that one time not too long ago.
Speaker 1:She said if I ever can't be on my own, can I live with you? And I was like well, of course I'm like. I don't know why she would fear that Like that we wouldn't take care of her.
Speaker 2:Well, was she asking you that because she didn't want to go into a home? Yes, okay, I'm checking the gerbil. She decided she was only going to use three of her legs yesterday. Okay, so I'm like what the fuck, dude? I was like looking at her paw, which is like the top of my pinky finger, to see if there's something stuck in there or something, and then I'm pretty sure it's like her hips and her nerves.
Speaker 2:She's getting old. Speaking of, I'm like, yeah, like, and the dogs can't tell you when things hurt, you know, or? Where it hurts. So I like massaged her back and her hips and shit, and she seems to decide that it's gonna work today. So, okay, it's fucking touch and go, dude like this dog is still alive, like you, gotta tell me she's a trooper.
Speaker 2:It's something about me, like all the dogs I know like live until they're like 195 in dog years, or whatever oh, we had some dog dogs growing up we had dog trauma. Growing up we had dog trauma.
Speaker 1:Oh so much dog trauma, so much dog trauma. Oh, my god, my kids like I barely let them. Well, we didn't have very many. We had a couple dogs when my kids were growing up, but like one of them, we got from like the humane society and it had parvo, so it died pretty quick. We had another one that um ran away during the fireworks.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, and actually ran away all the time yeah, it was a beautiful dog, um, and then we didn't get another dog until roommates one brought one home when she was a senior in high school and I'm like I mean it was the cutest dog ever. All of my kids love dogs and have recently got new dogs. Oh, roommate three has, I think, five currently, but she'll always be a dog person. Um, but all my kids love animals so much. Yeah, uh, roommate one has, uh, what does she have? She has two dogs, ten, well, and and this is Hadley's uh also, but she's got a, is it it a gerbil? Yeah, a gerbil. And then they have a. What is that? Hedgehog? Oh yeah, those freaking animals are creepy and pokey and gross. It runs on its wheel and like poops in the night. So then the whole cage is like covered in poop and they're nocturnal, so you do that all night. So she's constantly having to clean that cage. It's so gross.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, Did you hear the story about the woman in England who thought she found a hedgehog baby? Okay, and she like whatever. It was like late at night and she thought she found a hedgehog baby and she's not a hedgehog.
Speaker 2:Anyway, she put it, she put it in the um, she put it in a box and like, gave it water and food and made it warm and shit and took it to the vet in the morning and the vet was like we're really sorry to tell you, but that's a pom-pom from someone's hat. It's like we're really sorry to tell you but that's a pom-pom from someone's hat.
Speaker 1:Is it a hedgehog? They're like round with like spiky little things. Yes, yes, okay, so it is, it is a hedgehog. I'm like thinking that doesn't sound right, but okay, anyway, they've got. They've got some animals and, yeah, my kids all love them, I love them too, but I don't have time for one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's maintenance. You got to take care of it. It's like having a freaking other kid, I know.
Speaker 1:We want to get one. Eventually We'll probably get another one. A hand dog, no, a dog. Oh God, I was like why. No, because I would not want to clean that every day like, oh my gosh, um no, but I will get, we'll get a dog. My husband wants a. What is that called? Uh, big dog, um, great dean ground corey corso.
Speaker 1:Uh, oh, the egyptian ones quite corso, it's something corso, I don't know. Anyway, we found a few on um like marketplace, and actually there was one cane corso um and there was one at a shelter in Tulsa. But I'm just like, babe, we cannot get a big dog right now and also we live in a rent house, so I know. So I'm like, well, wait, I want a little one, I want a lap dog, like those are. Those are the best.
Speaker 2:Well, if you well, you've got, you've got Randy there to help you out. But, like for me, if I travel I have to find a sitter.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like that's a big deal. Yeah, I can't kennel her.
Speaker 2:I just don't trust other dogs. It's not like I don't try to kennel, but I'm like no, um, you give any dog two seconds with her and they're probably gonna pounce on her because she's old and decrepit, um, and she can't really defend herself. And also, two pounds, well, she doesn't have any teeth, you know. So I don't know. Oh, can you still hear me? I can, okay, so what are we? Uh? What are we talking? Also, congratulations, mom to a, uh, 26 year old child. Oh my, gosh.
Speaker 1:Yes, my roommate number 26, today today which this is not the day it's airing, but yes, we're recording.
Speaker 2:We're recording the birthday which that was the only birth I was not present for yeah, you were in, uh no, were you in college? Yeah, I was in, uh, at hack.
Speaker 1:Okay, I was at hack and then, yeah, that summer when I came back, but I hung out with her a bit yeah, okay, yeah, oh well, we're gonna address an email today, because we talked about this a few podcasts ago and we got an email, and so we are going to talk about that email because it's super relevant. Um, it also stays, um, it also is very um relevant right now. It's current.
Speaker 2:It's current, it's relevant, it's, yeah, in in the demographic, because we know the age and sex and kind of demographics of this person. And I don't think it's uncommon for anyone this age to be questioning and feeling all the feels, the big feels that they are, because it's really really common, not only just at this age but also at this current time. But I think you and I can relate to is that we kind of felt the same way at the same time and that there's some correlation there too with, yeah, we're trying to figure out, like what the fuck you know? Um, let's see, we should just call this episode a mailbag episode, because, yes, we're sort of going to talk about this all the time because there's a lot in the email um to address or to talk about. So, um, even I know we're going to riff on everything else, like in these questions, but, um, I wrote, I wrote down a synopsis of the questions, okay, like so, just basically, what? Um, well, do we want to read it? You can read it, okay, so I'll read the whole thing pretty quickly here and then we can kind of pick them apart and go through and look at what the questions are.
Speaker 2:So here's our question from our listener how are people young people who have many more years to live supposed to research and take politics seriously when there is either no one to represent them and or it takes too big of a toll of our mental health? My political views were strongly influenced by abusive family growing up and now that I fully carry my own beliefs that are drastically different than what I was raised to think. When I start reach researching politics, I think, um, there was a question there, but anyway, um, and then she, she I know it's a sheet goes on. When I start researching politics and candidates and I see candidates that are religious or completely fascist, it triggers me when I can't find anyone that aligns with my values or beliefs. It's so disheartening.
Speaker 2:Why are we supposed to vote for the least evil? Why do y'all think voices living here in this country should stay quiet if they aren't participating in a broken system that doesn't represent them? Which is a little bit conflicting there, because I think that they meant to say why are? Why should they stay quiet if they aren't participating? Which was kind of a a double negative, because we were talking about if you're not going to vote, then shut up, right, okay, that, but I think that's a little, was that's what she meant to say.
Speaker 2:I understand that not voting when you are able to is shitty because others can't vote. But if there, but if there is nothing representing you, how can you, how can you continue to vote for the lesser evil? How can you blame anyone for stepping away because of mental health? Can people still spread awareness and speak up for social injustices and educate themselves and still be a good citizen and even care, if they don't vote because it physically and emotionally affects them so greatly? Or should they keep their mouth shut because they can't adapt to a failing system? So that's the end of the email and there's a lot there, right? Oh yeah, so that's the end of the email, and there's a lot there right, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:So, but I do think that this person is just really voicing a lot of the sentiment that younger voters, or younger citizens will say, looking to participate in the civic duty of voting and finding representation, are coming up against. They're hitting this massive wall of geriatrics, you know, and a gerontology that's everybody in politics anymore, you know almost everyone, almost everyone unbelievable.
Speaker 2:We first of all need to recognize that within politics, in the last 10 years, we've seen a huge rise in representation from women in particular, which is a big freaking deal. And then also like particularly in the shorter term seats, like the house, local government officials and across the board in the lower representation classes, we've seen a ton more latina right diversification of all of the actual representation of what is in the population. This is why there's a backlash right now. This is why we're in a culture. War is because women are getting more power and people of color are getting more power, which is a representative democracy, and people are losing their damn minds because they're absolute white, nationalist, nazi motherfuckers I mean even if people don't.
Speaker 1:I mean I think that most people don't think that of themselves, but the way that they act when somebody is not representative of them, that's not a white male, and the way that they lose their mind over it is so telling of that absolutely.
Speaker 2:You don't have to say it explicitly or even have you know, uh, whatever, uh, you know deplorable flag that says it. But your actions and the way that you're treating people in these positions of power who have gotten there by representation, are triggering you, and that's why there's this backlash.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I think that's not a hundred percent run into people all the time that are like, well, I'm not racist, but and I'm like that's a big but there is literally making a huge statement, um, know, and then they don't think women are inferior, but you know what I mean. So the that word but means so much, um, I find myself saying not those particular things, but stuff like that all the time and I'm like, well, I agree with you, but I really don't agree with you. You know, I agree with most of what maybe't agree with you. You know, I agree with most of what, maybe most of what you're saying, but there is reservations and I think that a lot of people, unconsciously, are biased towards the white old man running everything.
Speaker 2:So so yep and and uh, it's a little it. I. I want to say that on a lot of these uh points I do not disagree. No, um and I, but there's my butt. Yes, I think that at this well. One okay, let's go back a little bit and look at the why are they feeling so powerless? One we stopped teaching civil uh service like well in government government any of that. We talked about that, the other day.
Speaker 1:There's no. The government educate. The education on government is nil. I mean it's so minuscule and we can talk about the importance.
Speaker 2:No, and we could talk about the history of that and where it came from and why that movement started. And I will say, without giving you know a ton of backstory, that it absolutely has to do with a white nationalist replacement theory movement in the united states. So it definitely came from that racist element all of all of it has, because there's always been a fear of the immigrants. You know, the women, the right minorities rule being there. And right, if we, if we just look at our simple history, united States is a minority, rural country, we beat England, right, we fled from England as immigrants. We beat England and now we're the world's, you know, superpower, although, yeah, that that's slowly degrading, but that was the whole frigging point of the U? S is right to to make sure everyone's voice is heard.
Speaker 2:That we are a representative democracy, right, um, and those terms are really thrown around a lot, but it is a representative government of the people, by the people, for the people is written into these things. But when it starts looking a lot like the actual population, then people lose their damn minds. Um, so let's, let's start from the beginning of this a little bit and kind of dissect it and then go through it. Um, one of the first things that this uh mailbag reader brought up was, uh, the fact that the youth, which are going to be in the system longer than potentially our demographic, is, um not representative, represented in politics now we could look at this from state, you know, federal, local, state and federal levels, right, and so, again, I don't think that's wrong because we are.
Speaker 2:We are in a gerontocracy and there's a lot of older people. But I want to, I want to counter that argument a little bit by saying, like, look at, you know, the House in a lot of states, because there are a lot of young, like the other guys in Tennessee, the right, the two black guys and the one white guy that got right, thrown out and stuff and then reinstated right away because it created such a stir. Aoc, there's quite a few younger generational types that have got made their way through, and so I will say that that is a movement. But I also want to say to this reader run for something. But I also want to say to this reader run for something I mean literally anyone do local, you know local right, but they're not wrong.
Speaker 2:They're not wrong on saying that. We all know that it's all a thing. The whole biden and trump, like age shit is, is a thing I get that. I also want to mention the fact and uh, like in a lot of other countries, especially like uh, let's say, developed uh democracies across the world, which I think there's between 13 and 18, depending on how you classify them um, age is important, but in a lot of them, age is is a uh feature, not a bug, because they have more experience, they know how to work the system.
Speaker 2:But in general, this whole email vibe is like the system is broken. It is if you don't take part. Yeah, it's not going to work for you if you don't know how to take part. But again we get in the argument where we're button heads up against. Well, there's no education, there's no civic, governmental education about how it works. So, yeah, then of course it feels like you know you're getting shoved into a, you know it's overwhelming. Yeah, yeah, but I don't think they're wrong. Representation in politics but then again you have to look at representation in terms of what are your beliefs, what is your ethnic background? You know what is your social class. That's a big freaking deal, because a lot of these politicians are just wealthy motherfuckers and that's the only way they can get in. So until we remove the money out of politics, we're never going to have a representative democracy. Well, and that's.
Speaker 1:That's been for um, many, many years, yeah, forever. It's like the one with the most money wins. I mean, trump proved that, you know, eight years, eight years ago, 12 years ago, when he ran eight years ago, um, when he said, uh, I mean I thought it was um hilarious. You know, at the time I'm like, oh my god, this rich, wealthy person is going to run for president and I thought this will prove 100 because he has no background of politics whatsoever, like he literally had not been in anything political. He was just a wealthy businessman that said whatever the heck he wanted to. I feel like our governor in Oklahoma is so much like Trump.
Speaker 2:You're not wrong.
Speaker 1:It's so true, I was so hopeful for the last um governor or governor election that we were gonna get an amazing female to be our governor, but that didn't happen. Um, which is you know, it is what it is the. It was the. It was voted um. It was one of the best, like the. It was like one of oklahoma's biggest, because she was a democrat. Oklahoma is highly republican, so, um, the fact that she had so much of the vote was kind of amazing and actually encouraging that people aren't just a hundred percent closed-minded to that. But he's a lot like trump in that he says and does whatever he wants and he doesn't follow any political like, no accountability, no accountability.
Speaker 2:And it's just so disheartening and so frustrating to watch it happen I mean that is, I think part of the sentiment here is that they're like well, we had a good option and then, yeah, it's like the, the pardon, ageism here. But the old fucking farts who are set in their ways are not really thinking about and they always vote yeah, right, yeah, and, and that's.
Speaker 2:that's the other big takeaway. That's like, yeah, but the other side's gonna fucking vote right you, you know, right against you. So if you don't participate, then you're basically letting them have it. You're rolling over and you're saying I'm not going to stand up and fight and yeah, it's fucking hard.
Speaker 1:And it's frustrating.
Speaker 2:It's frustrating.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this is the other thing, though there is never, probably ever, going to be someone who aligns with you Absolutely.
Speaker 1:You're never going to find that person. That's like I agree with them on this, this, this, this, this, everything. I agree a hundred percent with everything. So, and I know she wrote in there something about the lesser of two evils yeah, twice so well. Yeah, twice, yeah. About the lesser of two evils yeah, twice so well, yeah, twice, yeah. So that's that's. I mean, that's one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is go for the positives in each candidate and see who aligns the best from the positive standpoint. I mean mean I think we actually use that term, the lesser of two evils.
Speaker 2:We do, we do a lot, but I think there's a better way to tell younger voters about that and I think the better way to tell younger voters to vote one. This is how I have begun and this is another little how toto here one look at what they do, not what they say yes, so follow their track record of voting. What have they voted for? What have they made movement on? What have they brought to your community? How have they made it better? So?
Speaker 1:how they made a difference.
Speaker 2:You do not say, like, what do they do? Don't look at what they say. As we've seen in the last eight years, anyone can say anything and blow smoke out their ass and and, just right, completely do the opposite of what they say. So look at what they do and then, secondly, where are they getting their money from? So you, almost every single uh representative, uh elected official, has to report who they get money from, and it should be on your state's website. So if you go to whatever state alaskagov right, and you look at who's running, who's on the ticket, they have to disclose who their contributors are.
Speaker 2:So you can follow the money every single time and you may not align with everything that their statement whatever the fuck that means says, but look at how they vote on decisions, look at what they're going to support and then see where they get their money, because that's where you can tell okay, that's a person I can vote for if they're not taking money from dark money sources. If they're not right. Dark money sources, if they're not right, completely bought out by a work you know, either a, um, a huge uh corporation, right, that's just contributing to them to get into that spot. Then you know exactly. They're telling you exactly what they're going to do yeah, the one that does the most money.
Speaker 1:They're paying basically for them to.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's corrupt. By their politician yes, yes, and we see that from the Supreme Court down and the presidency.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it happens everywhere. For sure, I don't think, I don't think that's a shock to anybody.
Speaker 2:No, but if you really don't even vote along party lines, that's a great way to do it is just go okay. What have they done, who have they voted for, what policies have they voted for or what policies do they support, and then, who gave them money? Then that tells you everything you need to know about them. You don't even have to like don't believe their statements.
Speaker 1:No, you can't, but it's all lies, it's all lies, it's all lies, it's all lies. It's a lie. Yes, because they're saying what they think you want to hear, no matter what. In every political campaign, they go and make promise after promise. After promise, I mean the governor's election, the presidential elections, all this stuff. If you read their speeches, you're just like so I mean, I think I can't remember. I think it was biden who said every car on the road will be electric in 10 years, brandon brandon brandon coming out oh my gosh, like that's hysterical.
Speaker 1:That's just a funny example. Yeah, I don't know if it was 10 years. It was. It was a short amount of time. I don't know the exact amount, but I'm like there's no way, because there's like there's so many people, I mean it would take a hundred years probably. You know, yeah, um, it's not in the nearest future that everything is going to like that's just silly. Um, but like this is what they do when they're campaigning and they're like trying to get the vote and they're saying these random things that they think you want to hear or big corporations want to hear, or whatever. Um, so yeah, you do have to read more into just what they say, do the actions and watch what they do. I agree with that a hundred percent yeah, do not say.
Speaker 2:And that's so hard, I think, for again, we don't teach civics or government, so how would they know? We'll go to your state websites, um. I talked about this a little bit and it's kind of unnerving and it's also a really bad sign that people aren't posting um their statements about, like, what they do believe in or policy stuff, um, which is a little disturbing because that's a sign of like propagandists and like political violence, meaning that they're not willing to say it because they they're in fear of getting right right repercussions from that. So that's a huge, huge sign, um. But the other thing is that in most well, in all campaigns, you have to disclose, uh, over a certain dollar amount, who you took money from. So, even if it's a pack of some kind, you still have to disclose that it's a pack, even if it doesn't say exactly the donors. But you can then backtrack that to the pack and look at who's building that pack or that coalition to support them. So if you do follow the money, it's absolutely the best way to look at what they're going to do. You can tell um.
Speaker 2:But I think you and I let's go back to you and I we felt the same way. Uh, particularly around this age and like when our kids were young um, I say our kids as if I have more than one, but between the two of us combined um, that we kind of were in limbo for a while too, because we had just come out the cult, um, we had been told what to vote for, who to vote for, um, in every election, up until we grew up, came out of the cult and then had to start making our own choices, and we also felt like there was nobody who aligned with us. Um, I still don't think that I don't think there's anyone who perfectly aligns with my beliefs either, but I do know that I'm more willing to show up and vote against the other people who are going to vote against my own interests and what I want that I will, because I want to make sure they do not get their voice over her and then I have to live in their society.
Speaker 2:That I will show up and vote at least for the, the candidate who most likely represents what I do believe, and that's not going to ever align perfectly yeah um, and let's see, I was gonna say the second thing they mentioned was their beliefs not aligning with the family or a party.
Speaker 2:And I'm like, yeah, we live in a two-party system, you know. And, um, you and I grew up in a fucking cult. Like, yeah, our, our belief system was shattered and then we had to figure it out and build it from scratch after you know, 100% without. And we did get a little bit of a civic and government. Um, education, I mean, it was minimal, but we did.
Speaker 2:We knew how the government functioned right how it worked, yeah, and what your job was to do as a you know civilian in the united states and vote republican.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's what they would say.
Speaker 2:Well, anyway, and I will say that that party of republican wasn't necessarily all that bad at the time. Well, that's true too. It definitely um pushed us to where we are.
Speaker 1:I feel like both parties are going, like you, more to the right and more to the left.
Speaker 2:That's particularly because only the loudest, most obnoxious voices get heard. Yes, I think that that's very true.
Speaker 1:I think that's a small percentage of it.
Speaker 2:Most people are somewhere in the middle.
Speaker 1:I agree with that for sure, because I mean there's parts of both parties I hate, oh God. Yeah, absolutely. But yeah, I definitely think looking at individuals, not just a party, is the way to go.
Speaker 2:And that's up and down the ticket. Right, go both ways. And you really we talked about that last time is you got to look at your local almost more than even the top, because you know takeovers happen really slow, uh, city councilmen, they happen from, uh, our state representatives, our right, our state senators, um, it goes up and down the ticket there and you really just have to look at, okay, well, who, let's say? And it's almost like, um, oh my god. So when you get interviewed for an academic job, which is also I will not mince my words in that academia is a definite bureaucracy and it is the definition of the least of two evils, evils, um, and when you go and get interviewed or take a job in an academic environment, uh, you basically go up against a panel of people, none of which really understand your particular field, but all of whom will vote you out base. Well, the candidate who gets selected in an academic job is the one that everyone hated the least, and that is sort of what you need to do. If you're, if you're struggling with this, especially on the smaller local ones, what you have to do is go. Okay, what's the worst case scenario? And which candidate do I hate the least, because unless you're willing to run for something or you're willing to put yourself on the line, then you have to, you have to go. Okay, I can't stand this person, I can't, I can't stand all of them, but this guy is the least. This guy, woman, whoever is the least defensive, right? So it really depends on like. It is, in some sense, the least lesser of two evils, but it's also like the candidate you hate the least. Think of it also. You can think about it a little bit more positively in terms of, well, this is the candidate that, at the very least, most represents my values, and, um, it's not always going to be that way, but, uh, I, I am going to plug someone here, liz. Um, I'm gonna plug, uh, I think. Let me look it up real quick. The organization is, um, run for anything, I believe. Oh, no, run for something, um, and it's uh, run for something dot net, which is hilarious, but run for something is an organization, and I want to say that they got in like, so, if you think of a lot of the younger, uh, younger candidates that are now in, like the house, um, uh, there's a ton of them, but candidates running in 2024, let's go through this real quick. Uh, let's see.
Speaker 2:So garrett barnes is a judge in craighead, county, arkansas. Uh, chad all a ull state house, district 79, kentucky. Which god, they need someone. Um. Billy cook state house, district 19 um, arkansas. Uh, grossmont, zone 3. Nadia Farjoud, board of County Supervisors, district 1, solano County, california, arizona. Eric Stafford he's young, he looks like he's 15. I'm not kidding. Bobby Omari, school Board, san Bernardino, county, california. Micah dyer, school board, peoria, arizona. Like these are all young, like people who are like um, running their little butts off, and this is an organization that supports them. So they, they support you. Like for this particular uh mailbag, uh email, I'm like go sign up with them, right, and then like they are going to help you out with how to figure out how to get into an office, school board, state house um city council, county board, sheriff, right, all these other little smaller offices that you can make a difference in um.
Speaker 1:But again, I mean because you, you said this that week, we did the podcast, though is that the local elections are the ones that affect you the most, but the most I was gonna say the yes. The big elections affect the whole thing, but in a state level. That's what you're living in, yes, yes, you can. You can be a part of the small elections, and it's you know, and you don't have to have a degree in political science, and you don't have to have a degree in political science. There's multiple people who are in office who do not you know, and so they, but you start. You have to start somewhere, yeah, so that's a great, that's a great idea.
Speaker 2:Well, again, I'm going to plug it. Run for somethingnet, and they work with you. They help you build a plan. They help you build statements. They help you build a plan. They help you build statements. They help you try, they support you with figuring out how to raise money right From local people and you know canvas and do all the things but they provide a platform and they are there to support you know, younger voices like this who really don't feel like they're being representative, and help them out to get into these offices.
Speaker 2:That are, you know, important, and I will say that they're non-partisan, meaning they're just like here's how to do it if you want to do it right, um, they're going to support you, no matter where you're at. You know, whatever your beliefs are, but they're there to help you. Um, and I think that's that's really important, though, is to understand that it is a system. I know we all feel like it's broken, and that's so easy to say. It's an easy out to just go oh, fuck it, it's broken, you know, burn it to the ground and start over, and that's a lot of like the really really far right trump stuff, and it's also a part of the really really far left, you know also is like nothing works. Fuck it all to hell, let's just burn it down.
Speaker 2:You can't do that in a system this large, or a system that's powerful, or a system with this much money. You have to attack it from the little issues, money being the biggest one. Money is is the biggest corruption in our whole system. We do not have free and fair elections when there's so much money involved from corporate PACs and the 1% of the country that has all the money. It's not a representative government that way. So the class system has to be broken, but that is from the ground up. You have to do it from the bottom to the top. We started at the bottom, the top. We started at the bottom. Now we're at the top, but that's how it works.
Speaker 2:That is how it works in a nutshell is no, you start, you run, you go, you vote for those little tiny city council members who you know, or you know school board members who you know. Like, get people on there who care and want to do a good job and they will. Yeah, and there's a ton of people in government who are out there doing their job every fucking day. You don't hear about them, they're not on national news, they're not screaming and bitching and moaning and clogging the systems of the government up. But guess who gets all the news media coverage? All the ones who are. So, yes, of course it feels disheartening, of course it does. But, like, start looking up the the little, smaller people who are just showing up every fucking day and doing their best job to represent you and do their best job with the best intentions for the rest of the government, and there's a lot of them.
Speaker 1:So reach out to them too, like why not? They will listen, people, because they are the ones who will listen, because they do want to represent you and they want to keep their job and they want to. They're doing it the little. I say little people, but the people in the local government are working for you, and so reaching out to them is definitely important.
Speaker 2:Yep, and they will respond yeah. And then let's see yeah, the broken system. And why vote when you know it's just so disheartening? You know, and you know I presented or said, you know, well, one of the big reasons is that you know people who believe differently than you most likely will vote. So, if anything that should be your reason for voting is that you, there's going to be someone out there who's going to vote against what you think regardless. So that's, if anything, that should be a motivation to just go do it, even if it does cause, you know, anxiety. Right, there's voting anxiety. There's voting anxiety everywhere.
Speaker 2:But again, I'm like what are you listening to? Right, go talk to your local representative, to go talk to them. I mean, email them. I, I do it occasionally and I'll just be pissed off one night and send off like four fucking, like fiery emails, you know, and just be like what the fuck are you doing? Like this doesn't represent us, how, how can you say this and do this? You know, and and I will, but, and it doesn't, I will get a response. It's usually a canned response, especially the higher up they are. But you know, some local, local people will respond and say, yeah, you're right, I'm I'm working on this. I'm working on this. I'm working on this. Just because you don't hear about it Doesn't mean I'm not working on it. You know, hold the phone, I'm there, yeah.
Speaker 2:I understand, I see you and I'm trying. So, um, and oftentimes they'll say well, I understand that's how you feel. Try this and see if you can contact this person you know and and make your voice heard there, cause sometimes they're not always the right person that you need to talk to, but a lot of the local ones are going to listen. It's in their best interest to listen, because you're their constituent and that's their job. Yes, and you better be damn sure that whoever believes the opposite of what you'd believe, they're doing that, yes, they are reaching out, they are talking to them, they are doing all those things and, even though it feels disheartening, they're for sure, for fuck's sake, they're doing it. So make sure that you do it. Also right and let's say that was the other question was how do we engage if we don't feel like we can vote for anyone and we don't feel like there's any candidate? That's how you can engage.
Speaker 2:Talk to some, reach out, talk to your local, whatever city, council, school board, the elected officials that are in your local community. Reach out, send them an email, talk to them Even if you don't. Let's say you didn't vote for them. But are you going to be more likely to vote for them if they reach back, to be more likely to vote for them. If they reach back to you with fair enough to reach back, yep, yep, are you going to be more likely to vote for them? Heck, yeah, because you know that there's an, a representative person there. You know that's either speaking up for you or right absolutely how does citizen without voting?
Speaker 2:yeah, and I think that's part of it. I don't know how would you citizen without voting?
Speaker 1:what are some other things?
Speaker 2:yeah, I mean, you could canvas you could canvas for a candidate you actually believed in. You absolutely could. You can make phone calls um vote, voteorg. Um. What was the other one? There are several organizations that you can sign up with. I did this last election cycle um. I think it's voteorg.
Speaker 1:It is voteorg.
Speaker 2:Voteorg is a website that will let you sign up so you could do a phone bank. So let's say there's a really important election happening in like oh I don't know fucking Arizona, where they're about to ban and take the law back to 18 fucking 26, they just did yesterday 1826.
Speaker 1:Yes, now I saw that this morning.
Speaker 2:It was horrifying anyway yes, so, but you could. And now, well, I, I, I think the really great thing about that whole entire situation, if we want a silver lining here, is that basically, that's going to turn Arizona blue. Oh for sure, I'm like y'all just fucked yourselves. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1:That was the article I was reading this morning was about that they're like oh well, I mean, because Arizona has been on the fence a few times, you know, so doing that just makes them go. Well, fuck, you know, like doing this blanket thing, oh, it's just crazy Anyway 160 year old law.
Speaker 2:Uh huh, we couldn't even vote 168,. I believe is what it said you and I couldn't even vote 168 years ago, but we're going to roll it back. So fucking stupid, so normal.
Speaker 2:So, normal, and that is because people didn't speak up. Yeah, right, and and guess what they're going to now? Because there's going to be a huge backlash. Oh yeah, they're going to speak out now for sure. Oh yeah, it's going to happen and I'm like, okay, you're forcing them. That's cool actually. So that is the silver lining. I mean, that is okay. There you go. There's, there is the silver lining, that's silver lining. I'm like great, you just turn that state into. They're gonna shut that shit down pretty quickly. Um, women are strong. Women are powerful, even if we're not the loudest ones. And right now, you know, it's turned to like just this massive male toxicity voice out there going. They're fucking, you know, losing their damn minds, and it's's like great.
Speaker 1:Well, you guys, and also I would like to say we're not men haters For all our men listeners, because there are men who Understand. Yes, and also I mean I'm married to one who's pretty freaking, I mean he's, he's got patience and is very understanding of females, because he was. He raised three daughters and me he raised you he raised me he kind of did for the first few years.
Speaker 1:But I mean there are good men that can be in politics. I don't think men should totally be out of politics. Absolutely men be in politics but, you need to represent everybody and not just the wealthy, and by your politics, yes, anyway, yeah. I have not researched this because, you know, I didn't think to beforehand. But I did pull up actual names of men who are making a difference. But there's the women that are coming in there. Some of them are mad as hell. They're gonna do it. It is amazing.
Speaker 2:I'm like I'm gonna say I'm gonna say rokhana in california, rokhana is killing it like he's just killing it. He's like fuck the shit, I'm over it, yeah you know. And he's like he sends me texts and stuff because I think I probably contributed at some point. But he'll send me texts and he's just like we're over the fucking gun shit in schools. Tennessee, just fucking, was it? Tennessee just fucking voted yesterday for teachers to carry on campus. Oh, dear god that's horrifying, what the actual fuck. No, I get it. I get it if you.
Speaker 1:If you're in a classroom. A little bit of fear, sure, as a teacher. But what's with that one rogue teacher that a kid smarts off and he pulls out a gun and shoots him Like that? Is my fear.
Speaker 2:That's the least. That's the least of it. We got to go backwards and go. Why the fuck is it even necessary? Well, because people come into the school and do it, but what's the odds of them actually getting to the shooter and shooting them before they get shot first? Fuck that Right. Also, why? Why do we need it? Why do we need it? Because there's too many fucking guns, and you can disagree with me all you want on that, but responsible gun ownership is not going up. No, so you know and actually I think I've told you this, I think I told our mom this, I think I've told my roommate for this. My partner knows this If I go down in a school shooting like, I want you to pamphlet the shit out of my dead body riddled with bullet holes, like get a helicopter, rent it. If that's how I go down, that's my medical directive. Take pictures of every bullet hole in my body and plaster them all over the fucking us, because I want people to see it like emmett fucking till bullshit. And so people understand and they're like oh, don't take pictures of blah. I'm like no, you fucking show everyone in the united states what the fuck happened and I want everyone to know that that could be their little freaking child. Oh my god, I have the worst. Well, it's so. Ass backwards how they're doing this. So yesterday, um, my boyfriend's uh works at a high school in southern california, um, and they did a drill and it's over two days. The drill was made to be offensive and disruptive, so they had an assembly every fucking 15 minutes. Oh my god, wait for it. Wait for it. Um, and this isn't directly related to related to, like voting or anything else other than how stupid this system is fucking working for us right now. So, and he's in special ed, right. So imagine, like, okay, we're talking about kids who need a little bit more learning, assistance or different right systems for learning. Yeah, they're not going to process a 15 minute or assembly every 15 minutes like disruption. Very well, they're not going to handle that. Very well, they need you know a little bit more structure. Maybe you know more stuff now. Shit, I forgot to put in my sourdough um today. So what that was about was drunk driving. I'm not kidding. Today, there are students who volunteered to be the person who died from a drunk driving accident and they're gonna oh my god, they did that in the high school my kids lived in.
Speaker 1:They're holding a fucking funeral today, oh yeah, with the parents participating like what the fuck, why don't you just say right obituaries and put them in the paper and everything?
Speaker 2:okay. So why don't we just, instead of traumatizing every fucking child in the school, why don't we just teach them a more healthy relationship with alcohol?
Speaker 1:Right, oh my gosh. It was horrifying and they had actual crashed cars on the campus of the school that simulated what the wreck was, where all of these kids died. They wrote obituaries, the parents wrote obituaries.
Speaker 2:They posted them in the paper like it is freaking crazy, oh, everyone knows, if you tell people not to do something so many times, guess what they're going to do. They're going to do it you're reinforcing. You're reinforcing drunk driving behavior. You're not preventing it. That is such bullshit. You basically traumatized all these kids for no fucking reason other than to promote the fact that, oh, you can't have this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like book banning, it's the same shit yeah, oh my god, I I'm like I'm so upset about that and I'm like how, how is that productive at all? But these are little things that I'm like. You know, I want to like write into that school district and you know, just be like I'm sorry, this teaches nothing, like you basically just taught a bunch of kids that it you shouldn't be doing this. You traumatize them. Guess what? They're gonna probably go out and want to have a beer after that whole trauma stage because they're traumatized.
Speaker 1:They want to forget the trauma. Oh my god, no, they did that in the high school, and they would do it every four years. The thing that they did with this, though and I don't know if it's the same in California is they didn't alert everyone that they were doing it. They only got certain people to participate. They made it real as fuck. So it was actually like nobody knew this was happening. They would post it in the paper, pictures in the paper, put the cars at the high school. They would have a funeral at the high school for these kids that weren't there, like it was the whole, like they went all the fucking way. It was fucking horrifying. It was fucking horrifying. One of my girlfriends not I mean, not a close girlfriend, but a girl that I worked with she let her daughter participate in this and I was like how the fuck? And she goes. Oh my god, it was so horrifying. I had to write her obituary and all this stuff and I'm like how the fuck? Like no, no, I, I didn't like it at all. I didn't like it, um, but yeah, terrible, anyway, let's get off that subject.
Speaker 1:I think that, um, we have shared a lot of stuff. I hope we answered questions. I hope, yeah, I think. I think the mental health part is become more educated. Um, and and not be educated. What I mean is make yourself more aware, more comfortable talking to people, so that it doesn't stress you out, like if something's stressing you out, like talk about it right, like find the right person to talk about it with. As far as, like your representative or your local people or whatever, send an email, I mean, it makes I feel like writing something down makes such a big difference, like if I can.
Speaker 2:It's probably the best way to approach it.
Speaker 1:Write it down, put it on paper. Something's pissing you off. If something is not right, um, write about it, not just on paper, but send it like, send an email, you know. I think that that helps, um, because it's all stressful. I stress what I mean back when I had children, um, and I had was out of the cult, I was like what the fuck am I raising my kids in? Like, because back 25 years ago it still sucked, there was still things that were wrong with systems and I had no idea how to navigate any of it and I probably didn't like teach my kids how to do that. Well enough, but I should, because it really can be, um, I mean, it's not easy, but it should. You should have a voice, I guess, is what I'm trying to say yeah, and anyway, I would go.
Speaker 2:I think the big takeaway um you know once I get, I'm doing sourdough.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you need to speak up.
Speaker 2:I can barely, barely hear you uh, sorry, I had to start sourdough. Um, I'm gonna make bake some bread today. The the big takeaway is if you're feeling that frustrated, if you're feeling that under representative or underrepresented and you're feeling that you know despair or that sense of like utility, then do something. So let's say you don't vote because it's traumatizing and you can't handle that. Then go campaign, go talk to your representatives, go uh camp, uh canvas for someone. Go join a phone call bank in another state where you're hoping for this other candidate to win Right. Um, do something, because that's the alternative to sitting and wallowing and being, you know, totally fatalist and depressed and you know, just frustrated with the entire system it is frustrating go do.
Speaker 2:It is frustrating, and absolutely it's frustrating, but go, do something right. Make, make your, your challenge or your frustrations into something you can actionably do and even if it's something really small, it's going to help. It's going to help you feel as though you know you are contributing to a system and then, therefore, it is helping you be more representative within that system because you're doing something about it.
Speaker 1:There would be no system if there weren't individuals who Right.
Speaker 2:It's all. It isn't just a system, so you can't look at it like that, Right?
Speaker 1:Okay, let's wrap this up. Rachel wins and loss for the week.
Speaker 2:You go first.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay. So I'm going with my loss, which is my frustration of the week. Is taxes Okay Fair? We need a progressive tax system. Which is my frustration of the week is taxes Okay Fair, we need a progressive tax system.
Speaker 1:I am so overwhelmed, oh my God, so overwhelmed and it's like. It's like this pressure beating down on me and I've got like 90% of them done. I may follow an extension, just to like put this out of my brain, but I don't want to, I want to just get them done. So that is my loss. And I have a week, less than a week, to finish, so that's my loss.
Speaker 2:Did you know that in the 1950s, when everybody thinks it's like the most best time of our country and everybody was being successful and you know people were able to buy houses and right, have family and do all that shit and afford it? You know people were able to buy houses and right, have family and do all that shit and afford it. Did you know that the top percentage of tax payers were at a 90% tax?
Speaker 1:rate. That's amazing. No, it's not horrifying.
Speaker 2:They don't need all that money. No, it's not horrifying. They don't need all that money, right? Wow, that's crazy. So we need a progressive tax system. That's why you're so stressed about it.
Speaker 1:Yes, okay, okay, that's your win. Oh, you tell me your loss, my loss first um, it would, it's.
Speaker 2:It's a mash-up. It's probably a tie between, like what is it? The tennessee fucking carry law and the Arizona abortion ban, because they just keep coming. You know, they just keep coming and we're getting more and more of our rights taken away every fucking day because of lobbyists and extremists and it's just bullshit. So that's my loss. Yeah, okay, and it's not just those two Florida's, is the same Florida's about to ban it? So there's absolutely no um women's reproductive health care in the entirety of the south if that goes through. So it's all of those.
Speaker 2:It's all of the, the loss of rights for people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's horrible, um, okay, so my win for the week is my business is insanely booming to the point where I'm stressed out. So it's it's a win in that I have as much business as I can handle and more, so I'm very thankful that I you know, I went out on my own two years ago, left a company that I love to hate um, loved for years and then began to hate and I just treated me like shit. So I left and went out on my own and it's scary as hell like starting your own thing, and I'm telling you right now it is so good and I'm so thankful, um, that it is. It's insanely busy. So there's my win excellent, we like that.
Speaker 2:So now go pay taxes on all that money you just made, literally, literally um okay, my win um, I think it's roommate four graduating this week.
Speaker 2:Like, I think this week it's not in a little. Yeah, I think it's set in a little bit, just because, um, I'm having to start preparations for it, which, fuck, it was expensive. Again, one of my one of my fucking losses too is education is bullshit right now. But, um, we did the thing. I mean, she's going to be done in less than a month now and I'm super proud. I did it basically on my own and you know, she I don't think everyone should go to college, I don't think it's meant for everyone, but she certainly was the kid that needed to go and did it and you know I I'm really grateful for that. I'm I'm that's a win. Um, again, I don't think, and not everyone can afford it, so I understand my privilege there too, but I'm also acknowledging the fact that it was a huge accomplishment.
Speaker 2:She's done it and we're almost out of the woods um, I cannot wait for that moment, god god, and you know it doesn't mean they're done, like we still have to be parents and they're still right. Yeah, uh, she called me last night and was like I want to look at getting a new car. And I'm like, fuck, yeah, I mean that's what I'm thinking. I didn't say that, but yeah, I, I was like, well, you know, and uh, but she's asking all the right questions and I really appreciate that. So that's my win for the week. Um, all right. Well, um, I think we should do this mailbag, as long as people keep sending us emails Cause once we get an email and love it and love to hear from you.
Speaker 2:Yep, um and so um keep sharing, guys share the podcast with people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we would love for you to share our podcast, share it with on your facebook page, on your um, instagram, whatever. Share our podcast. We rate, rate us, rate it. That would be awesome too. I know we're all over the place a lot of times, but we definitely want to relate to people and share our story and share our stories of you know us growing up, our kids growing up, raising our children, all of the things. And so, yeah, we'd love to hear from you sisters declassified at gmailcom and you can see us on Facebook.
Speaker 1:Sisters Declassified, sisters underscore Declassified on Instagram and, yeah, send us a note, or, I guess, weekend, because it's going to be airing on a Friday, friday. So have a good weekend. Yep, all right, bye, until next time, bye.