Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - Examining the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Why MLK Day Can Feel Performative

Episode Date: January 19, 2021

Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay discuss Bow Wow’s performance at a packed club as part of a new segment: Bow Wow Watch (7:00) and Charles Barkley’s ridiculous statement that professional athletes should get to jump the vaccine line because of their high taxes (21:00) before they dive into the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the flaws in the widespread perception of him (37:00). Finally, they say goodbye to President Trump in the last ‘Higher Learning’ podcast of his administration (1:06:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yo, yo, thought warriors, what is up? How are learning is on. It's I, Van Latham. It's me, Rachel Lindsay. Rachel, how was your weekend? Weekend, same-all, same-all, band. You know, not a whole lot popping. Works on Saturdays, football, Saturday and Sunday.

Football wasn't great on Saturday, though, right? Like, boring games, highly disappointed. What was Saturday? Oh, was Bill's, Bill's Ravens? Bill's Ravens. Packers. Packers. And, um, Rams.

Womp. Yeah. Yeah. Sunday, much better games. Went to a friend's house. Watch the game. It's always great when I can take copper out where he can have a yard. You know what I mean? Play with another dog.

So that was nice. That was a change of pace for me. But other than that, you know, blessed. Let me just say this. I feel like two podcasts in a row I've complained about my weekends about doing nothing. I was blessed beyond measure today in volunteering with Project Angel Food. and talking to people who cannot leave their house at all. So I want to change my spirit because, yes, it might be an issue for me,

but I'm complaining, but I could still go outside and walk the neighborhood. I can go walk in the beach. I can get in the car and I can drive with the windows down. And I talk to people who can't even leave their homes, who had the, I'm trying to get emotional, but had the best attitudes, the best spirit. I talked to a man today who had just got back from, the hospital because he had his toe amputated. And his spirit was infectious. And he told me,

you know what? Never any problems, only solutions. And he's lost his apparent during COVID. You know, his voice was still raspy from leaving the hospital. And he still was just like, I'm blessed. Thank you for calling today. And I told him, I was like, I'm going to take that. And I'm really going to try to like make that a focus and intention in my life. Because I'm complaining over like stupid little stuff. And working a day. with Project Angel Food, I was very blessed. By the way, donate to Project Angel Food. Or look it up.

Look it up if you haven't. If you don't know about it already. It's an amazing organization. Donate to Project Angel Food. Fantastic stuff. I want to both congratulate you and give you some grace. Oh, well, thank you. Your life is your life and your problems or your problems.

Your issues and your issues. And it's always good to put things in perspective. you know, and gratitude is always something that's beautiful. But look, having, you know, all kinds of resources and having a good job and being stable, that doesn't ensure you peace. That's very true. You know what I mean? So I think, you know, peace comes oftentimes with a price.

So it just depends on the price that you pay. So, you know what I mean? It's something that you got to work for. but I'm glad that you were able to kind of see sometimes you have more you have more appreciation for things and your gratitude comes a little bit easier when you can see what other people are thankful for.

Exactly. Put things in perspective. Allowed me to reflect today. It really did. So how was your weekend? It was good. Hung out. I'm working on getting my weight down because we were just talking about this before. The pandemic has,

is wreaking havoc on Van's body. I see the shadow of the old me. He's like in the back, he's going, nigga, come get this piece. That's how he sounds. That's how,

just like you guys know, that's how Fat Man sounds. He's like, hey, big boy, come get some of this. Stop. You know you want some of this ice queen.

It got chocolate chips. That's how he talks. He talks just like that. And sometimes, and sometimes I go, give away from me, demon. Sometimes I go, okay. So, you know, just working on that, physically, mentally healthy.

The Saints lost, which I was, I wanted them to win, but I was happy about the Saints losing. Why? Because it's time to turn the page on Drew Buries. Yeah, Drew is, I will always have a fuzzy feeling for Drew Breeze based upon the elation that I felt 11 years ago. around this time when the Saints won the fucking Super Bowl I can't believe that that happened

and it was such an amazing thing but the combination of Drew Breeze's skills declined over the last couple of years and he got older injuries and stuff like that and just all of the other stuff that comes with Drew Drew missing

the moment on to the game passed Drew the moment passed Drew and now it's time for Drew Brees, who is still a young, very rich man, to live the rest of his life, you know, doing whatever he wants to do, but not being the quarterback of my best team, of my favorite team.

That makes sense. Do you have who you would like to see Step In in that quarterback role? I have a couple of different scenarios. One scenario, just because I like chaos, is that Tassum Hill takes over. Oh, I thought you were going to say chaos with James. No, no, no, no, no.

James is the least chaotic outcome because I think James would actually be very good in the system. I think James can be a great quarterback in the system and we'll just see he's still young enough. He's got all the arm town in the world. Sean Payton, if Sean Payton can't get his hair right, nobody can. James would be a great situation. Tastom Hill would just be the situation that would just shake up the league and really scare the hell out of the fan base would just be so much fun to talk about. But then there's also dream scenarios to where,

you trade all the picks you have and whatever you got and try to go get Deshawn Watson or something like that, you know what I mean? So there are things, there's situations out there. But, you know, they play well, teams still great.

Got to have a new quarterback and we'll see kind of what it is that they do. But there's some options out there. And Champagne will figure it out. He's good at that. He's good at calling the old football game. That's what he does. That's Sean Pane. He calls some pigskin games, that guy.

Um, okay, so The playoffs are here, and you can predict the action all the way to the finals with Fandul predicts. Predict the spread, total points, and even the game winner. Sign up and get a $25 bonus. Offered by Fandul prediction markets LLC, a registered futures commission merchant, 18 plus. Bonus is non-withdrawable and expires seven days after receipt. Trading derivatives involve significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Manage your activity with our consumer protection tool.

Restrictions apply. Bandul.com slash predict slash bonus dash offer dash terms. For adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms, every choice matters. Tramphia offers self-injection or intravenous infusion from the start. Tramphia is administered as injections under the skin or infusions through a vein every four weeks, followed by injections under the skin every four or eight weeks. If your doctor decides that you can self-inject trumphia, proper training is required. Tramphia is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease

and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Serious allergic reactions, increased risk of infections or lower ability to fight them, and liver problems may occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or need a vaccine. Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Tramphia today. Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit trimfireradio.com. It's a big week.

It is. This is a big week. All right. And because this is such a big week, we have to start by talking about little by-wow. That's how big of it. So we're going up. From here, we're going up. We got to start by talking about Biwai.

Wow. Okay. Brand new segment alert. On higher learning, it's called Bow Wow Watch. Let me tell you what we're doing here. Yeah, please tell them why. Please tell them why. We are going to keep a close eye on Bow Wow, aka Shad Moss.

All of his adventures throughout the world, where is Bow Wow? What is he doing? How is he firing people up today? Because there are very few people on the earth that, that can get the Twittersphere, a twittering, and a chittering, like Shad Moss, aka Little Bawa. Last week, it was the boat. Okay.

Remember the boat? Bawa was seen on an incredibly small boat, a dinghy, if you will. It was like a blow-up boat. Like a blow-up boat with models. And people thought that Bawa was trying to flex like he was out there doing this yachting. on this little boat. No masks in sight. Bawao's doing this thing.

Now, there's video of Bawa down in Houston performing this Friday to a packed club with absolutely no one wearing masks

indoors. People went insane. The question is, as far as our Bawa watch is, concern. Look, not even this. It's been times in the past. Remember Bow Wow in the plane? I was about to say that. He acted like, he acted like, he was on a private jet.

And somebody was like, uh, Balaw sitting right in front of me a coach on a Southwest flight. Right. It's just crazy. All of this stuff. What Bow Wow was doing right now, Bawaw performing in the club, in Houston, question to you, Bawa watch, fair foul, in your opinion. Well, it's obviously foul.

Is it? Fowl that Bowahua will performing at a packed club in the great state of Texas. Yes, it's foul. It's foul for two reasons. One, it's foul because I really think Bow Wow thought those people were there to see him. Those people were there to go to the club. Those people were there to be out. And Bow Wow just happened to be on stage performing.

Bow Wow does not pack the house. Okay, that's just what all that is. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa. You think people would be, go ahead. I'm not, it's not about what I think. Okay. It's about what you think.

I don't think so. I think, yeah, if it's a, what was the concert series they were doing, like the Y2K concert and you got all of them together. The Millennium Tour. Millennium Tour. Is that not the same thing? There's so much shade. They had the little Y2K roundup.

Honestly, honestly, I would have gone to that. If I would have gone to that. Just when you got them all thrown in together, all the favorites from the 2000s, excuse me, the Y2K error. Listen, that would pack out a house. I don't know that I would be on a regular day when I got so many options for the night

that I'm saying, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go to the club and I'm going to see Bow Wow. You know, it's different times. It's different times. But anyways, in all seriousness, the reason I say part two why he's foul is because bow wow's not in the crowd, okay? Bow Wow was on stage.

Bow wow is performing. He is technically social distancing from all these people. And he himself, he is not putting himself in danger. But all these people who are there watching him and singing his songs and standing in line to come see him are putting himself themselves in danger. That is the problem. And by you standing on stage and performing, you are setting a bad example. This is why this is foul. you are encouraging people to come out.

You're not putting yourself in that danger. Yet it's not like he was crowd-serving amongst the people. You know what I mean? He had a party with him when the show was over. It's a bad look, especially when our communities are being affected in a greater way than white people. What are you doing, bow wow? What are you doing? Yeah.

Okay, so number one, yeah, it's stupid. And the rules down there in Houston are completely different. it's stupid. But it's also a situation to where I think it's something else that Bow Wow did, I think knowing that people were going to get up in arms about it. All right. But this brings me.

Like he wanted the attention? Sure. I think by wow, I think even with the boat, if you watch the boat video, it's clear that on the bow video, Bow Wow's boat was going to a larger boat or it was going to dock somewhere so they can get off of it.

We saw that later. I don't think a lot of people got that. It was a tugboat. It was not a... No, it wasn't a tugboat. It was a tugboat. It was like, you've been to the islands before.

You go to the island. Yes, you hop off the big boat and you go there, but there was no big boat in sight. And he had to throw. You can see the lady in front of the boat like preparing to land the boat, though. I didn't see that. Oh, okay.

So I definitely think, but here's a. So we're going to do something here. I just pulled up a list of musical artists. So this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to flip this list in my phone. And I'm just going to randomly stop on the artist. Okay. And you tell me about, you tell me whether or not you would rather see this artist pop up in the club or Bawa.

Since you said Bawai isn't packing out. This is a list of random musical artists. Okay. Discovermusic.com. This is a list of musical artist, A to Z. From the Y2K era. Just, no, just any error. Okay.

Oh, okay. Let's see it easy. All right. So, flip, stop. I landed on Bibi King. Absolutely. The thrill is gone. He's a legend.

Bibi King over Bawa. Bawa has five chances to win this game. Bibi King is a legend. I'd go if it was just loose. seal making an appearance. You're doing the most. My dad loves B'i K. You O'Don.

Okay, I'm stopping in. Bonnie Ray. No, I go see Bowie. You go see Bowie. I see Bowie. I'm not going to lie. Bonnie has some songs I like, but I'd see Bowie. You see Bowie.

I'll be honest. Let's see if we can get out of the bees here. Yeah, can't we? Oh, Paul McCartney and Wings. I mean, Paul McCartney is also, just to say I saw him, even if I'm not like the biggest fan, just to say I saw Paul McCartney. Like that's, yeah, I'm going to go see Paul McCartney over Bawaw? It's to say I did it. I would see Bawal over Paul McCartney.

Just to say I did it. Every day of the week. He's a legend. There's a legend. I would definitely go see BOWA. I'm not saying I would enjoy myself. I'd probably enjoy myself more to Bowowow while because I could sing along. But just to say I experienced it.

Okay, fine. All right, let's do it again. So how many more? How many is that? That's three. So we got two more. Bow-W's already one. Let's see how many you can get.

Huey Lewis and the News. What are they saying? I want a new drug. Hip to B Square. They got a lot of hits, man. It's hip to be square. Also, they sing the theme song, To Back to the Future.

Going Back in the, Time. Power of love is also in that same movie. Oh. I would go see Huey Lewis in the news over bow. I'd go see bow. What? Over Huey Lewis in the nose?

I don't know them like that. I don't know. Oh, damn, I'm tied. It's two for two. Oh, give me a good one. Oh, my God. I am not going to lie. The Hughie Lewis in the news.

I'm not as familiar. That's the power of love. I mean, I know the song. Okay. Okay. All right. Well, last one. Last one. Let's see how many Bawa can get. Justin Bieber. Oh, easy. Justin Bieber. Do you go see Justin Bieber over Bawao? Absolutely. You go see Justin Bieber over Bawa.

So a Justin Bieber concert, you're going to that over Bawa. Yeah. Justin Biber ain't got them hits like Bawa got, man. I'm going to be honest with you. It depends what type of music you like. I'm a Bauer. Justin Bieber absolutely has hits and he has, features, okay? He got hit, he got, he ain't got no, he didn't got them his like Bawao guy. Yeah, he did.

Favorite Bowowel song. Right now? Not right now, just period. Easy. What? Fresh as I'm is. You took it back. Oh, that's, that's my joint.

Baby, baby, bow wow. Baby Bow while. When he was Lil Bowah. Oh, then it's like, uh, what's the joint? The first joint he came in, bounce with me. Like, that's, that's, that's my favorite baby BOWO. I like, I like, I like, I like BOWOW.

I like BOWO. I like BOWO. BOWO. BOWO and your boy. Superman, that whole kid. The kid. Oh, soldier boy. Bawaw, soldier boy, Marco Polo.

I like Bawa. The face off album, I listen to the faceoff album. Bowowow and Amarion. I listen to that. Now, what are you looking at? No, I'm just looking at his discography. I mean, he really does have a lot of hits. Yeah, he does.

But it's a matter of, but do I like, do I like to just hear him? You know what I mean? When I'm jamming in my house or I'm in the car? Or do I actually want to take the time, the energy, get dressed, pay money to go see Bow Wow. That's another level. And the answer is no. And you feel like these people in Houston, they feel the same way as you were actually. No, these people were going to the club.

They happened, Bow Wow happened to be on stage. So, the question, they go, you're in a club, you vibe and you're doing your thing. Tricksing and Ronnie, whatever's happening. You're doing your thing, and all of a sudden you see Bow Wow hit the stage to the club. Are you happy or are you like, man, get this guy out of here and let the DJ do his thing? How do you feel? How long is the set? You're the real question.

You're shady. You shady. I don't want to see over 15 minutes. You shade and bow. That's about four good songs I missed at the club. You're bugging if you don't think Biwawa has more than 15 minutes of good songs. But this, I didn't say he doesn't have 15 minutes.

It's just when you're at the club and you got a vibe, the worst thing that can happen is when you're starting to really get into the club and they're like, all right, all right, all right, we got a performer tonight. You're like, damn, I came for the music. You know what I mean?

But a lot of times it's like local niggas that you don't really want to hear like that. You know, if you're in St. Louis, it's okay, okay, we go, okay, just let y'all know. no, it's 1130. We got local act bowl weevil coming up.

He's going to hit you with some of those burrow rhymes. He's going to burrow right into your bowl weevil from right round your way. You know who he is. I'm like, I don't want to hear this nigga bowl weev. It's the worst. But if I come to the club

knowing I'm going to see somebody, okay, if I'm going to be surprised, surprise me. You know what I mean? I remember one time I was at Live. I didn't know Did he was going to be there? Did he happen to be there? Did he also perform? and released a new song.

That was a good surprise. And how many songs did he do? One. And he went back to his section. So you get from Puff. By the way, I think that's like four in words for me today. Sorry, guys, I'll be better. I'm trying.

Yeah, just remember who gave you wise advice. Yeah, well. You know what? People have been getting at me about different stuff. I asked somebody to hit me up and go. I thought you were going to stop dropping F-bombs on the podcast. Last week, you were a little out of control. Is it true?

Just last week. You've been good. I've been trying to be better. Yeah, you were really good. That's why people are noticing it now because you've been so good when you've got a little slip-up, you know what I mean?

But these last couple weeks are your excuse. It's not going on. It's hard not to use the N-word when you're talking about such a real nigger like little bawa, you know what I'm saying? That's a real one. Like, he is next to the word in the dictionary.

Like, is... Next to which word? Lil? No, no, like he, he a real one. That's a, uh, right there. That little boy. Hey, y'all stay tuned for Bow Wow Watch. Shout out to Bow Wow.

I told people to reach out. We want Bow Wow on the show. Bow Wow Watch is going to be an ongoing segment. Because I think there's a lot of people here who get confused about Bawa legacy. Don't get, don't get it twisted because of all of the hijinks on social media. Little Bawawaw was a hip-hop phenomenon. He was a hip-hop phenomenon. And still as third three

And got And dead nice on the mic too Got skill I don't know who was writing the rhymes But he did nice Bawa bawa can rap You know what I'm It's like a child prodigy

For hip hop And he was acting Like Mike And he was acting Like Mike All caught Wasn't he in lottery ticket Wasn't he in that joint

Do you see lottery ticket? I think he was in lottery ticket Yeah yeah I'm mixing it up with roll bounce For some reason But I think he was in lottery ticket Yes He was in rollout

abouts too, right? I think so. Robouts? Yeah, Robots. Bow-Wop. Look, man. Holla at your boy. Look, I saw something, the stupidest thing I saw. It's just so dumb. What?

It almost piss me off just thinking about it. Charles Barkley on Inside the NPAs. Now look, I don't have the contentious relationship with Charles Barkley that a lot of people have. I don't. Okay. I don't. Charles Barkley,

I think it's one of the five best watches on television. He is, you know, he's got an amazing basketball mind and he's got an unfiltered method of communicating that always, always, always is compelling to watch. He said to me the stupidest thing of 2021. It's young. We got a lot of time. There's a lot of people out there

that are going to be vying to beat Charles Barkley that said the stupidest thing of 2021. But right now, the stupidest thing that anyone has said in 2021 is this from Charles Barkley. As much taxes if these players pay, they deserve some preferential treatment.

For life and death? Yes. The amount of money you make. No, I said taxes. I didn't say the amount of money you make. Okay, so that is Charles Barkley saying that professional athletes, basically NBA players, deserve preferential treatment in terms getting vaccinated. Now, if you guys aren't paying attention, the NBA is in the middle of a crisis in terms of COVID, right?

There have been breakouts on several different NBA teams, breakouts like they got acne. There have been outbreaks on several different NBA teams. It's caused for the postponement of more than a handful of games. There was even some talk about maybe shutting down the season for a couple of weeks and doing a hard reset. Now, people are looking for ways to get things back on track. And obviously, through vaccinations, you could vaccinate the NBA players and then you'd have your answer.

Problem with that is the NBA players. are mostly young, healthy, and strong people, people who would be at the tail end of what the protocols allow right now the rollout of the vaccination across the U.S. Charles Barclay is saying that those NBA players, because of the money that they're paying taxes,

should jump health care workers, to jump people with pre-existing conditions, should jump the elderly, should jump all of those other people, in some world and get the vaccine because they're richer. Thereby they pay more taxes. Can I think of a dumber, more toned, deaf, ignoramus, cockamamie, infuriating, stupid thing to say right now

than what Charles Barkley said. Yeah. And the worst part about it is that it was like Kenny Smith, the other, for those of you who don't watch the show, he's an analyst on the show as well, he tried to kind of push back and see if maybe that's not what he meant, right? Like, it was so outrageous. Surely that's not what you meant to say.

And Charles Barkley double downs, double down on it. I mean, listen, in 1992, Charles Barkley told us he's not a role model. Okay? I'm going to hold him to it, right? He's not a role model. He's not somebody that I go to or that, I take seriously when it comes to their opinion. He is entertaining to watch. He has hot takes. He's funny, but he says a lot of problematic things. I mean, it hasn't even been a year since he made a

problematic comment about Breonna Taylor and her death. You know, he's said other things before as well that I can't even think of right now. I'm sure if you Google Charles Barkley, there's a laundry list of things that he has said that has had people up in arms. And, now you can just add this to it. But it's so ridiculous that he would come out and say this and then double down on it, as if he's ignoring healthcare workers who've really been out here fighting the good fight, sacrificing their own health, their time, their quality of life to fight this disease when so many other virus, when so many other people are out here disregarding it.

It's as if he's not paying attention to people of color. who have been disproportionately affected by this virus. And if you want the athletes to get the vaccine simply because they pay more money, how is this, like this is the most privileged comment. Honestly, if you didn't tell me it was Barclay, I would have thought Trump said it. Do you know what I mean?

Like, that's how outrageous the comment is. Yeah. There's probably not as much distance between Charles Barkley and Donald Trump as you think there is. I would agree. Yeah. There's some distance,

but probably not as much as you think there is. Look, what we're trying to do is hold on to some shred of the country and not let it devolve down into the Hunger Games,

but I don't know if we can do it. I don't know if we can do it, guys. I think we might be headed for Hunger Games territory. With the vaccine? Nah, just with everything. man, you know, the roll out of the vaccine has been slow. And there are parts of me to think, hey, why don't you just open up the vaccine for

anybody who wants to get vaccinated because it seems as if you guys don't know how to roll it out in stages. That's a different concern, right? That's a different concern than saying that somebody else has more right to life than you do because they're in a bad. better financial position. Now, let's be honest, we're told that every single day.

We're told that every single day, and this is coming from a guy who makes a nice little chunk of change. Every single day is sort of, you know, restated, reaffirmed, re-communicated to people that their lives are somehow less important than the lives of rich and famous people

every time somebody flashes a watch in your face like Colin McGregor's big hideous watch what they're saying is that I'm living a life that you can't possibly relate to

and it's so much better you have no idea I fly around on jets I do this I eat the finest foods all of that stuff I'm more alive than you are because I have money like I'm more cultured than you are

because I have money therefore I'm worth more because I have money and what does that make people do that makes people go out and take chances with their meaningless little lives because what difference do they make? They don't make a difference at all, right?

Your life is meaningless, it's small. Nobody pays attention to it, nobody sees it. So hell yeah, you'll risk it for something that would make you more notice and make you stand out. Yeah, sure, you'll go commit a crime, because that crime might end up and you having one of those watches.

It might make you matter. It's just like, we're getting bombarded with that on every side of it. And I have someone that fans put in the position that he's in. Charles Barkley played a game, right? And he played it very, very well. Charles Barkley is on television talking about basketball.

He talks about it very, very well. He's playing games and talking about basketball, serving the people that he just said should have to wait to get a vaccine. Yeah. Charles Barkley is a walking contradiction. So look, I love watching Chuck, and I'm going to watch him after this.

And I'm going to have just as much fun watching Charles Barkley after this as I did before this. But damn, y'all, we got to wake up, man. Like, we are, we're losing any sort of ability to relate to the people in this country that are keeping this country afloat. It's just weird. It's a weird, weird, weird deal. Hasn't it always been that way, though, fan?

No, it hasn't. No, it's not, no, it hasn't. Mm-mm. Nope. Because there was a time when America made things to where America built cars, to where America had steel, America built rubber, and America was a country that actually constructed things here. So the workers of America, the people that made Detroit great,

and the people that made Los Angeles great, and the people that made Chicago great, and the people that made Pittsburgh great, and the people that worked in ports all over the place, no matter what makeup those people were from, they had to matter. You had to talk to them because they were the people putting the pieces together. But how long ago has that been?

So, wow. But, like, but what I'm saying is that it's not like it's impossible. The moment, you know, the money matter. more than the product. I'm not saying maybe it always did. It just seems weird. It seems weird that rich people find so many different ways to just look at people,

so many different microaggressions, to just look at people that are fucking keeping this thing going and just say, fuck you. Because they don't take the time to reflect like that. They don't see things that way because they don't have to. We talk about people having white privilege, that same privileges people who have money.

They are so far removed that they can't relate or don't even have it within them to try to relate to what other people are going through, to how other people are affected. And when Charles Barkley makes that type of comment, that's exactly what he's doing. You are so far removed, you don't even want to try to see what it's like

to be the other person. They're completely detached. Crazy thing about that tax money that Charles Barkley is talking about, right, that the NBA players play pay. So NBA players pay a bunch of taxes. I pay a bunch of taxes. I'm sure you pay a bunch of taxes.

I don't make money near about the NBA player does, but I pay a lot in taxes. It would be awesome if even that tax money was given back to the people that we're talking about right now, right? Especially in this situation. But that tax money is used to build predator drones and rail guns and aircraft carriers. you know, the United States has, I think, 14 aircraft carriers. No other country has more than three. So a complete tactical edge to fight an enemy that might never come.

To fight an enemy that might never attack, if not provoked by American geopolitical irresponsibility. But we have those. in case our people need to be kept alive in case. But we're in a situation now where those same people need to be kept alive. And all you have to do is slow your aircraft carrier money down and buy them some bread.

Can't do it. And I'm making a leap and I'm droning on. I'm telling you little things like, hey, I pay more in taxes. I should be able to avoid the invisible. deadly infectious virus. What? If that same mentality was applied to Charles Barkley when he was growing up before he was in an NBA player, he wouldn't be where he is today.

Yeah, you're right. And that's, no, I'm just saying, but like that's what's so crazy. Look how soon we forget. Hunger games. I'm telling you. I'm telling you. And it's not about pitting the rich versus the poor in any society. that flirts with capitalism,

there's going to be rich people and there's going to be poor people. The hypercapitalization of America over the past 40-some-odd years, 50-some-odd years, where wealth has exploded, but wages haven't really changed that much for people. And it's just weird, you know,

middle-class shrinks. And you get a guy on TV who's making a living because the working man watches his show and consumes the NBA. And he tells them, your lungs matter less than LeBron Jacobson does. Interesting. That's Charles Barkley.

Interesting. All right. Well, you know, whatever. It is what it is. I found that to be pretty offensive. It's until somebody beats it, that's the dumbest thing that anyone has said in 2021. I'm sure it'll be beat. I'm sure it'll be beat.

And also, I'm sure I'm not paying well enough attention because if I was to go through Senator Cruz or a hall. Holly or any of these guys or something like that shit. Bawa. Bawa might be the next week. Well, I was going to say, just making the dumbest, maybe from a black man that you heard in 2021. I'm not sure. Everybody's his name was just white.

No, I'll make it the dumbest thing right now. Okay. That's the dumbest thing. Okay. It has to be beat. We're going to go through the whole year, and then at the end of year, the dumbest thing that was said,

but right now, like Charles Barkley has set a high bar. Y' got to come with the real dumb-ass shit. Wow. I'm sure, as they say, hold my beer. I'm sure somebody else is coming quick. All right. We'll take a break. This episode is brought to you by Sweet Green. The day doesn't ask for permission.

Lunch window? Gone before you saw it coming. You deserve a break that actually satisfies. Sweet Green's new wraps have got you. Real ingredients? Zero shortcuts. Everything you love in one hand. Think green goddess chicken.

Garlic aoli. Crumbled bacon. Corn salsa. 40 grams of protein. Made to keep up with whatever comes next. New sweetgreen wraps hit different. Order now at order.com. For adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms, every choice matters.

Tramphia offers self-injection or intravenous infusion from the start. Tramphia is administered as injections under the skin or infusions through a vein every four weeks, followed by injections under the skin every four or eight weeks. If your doctor decides that you can self-inject Trimphia, proper training is required. Tramphia is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Serious allergic reactions, increased risk of infections or lower ability to fight them, and liver problems may occur.

Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or need a vaccine. Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Tramfaya today. Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit Tramphiaradio.com. Marl Luther King Day. MLK Day.

It's Monday. And we're taping this and it's MLK Day. I tried to call the IRS this morning and they were to call it. Why? Why? Or why I was trying to call it? Because I got some taxes to pay, man. I know, but you missed the date.

It was the 15. Yeah. understand. I missed the date. You did it? What? I tried to FedEx that they were like, man, we can't FedEx appeal box. I said, dang. I missed my fourth quarter payment. Yeah, you're whacking your taxes. You're about to be West's night pretty soon. No, it just means I'm going to have to pay a hell of a lot at one time, which is, which sucks.

But yeah, and they were closed because it was Martin Luther King Day, and so there's going to be NBA action today. There's NBA action currently going on. Of course, it's always a deal, Martin Luther King Day. It's always an interesting day. I was watching Fox News earlier today, and they went live to a black church that was celebrating Martin Luther King Day. They were talking about how the churches had to do this remote

because it's MLK Day. On CNN, they were talking about the security around the Capitol. And on Foxy, we were talking about, there was black people talking about Martin Luther King Jr. It was very interesting, interesting right there. Your thoughts. on the life and legacy of Dr. King and on email K Day. Yeah, you know, I've shared on the podcast before, you know,

Martin Luther King Jr. played a big role in my life at a very young age because, you know, as I've shared with you, a few snippets of the Martin Luther King, I have a dream speech. I first learned that at seven. And as a kid, I was infatuated. Seven? Seven. Not the whole speech.

Just a snippet. just a snippet for a speech meet, and then I learned more of it as I got older. Martin Luther King Jr. was my first role model. Still is somebody who I consider a role model. And even as a kid and learning the speech, you know, the little snippet that I learned, I remember being in awe at the simplicity of the things

that he was asking for in the I Have a Dream speech. You know, everyone was, it was a powerful speech, but if you really sit and you analyze it and think of what he's asking for. He's asking to be created equal. He's asking for people to be able to sit down and eat together from different backgrounds. He's asking to uphold the American creed. He's asking for character over the color of your skin. He's asking for children, black and white, to join hands together.

And to simply be free from injustice, from inequality, simple, simple things. And I want people to remember that. I think one of the most frustrating things that I don't like about MLK Day is I see a lot of things that are performative. And I don't think people really understand or have looked into or even read or watched some of the things that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has done. And when I scroll through my timeline and I see people post things about, you know, love and not hate and I'm simply choosing love. It's like, do you really understand who Dr. King was at that? time and what he stood for. You know, now it's been watered down, I feel like, and it's all about he was like peace and love. And it's like, no, there were people who were afraid to join the

movement. He was a radical. He was considered a communist. He was, I mean, he was murdered for goodness sake. And it frustrates me when I see that because I want people to really understand what his work meant. He wasn't just walking around preaching about, you know, spread love, not war. That wasn't Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. So I really want to encourage all of our thought warriors to really take the time to get to know what his life meant, what he did in 39 years. It always blows my mind that he was 39 years old when he was killed and everything that he did.

It wasn't just speeches. It was action. And so when people talk about his dream or his love and about uniting, he was always about doing. And I think what also is crazy to me, too, is that speech was 58 years ago in Washington. DC. And then you think about what just happened two weeks ago in Washington, D.C., where that was over 100,000 people gathering in unity to fight inequality and injustice and police brutality. And 58 years later, in the vicinity, not the exact same place, but in the vicinity, you've got

Confederate flags being flown, noose is being hung up, people marching with hate in their hearts, about racism, about division, about an America that doesn't include everybody. It's crazy. And it's sad to think that so much was done, progress has been made, but then you sit back and you think hasn't when you see what happened two weeks ago. That's what I think about as I celebrate today. Knowing everything that you know about, Dr. King, do you think he would be pleased?

I'm sorry, I'm laughing. Because all I'm thinking is the boondocks episode. Oh, yeah. What do you say? If y'all don't want, do yourself a favor and watch the boondocks. But there is an episode that Martin Luther King didn't really die. He was in a coma. And he comes back.

I mean, he wakes up. He wakes up and he sees what the world is. And he's just appalled, you know. And it takes place around Martin Luther King. Remember, he tries to get into the club. Right. on his day and they won't let him in. It's funny, but it's serious

because he's disappointed by the things. He gets upset and he ends up going to Canada. He doesn't even want to live here at the end of that episode. Anyways, finish your question. I'm sorry. I just... No, that's hilarious. My question is, do you think Dr. King would be pleased with the current state of America?

How could he be? How could he be? Because what I think he would be most upset about, and you kind of, this is touched on in that Boondock, episode is we got complacent. You know, we, Dr. King, they were fighting at a time when they, just what I said, look at what he's asking for and the I have a dream speech. Simple things.

Well, those things started to happen over the years because of not just Dr. King, but so many others of what they fought for for us. And then we got complacent and then we got lazy. And somehow, I'm not saying people stop fighting, but as a whole, things got watered down a little bit. And you see people not remembering things in the same way that they did back in the day. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. What are people doing on that day? I mean, that's what the Boondock's episode is about. So I think he would be extremely disappointed. I think he would wake up. Imagine that Dr. King really did wake up and he woke up and it was January 6th, 2021. And he watched that those riots

happen. He would think that he was, it was literally the same time period. Do you understand what I'm, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. Right. Or maybe he would think, damn, white people are so mad, black people must run America.

You know what I mean? That's not what he would think. You think we'd go backwards. Right. Look, when I think of Dr. King, I don't think of the I Have a Dream speech. Obviously,

I think of the letter from a Birmingham jail. Sure. Just because Dr. King was a a genius. He was a social genius. He was a genius in terms of he was a scholarly genius. Dr. King had done the work. There's a great book by a guy named Penil Joseph. It's called the Sword and a

shield. And the book is about Dr. King and Malcolm X. They only ever met one time in life and it was very brief. But it's not about that meeting. It's about the intersection of their lives and what they represented to the movements that they were both heading at the same time that they were alive. And how in some ways they both died, or should I say they died at almost the same point, philosophically. Malcolm started off in his movement a little bit more militantly.

and then he ended up a little softer. Whereas Dr. King started out a little softer and then got more radical as his life went on. And that's a very crude explanation as to what the book is. The book is Penil Joseph is absolutely, he's from down there in Texas. He's the, you know, we've talked about him before. Yeah, yeah, we've talked some before. I think he's at the LBJ.

OBJC so yeah. So he's one of the world's foremost scholars on the civil rights area. He's just an amazing guy. And so it's an amazing book. I think for me, there's a sadness to me around Dr. King's life, not that people like, no dove and like he was murdered and stuff like that. The sadness is that the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which is, beautiful, terrifying, imperfect, complex, important, resilient,

sublime, tortured, all of those things, has been chewed up and spit back out of the American propaganda machine. Absolutely. And the American propaganda machine has turned Dr. Kean's life into a passport to some sort of weakness. They've made him the tourney of the sheep, let me kick you in your ass, mascot. They've made him into someone who was less than disruptive.

someone who was less than reviled, somebody who is a Jesus figure, and much in the same way they've done Jesus, to be honest with you, because Jesus had way less fans when he was alive than he does now, as evidenced to how his life ended. And they've done this,

and we kind of haven't stopped it. And why? Why have they done this? Well, the reason why they've done that is because, well, there's a couple of reasons. Number one, they want black people. They want anybody. They want black people pacify. Exactly.

Exactly. I just want you to say it. And because they want black people pacified, they say here was a pacifist. Do it this way. If we were doing it Dr. King's way, we would be, if we were doing it Dr. King's way, like consistently, first of all, there's no one. one way to do it. If we were doing it, Dr. King's Way, we would be raising hell in Washington while we are marching 10, 50,000 strong through major metropolitan places wherever trouble is and demanding our treatment. If we were doing it, Dr. Kingsway, we would be boycotting everything that didn't

serve us, right? Because remember, we can't. talking about what we're not going to watch and what we're not going to do. The Montgomery bus boycott was a year-long assault on the fiscal apparatus of an American town

by which people said no. And the solidarity that those people showed in order to get around the town when they weren't going to take the bus ended up getting for them what they wanted. Dr. King's

life was radical solidarity. It was radical love for his people. It was radical love for this country. And it was something that, to be honest with you, hasn't been replicated since he's been gone. It was also someone who did the homework.

Now, I think the reality is this. We've deified Dr. King, and in deifying him, we do what we do to all deities. We dehumanize them. See, Dr. King could never have gotten angry, right? Right.

Dr. King could never have wanted to hurt someone. Dr. King could have never, could never have wanted America to burn up all at once. Did Dr. King once say the words, I fear that I've integrated my people into a burning house? Yes. Did Dr. King towards the end of his life realize he was planning a poor people's march before they killed him that civil rights didn't matter. if economic freedom wasn't achieved? Did he realize that? Yes, he did.

Was he planning on leading the poor people of America and every color that they represent to now demand economic justice and economic freedom from their country? Yes, he was. Was he a thorn in the side of LBJ upon his death? Absolutely, the same man that he had worked with to get so many of the civil rights that we have today.

he was all of those things. He was all of those things. But was he other things? Was he a stereotypical Baptist preacher in a lot of ways? Was Dr. King a perfect man in his marriage? No. If you read the sword and the shield, it will talk to you. It will talk about the fact that Dr. King,

various extramarital affairs, various situations that happened in, was known as a womanizer before he became who he became. Why is that important to talk about when you're talking about his life? Are you trying to besmirch the name of someone? Are you bringing up things that don't matter? You know why? It all matters.

It all matters because this dude was a human being. This guy was a guy. He didn't do anything that you can't do. He didn't go anywhere you can't go. He was the example. of what happens when dedication, solidarity, and belief meet at the right moment. And you could be that. You don't have to wait for Dr. King.

You don't have to think that there are people better than you and more qualified than you to go do these things. Now, don't get me wrong, he was singularly gifted. You might not get to where he got to. You might not be given the speech, but you might have written it. You might do a million other things that are just as important. But as long as we hold people out to be either perfect or this figure of like being completely well-loved, America hated Martin Luther King Jr. Hated him. He got a death sentence at the hand of the state.

America hated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It's never, ever, ever been popular to believe in the things that he believed in, ever. And it's still not popular today. And if they tell you that, they lie into you. So the point is, the reason why we need to get to the truth of who he was, all parts of him, is so we can get to the truth of who we are, because we are just people trying to do this. He did extraordinary things because he had extraordinary resolve. And he was able to see the people around.

There were people, if you read books on Dr. King, there were people that felt alienated by him. There were people that came along that felt like he was. less accessible than Malcolm was. There were all kinds of different opinions about him. Did he let mean tweets stop him from getting at it? Fuck, no. No. Did he get exhausted?

No, he didn't. Dedication, solidarity, belief. All of those things are the things that make him who he was. Not because he was an infallible, perfect pacifist who never heard of fly. Well, if he was that person, then he wouldn't have been murdered. Right. And I think that's all people need to realize. If he was that perfect person who turned the other cheek and didn't cause any trouble and was all about love and those things, then why did they murder him if that's all he was doing?

Because he was doing much more than that. For the same reason they got Fred, for the same reason they got Bobby, for the same reason they got Huey, for the same reason they got Malcolm, for the same reason they got Megger. for the same reason they got all of these women and men, right? They got them all for one reason. It was calculated and it was on purpose. They got them because America can be more than what it is right now. And they don't want us to be a part of that because there's no percentage in that. But so when I think about the life of Dr. King, I don't think about the acts.

I think about the life. I think about the father. So let's let's not Let's Let's make Let's do something that's crazy Let's make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. man for a second So I just want to

Let's make him a man Let's take away everything that he did Everybody everybody is listening Let's take away everything that he did, right? Father Family man Okay Preacher

Oh wait, we're not talking about No, no, no, no I'm just like So we're we're not going to talk about Martin Luther King, Jr., right? We're going to talk about Michael. Mike,

the name that he started his life with, right? Let's say he's just a guy. He's just a dude. Married. Likes to hang out, you know. How many kids did Dr. King have? Four? Four.

Three or four? Three or four. Father of children. He has four kids. Okay. Father of four. Just gets his fucking headblo. off,

staying outside of a motel, just get popped in front of all of his friends. How sad is that? On a human level, father of four. Kids grow up. It's devastating. Yeah. Kids grow up out their father. You know, just in something crazy.

And the reality is, you know, that, like, for me, I look back of all of this thing and it's like, I get, it's upsetting. it's upsetting that we take an entire life that meant so much and we use it to convince people that they should do something that that guy never did. That he never did.

And what he did do, he did it all knowing how it would end. You know what I'm saying? He would tell people that this was going to happen. He knew it. He knew he was going to be murdered. And you have to realize this is the 60s. This is when he's in a time where he had seen Malcolm X get murdered.

He saw Kennedy get assassinated. You were seeing these people die. And he never stopped. He never stopped doing what he was doing. He fought till the end. Very end. I knew it was coming. I knew it was coming.

So, like, when you remember Dr. King, try to, for me, it's just, and I'm asking this, I'm not demanding anyone do this, do this. try not to think of Martin Luther King Jr. If he was like, try not to think of the way you think of him right now, which is, you know, like I said, a religious figure, a deity. Imagine yourself shaking his hand or hugging him.

Like, imagine being in front of the physical presence of him. Right? Like, imagine, like, touching him. This is with anyone. like humanize somebody imagine like you know talking with them playing checkers with them or something like that imagine that there was a human being there like a real person and then look at his life look at any life through that lens because we're only left with people's great works and and we forget that uh to know them and to know what they meant and to know what they wanted we kind of have to

to look at them in the way that they see the world. And we don't get very much of that from Dr. King because all we ever get is that I have a dream speech. And all we ever get is a perfect, sanitized version of him where everyone who hated him was racist. I'm going to be honest with you. Not only did a lot of white people hate Martin Luther King, Jr., but a lot of black people did too.

Yes, they looked at him as a troublemaker. He was stirring things up. Right. So try to think about, like, it's weird. Less in the distance between you and Dr. King. Less in the distance. Like, you'll never be Martin Luther King, Jr. But let's close the gap between you and him.

Imagine him as a dude. But if you're going to do that, then you need to understand the time that this dude. was living in, right? Like, if you're going to get to know him as a person, understand the circumstances that he was under in the time period that he was a dude. Because I think that that's what's going to help you understand him as a person and why he was, because, I mean, I understand what you're saying about, like, not just focusing on what he did, but you'll understand why he did the things he did, not just the speech itself, not just the letters, but why they, what was the

purpose of the speech? What was the purpose of the march? What was the purpose of the boycott? What was the purpose of him being jailed? You need to understand the times. Well, yeah, I mean, you have to understand the times. I think more to the point of what I'm saying is that if we're saying right now that, you know, things are anywhere close to being the same, then people sort of have to understand,

you know what? How about this? Like, I'm sick of the bullshit as it relates to all of these people. All of what people? All of the people that existed during that time. I'm sick of the bullshit with Dr. King. Actually, I'm going to be honest with you. I loathe MLK Day.

I can see that. I loathe it. I hate it. And I don't hate it because I've read a bunch of books. I hate it because it is a Disneyland figment of America's imagination. It's a bunch of horseshit bullshit. it is literally what like it's literally like watching Joe Biden do the nay-ne-ne or it's like it's like it's like it's it's like it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's dumb that's what I talked about scrolling

through social media and seeing what I see what people are saying right it's it's a repost it's the same quote I used to go I grew up going to private school my whole life Surprise. We didn't get Martin Luther King Day off. Right. So this is why Martin Luther King Day, it does mean something to me. Because I watched my parents and gathered the other few parents that were black and go to the school and demand it.

We had President's Day off, but we didn't have Martin Luther King Day off. And talk about the importance of what he meant and why it was so necessary. I saw my parents fight for that. So to me, and then when we did get it off and they were successful and we had Martin Luther King day off, it wasn't a day off for us where, at least for my family, where we just, oh, we had an extra day in a long weekend. My mom had us at the library. She had us watching tapes, VCR tapes, reading something to learn about Dr. Martin Luther King because she wanted us to understand why we were taking that day off. So I understand. I hate to see the performative nature of it. But for me, it means. something because of what I saw my parents do to get that day recognized and then instilled in us why why why it's a day that needs to be recognized. Yeah, I think Martin Luther King Jr. needs to be recognized but in a real way. I think he needs to be recognized in a genuine way. I don't think that you chat the day off. I think that you I think that

I think that the day people should be, at least in school, people should be in school and they should be bombarded with the images of what Dr. King had to overcome. And they should have to learn in every class they go to about what was going on, right? I agree. And not only should we know about Dr. King, we should know about the aftermath of his death. We should know about the implications. of the American government in his death, we should know about all of that stuff.

Because like any other guy who is, that's that important, who is killed, the aftermath of the death is, it contextualizes the life, right? So if I told you right now that JFK was killed, Leah Harvey Oswald was then shot by Jack Ruby. Some people alleged that it was a conspiracy, right? So then there was the Warren Commission.

And so all of these things happen, right, as a result of this important man dying, and people believe that there was something bigger to it, right? Mm-hmm. Like, Dr. The American government has been completely absolved of even being possibly complicit in the death of Dr. King. Yeah. And for it Hampton and any of these other guys. So the reality is, like, all of this stuff is just to make people stupider.

and to feed them a poison pill that makes them think that in order to get free, we have to wait for the next Dr. King to come. So, you know, I get what you're saying. So when I watch this and I listen to everybody talk about the moments and what the legacy of Dr. King means to them and it becomes a photo op and it becomes this is a jerseys

we're going to wear and it becomes all of that. I don't sit back and scoff. Like, I get it. I get it. Yeah, I understand what you're saying. But it's, it's just not helping. It's time to get past this shit

and get down to what it really is we're supposed to be talking about. Especially when you're talking about a father of four and a husband and a friend and an uncle and a family member

who got his fucking head shredded because of what he believed. That's what happened. Yep. Yeah. All right. We're going to, We're going to take a break.

We'll be right back. This episode is brought to you by Spectrum Business. Fast, reliable Internet means everything for your business. And even this podcast, that's why I trust Spectrum Business. They keep companies of all sizes connected with Internet, advanced Wi-Fi, phone, TV, mobile services, plus 24-7 U.S.-based support. Millions of business owners already trust Spectrum Business. So visit Spectrum.com slash business to learn more.

restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas. This episode is brought to you by WeatherTech. Everyone knows winter is the MVP and make it a mess. You don't need WeatherTech floor liners in the summer, unless you hit the beach or go camping. Then you'd want a cargo liner. Or a road trip goes sideways, ketchup goes rogue, ice cream drips.

Yeah, you'd be pretty happy about those weather tech seat protectors. So just to be clear as the mud, you're inevitably going to step into the summer. You don't need Weather Tech unless you plan on. doing summer. Visit weathertech.com today. Okay, Rach, you know what just occurred to me?

What? This is the last podcast that we're going to be doing of the Trump administration. This has become a bit of a heavy podcast, hasn't it? A little bit. I mean, talk about two polar opposites. We go from Dr. King to Trump.

Yeah, I mean, thank goodness. Do we celebrate? Do we do... I don't know. How are you feeling? Feeling knowing that the day is finally here. Before you even answer that, knowing that these are the last days that Trump will be in office,

because of what happened the last couple of weeks, because we don't know what's going to happen this week, there's a lot of talk of what could may happen. There's a lot of threats. You already got people rolling up with fake credentials and glocks and ammunition in preparation of this. inauguration, he won't have the title, but it still feels like it's not over.

It's not. And that's what, and so it's hard for me. Yes, he will be stripped of his title. He won't be president. But it's not over. No, it's not. It's just beginning. It's so exciting, Rachel.

Oh, is it? It's so exciting. It's Trump time, baby. Trump. Trump fucked itself with the insurrection because if not for the insurrection, he really did. If not for the insurrection, we'll still see how long and last. If not for the insurrection, Trump would have been probably the latest ex-president of all time. Because presidents become ex-presidents.

And then right away, there's like an immediate thing that happens to where they, like, they always, they almost become like walking museum objects. you know, walking exhibits. Like they become a part of history the minute that their term is over. And it's like, hey, look at this wacky thing. The ex-president's doing. Hey, George Bush is an artist. He's friends with Michelle Obama. Like, they stop.

They do. You don't have to take them seriously anymore. It's like you go from being the most powerful man, powerful, I guess it's been man to this point, in the world to then just being like a dude who represents a time. You know? It's almost having like a

good run on a sitcom. And after the sitcom is over, you know what I mean? But Trump wouldn't have been like that. Trump would have been the latest ex-president. Trump would have left. And really, in a lot of ways, it was just been the beginning of Trump for himself. He would have started the Trump News Channel. And he would have had a whole bunch of advertisers.

He'd have made a whole bunch of money with that. He would have run a shadow presidency, president over his faction, for a long time. and he would have had the allegiance of newsmax and all A&N and Fox News unabashed forever to whether he tooled back up for 2024 or until he created the next man or woman. He became a kingmaker for the party. He fucked it up. So what do you think he's going to do now? He's just going to go to Florida and sit quietly until charges are drummed up against him

and he's got to be in court. I don't know what he's going to do. But I do know that, I mean, they might have gone after him before this, but now they have to go after him. They have to. They have no choice. He may, he forced their hand.

He played his hand. So now I don't know. Like Trump really now, he is going to be a different ex-president. They like going to put him in like the dungeon, you know, like the man in the iron mask, like in a thing. They put him in a tower of lunch.

Listen, Trump will be the person who, you know, will be an example in our in our history books of what not to do. You know what I mean? The way he came in is the way he's going out. I mean, worse, you know, when he came in with the ban, the Muslim ban, and we thought that that was terrible only for him to go out causing or inciting an insurrection. I mean, this is Trump. Trump's name will go down in history with the worst of him. Yeah, yeah, you will. And look, by the way, it's, it's, there's a chance that Trump's post-presidency life will be as lit as it would have been before.

There's a chance that all of these people just completely forget about anything that was wrong and he did. And he still does the news network. I can't see any advertisers going at this particular point. I mean, everyone is backing away from the president. I can't see any advertisers. But they might, who knows, who knows? He's got to get creative. He's got to get, he's been stripped from his voice.

from Scott. Trump News Network sponsored by Goya and my pillow. Yeah, my pillow guy ain't going anywhere. My pillow guy ain't going anywhere.

But his customers might. But his customers might. My pillow guy is going to make a special pillow for his knees so he can get down on those knees and give President Trump whatever he wants. That's the next,

that's the next pillow for my pillow. The next pillow from my pillow is straight, is the knee pillows so that he can exalt his leader so he can go down and worship the mushroom. Like that's what my pillow guy is doing. My pillow guy's all in. He's a mushroom worshiper.

That's, oh, I got a new word for Trump. I got a new word for Trump supporters, mushroom worshippers. He's a mushroom worshipper. It's too much. No, he's a mushroom worshiper. That's what the My Pillow guy is. But look, so yeah, I actually, before, you know,

I'd like to thank President Trump. Oh, my goodness, for what? Number one, I'd like to thank him. I'd like to thank him for doing something that we couldn't have done with all the words and all the pleas in the world. I'd like to thank him

for a serving, for serving America, the same shit sandwich we've been eating. And I'd like to thank him. I'd like to thank him. President Trump for he didn't make America great again, but he certainly made America scared again. And I got to be honest with you. As someone who's lived their life scared, I couldn't be more thrilled with that. Now, it's a shame that so many people had to get fucked over and fucked up and people

die. People died because President Trump was president. And even more people are dying. during the pandemic. But the reality is that America don't believe us when we talk. Nope. They didn't believe Trump when he talked, which is why a lot of this stuff is starting to happen. Everything he's...

Didn't believe him. Didn't believe him. And look where we are now. Right. Listen. Yep. Well, good riddons, Trump. Good riddons.

Go fuck yourself. Get the fuck out. Yeah. I'm sorry. We're not supposed to get overly political on the podcast, but I am very happy. Look, whatever you're going to do, just make it swift. Make it swift so we don't have to discuss this anymore.

Hopefully, we can start clowning on the podcast a little bit more. This was a, this was a weighty podcast, there's a lot of weighty stuff going on in the world. There's a lot going on. I mean, the Trump talk may slow down, but we're still dealing with the lingering effects of his four years. So unfortunately, there's still be some things to talk. about. We are in the middle of a pandemic. Let's remember that. But hopefully

we don't have to talk about this man anymore and what he's doing to our country. Let's do this. Since we were kind of on the down-in-the-last couple of times and I got all pissy and upset, let's do this. Let's end in gratitude to the podcast today. Oh, sounds like meditation.

I'm loving this. This is our intention we're setting for today. I set some intentions. So I'm really going to have a gratitude session with you guys right now that are listening to the podcast. Okay, his voice changed, y'all. It is. I'm really going to do this. This is something that I do in therapy.

I'm going to share this with you guys. All right. My name is Van Lathen. I am grateful for Kalika Abrams. I'm grateful for Rachel Lindsay. I'm grateful for Oscar. I'm grateful for Bozeman. I'm grateful for the love of...

Oscar, my plan. I know. That's what I'm laughing. All right. I'm grateful for the love of Van Terry Lathen Sr. and Crystal Ellis, as short as it was, that they were able to come together and make my life. I'm grateful for all of the wonders of the world.

I am grateful for the ability to be wondered. I love wonderment. I live in a state of wonderment. I'm grateful for my curiosity. I'm grateful for the fat on my body. I'm grateful for the fact that will leave my body. I am grateful to be here. Despite everything that's going on,

I am grateful for the opportunity to have opportunity. And I hope that you guys are grateful for that same thing. Rachel? Oh, wow. Okay. Hi, guys. I'm Rachel. Is that how you started off?

You can start off anyway. You're making fun of me. No, I'm not. I do this. I meditate. And it's funny, not funny, but grateful, or gratitude is always a very popular meditation. And with my wellness coach, I focus on journaling for things that I'm grateful for. And every sentence starts off with either I am thankful for, I am thankful for, I am grateful for. So I'm not making fun of you. I actually practice this. I am, hi guys, I'm Rachel. And I am grateful for life. I am grateful for my health. I am grateful for wisdom. I am grateful for this podcast. I'm grateful for my co-host who challenges me every day. I am grateful for Brian. I am grateful for love.

I'm grateful for copper and companionship. I am grateful for to be working. I am grateful for reflection for what was given to me today. I set out to bless other people and in turn they bless me. I am appreciative for, or okay, I'm saying the wrong words. I'm grateful and I am appreciative to be talking to the thought warriors. I am grateful for this community that we are building. And I am grateful to see another.

Oh, I'm grateful for Kathy, Sam, Constance, Heather, Alex, and Glender and the rest of my family. Amazing. amazing. So you guys, the year already turned over. I'm not saying that a new administration is going to be

an elixir or a cure-all because we're going to get in their ass to. But I hope we are. We are. We've got to hold these people accountable.

But I hope that everybody gets a chance to breathe out for a little bit. As always, you guys got to unplug. Hopefully we all get a chance to. And you know, go watch some,

go watch some NBA basketball. But go do your homework on Dr. King. It's coming out tomorrow. NBA basketball? Why? Go watch. Go do your, because we talked a lot of shit. Go do your homework on Dr. King.

All right. We're out of here. Take your thing caps off, but do not stop learning. I'm Van Lathen. I'm Rachel Lindsay. We out.