The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: The Land of the Free

Episode Date: February 15, 2024

TODAY'S CAST: Dan, Stugotz, Chris, Jessica, Lucy, and Mike. Dan begins a somber Local Hour discussing the details of the mass shooting at yesterday's Super Bowl parade in Kansas City as he and the crew discuss the helplessness of living in America with mass shootings as rampant as ever. As yesterday's tragedy took place on the 6-year anniversary of the massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School, we speak with Manuel Oliver, the father of Douglas victim Joaquin Oliver, about gun laws in America, his activism, and his new program for advocacy called The Shotline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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slash legal slash CA dash PRU dash disclaimer. This is the Don Lebator Show with the Stugatz Podcast. ["Stoogatz"] So Stugatz, right before the microphones came on here, through soundproof glass, I can hear Jessica's laughter as if she was drunk at a Las Vegas airport on a Monday. She would never do that. Because this place can be medicine. And I come here for many of the people listening to this

over the last year who know some of the details of my life. I come here more than ever in search of that laughter, in search of the silly, please dear God, let me talk about just sports because it feels like the world is falling apart. And it feels somehow in America that I never thought I'd see more unsafe. because it feels like the world is falling apart. And it feels somehow in an America that I never thought I'd see more unsafe

and by extension less free than it's ever felt because I could go to a parade and die or I could see football players consoling children at a parade instead of celebrating something that is in our silly playground. So yesterday in Kansas City, you get 22 people hit by gunfire. One fatality, eight life-threatening entries, nine of those 22 are children. And it's the apocalyptic scenario of it's the sixth anniversary of

Parkland, your neighborhood 50 miles from here, when we said this is enough, you can't slaughter children, adults can't be okay with that, a country can't be okay with that, America can't be okay with. We're worse at this than anybody. We can't protect our children because we say that our gun laws are about freedom and you can't have the freedom to go to a parade and know you're gonna come home with your children safe and So I ask you again as we're laughing stew guts in the sports playpen when

Are we gonna stop being okay? With the slaughtering of kids and not turning it into a political Conversation, what's the visual I have to present to you? Football players supposed to be celebrating at a parade, consoling children, doing a great job incidentally of consoling children, because how the hell do you explain later in life that's to scarred kids? Yeah, I don't know what those three gunmen were doing. What can possibly be the explanation that would make sense to anybody

that it's okay to start shooting at a parade? Dan, if you're searching for a tipping point, I'm not certain there is a tipping point as to when people are gonna take this seriously and actually instigate change rather than speak into microphones and yell about it because Dan, if Sandy Hook wasn't a tipping point, if Stoneman Douglas wasn't a tipping point, I don't know what it is.

All right, so I feel helpless with these microphones and this voice in a way that's super unusual because usually I feel like the words and the platform can mean something. So I'm just going to read the numbers to you and ask you again and again, wherever it is, you sit in the political divide. Are you okay with this? What I'm about the political divide are you okay with this what i'm about to read are you okay with all of this so twos days the sixth anniversary of the massacre fifty miles from here killed fifteen people

fourteen of them teenagers injured seventeen more so it's been like two thousand days and since then according to the gun violence archive there been three thousand three hundred and seventy mass shootings in america thousand days and since then according to the gun violence archive there have been 3,370 mass shootings in America. That's one and a half a day. Since Parkland the past six years since Parkland guns in America have either killed or injured 5,355 children children ages 11 and under.

Also 25,000 between the ages of 12 and 17. That's 5,100 kids a year. How is America worse at this than everyone else? 49th mass shooting this year, Stugatz, was yesterday. Lisa Lopez Galvin was a mother of two, a radio host, a chief's fan. And so now you've got 21 injured people in a hospital, said it was treating 12 patients, 11 of them children between the ages of six and 15. And I have done this show long enough, Stugatz, to see Mike Ryan and Roy and Chris and Billy go from not having kids to having kids and now afraid when

they take their kids out. Mike Ryan talking of the horror of when I go to a public place since Las Vegas basically. I'm looking where are the exits, how do I shield my child in a free and allegedly free America, how do I get before I go to the celebration, let me put in, let me check the perimeter as a father and make sure I could get my child out of here. And I ask you as somebody who came in here heartbroken when it happened in your neighborhood and we heard from the parents, Stu gots, that day who had to spend these soul killing hours of not knowing if their kid was okay. There's a shooting

social media is fast it's not this fast is my kids still alive did i send my child to school is my child now coming home i don't have that certainty anymore i i swear to you as i as people get mad stew gots that again and again this leaks into the stupid playpen of sports i ask you am i supposed to ignore this today when it happens at a parade? Am I supposed to go to the usual laughter in the fun places? Because I know people want to escape here. I know they don't want the gun argument here,

too. This is pretty damning for the United States in that we can't really get anywhere in terms of gun control. And this is not a minority opinion in this country. And it happened in a state with some of the loosest gun laws. A Fox News poll found that 87% of Americans support criminal background checks on all gun buyers. 81% support improving enforcement of existing gun laws. 80% support requiring mental health checks on gun buyers.

There were plenty of good guys with guns at this parade. 800 police officers. Plenty of good guys with guns and we're living in a country now. This is courtesy of Cave and Shroff. This is some of the locations of the most recent mass shootings in this country. This is places where you can't go live your normal, free and American life. A bar, your home, your office, an airport, a temple, a church, a mosque, a concert, a

hospital, a nightclub, a newsroom, a restaurant, a preschool, a synagogue, a yoga studio, a high school, a military base, a bowling alley, a street corner, a movie theater, a political event, middle school, college campus, elementary school, now you can add a Super Bowl victory rally to the list. Where didn't he just name? Like, that is not by the way the first sports incident It's the latest shooting there were shots fired in downtown Denver following the championship when the summer 10 were wounded There were shots fired near the parking lot in the Texas during the Texas Rangers parade But Dan we do this all the time. No, we should cover these every single time it happens But the word no, we can't do it. So, Guts, if it's happening one and a half times, so Guts, if it's happening one and a half times per day, then we have to stop programming all the time

to mention it. If it's happening one and a half times a day. The problem is people speaking into microphones is not having enough impact. But neither is what the people actually want by almost consensus in a divided America. Yeah, but the politicians don't want that because they're taking money from the NRA. Okay, but that's the problem.

But we can't, we can't be okay with that infringing on freedoms in America that way. We, the group of people listening to this who are close to consensus on there is no sane explanation for what these three shooters were doing. It doesn't matter what it is that they say nobody's going to accept whatever the explanation is. And so it has to be harder for those three shooters to get guns in their hands. Not easier. Not easier because they live in a state where people can just walk around

with guns like we are now going to have to do metal detectors at these things we are going to have to be in america stew got that feels like it has vastly less freedom because you're gonna have to use more surveillance like you're gonna have to make sure that the crazy people are not the ones with the guns this wasn't one shooter stew got i don't God knows what the explanation for this is gonna be How three people planned and thought this was a good idea to just open fire on a parade But like were they were they thinking of children? Was there any?

Consideration about the fact that wherever it is that your insanity lies. It can't be the slaughtering of children I don't think the gun laws are gonna change. So to your earlier point, yes, it would take extreme security measures at every single event and every single place where people gather into big groups. And yes, that's what it would do. It's not the land of the free. Mike, do we want to protect? No, but still we want to protect our children?

This is where the... No, I'm just highlighting that... What other option is there? The Second Amendment is usually about, you know, freedoms and protecting a document that was written several generations ago. This is where I'm just I'm just highlighting that what other option is there second amendment is usually about you know freedoms and and Protecting a document that was written several generations ago for a bayonet and That doesn't sound like freedom. What's your what's your what you're outlining? It sounds safer. That's okay

No, it's undeniable. Yeah, but this is how the freedom gets taken stu goth stu goth I was at the airport flying to and from Las Vegas, and I had to, in order to remove the inconvenience of standing in the line with everybody else, I had to give the government and the airlines all of my information, my retinal scan, so that I can just get in exchange for convenience. Now the government and the airport has all of my information and giving that over felt like an invasion of freedom because our airports are now allegedly safer because we're checking everybody.

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Sleep Number, the official sleep awareness partner in the National Football League. See stores for details. Let me bring in Manny Oliver, okay, because I'd like this to be something that is felt in a human way because if I feel helpless, I can't imagine how he feels as an activist here locally, Stugatz. He was on television yesterday. He lost his 17-year-old son when Parkland happened six years ago, and he was keeping Joaquin alive and what happened to him alive with his activism, where he goes to Washington

and continues to fight for the memory of his son saying this is not okay and he's live on TV yesterday and while he's live on TV talking about Parkland the shooting happens and so Manny's joining us now thank you Manny he's uh he's local and as I said Stu Gunn came in here heartbroken just broken six years ago because it happened in his neighborhood and this is even more personal so many thank you for joining us thank you for making the time I I'm sorry that this is again the reason that somebody is talking to you but what have the last six years have been for you and you're still out here making sure that you're not helpless but you must feel so

helpless that as you're on TV talking about your late son, another shooting happens in Kansas City. Thank you for joining us. Thank you. And let me tell you something. This is the only reason why people talk to me. So don't feel bad about that.

I always am used to get that intro like, sorry for the occasion, but no, this is the occasion and it's permanent in my case. You just said it we're overlapping tragedies okay I'm in DC with my wife and a group of young people are trying to launch a campaign I was yesterday honoring the legacy of my son and the other victims from Pogman. And then suddenly, I thought that anything could somehow vanish my story because the media, you know, it's always moving with the political changes

and electoral and everything that is happening on the political side. But I never thought, again, me not thinking enough that another mass shooting could happen and actually move away the story that we were trying to tell for the six year in a row. It's incredible. I'm not surprised. I gotta tell you, I'm not surprised.

It's an American tradition. So this is the thing. We were all watching, but we think it's the most American tradition and that was a super thing. We were all watching what we think is the most American tradition and that was the Super Bowl. And guess what? This is the most American tradition. And now other people will be suffering what we suffered and they will honor this day, February 14th, next year in that location. So we're actually fighting for dates in here. I thought February 14th was mine and I could talk about my kid. This is a reality guys and we can talk as long as we want but it's bad. It's a terrible reality and no one seems to care enough. Another shooting will happen

and another show will go on and another guest will be popping to you. Well, you say no one cares enough, but you do because the closer this gets to home, the scarier it gets. So you have started a platform, it's called the Shot Line, it uses AI to recreate the voices of victims who have been lost to gun violence and you are rattling the cages of lawmakers. Are you having any success?

Are you, are you winning in any way or do you feel as helpless as everyone else does? No, I'm not allowed to feel helpless. Okay. I lost my son and then his dad. So I have to be here fighting and the frustration is not an option. It happens, but not this time. So let me tell you about what we did yesterday. Very often we get an advice of call your representative. If you want things to happen, just call your representative. We decided to

put together voices of victims using artificial intelligence, very common today and polemic. And we were putting voices of our loved ones. So, in other words, Joaquin will have the opportunity to call our representatives. And we did the same thing with other victims, of course, with the blessing of the families. Guess what? Yesterday, we had 20,000 calls. Close to 20,000 calls. Last time I checked was 16,000 and something.

Calling our rep. These guys are receiving calls from Joaquin Oliver today. Not from me, not from Patricia. We tried. We went to their office. We had meetings. They ignore us. I was in the Oval Office with a president in front of me

talking about this and things did not happen. So now it's time to hear the voices of those who are not here anymore. And I want to reach a thousand voices if possible. The platform allows more people to get involved. And that's a small victory, you know. I cannot say that I have one solution for this, victory, you know, I cannot say that I have one solution for this, but I have a long fight, a long journey that is going to be packed with small solutions. And at some point, they will need to give up because freedom is not what we saw yesterday. Freedom is going to operate and enjoying, not kids being shot randomly, because we want the freedom of owning arms and owning gongs. That's not freedom at all. That's a lie and we are the only nation that is believing that lie. Manny, I cannot possibly know your pain obviously and you say you cannot be helpless because hope

cannot die but your son was 17 and he's been dead for six years and I don't see progress. 17 and he's been dead for six years and I don't see progress Do you do you like I I see people like you fighting with their heart? But I and I feel them getting microphones, but I don't feel that Translating into the activism translating into action that is meaningful that changes results Because this needs to be constant, you know? Gone violence is hitting us every day. So I'm hoping that the same way that Joaquin would have been with me watching the Super Bowl

and celebrating Travis Kelsey and everything and the whole party. I'm hoping that Travis gets behind a microphone and becomes constant in this fight. And his girlfriend too. Like why not? This is not something that you can show your face, say a few things, even if you're an influencer,

just a powerful voice, which I'm not, but we need those powers of powerful voices out there. If you just show one day, it's not going to work. You cannot wear an orange t-shirt one day, and then think that you did something to solve the problem. You did not. It's even worse because now you think you did something and you did nothing. So this is about getting out there every single day. It's hitting all of us, okay? It's not a blue or red thing. There's no distinction. It's hitting all of us. It's not the Latino or the American or the Asian. It's hitting all of us in every single space. There is no safe spot in here. What are we going to do? We're going to arm everyone.

We're going to give that gift to the government manufacturers. Now we need more guns on the parades. No one will go to a parade feeling the same way since yesterday. We all know that. So we need to hit the root of the problem. Travis, the whole team, athletes in general. You know who was a great athlete? My son Joaquin. Very athletic. Not like me just talking here. The old guy. No, very athletic, very into football and everything in general. He will love to see this reaction. So I'm doing my side and I'm doing my side after losing my son. And I think and I suggest that everyone does their side before losing a loved one. That will be way better than what I'm dealing with.

Manny, when you say constant, what can people do on a consistent basis and do constantly to help change, to instigate change here? Well, number one, and the most important, don't ignore these problems. Don't underestimate these problems. Don't think that you are safe because you are not. It's not about carrying a gun or not. So you are part, you're a potential victim, all of us. Everyone in that room is a potential victim. You just don't know when and where. That's it. As long as you're in the United States, you are in danger of being hit by a bullet. And I'm giving you tools. I have specific answers for that. I'm not fighting for peace and love. No, I'm telling you, go to right now, theshotline.org,

and you can send a message to any representative. It's easy. It's two steps. You put your zip code, and it will tell you who's representing you. By the way, it's also interesting because some people don't even know who's representing them. So you will put your zip code, you will see these names, and send them a message from Joaquin, from Uzi, from Mubaldi, that beautiful voice of a nine-year-old kid

telling you, can you please do something about this so no one else goes through the same situation that we did? That's constancy, okay? Leaders and politicians, you know what? They do what they can according to their negotiations and benefits. And so I'm trying to hope more on the people in general, people like you, shows like yours, and of course, influencers. I want to see those players complaining about this on a daily basis. Manny, before and thank you for your time, before you leave here, I don't know the entirety of

your family history. I am just curious based on your accent though, if you're someone who thinks or ever thought at any point in his family's past that America would feel like this. Let me tell you what I thought and I'm surprised that you heard my accent. I thought it was getting better with my English. But let me tell you what I thought 20 years ago. I thought that my kid deserve a better future. We are from Venezuela. I thought that my kid should have chances that I was not seeing in my country.

And for that reason, I left everything behind, me and my wife. We came all the way here, start from scratch, from zero. Very low options of job and opportunities for us. But for the kids, we do this for the kids. This is the future. Now, you're looking at the future that I was hoping for my kid. He's a legend. He's not here with me. He is a legend that is

motivating me to fight against God-vainus along with his mom. That was my dream, was not accomplished, but I'm not gonna go anywhere. I owe that to Joaquin. So I'm here until this gets done. It has to be so odd to you to flee all sorts of horror and this is your reality. Like this could not, this had to seem at one time in your life like something that was not possible in America. No, of course not. It was the land of opportunities. That's the tagline, right?

Land of opportunities. The American dream. Well, I'm living in an American nightmare. But it's not about me. It's not about how I feel, honestly. And I'm being honest with you. I'm not trying to sound like a victim here. I am not a victim.

Every time I feel bad, every time I feel sad, that is very often, I try to remember what happened to Joaquin that day. Because I know details about that. The suffering, the fear, running away. The way that Joaquin was shot four times with an AR-15, that should be impactful to everybody, not the campaign that we're putting out. That should be impactful, the way that that lady died yesterday during the parade.

Those kids that are, we don't even know if they will be able to survive right now. That's the pain. So however I feel today, it's irrelevant. I'm here, I'm talking to you, I can breathe, I'm having my coffee and I'm going to continue doing this. Manny, thank you for your time. I will tell the audience again, it's a couple of easy steps. If you want to feel slightly less helpless, the shotline.org is how it is that you can contact your lawmakers. Thank you, Manny.

I appreciate the time. Thank you. You have a great day. Thank you, Manny. The Dan Lebatard Show with Stu Gott is sponsored by BetterHelp. Imagine a person who values their relationships with someone deeply. They might have encountered challenges in communication, understanding, or differing perspectives over time. A common misconception about relationships is that they have to be easy to be right.

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Visit BetterHelp.com slash DLB today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash D-L-B. The Dan Lebatard show with Stu Gott is sponsored by BetterHelp. Imagine a person who values their relationships with someone deeply. They might have encountered challenges in communication, understanding, or differing perspectives over time. A common misconception about relationships is that they have to be easy to be right, but sometimes the best ones happen when both people put in the work to make them great. Therapy can be a place to work through the challenges

you face in all of your relationships, whether with friends, work, your significant other, or anyone. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist, and switch therapists any time for no additional charge. Become your own soulmate whether you're looking for one or not. Visit BetterHelp.com slash DLB today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash D-L-B.

This show, and I think Lucy can speak to this because she tried to clear the vibes in the room the other day when an argument broke out because the Super Bowl really was decided. We've got the audio now. We hear the chiefs on the field. It really was decided by a coach, evidently, not knowing the rules. Oh, I told you. And we argued about it and argued, you know, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and argued so much that Lucy arrived and tried to clear the vibes of the room, and successfully did with breathing exercises and assortment of things. Thank you. How do we clear the vibes now to try,

because this is, Stugatz knows this better than anybody. Like, the first couple of minutes of the show, just in terms of temperament, can derail me. And I don't want to spend four hours today in the emotional space that I imagine a lot of people will just fast forward through when they get to this later because they don't want this in their face. Why? Who would want this in their face? Who would want Chiefs players, drunk Chiefs players who were having a fun and funny celebration as they always do? They're going to own those over the decade because of the quarterback they have. They were having a fun and funny celebration, as they always do, they're going to own those over the decade because of the quarterback they have. They were having a fun

and funny celebration, and we live at the beginning of a 2024 that's about to get violent and dangerous. Like, get used to this because it's not like it's going to get better this year. It's not like we're getting less divided. It's not like we're getting less armed. How do I change the mood to just talk about the Miami Heats victory in Philadelphia last night? Because I don't know how to segue or transition into better vibes. You're putting a lot on Lucy, I mean.

I know, that's a heavy stuff. How about breathing exit? Okay, but I need to. Perhaps opening there? I need to, opening on. You could have just said that. Not asking. Okay, well now the heat, and now it's my job

to just clear this all I think I'm making it worse or so either so back you do your thing Anyone who doubted them no easy way to transition you know you do that thing that would have been great I would have been polished you think you think I should have led either right here with just perk thinks the heat aren't getting out of The first round you think that way to do this, but we will try to move on with our lives And again, we will put out that information as the show goes on. You know, little politics. Stugatz...

You've done it before. ...during the break had his head in his hands. Like Stugatz doesn't feel human things. He's off to the next grift. Life is something that... It's not nice. Not trail. Right.

Stugatz felt something deeply. How can you not? I'm a human being. I know, but you're like, okay. I got emotional, you're right. I was crying during that segment and my heart breaks for him and breaks for any family that has gone through this. Of course, it's tough to listen to.

I'll take your word for it that you were crying. I was looking at you, I didn't see tears either. I didn't see tears either. But I think that life, your life, maybe you can feel human things, but it is second on the metal stand to how do I get to the next grift. You gave him the credit for being emotional and he's like, oh shit, I cried Dan, I was over here. I weeped. I think part of the brutal thing in this country is that occasionally. You just be lying about my tears.

Occasionally, there will be tragedies. You didn't cry. No one saw you cry. My eyes were stinging. I had one. We saw it. Look. Your head was in your hands and you were emotional.

You were emotional. You did not cry. It was an unnecessary lie. Continue, Mike. No, I'm good. Continue. I would just say that occasionally, look, this is a part of everyday American life. And I do think that it is perfectly human to not have it emotionally register the same way each time. That's just how life goes. Occasionally there'll be something be it at an elementary school, a high school, a place that you see yourself at that registers a little bit differently. I think especially given Stu's proximity to Marjorie Stoneman Douglas and being that it was the anniversary of that, I can understand how this was triggering and traumatizing and

certainly brings out a little bit more emotional emotion than usual. Advocacy is important. I kind of, when we workshop, how do we do today's show and you see the guest list and you're like, yeah, this is a drag. No one wants to do this, really. No one wants to stay there But with the platform that we have with the passionate audience that we have I do think it's important to persist

You can't stop you can't be fatigued with something like this Especially when the majority of the nation the vast majority of the nation wants something done It can differ what that something is across party lines. I think most people just want something. If you want more good guys with guns in school, if you think that's the answer, fine. That's in some way, shape, or form, that's progress. If you think that this is a mental health issue, fine.

Let's do something there. If you think it goes far beyond that, fine. See if we can make some inroads there. I just get broken by it but I do think that what you did in having that gentleman on was important and we shouldn't stop. One of the many heartbreaking things about that conversation, Stugatz, because I don't know if you could get a lot more heartbreaking anywhere than losing a child. One day you're not thinking about it at all and then he doesn't come home

and your American dream, you're spending the next six years advocating because the pain does not leave you because you didn't get a chance for goodbye, you didn't think that would be it and for him to say, because do say because to us this feels like something out of the apocalypse that he's on television talking about the six year anniversary and there's another shooting and he realizes now i'm gonna have to fight for this date my son is going to get a race by the time that it hit the super bowl celebration valentine's day to him going to get erased by the time that it hit the Super Bowl celebration. Valentine's Day

to him is not what it is to anybody else. Valentine's Day is the day he lost his son, his teenage son, a 17-year-old, without expecting that morning that he would ever lose his son. And now he's got to fight for that day on activism because there are more deaths and when Mike Ryan says, Stu Gantz, that you have to keep doing this, I do believe a numbness sets in. I do believe we react to these differently each time and the more they happen, the less the outrage is because the outrage isn't creating any difference in the results. So if it's happening one and a half times a day, like this one happened at a Super Bowl celebration, but if it had

happened in a mall somewhere in, in, in Des Moines or hell, Lucy got attacked the other day because it happened in Iowa and she's just like, this is not okay. How can we be okay with this? But the outrage nationally wasn't for Iowa, the same that it is now for Kansas City because it happens at a celebration and we were all like, wait a minute, this was a party, how can this be America? The numbers are going in a direction that at some point everyone's lives are going to be touched by this. Hell, our previous studio, the Cleveland area, there was a shooting at where panicked hotel visitors ran into our studio by the dozens seeking refuge.

This is now a part of everyday American life where you put yourself in the shoes of the victims and understand that the reason why it hasn't happened to you is now feeling more like a look of the draw rather than anything else. We won't do this every day, Dan. We won't. We won't do this in an else. We won't do this every day, Dan. We won't. We won't do this in an hour.

We won't do it in three hours. In another day, something else is going to happen elsewhere, and we'll forget about the one that just happened yesterday. That's the cycle. That's the rinse and repeat cycle. Manny will be there doing it every single day. Dan, I'm sorry. I'm not being critical of you.

I'm just talking about the media in general. We do this. this I react to it and then we move on with our day. Okay, man. He will be there tomorrow We won't so Stu gots The part of this that I'm having some difficulty with for obvious reasons, okay? This year is going to be whatever sides you're on politically and there are nothing but taken sides now. This year is going to have more danger and volatility in it than any we've seen and in the divisions you've got more and more people armed and more and more people arguing about people being armed.

Further radicalized and set in their beliefs. Okay, but for the radicalized, three of them were at a parade yesterday thinking differently than everyone else at that parade. The radicalized, willing to give up whatever remains of their freedom to try and run away from 800 police officers because they thought they were doing something yesterday because that radicalization in whatever the echo chambers are whoever was reaching them was reaching them enough i think we can say this

without knowing what these these uh... these madmen were doing i think we can say this whatever news and information they were getting wasn't pulling them back to be less radicalized they made a choice to give up their lives yesterday for whatever it is they were fighting on behalf of which is much different than the echo chamber i'm in and makes me feel unsafe as i'm running away from these people and people are running into our studio at the cleveland air

and i'm paying a thousand dollars a day for security because i'm scared because how can i not be scared because i'm having conversations for the first time with my wife of well what happens do i need to get like rubber bullets in a gun what am I gonna do if I run up against somebody trying to take my life and I don't believe in guns and I don't I don't want to live in America where I have to have a gun to feel safer I prefer to just feel safe I don't want to have the politics argument with you about gun control I don't want to talk the politics argument with you about gun control.

I don't want to talk to you about whether or not most of gun deaths are actually suicides instead of Chicago. Yeah, I got exhausted by the politicization. Politicization. Yeah, it's a tough one. I apologize. I get exhausted by that because ultimately I just want more done. And I don't think that that's a stupid retort when someone asks you, well, how did you solve it? Do more, more. What do you want done?

What do you think the solution is? Cool. Let's do some of that. Let's just do more, do more. But in a two party system in this country, as a, so you got highlighted earlier right now, you're incentivized to promise that something will happen, whether now that's something that's gonna happen, maybe good or bad, and may bring about change or may not. And I think you know where the candidates stand on that. I am team do more with this,

and I'm not on a losing team here. I'm not getting the results, but the process says 80% of this country is with me. In do more. But 80% of this country, do you understand that this is the part about America that is really confounding to me as somebody who has believed in whatever

the utopian ideals of America are supposed to be? It doesn't matter what the 80% wants. No, it's not just that. It's that the 80%- One of the problems. It is one of the problems, but it's not- I mean, look at abortion statistics no, it's not just that. It's that the 80%- One of the problems. It is one of the problems, but it's not- I mean, look at abortion statistics too. It's not just that though.

Yes, of course, the leadership isn't doing what the people want, and that is wrong. But the next step on that that mortifies me is that those 80% of people that have gotten to the point where they're saying, yeah, yeah, yeah, slaughtering of children, that's not okay with me, is that 80% of those people feel unsafe in America.

And should. Like, that's not okay with me is that eighty percent of those people feel unsafe in america and should like that's not that's not seventy five percent of those people feel unsafe all of those people are seeing children slaughtered in school in the result of that is can my child be slaughtered at school and the answers yes and the answers yes in america more than any any other country like more than any other country you Like more than any other country, you risk sending your kid to school and bloody photos. And six years later, you're in Washington

creating AI of your son's voice because you want a lawmaker to keep his voice alive because his voice has to remain alive.