Unlearning Politics Pt. 1 with Kristina Garner: School Board Drama, The Theatrics of Politics, Addressing Political Extremism, Media Manipulation, and National Politics in Local Elections
Ever wondered about the intricacies of school board politics and the drama it entails? Strap in for a captivating conversation with our guest, Kristina Garner, a seasoned political figure and former executive director for the Republican party of Shelby County in Tennessee. Christina’s journey into the political arena is as insightful as it is unexpected, revealing the fiery zeal that fuels decisions affecting our daily lives.
Our conversation spans a range of thought-provoking topics, from the unexpected significance of alphabetical order on ballots to the impact of media manipulation on public sentiment. Kristina guides us through these complexities with tales of peculiar campaign themes, such as students using litter boxes, and heated debates on Critical Race Theory. We venture into history, observing how fear and anger have been exploited in media narratives even during events such as the Spanish Flu epidemic and President Woodrow Wilson's tenure.
As we delve deeper, we explore the repercussions of political extremism and the perils of information overload. Kristina’s anecdotes underscore the importance of maintaining balance and reasonableness in the face of these challenges. But she also offers hope, encouraging listeners to unlearn political biases, understand voting patterns, and take measured action. Whether you're an avid political enthusiast or a curious listener eager to make sense of the political landscape, this episode offers you a chance to understand, engage, and navigate the political sphere. Be prepared for a profound journey into the world of politics, all from the unique perspective of a seasoned campaigner.
Hello everybody, welcome once again to the Unlearned Podcast. I'm your host, ruth Abigail aka RA, and this is the podcast that is designed to help you gain the courage to change your mind so that you can experience more freedom. And we are in our series called Unlearning Politics, and I have my new friend with me here, uh, miss Christina Garner. Christina, welcome to the podcast. Hello, thank you. Thanks for having me. Yeah, Okay, Okay Y'all. So we've been like kind of pre-talking for about 20 minutes and, um, I'm telling you I am fascinated, If y'all know me at all some of you do, some of you don't, but I'm going to let the world know at this point. My favorite TV show is the West Wing, and if anybody knows anything about the West Wing, it is all about. It's all about politics and, um, I am fascinated by this stuff and I feel like I'm sitting with someone who could have been on the show right now and I'm like man, I'm kind of geeking out. So I'm excited about this, about this, about this conversation. So, um, you are the uh, former executive director for the Republican party of Shelby County. Yes, you have also been the campaign manager for a school board representative and a Germantown Alderman.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Um, and you, uh, you do huge volunteer projects that you create uh helping people uh in the home by accident, right? Um, and you are, uh, digital communications professional. Yes, you have your own um, uh um, company, media company. Yes, social media company. So, man, you are really out here, you are doing it, okay. So first of all, I got to ask how does someone with a graphic arts uh, graphic arts, design and social media management and the digital communications, how does one from there get into politics? How do those things even those seem like too far sides of the spectrum how do you get there?
Speaker 2:So, like most of the things that have happened to me, I just, you know, I go through a door and and and something you know, people are like, hey, come over this way. And I'm like, okay, very naively, I'll walk that way. Yes, and so a friend of mine, um, who we weren't really that close, uh, but we had worked on a couple of projects on PTA, and so she, um, she was like, hey, can you make this banner? Can you make you know it's? It was some some digital designs that she needed and some other things. And I said, sure, you know. And so she, she began to realize, she, she had been in business, she was vice president of, um, a bank like a bank of America Sorry, bank of America. She had worked for Mary Kay as a vice president. She had, she had done big things in business and then settled down to have kids. So she began to see, oh my gosh, I can see, I see you, I see what you can do, um. And then she decided to run for school board and she said, will you be my campaign manager and, you know, design my logo and my signs and make my website and help me with speeches and video me? And I said, yeah, let's do it. That sounds fun. I'm like this is like a total branding. Only it was branding a person and it was amazing. And so, as long as you know, and the one thing I said, as you know, you believe in that person and you buy into, you buy into that person and totally make everybody else like my job was to make everybody else see what I saw in her.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was great. So you got into politics and you were telling me earlier that as soon as you did that, you felt backlash.
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, what, what in?
Speaker 1:the world. And this is from from a school board politics which I got. To be honest, I didn't know so much drama was in school board politics. You know what I mean. Yes, I just wouldn't have guessed Um, but but what? What kind of things did you experience that were kind of unpleasant?
Speaker 2:in that way. So, because there was an incumbent running um and you know who had fans and who also had detractors. Immediately when you step into the ring for that you it's a controversial issue. Yeah, because you know, just like anything that you are going to um, advocate for or defend it's, there are people on both sides, yeah, so immediately people are like, well, why are you, you know, why are you doing this, why are you helping her? And and and I didn't feel like she was doing the best job on the school board. Yeah, and I knew that this person had the business savvy and that was what I felt was missing. The missing part of the school board in Germantown at that time Was we needed a business person, um, a person that knew about budgets and spending and projects and all of this in capital projects and all of this. And she fit the bill. And so it was um. To me it was a no brainer. And she, what? What? She? Through her hat in the ring, I was like, oh, yeah, you know, she asked me and I said, yes, let's do it. So that was the first little bump into politics and the first bump into um, the controversy that is there, and I will say it did shock me about school board. But then again there's politics. On the PTA board I was, yeah, yes, and when it's about people's children, that's when people get, you know, turned in fierce. So it surprised me at first, but then I was like, well, this is, you know, this is, and it was a lot of money that the school board budget controls and, like I said, it's grown exponentially in Germantown as the district has grown, you know, they've added it to another school, they've taken on capital projects of $50 million or more, and so, um, it's a lot of money and a lot of control, and so you want some steady hands on the wheel there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I want to get into some of the school board stuff in Germantown specifically because that's where you you know some of the things that you were advocating for and and spoke out on. But but before we get there, um, just for people who are less familiar about some of the uh, you know, campaigning and all that behind the scenes, can you got to give a, a description of all right, here's maybe what you think happens and here's what really happens, and um, uh, about how you actually approach a campaign or an election.
Speaker 2:So one of the things that happens normally is you want to start planning. Let's say, like, the election is in um, november, and the school board and Alderman elections are in November. Um, it, most places in Shelby County so, um, only the county elections are in August, and that's, and that's a state thing and they need to change it because less than I think, than I mean, it's like less than 5% or something vote in the county for the county elections. It's, it's, it's ridiculous. So, um, I think that you know they should just make elections in November, but that's just me. So, um, right, right, your state rep and your governor, but, um, so the um. So one of the things is you prepare before you prepare. Because we started meeting, um, some of us as a group, because we were unhappy with what was happening, um, with a few things, and, um, we weren't like, you know, raging or anything that, but it was just things that we noticed that were not quite what to ex expectations, um, as parents. So we started meeting and we and then it was like, okay, well, who's going to run? Is it you? You know, and you do that, you know, you draw straws, and I'm just kidding, but and you and you begin to decide who is going to run? Yeah, sure, and so, um, that that year, um, there were three seats up that year, and so, and they do it three and two. You know it's a board of five, so they do it three and two. So there's never an all new school board, because that, would you know, leave them with an experience team coming in and kind of be crazy Okay so um. So that's surprising because it's not like somebody's walking around one day and go, I'm going to run for school boy. So all of that planning, and there has to be the seed of discontent usually, or someone ages out. So let's say like if it was states in it, for example, and someone said I've done my years, I've done my time, it's time for me to retire, enjoy my children, whatever. And so that person leaves and there is no incumbent and then it's two new candidates. So that's a lot different situation of someone just wanting to step up and do that. And that's why I say that it became controversial immediately, because when you're running against an incumbent, it's a hard race and, for instance, I don't think there's ever been a Republican governor incumbent in Tennessee over voted out. So incumbent, see, you've got a huge advantage there. One of the things that people don't know is you have an advantage in the alphabet. If your last name starts with A and your opponent's last name starts with G or T or whatever below A, you have a disadvantage. You have like a 7% advantage if you're alphabetically before your opponent. Why? Because some people go in and vote for the first person because they don't know who to vote for 7% of people think like that.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:What it's ridiculous. Yes, and people don't know, and I don't know for whatever reason, click the first one. Sometimes I'm sorry, that's wild. Yes, it really is that's wild, but it's an advantage and people use it. If you both have the same last name or the same letter of last name, people will try to make sure that they're still on top. If you're Abigail Smith and my last name was Smith, but it was Christina Smith, oh, but my middle name is Alice. Wait, wait, no, that wouldn't still. That still wouldn't put me on top.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all right, yeah, ab is hard to get.
Speaker 2:It's hard to be? Yes, it sure is Maybe.
Speaker 1:I need to think about running. You do no, I do not. I'm kidding. Oh, I should have said that. I should have said that that's wild. Like I would have never. So do do like. Has there ever been a like, a like, a like. Has there ever been a petition to like? Change that on the ballot, where it's not alphabetical.
Speaker 2:No, and then what would they do then?
Speaker 1:Well, you know what would randomize it Could they not do that?
Speaker 2:I guess I guess they could. I don't know.
Speaker 1:That just seems like well let's make it more equitable, Just find let's randomly. That's crazy.
Speaker 2:Yes, so just things that people don't know. Just like I said about signs earlier, you see signs that are horrible, but you can't read them because they didn't hire a graphic designer, they don't know how many inches equal how many feet or how much distance that that it's readable. Um, what's most important on your sign? Your name, yes, and then your office. Um but but, and then most of your website as well. A short website, you know you don't want, you know, a long drawn out website. So, and now, qr codes. Everybody has QR codes and, um, even in the last uh election for Alderman in Germantown, um, alderman Sanders had his QR code right on the back of his truck. You know so that people driving around oh, there's Scott. I'm going to scan the QR codes.
Speaker 1:Do bumper stickers have the same effect? The signs? Are they as impactful Sometimes?
Speaker 2:but a lot of people don't want to put. Now we will put magnets on the cars a lot. Um, but you sometimes just for the candidate, but I mean you. Whenever you put anything political on your car, hear me now. You are then subject to vandalism of your car. No way, yes, no, yes. So especially depending where you know, depending on where you are and what neighborhood you're in, and things like that. So, um, yes, you can. There's real data on that in there.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's crazy. Oh, wow, that's wild. This is, this is crazy. Okay, so um, all right, this is for me.
Speaker 2:What's an Alderman? So Alderman is city councilman, okay, and I don't know. Um, that's an an old term and um, but I, when I moved to Germantown, I looked it up because I had never heard of it. I'd only heard of city council, right, and so I was like, what is this? But a lot of cities across the U? S use Alderman and it's mayor and board of Alderman. Um, but it just, it just means city council, but, but instead they have the mayor and board of Alderman rather than the words city council.
Speaker 1:The first time I heard Alderman you know where it was in the movie head of state that Chris Rock, uh, uh, is in. Uh, I had never heard of until then. And anytime I hear Alderman, that's the only thing I could think of. I don't know, I've, I don't know of another example of an Alderman, right, right, other than that, that movie. And honestly, at the time I was like, well, this can't, it's a, it's a comedy, so so I'm thinking honestly, I'm thinking like, okay, well, this must be a joke. Like Alderman, I can't be important, this is supposed to be funny, right, so like, so I, yeah, so I'm glad you explained that. So it's basically an, it's just an older name for a city council. Yes, okay, um, all right, so that's helpful. So what, what was the difference between the school board campaign and the Alderman campaign?
Speaker 2:Um, well, one is definitely money. Yeah, um, you, you're going to spend more money on an Alderman campaign, is you know? And here's the thing, is, um, most of our suburbs in Shelby County or at large districts, and what at large means is that it's unlike, it's not like the Memphis city council. Memphis city council, um, they run in their district. Okay, so that means you know, if you lived right here, near right near here.
Speaker 1:you only vote for the for the, the people in your district, yes.
Speaker 2:And so you only have to campaign there? Yes, but in the suburbs you know, you've, you've, you've got the entire district. The city is your whole district. So I'm voting for every council person or every Alderman seat, mm, hmm, and that's the only that I did not know Right, and so it's like I said, it's three and two, Okay, and on the year that there's two Alderman, that's the year that that is the mayor election as well. So it's really three and three that you're voting for on the on the board of mayor and Alderman. Just one of them's mayor and two Alderman, and the other other year it's three Alderman.
Speaker 1:What's the significance of that? So, like Memphis, you, you, you vote for you only have to campaign in your district versus in a German town? Does Bartlett operate well? I don't know what are the other municipalities that operate that way?
Speaker 2:So it is. It is district wide because it's smaller. Okay, and so the theory behind politics and and you know we'll get into political theory here, as we talked about is that this is someone you know that it's going to represent you, and so in Memphis with you know however many people, 800,000 people, whatever then you need that, that slice. They're hoping that you're going to know or meet that district representative during the campaign so that you can get to know them and know what they're about. You know you can ask your neighbor do you, do you know her? You know, and and and yes, I know her don't vote for her. So, yeah, that makes sense. So so that's the idea of slicing it up into manageable bites so that you can know that person and know what they actually represent and who they really are.
Speaker 1:German tells about 40,000 people. Is that?
Speaker 2:right, okay, right.
Speaker 1:So all right. So, alderman, so you were saying I don't remember who you were saying this, but the was it the last Alderman election? 20,000, $20,000 spent. Yes For the campaign, yes.
Speaker 2:I know that. So, for instance, the mayor did not have a opponent in the last race but you know in his. So this is all public information of how much people spend, who contributes to their campaign. Go to the Shelby Election Commission, go to their website. You can click on any candidate, whether they're, you know, memphis, shelby County, germantown, bartlett see who contributed to their campaign. And that's important. It's important to know who is contributing to someone's campaign. Is it a telecommunications person? Because they're going to bring something in here? Is it? You know different businesses that you might not you personally might not agree with or align with politically, that you think. No, I don't want to vote for that person. That's important as well. Besides, you know what they're saying, so, but you can go and look and see how much they raised. They have to give quarterly reports and then. So I think the mayor last report had over $100,000 in his campaign fund, best I remember around that. So that's the thing is it costs more to run in Germantown than it does in Bartlett. It's strictly because of politics has gotten. You know people joke with me and said you know, germantown politics is just not for the faint of heart. You know, it's just, really, yes, it's just, and it got very controversial in this last election, in the last school board election.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I want to talk about that so that you, there was an article actually that you, you contribute to. It was at the daily, the daily right. Where you were sharing. So the deal was you, the. There was a vote recently to whether or not school board seats, school board candidates, should be affiliated with a political party or not. Right now it's nonpartisan Right and the the vote was should we make it a partisan right Right Seat? And you were vehemently against that. Yes, and so talk about first of all, how did that even come to be? How did that conversation become on the table? And then, why were you against?
Speaker 2:it. So a few years ago, in back in 2021, a lot of school board controversy began to happen across the country because of COVID, and people became either vehemently opposed to masking or not. Yeah, and that issue cropped up, plus several other issues of student sexual orientation. Okay, and this is at public schools now, not not private schools, and so so that's where it that's where it begins to, to me, be unethical to be partisan, because the National School Board Association immediately states that it is nonpartisan for its candidates, and so because you start to begin to bring national politics in, and so one of the groups that was formed and we can talk about this too is Moms for Liberty. Okay, and we're just gonna get down into it. Let's do it. Let's do it. So it was formed by three current or former school board members in Florida and so they were focused on the mask mandates and COVID-19 restrictions, and that's how Moms for Liberty was born. So, at first, a lot of people who were anti-masking and pro, let them go to school, let this run its course, and then you get into how deadly is COVID? How will deadly it will be, but, like I said, this was 2021 by now. Right, so, you know, right. So at first people were like yes, let them go to school, let them stop masking the children. They've already proven masks don't work, you know. And all of this was happening. And then, since then, you can look this up and some people are saying you know that they have become, in some places, a, I'm gonna get it correct here. Okay, one of the articles from the Hill which is. You know, popular political commentator pundit is. Here's one of the headlines. I'll just read you the headlines Six reasons why Moms for Liberty is an extremist organization, and it goes through the six reasons how it was formed. Moms for Liberty this is from the Guardian. Moms for Liberty listed as anti-government group by extremism watchdog. Wow, and then let's see who's afraid of Moms for Liberty. I mean, these are just some of the headlines. Democrat state rep calls Moms for Liberty members a-holes. I mean, that's Fox News, that's one of them. And then you've got how Moms for Liberty became an influential force in the GOP, and that's what I was saying about. At first everybody was like, yes, let them go to school, and you know we're tired of masking and all of this stuff. And then it became about other things that were. Were they even real? Were students using litter boxes in the schools? Were they? Because, guess what, that became a major talking point and I don't think there's any school district in America that has not had a phone call to the district office saying are kids there using litter boxes? Pause, pause pause.
Speaker 1:Pause Because wait a minute, wait. So there was a claim that kids were using litter boxes, and let me be clear when you say litter boxes, you mean the same thing that cats use. Yes, Okay, in the schools. Why Was?
Speaker 2:this a claim, so they were claiming that the kids that were wanting the litter boxes are using them were furries. Now, I don't think they actually knew what the real term for that is. Listeners can go to the Urban Dictionary if they want, but it's apparently a sexual orientation, so yes, Okay, so let me just all right, because my mind definitely didn't go there.
Speaker 1:I thought it maybe had something to do still with COVID and being safe, and they don't wanna go to the bathrooms because it's crowded. I don't know. That is not what I thought you were about to say.
Speaker 2:And so what? And so I think that some people think that it's a cosplay kind of issue. Hey, I'm Superman, I can jump off the building, and then you do and find out that you're not, and so it's kind of like that, and they said no, no, and so the story was that there were students who were insisting they were cats or dogs. I guess they were all a cat, maybe all of them were cats and wanted litter boxes in the schools. Now, one of the ways that this came about there's a couple of ways it came about the rumor of this was because of active shooters, and that's a real issue that our poor children have to deal with. It's just sad to me that this is an issue that kids have to be taught and everything. So litter buckets are put in the rooms in certain schools as a precaution. So if you are in lockdown, if you have to go to the bathroom. You can't go out into the hallway and you may not be in a classroom and the bathroom is connected and you gotta go. So here is this bucket. This is an emergency use only bucket, that's all. It's for emergency use only.
Speaker 1:So that got turned into. There are litter boxes in the school. Yes, yes, and then so Moms of Liberty has used that as an issue. They have here. They have here, yes, in Shelby County, yes.
Speaker 2:And in other places across the country. No way, yes, and so, and I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't hear it with my own ears, and that is just the. You know, it's like there's just some things that are just so unbelievable. If you don't hear them yourself, then you just you can't believe them. So those are the kind of things that has popped up in American school board elections. Yeah, that you don't think, because that's not what school boards even make policy on. They don't have anything to do with that. And that's the problem is, a lot of these issues are emotional issues. They're using litter boxes down at our schools. They're you know, this is happening and that is happening, and that's not even what school boards make rulings on. School boards initiate policies and procedures for the school and make the policy for that. So, for instance, you know, hey, we need a policy that all students have to have clear backpacks. Now, okay, you know, okay, we're gonna make that and that's gonna be in the student handbook. Now, one of the policies that I asked the school board to look at and it was looked at in a dress was the dress code, because boys were wearing shorter shorts and girls were getting set home and so I have three daughters did not appreciate so and it was looked into and it was changed last year. So those are the kind of things that school boards make rulings on.
Speaker 1:So you're saying, even if, even if the litter box thing was true, the school board couldn't have changed it anyway.
Speaker 2:Well, I guess they could, they would make, I guess they could make a policy that there is a room that they could use for that. But bathroom policy issues are state issues. They're state issues, yes, just like the curriculum, and that's where CRT and so that was another issue that came up with Bombs for Liberty Got. You Was CRT, critical race theory and so and that was that's one of those emotional hot buttons and if I play on enough of people's emotional hot buttons, they're gonna come and vote for me. I'm gonna unmask your children, I'm gonna ban CRT, I'm gonna do this. And so I'm gonna make sure there's no litter boxes and you know whatever, and I'm gonna make sure there's no boys in the girls bathroom, and so that's what people are literally campaigning on.
Speaker 1:That has no no purview over that.
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly, thank you Exactly. And so the state makes the laws about bathrooms and genders, and not the school board. And the state picks curriculum and the school board chooses from that curriculum. And in Germantown's district, parents are included in that process and they have several boards and you know they'll have some teachers on there and parents on there. So, for instance, if I keep writing to the school board saying I hate this math curriculum I've had two kids in the school and it's really bad. Can we do something? Then probably I will get a call and they'll say, hey, we're about to do, we're about to buy new math books, textbooks. Would you like to be on the board for this? Well, sure, or you know or no, I don't have time. I just wanted to complain. Right, right, right, sure, yes, so, and that's parent involvement and that's great. But so, yes, these emotional hot buttons and that's what I talk about, the theatrics of politics nowadays, and you and I had-. Yes, we did Talk about that. So things have become theatrical to get those votes and to get people out to vote when that has nothing to even do with what a school board person does.
Speaker 1:When did it become theatrical? When did that happen?
Speaker 2:Part of it happened after COVID, like I said, when groups like this popped up in around 2021, part of it was before that, especially in national politics. National politics got really theatrical after what happened with Ferguson and I think we talked about that briefly and it's because suddenly it became almost dangerous to be a cop and it still is and so there's people once again on both sides of that and bringing that so that's another national issue that you drag down to local politics becomes kind of dangerous. The whole Defund police that's what I'm trying to say. Defund police movement, so, but then I'm gonna call the police when my neighbor is shooting at me through the window. So who do you call? Once you defund the police, I mean I'm not gonna call the citizens on patrol, whatever. So I think that's when politics began to get more heated and divisive, and my theory on that of why that began to happen is media.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, yeah, okay. So you're a media person. You know how that all works. So talk to me about what, from somebody who knows media and who understands the game of media. What were you seeing that? What were you seeing where media was perpetuating a narrative, right, you know, kind of get. What did you see?
Speaker 2:Well, and it's the same thing as the school board campaigns we just talked about. It's an arena to manipulate and to manipulate you emotionally so that you will vote emotionally. Because is it rational to vote for a school board candidate based on bathrooms or litter boxes or CRT in Tennessee? No, because Germantown School Board, bartlett School Board, any of they don't have any purvey over that, so that's irrational. So that becomes the manipulation and the emotional manipulation. So one of the things that happened after Ferguson was that when you look at the census report and you look at the poverty level in the United States, so 50 million Americans are poor, yeah, and if you harness those votes 50 million votes, wow then you are manipulating those votes to grab them. And if you can make so, people say, or studies say, that the number one reasons to vote is fear or anger.
Speaker 1:Really yes. Is that like normal? Is that? Has it always been the case throughout history?
Speaker 2:Is that why you know I don't know when that actually became true? That's a good question. I do need to look that up and find that out, because that's one of the things is you know they're like. If you can, the fear in you. Even if it's a positive fear, if you were happy, satisfied and your 401K is doing great, don't let this man come in here and vote him in and take that away from you. That's a fear. You know that's pushing a fear as well. It's a fear of I'm gonna take something away from you. So, and that's how all think about it, think about all the ads, the political ads you've ever seen. They are on fear and anger. They're either there to make you angry or to make you fearful that something's gonna be given to taken away from you or put up on you.
Speaker 1:So this is interesting because to me, all right, because I have so many questions about the media, I definitely wanna know what's in it for the media, but we can get there in a minute, Like, what's in it for them? I guess maybe just participation in views and money. I guess it all travels back to money, I'm sure. But for those two things fear and anger to be the primary reasons people vote, but also for the percentage of people to vote be so low, All right, so that doesn't seem to match. It's like, okay, well, if that's why people go to the polls, it seems like more people are fearful and angry than actually go vote. So is that even working? Like, is it effective to the point where you're actually, is it as effective as it's purported to be? I don't know.
Speaker 2:You know, I think it is, and I think that a lot of people's intention is to go vote and then they, for whatever reason, life catches up with them and they don't go vote. But they had the intention to go vote and they knew who they were gonna vote for, but people don't go.
Speaker 1:Hold on. That doesn't make sense to me, though.
Speaker 2:So the question is from the media and you've seen this escalate from that time period to this what will I have to put in the media to make you angry enough or fearful enough to go vote, right, right? And so you see these issues. Well, we've never had issues like this before. And look at this, look at this happening now. We've never had kids using litter boxes and we've never had just whatever you come up with to manipulate the headlines, right, right, and so that's the thing. When you distract people with emotional issues that was what I was gonna say in immigration, abortion and gun control then they don't ever wonder why are so many people poor? Why are there 50 million poor people? You know why and how has the disparity between the 1% and middle class? Middle class has gone down by 11% in the past two decades.
Speaker 1:When you say gone down, meaning there are 11% less people than middle class that have gone into the poverty category Yep.
Speaker 2:that's a 2012 Pew Research Center report. Just half of US households are middle income, a drop of 11% since the 1970s. Wow, that's a big drop, it's huge. Wow, so yep, and so I think that that's why you see things get so much play, the negative things get so much play in the media. It is the manipulation. I didn't know this, but how all of this started with the media, one of the things we talked about during the Spanish flu epidemic. The president called everybody in. Did you really study the Spanish flu epidemic in school? I didn't. I didn't either, because it was a blip, it was nothing. You've heard those words, but they don't mean anything. Do you know that that killed so many people worldwide? It killed more people than wars. I mean it is crazy. But the president called everybody in and said anybody who prints anything negative and makes people panic or fearful about this will be considered a traitor.
Speaker 1:Really.
Speaker 2:Yes, and locked down the media. That's when it began.
Speaker 1:When was the timeframe on that?
Speaker 2:When was the Spanish flu. That was Woodrow Wilson, I think.
Speaker 1:Yeah, was that early 20th century.
Speaker 2:He was the 28th president, so that was 1910s, 20s. Yep, he was president from 1913 to 1921. And that's the thing. It became unpatriotic. Well, let's go back further, though. Let's go back a little bit further, because it didn't really start there. It had already started because of the war.
Speaker 1:Sure, yeah, I was about to say I'm sure.
Speaker 2:And so if you incite fear and panic because that was around the same time the war and just after that, the Spanish flu, and I think he was still president during the Spanish flu, but he definitely was during World War. So that was the thing if you start saying anything negative to once again give people panic, then you're a traitor. And then, at the point where they were actively looking for communists and you were fearful to say anything or to critique anything, that has become part of our culture, our media culture in America. So the manipulation has from the media and it's to I just want to say dumb you down so that you're not thinking. If I have you thinking about these issues over here that are so heated and such emotional hot buttons, then you're not thinking about. Well, gosh, this bridge is about to fall apart. And also, why is there so much crime downtown and all of these other issues? Until somebody begins to raise them and that's what we're fighting right now with the mayoral race who is going to be tough on crime? How are we going to do that? How is that individual going to make a difference?
Speaker 1:OK, I'm going to go back to my initial thought around this Like, what is in it for the media to do that? Or you know, and this may sound conspiracy theorists like, but who is behind the media pushing them in that direction? Because, as a media person, I don't know. I can't, at least I'm not one. So maybe there's stuff I don't know, but I can't think of a reason why it would be beneficial to me to incite fear and anger into people I don't see how that is the case.
Speaker 2:But the inciting fear and anger remember that's actually the calming technique over here is to get you to go vote. But also, I'm not going to report on the issues that actually matter to you and your well-being and your welfare, such as, like I said, something that would that you need to be concerned about day to day life. That would raise your level in the school. Let's say like that was the high schools that are getting low scores. Let's take a school district in I mean in Memphis and let's say like, if they can make you not care about that, because you're over here worried about gun control and abortion and all these other issues and that's what they're reporting on, and meanwhile the kids are going to school and they don't have toilet paper and they don't have whatever, and so that's the thing is like look over here, not over here.
Speaker 1:Is there anything that regular people can do about that?
Speaker 2:Don't buy into it. And that's where the unlearn part comes. Unlearn all that, unlearn the emotional hot buttons. Unlearn them because I consider myself, politically, a freedom person and a constitutionalist. So, and that's one of the things I think, that you asked me was what does freedom look like? Freedom looks like the true pursuit of happiness for each person in America. So, but shall my freedom infringe upon yours? No, because if someone's happiness was killing people, right?
Speaker 1:that's why I'm about to say happiness contention. Who's happiness right? Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:So if my happiness is building model train systems in my house, and that's great, then I'm pursuing my happiness. So, within the law, of course, within the Constitution of course, and so you've got the framework. And the one thing that I always ask people and we talked about this reasonableness what is the reasonable answer to a question? So, if a woman needs an abortion because her baby's organs are outside its body, it cannot live. The doctor says we need to take the baby because it could kill you and the baby's not going to live. This is a medical treatment. But the doctor says I can't do it though, because I'm going to get fined $10,000 and go to jail. So at that point, what's the reasonable thing to do? Most people would say the reasonable thing is to give the mother medical treatment, and so is it. But then is it reasonable to your eight months pregnant and say you know what? I don't want to be pregnant and so I'm going to go to the abortion clinic? No, that's not reasonable either.
Speaker 1:So people, truly, they don't have to question reasonableness, but they do, but they do, and I think in those two examples, we're talking about two extremes. Yes, and I do, and we did talk about this. What is it that people can unlearn about extremes? Because we hear about extremes all the time but our day-to-day is an extreme, but it's like we're focused on extremes. I mean, that's what I experience. It's like the conversations are usually extreme. Nobody really likes to have day-to-day conversations. They're not as sexy, but we have these conversations that are on either side and this and that, and it's like. So what is it that you would help people to unlearn about that? What do we need to know about it?
Speaker 2:One of the things that I think is, for whatever reason, women in politics are not as successful as men in politics, and I don't know if that's because women and men think that men should be in charge. Yeah, I mean both. I mean because suburban women vote. I mean they vote like crazy. So why are you voting for some of these candidates, I mean. So that's the thing. And, like I said, the extremism, like I said our friend Otis at the Daily Memphian. He said, Christina, you're a reasonable Republican. And I said, well, probably I'm a reasonable human, so I'm not over here saying, no, you get fine $10,000 and go to jail for giving that woman a medical treatment that saved her life, whether it was to pull a brain tumor out or whatever it was that saved her life. And then, oh well, this time, because it was a non-viable pregnancy, I mean you've got to look at the bottom line of reasonableness there. So then you go over here to a person who says less freedom, no, you can't do that. That's less freedom, that a doctor can't give you a medical treatment, Right. And then so you've got those two extremes there, Right. And one of the things that I feel that women can do is rise up and demand balance and reasonableness.
Speaker 1:Man that balance and OK, and you were telling me, and particularly with this issue, but I'm sure with others, you have gotten a lot of backlash. Yes, because your affiliation is Republican. Yes, and you've gotten a lot of backlash with even making that statement. Yes, oh, yes, I mean, what do you do with that?
Speaker 2:Well, so once again, unlearn. So you say, oh well, all the Democrats, all of them, want to kill babies. They're baby killers. So making a silly extreme statement like that, and then all Republicans are racist. So it's like these extreme carrot catchers of parties. When I'm just like, do I believe in the second amendment? Yes, I do. Should we go around and give everybody a gun? You know? Oh, you're three years old now. Here's your gun. No, of course we should not. And should you take a handgun course to have a gun? Yes, that's reasonable. That's a reasonable assumption that you would do that. It's reasonable to assume that you wouldn't be drinking. I mean, that is one of the things you don't drink and carry a gun. That is against the law. So that's where it gets to. These extremes of the Democrats are going to come into our homes and raid them and take every gun. They're going to take your great, great grandfather's gun off the wall. That don't work. Yes, it doesn't even work. Yes, yes, yes. And so you know. And then but then look at what just happened, though, with the Supreme Court overturning abortion you say, ok, well, that's OK, because states can decide that right. Ok, so let's do that, ok, let's try that. And then when it happened and there were trigger laws in place and the trigger laws then women had I don't know if we didn't talk about this. We didn't so and I'm sorry to harp on this issue. This is interesting, but I don't know if I send you what I wrote about that. No, so I did write an article on abortion and conservative women as well, because it is basic health care and once again, that's freedom and I mean some of it's basic health care. And then I mean, like I said, there's that reasonable line. So one of the things that happened was an ectopic pregnancy, the pregnancy outside of the womb, that's, in a fallopian tube. It can never survive, it can never live and you will die if it continues. In Ohio or was it Indiana? One of those two? They're right by each other, but you can Google it and they tried to make a law that if the woman had an ectopic pregnancy, they would remove it and then put it in her uterus to live. That is scientifically and technologically impossible. I don't honestly know how it was thought to happen.
Speaker 1:That can't even happen.
Speaker 2:But the lawmakers who were voting on this did not know. They had no idea, but somebody had to have said something to them. Oh they did, they did.
Speaker 1:And it didn't pass.
Speaker 2:It didn't pass, but that's what I'm saying, because they're not physicians, and that's one of the things that people have to look at when they vote for a candidate Is this person reasonable? Are they reasonable? Yes, I mean that's the first thing. Are they reasonable and balanced? Yes, can they see both sides of the coin? Right, because certain issues you're gonna need reasonable, balanced people because they're not physicians. They don't know. They don't know what's scientifically possible. I mean, we see, we see sci-fi on television. You know where they have babies growing in a balloon looking thing. I mean they don't know. Yeah, so so at that point you've got to. You know, because, because politicians make laws on everything, yeah, you know. How big can your doormat be? How big is the manhole cover have to be? How? How much tell telecommunications in five days and the fact that you have G is allowed in this neighborhood? Can we put a tower? I mean Germantown cell towers was a big issue in the election before last Because the residents wanted better cell coverage but people didn't want to sell towers, so it was a not in my backyard issue. Yes, there are like no cell towers cause cancer, we don't want them over here. And then the other people are like but 9-1-1? You know our 9-1-1 service is failing at some, sometimes because of the, because you can't get through you can't get a signal, wow. So so, once again, reasonableness. You know, where can we, where can we put these? And you know, is there a study, you know, and things like that? And I think a lot of it has to do. This is one of the things that you ask about how was all of this theatrics born? Once again, we have better communications than ever before. We have the internet and I can look up every conspiracy theory.
Speaker 1:that was just like the litter box conspiracy theory At some point, I think there's just a. There's just a, there's just. There's such a thing as is too much access.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:You know which which sounds crazy and I almost regret saying that because you know that could be taken a million different ways. But but at some point we have to say okay, you know, you can't be having people consume lies, right, and inaccuracies, but there's no way to, there's no way to really regulate that. You know, with the internet, there's just no way to do it, and I you know, but I think it's just to your point. We have to, I think, unlearn, unlearn the. We have to, we have to unlearn how we even deal with information. Right, how do you consume that information? How do you consume it? How do you? How do you? How do you filter through it? Yes, how do you filter through information? And like that is I don't know, I don't, I don't know, I think they're you know that, shoot, we need to have that class and in school, you know, I think those are the things we have to, we have to be able to do. Well, I think it's just people moving about day to day.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Because there's too much to try to sort through, right, and so much of it isn't true and so much of it is inaccurate and so much of it is emotionally charged where, even though it might be a fact, it it's not. It is, it is, it is not as frequent just because it's a fact, right. So you know, ok. So I saw this thing one time and now it's the thing, now it's everywhere. No, that's not true, right, and we have to, and that's on both. That's on all sides of anything, any issue. You have to be honest about that. And I don't know. I just think it's really it's scary that we live in a, in a society that's so easily triggered by things that we know very little about.
Speaker 2:Right, you know, I mean. And so so take off taking off your I like to say sensitive Susie, you know. Take off their sensitive Susie shoes. And then listen to the other side, you know, because if someone, if someone, is calling your party racist, then you need to find out why. And then meet person to person. You know, politician to politician, politician to constituent and that, and so, once again, when we talk about districts and slices in there, yeah, you should know your politicians, because they're made like I said, they're, they're making laws on how big your door mat can be and you know how much money can go in your 401k and you know all of this other because they do. Yeah, I mean, there's a reason why you can only put two thousand dollars in your 401k each year.
Speaker 1:Somebody made a law with the IRS yeah.
Speaker 2:And so I mean how can, how can somebody control how much money? I mean, you know what I'm saying, I mean. So, so know your politicians, know the people who are voting on those things. Vote, vote them in, vote them out. Make sure they're reasonable, yeah, and don't be sensitive to, to those buzzwords like extremist or liberal or whatever. Instead of being sensitive to them, dig through that, yeah, sift through it and find out why, why, why someone saying that we know, why someone saying that you know, this party is this way or this party is this way, yeah, whereas, because it's funny when, when some people say, you know, why are you Republican? And I'll say because because I like freedom, I want the party of freedom. You know, and just like the soldier says, he says you know, I went and fought for you so that you could burn that flag. You know, no, you should not burn the flag, but I fought for you so that you could, so that you could have freedom, and so, and they're like but but you're making a bunch of laws that take my freedom away, okay, well then, then once again, vote, vote those people out and find that balance yeah, if it's an independent, if it's somebody else, and get on board and get involved and that and that's the thing, and that's what I said. Suburban women voted, and in this last election, more than I think, more than anybody. And when you, when you look at the numbers, maybe I need to look at the breakdown again. It may have, it may have been changed in this last national election, but because I don't keep up always with national transit politics, so into local but but at that point you, you know you've got to, because I know who you're voting for and know. Know the person, not the party.
Speaker 1:I was literally just about to ask you could we hear this? You know you vote for a person, not a party, but is that really true?
Speaker 2:today. So it's not true in Shelby County. Apparently, because you take the case of my good friend who came and spoke to us, john DeBerry, about nonpartisan school boards, who was Democrat, bonafide Democrat. You to run you have to be bonafide. A lot of people don't know that what is running in a part partisan election you must be bonafide by that party. So in Republican, in the Republican State Party of Tennessee, you have to have voted in three of the last four state primaries. So that means you say, oh no, I always vote for president. Then count a primary is when you go in and you request a ballot and they say do you want a? Democratic ballot or a Republican ballot, and so you, you pull that ballot and you vote for your people in that primary. So that's the only way that they know if you have voted a certain way. You don't register as a Democrat, you don't register as a Republican In the state of Tennessee, but they can pull your voting record, like I can pull it, and say you have voted Republican or Democrat in the last All the primaries, like all of them. Look, look it up. So the three of the last four you have to have voted Republican to be a bonafide Republican. Okay, and I'm not sure what the state, the state requirements are for the Democratic Party but, I, bet it's very similar. So you can't just up and say you know what I'm tired of y'all, I'm going to switch parties because you're not. You would not be bonafide because it takes so many years to be bonafide, right? So, like one of my friends, he's got to vote in the next two elections and then he'll be bonafide. And he's so excited because you know, I'm going to be bonafide. And so he said I'm going to give me a button, and where this is bonafide, I'm like nobody's going to know what that means. You go to wine, so shout out to the wine and so, so the so where were we sorry?
Speaker 1:No, you were saying that you were. You were about to death. Yes, john, john, yes.
Speaker 2:So he was voting conservatively and which is, like I said, that's one of the the tenants of being Republican conservative votes, who's voting very conservatively and voting for business, and you can, you can Google this and Google him and look up what happened to him. But he was put out of the Democratic Party of Tennessee and they said you're voting with Republicans too often, ok, and so he was.
Speaker 1:I remember this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I remember this. And so he was vote, so he was censored and put out of the party. So then he couldn't run as a Democrat because they put him out of the party and it was during the election. The election was weeks away, and so His opponent was not conservative at all. He Then went on to win the opponent.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yes, because John then had to run as independent Right, which yeah, and so he could have. So we had a meeting, because at that time I was still executive director. We had a meeting. Should we let him run on the Republican ticket? And you're saying, well, how could? He's not bonafide. Well, at that time there's no longer. I think they've changed or changing it. The party chairman could give him basically a pass and say you know, we will let you on the ballot. And he decided that was not the thing to do and ran as an independent. And he will tell you that it was straight Shelby County, coming in and in his district and everywhere, coming in and voting, pulling a Democrat ticket and voting Democrats, voting brand only, voting for the brand. Wow, and he said you know, that's one of the things that you know, it's brand loyal. Yeah, and he said and here I am I had done good things for my district. Yeah, people appreciated me and everything, but they didn't even look at the name. He said they didn't even look at. Look at the name people that you know that were my supporters or whatever you know they go to the ballot, pass supporters or people that appreciated what he had done. His name is not on the ballot because you know you pull the Democratic ticket, and so that's one of the reasons why he was saying you know, don't make school board partisan politics. And now he's an advisor to the governor, okay, so he's a Nashville most of the time. Now, yeah, so it's, it's yes that people do go in and just pull that ticket and vote, or, you know, on the national elections, just go down and vote party only, and they don't, they have no idea what that person, who that person is. And here's the thing some not all conservatives and I'm not trying to put a label on anyone and I'm certainly not trying to be homophobic in any way, shape or form, but a lot of the people in his district were very conservative and now have an openly gay representative, and so that that was a surprise to a lot of them, and whether they, whether they agreed or disagreed or I'm not saying I agree or disagree, I'm just saying it was a surprise to them to say, oh, john DeBerry got put off the ballot and now we have this other candidate and once he got voted in shock, you know, they were shocked. You know pastors and whoever you know and so they came to him and they were like how did this happen? So that's a case study in itself of voting the brand.
Speaker 1:Man, christina, I have learned, I have unlearned so much. This has been like super fascinating and I really could keep you here for another hour because I have about 15 more questions in my head. But I'm not going to do that. And I'm not going to do that to y'all listeners because I'm about to geek out on some stuff and y'all probably like, yeah, no, don't get that deep. But before we go, I would love for you to just kind of share a few more things that you think it would be really healthy for people to unlearn about politics and even about parties. I think that's interesting.
Speaker 2:So one of the things that I noticed in politics more than anything are labels, you know, just labels, labels, labels. And I think that people think that labels help because they help you identify with a candidate or with the supporters of a candidate. And so during the last two presidential elections there was women for Trump, blacks for Trump, gays for Trump, you know I mean Hispanics for Trump, and they would wear their shirts, you know, and everything. And you know it was like look at me, you know I'm, you know gay and for Trump I'm dissing, for Trump, you know, whatever, and I didn't notice that so much on the Democratic side when Joe would have his, the President Biden would have his the drive-in remember the drive-in and everybody would drive in and it was like a drive-in theater with him up there. I don't remember.
Speaker 1:You don't remember. Yeah, this is news to me, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:So it was like a drive-in movie theater. People would come in their cars and drive in and stay in their car and watch. You know, because of COVID or whatever.
Speaker 1:Oh, because of COVID, oh, gotcha.
Speaker 2:And so there were. So people were like for rallies and stuff. Yes, so people would kind of joke and say there could be anybody in those cars, or just mannequin in those cars or whatever you know, we don't know. So it was kind of a running joke of the drive-in. So you don't know what shirts they were wearing.
Speaker 1:Right right, right right.
Speaker 2:So, but yeah to, maybe I don't know if it's to unlearn those boxes. You know, why are you in a box? You know, and like I said, and I think it was to counteract the labels of okay, I'm wearing my Blacksburg Trump shirt so that I'm counteracting the racist, you know, and I'm wearing Gays for Trump so I'm counteracting homophobic comments or whatever, and then so kind of unlearn those boxes or those labels so that people and just see people, see people. Another thing is maybe unlearn that you can pick and choose. You know, if I give you a basket of fruit and you don't like bananas, I'm not gonna sit there and watch you eat the basket of fruit and say, no, you eat the banana too, I gave you that basket of fruit. So it's the same thing with the Republican Democrat label. Is, you know, like I said, I am for a reasonable medical procedure for a woman that would end up terminating a possible life. You know, it's just really non-viable at that point. This case is that I've looked at and talked about and everything that the physicians are afraid and that's my whole point is the physicians are afraid to treat these people. So you can pick and choose and have reasonable laws. Let's say, like you know, somebody wants to open a something that you're opposed to next door to your house a water park, you know. And so you're like no, I don't want this zone that way. What are you going to do? You're gonna go to the city and you're gonna go to the city council and you're gonna say you know, we can't have this water park next door. It happened in Germantown with a Chick-fil-A. People denied God's chicken. Yes.
Speaker 1:What.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's a personal offense to me. Yes, and they said that they didn't want this traffic and the smells, and it was right at Poplar and Forest Hill. Yes, no way. Yes, and it would have been a lot of tax revenue for Germantown. We do have the Chick-fil-A, you know that's right before the bridge on Germantown Parkway, but it would have been a lot.
Speaker 1:I know where all Chick-fil-As are within Shelby County. It's a sad thing, but I know exactly where they are.
Speaker 2:I've been to all of them.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's wow. I am offended.
Speaker 2:Yes, wow and so. But a group got together and you know, and signed a petition and said you know, we don't want this Chick-fil-A here, and even though it was going to have the largest drive-through, holding, holding drive-through so that the traffic wouldn't be backed up in the street, so things like that. You know that's politics and people have to learn how to navigate that and so learn that. But but unlearn that you don't have a place in politics. You certainly do, because at some point it's affecting you, whether it's how much you can contribute to your 401K, whether it's if your school has any toilet paper in it. You know whether it's and I say that you know fairly jokingly, but that was one of the main complaints back with legacy Memphis city schools, because they're like our kids don't even have toilet paper. Yeah, so you know much less pencils. So so politics affects every aspect, from school to your commute, to everything you know. You've got the potholes on the road. Yep, how much money are they spending on paving? Is that money actually going to paving? And so the problem is people like you said, they're in their day to day and they're not paying attention until something makes them pay attention. They drive in that pothole and it tears up the tire Tests to tire yeah, then they're going to pay attention. Yeah, when the water park's trying to go next door, then they're going to pay attention. And so unlearn that you need that catalyst to pay attention. Yeah, that's good. And begin to pay attention on your own. Take initiative and say you know what? Right now I'm going to look up who my district representatives are, who my state representative is, what policies I agree or disagree with. With each one of them, whether they're a Republican or Democrat, independent whatever they are, I'm going to look and say what do they believe in that I believe in? What are they for that I'm not for? And let's begin to take action, vote them in, vote them out that kind of thing. So how can we build that bridge across? Because everybody is for. That's one of the things in that article I sent you about me and my daughter find the common ground. So one thing we could definitely agree on was women's rights and putting more women in jobs that were typical male roles and work towards that, and women's health care, and so those are the things that we could find common ground in, and so everybody listening can find common ground with an issue that someone is either, that is for, even if they're in the opposite party and hone in on that issue and say, hey, let's push this further. Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's push this further through. Yeah, you know we need let's say like we need better health care clinics for women in Shelby County. Women in Shelby County in Memphis don't have access to health care like they should, so let's push that and find common ground there. Did you know there was no homeless shelters for women with children in Memphis until last year? I did.
Speaker 1:And it is atrocious that that's the case.
Speaker 2:Yes, so unbelievable. And so if somebody would have said I don't care if you're Republican, democrat, or you know, flying spaghetti monster, then you, I want to push this through. I'm going to meet with lawmakers. I'm going to find the people that can have my passion. I can channel my passion through them and get those shelters, no matter what side they're on. That's right and that's the thing. Find that common interest, find your passion and push it through that person through the legal system, through policymaking, through the state senate, through the state legislators, and get things done. That's my thing. I mean, just like I said, the Port Authority in Memphis. We could have a great port, yeah, and people could find that passion. Let's just say, like you're just average person sitting in Memphis and you're like, you know, I sure would like a job, and you know I'm a forklift person, you know. Or I'm a crane operator or whatever. Well, if we had a port that got more things in, if they repaired the port, then I would have a job and all my friends would have a job, and so, and then you start to write, you start to look who controls this, what board controls this? What legislative body controls this? And begin to look, investigate, find out and push through. That's how people get things done.
Speaker 1:I'm a board member of MICA and what you just described is what we call power analysis, and we teach people how to do that. Yes, how do you find people that can do the thing that we need them to do? How do you build a relationship with them? I like how you said push your passion through them. I love that, but you have to know who's. You have to know who's who's got the who's the decision maker Right, and if you know the decision, how do you get to them Right? You got to build a pathway there and regular people can do it. I know I've learned how to do it, yes, and I was not like that right A few years ago. I have not always been there, but it is possible and I love that. You said that. Man, christina, this has been absolutely. I have loved this conversation. Thank you so much for being on the Unlearned Podcast. Thank you for having me. Man and I would love to do it again. All right, I really would, because I again, I have a million other questions. Part two man. Thank you all once again for listening to the Unlearned Podcast. You know I don't know how to end these. I have no real ending other than to say let's continue to unlearn together so we can experience more freedom, all right Peace. Thank you once again for listening to the Unlearned Podcast. We would love to hear your comments and your feedback about the episode. Feel free to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and to let us know what you think. We're looking forward to the next time when we are able to unlearn together to move forward towards freedom. See you then.
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