Do The Right Thing

you spirit. You think you want to revisit, tell your first take a listen, jim, folks, it's lit old folks that we take it to. No kiss, do what you don't, no kiss, do what you do? Can't no kids do what I do? No kiss? She so tell everybody where are you right now? Why are you not with me? I am in a Lando, Florida when the pageant is kids and support our girl up on occasion tonight for the paget for the wind go yeah yeah, And I'm

coming home tomorrow. So I've been looking like the mastering Ers and stuff in here, and guess what's going to the paging with me tonight? Guess what I'm taking? Lisaw right we knew that exactly period. Don't get close. Well, we do want to take this opportunity to officially welcome everybody to laugh and learn. Like we said, things are a little different today. Flames on here, I'm by myself and we've got to go live from our respective social media is to make this episode happen. But we're gonna

make it work. So I'm gonna take this opportunity to bring in our other co host, Mr. Nick Smith. Hi, Nick. Hey, that's what we do. We make it work. I'm trying to make sure I'm in the right spot. I'm okay, Lauren, Yeah, you look good. I'm on my phone. I'm not even on the iPad because we had issues with it. So you're making it work. We're making it work. That's what we do. You know. It's almost like mother Voucher has left and now we have keys to the house that

we can just run wild. Right. I snuck in, well, actually the kids let me in, So the kids let me in the house, so I'm here. So I have to say, this is very different. I don't know this is It's just funny seeing you've gotten smaller. See the screen you're on the smaller screen. Now when we still get the same personality, are we are we having way issues to your what what do you mean about? We always sat at the weight. So if you guys do not know if you follow me regularly, let me put

it like this. Identified as laughing her today, but I'm feeling quite love loungesh. The eyes is telling the story for you, so you don't even have to say anything as love lounges, love lounges. That's all right, that's all right. Make sure you tell our girl what's up. And we appreciate her and we're sending her support from across the miles. You know, we had a lot of things we were talking about this week. I think we should just go ahead and jump on in and get started there right

happy Monday, you know. One of the things we always do as we start off with things that have kind of like impact acted us this week or whatever. And I sent you all, uh this earlier because I think I want to give a shout out to Kim Janey. Kim Janey, for those who may or may not know, it's now like the first African American woman to be mayor for the city of Boston, So that is just huge I just thought that was fantastic. Black girl magic, we are taking over. She didn't wait it, but but

she was moved into that position. It don't matter how we get there, we get there exactly. Representation matters, black girl magic matters. Let's talk about that. I know all about that bad plame. There's nobody there, Flamed to touch you, to see if you smell good, because we don't know how you smell today. I gotta touch you virtually. Listen to all this drama we got going on in this country. I want to say, I hope you guys had a chance to watch the Tenda turn of documentary over this weekend.

It was so fantastic and so moving. And when I tell you that miss Tina is living like the grand queen that she is, oh my god. It was home is beautiful, The story gap beautiful even through all the Ya gotta watch it. It was very entertaining. And then a fat pretty bitch continuing pictures that would be me, uh yeah, yeah, yeah, watch it, And I will say

those pictures look quite lovely, those pictures. If you are the wonder what Flame is talking about there on her I g page, So take a look at those pictures when you get a chance, and you'll see uh Tina in various forms. Did you watch it? I love the documentary. I learned some new things about miss Tina Turner. Um.

I definitely recommend everybody go and watch it. Um. The thing that kind of shocked me the most off and just say this is when her son Craig said that I threw um scalding hot coffee on her and gave her third three burns. Listen, I'd have gone to jail for murder. But anyway, that was a different time. The Lauren I'm telling you women, not that it was more accepted, but it just it was like almost like commonplace and

women just dealt with it. And you know, we say this now because the whole women's limperation, but it was just back the end, it was just and the you don't say nothing when you knew what was going on, You just kind of push it up under the rugs. It's shacked up. But now's too over. Everybody gotta meet too moving. Somebody touched me appropriate ship, Well, well I invite you, so, yes you are. You know it just it shows you again how time to change. It's fun.

You would say that Lauren because the show Madman, there was a character who uh he was just you know, swab the lead of the lead character whatever. And I remember saying to my mom because he ended up wearing this girl who's so young and attractive, and I'm like, I just don't get that. She's like what I said, why would she marry him? He's like divorce and she's young and attractive, she has the world in front of her. She's like, well, Nick, women did that then? That that

was he was considered a good catch. You you did things like that. Then women weren't always wanting to lead their own way and be their own person. They wanted to attach to someone Draper, Don Draper, somebody. He was supposed to be a good catch. And I'm like, the way you drink wow, okay, but but there you go, so well that listen that though, I can't understand though, because marriage, yes, the I feel like the love comes secondary. Marriage is a business contract first and foremost. If you

want to get married, that's a business contract. So that Nick, I understand that it was the abuse. I just you know, but like Flames said, maybe it was a different time. Women are more liberated now and we're more outspoken. But listen, that's golden pot of coffee. That wasn't happening. That was happening with Lord. Like notice you can and you can see the rules on one. I think it's on hard right maybe right on. You can see the actual rules

on her arm because she showed it, young man. Why shouldn't the documented I love the fact that Tinag is still alive and we heard these words from Tina. It wasn't somebody telling her story as she happened on. I wish more people at a certain age, you know, would start telling their own stories because it just it reads better to me. Flame. I'm glad you said that because that's the same thing you. You know, you and I both like Diana, I would love for ms Ross to

tell her own stirl. We've read a lot of things about Ms Ross. I would love for her to tell her own story about Is it true that you know people couldn't look her in the eye and things like that, Like I can't believe that's who she is, but I do believe that like Aretha, like you and I talked about Flame, she knew who she was, She knew the power she brought into the room, and probably demanded that respect from you, like, you're not just gonna yo, Diana. No, wait,

wait a minute, you will say ms Ross. You know that type of thing. That's just Detroit, baby Detroit. Let me tell you. I was, I was having you. I'm having a good vacation. Of course, I'm in a hotel room. I turned on the TV. I turned on news. What's only here last today? Two things. One is so we're gonna get serious about career. But the first one was about this whole Fauci verche ship coming out after the fact.

I see it from jump. Don't throw the back and have your hand when you I had a position to say something to say some people, you should have said something. I don't want to know fave hundred thousand deaths later, I don't keep it. That was just lift service. I ain't band it. Yeah, that's a that's a touchy subject for sure, though. But I think I think in a lot of ways, a lot of people are gonna find fault with Dr Fauci and Deborah Berks for the simple fact that they felt like they knew they had the

information and they didn't correct Trump. But we've talked about this on this show too. When it came to Trump. You know, he had a lot of blackmail on people and different things to you know, whatever the situation was as to why people chose not to speak out against him. So I think that's probably something that's going to follow them the rest of their career. At this point is people are just gonna feel like they didn't share enough

information and they knew better. I think two things with that, Lauren. I think uh Fauci once again has an opportunity to rewrite his narrative because he's still in it makes sense, and he led the nation through the whole AIDS pandemic, so he has he has like um equity built in. No, he was the one who was pushing a d killing them. I was right there with you, Nick, Oh, I was

right there with you. If you remember. He was also the only one who would meet with Act up, you know, like they were trying to get an audience, and so he was trying anything that they could but I didn't want Again he did. Still nothing has changed. I will say this, Nick, being that I do work for an aide organization. A lot of people that I work with are not fans of Fauci, who were who were entrenched in the AIDS movement because it's like the ground in

the beginning. Yeah, but they're still not a fan of him to this day because of what he did around the AIDS, around the AIDS movement, especially the AIDS pandemic in terms of you know, providing accurate information and a Z T and all these different things. So Flame is right, That's all I'm gonna say in terms of a lot of AIDS activists don't, aren't friends, are aren't, aren't fond

of Dr Fauci. I'll say that. So I'm gonna go ahead jump on the Flames said, uh, you know, we were talking about Dr Bricks and and found you of course. But Flame, you've often said this to every time you say something, somebody else comes right behind it and kind of echoes what you said. And you said, there's there's not heck wrong with me. I just look like this, right, So I just look like I get your ship wrong

with me. I just look like this working. Sometimes it don't be working when it's opposed to, but it always works. And I don't forget. You're also never a fan of Jerome Adams. So Jerome Adams tweeted this morning fascinating to see zero support for Dr Bricks, the lone female doc in the room, even among women solo. Dada Bright immediately jumped on him and said, leadership was tested in this pandemic and many many people failed. It does not take

courage to give support to allowing narcissist. This is b s and you know it. Goodbye, Dr Adams. It's like I said for him, did you write that? And tell so let me tell something. Let me tell you something. My general character sometimes to be a little off. I think it'd be had for the most part. I mean I can I can tell it. I've been around too many mustlers. I know you can smell it. I'm telling you, and the obvious. Sometimes it's right there in our face

and we just had to open ass and see it. Well, I just came bad. There's no trust for me there. And I did trust the science on the whole vaccine, but I never trusted the politics. They made it political any who. We don't get on that. So that was the one of the things you would come about. Number two. I turned on the news and remember last week when I stayed, sometimes I don't want to put things, invite them into my psyche into my DNA. I hate to, you know. I thought I had the feelings of watching

George Floyd murder in our eyes. I thought those feelings and we had substidy, and then I watched this this morning, and it just like somebody just opened up the wound fresh and poured some fucking alcohol on it, and it hurt all over again. And and the and the hypocrisies. I'm trying to push that he did for us some already ongoing issues, and I'm telling you, it's so scary, it's so crazy, and it's kind of unbelievable, Like I

can't believe I'm actually living in this. This sounds like a ship that they wrote in a book that somebody thought, but we actually living in it right now. Is it hurts It just really did hurt me. It really seared me too, because I got teenagers that driving. Nick. Go ahead, I want to hear your thoughts before I say anything. Were kind of talking about this earlier, and we mentioned

you earlier. I said, flame. You know, I think one of the reasons this resonates for us so much because Lauren, you're much younger than we are, so you weren't you weren't you know, you weren't moving in this space when we watched Rodney King. We watched that playout, and it seemed like, um, and I know, you know, the history, that's not what I'm talking about as much as being there in the moment. So George Floyd, to me, it just seems like, I don't know, it's it's it's it's

it's gut wrenching. You know people often use that, uh, that term, I think rather you know, loosely, but I don't know how to describe it other than what Flame said. It's just it just it just pulls at you. Like how anybody can see this and not be torn or affected by it? I just don't know. Yeah, Um, I've been watching the trial all morning, and I agree with

both of you guys. I think to have to continually one I'm more so my heart goes out to his family because the fact that they have to keep reliving this experience of you know, of his death, his kids, you know, his sister, Like, it's just I just don't have the words for it. You know, it's gonna be something that you know, it's gonna stay with them forever, and I just really I don't have the words for it. I just my my heart goes out to them. I'm

gonna continue to pray for them. I hope that justice is served and we actually get a conviction stay home, because I'm sitting here seeing it in my head. I'm telling you out now. If they don't sense it's this man correctly, Oh my god. I just, oh my god, just the aftermath of it all because I'm like you, Lord, we we I had on my I didn't even have to have my glasses on to see a clear murder happening in my face. Yeah, exactly. It's murder at the

end of the day. And I think that it's very um it's degrading to the fact that they're trying to shift the narrative like Flame said to where oh, he died from pre existing health conditions and a drug overdose, when that's not the case. It's also come out that he was actually being you know, forcefully knelt on for nine minutes and twenty nine seconds and not the original

eight minutes and forty six seconds that we thought. And the fact that Derek Chauvin had his knee on his neck for an additional five minutes after he was even unconscious. So I hope that the system actually works in our favor for once. I also hope that if he is convicted, that he doesn't get an appeals process to the point where you know, he gets to be liberated or exonerated

from his charges. And from what I'm reading to there's a lot of there's some people on the police department, for instance, that are going to be um testifying against Derek Chauvin. So I think that there's some hopeful glimpses of light in this trial. We'll see if how it actually plays out. But I hope that justice is served. And you know, at the end of this if riots do happen, I hope that, you know, I hope that

doesn't happened. Let me just say that I hope that we are we're able to come to a peaceful conclusion at the end of the day. Because this family is hurting. That That's what I'll say, and and and and and all that I think us where one end with that that his family is hurting, and we need to um, we need to somehow have his death recognized as something that just cannot continue in its current uh, the way these things are happening more often than not and learn.

And I know we want to move on, but I think what bothered me so much with all of that is people were screaming at him. Yo, dude, he can't breathe. People were watching you, and you just didn't care. You just didn't care. It was so anyway, we've all seen it so flame. I'm sorry that you are there alone feeling this right now, because I definitely understand how how difficult that that can be. You know, I'm good. Well, I think this is a good segue to Nick because

something good did end up happening in New York. I know, I'm not may not be in order, but let's talk about qualified immunity. Because one of our flamets actually just sounded off in the comments about qualified immunity. So let's bring that topic to light. And what happened in New York City this past week qualified immunity. We're talking about, you guys. New York City limits qualified immunity making it

easier to sue police for misconduct. And Lauren brought this subject up because we just felt like it was perfect for laugh and learn. We talk about these different things all the time. You know, many like to confuse the language of defund the police and and all of that where we're talking about police reform and how activists believe that there has to be a change in the way policing is done. New York City Council pass legislation aimed at reforming the New York Police Department by making it

easier to sue police officers from misconduct. The Council last Thursday voted to limit qualified immunity, which became a focal point of the debate to reform policing across America last summer. Now, qualified immunity is defined as decades old like legal doctrine that often shields police officers in cases of excessive force

or unreasonable search and seizure um. The newly passed legislation would allow victims of alleged police misconduct in New York City to bypas asked that and and bring a case for to be heard. So this is a big deal for people who have been fighting. It's huge, it's huge flame. I can't go ahead, I can't hear. It ain't gonna

work for me. And today's size. Snatch the pensions that they gat to snatch the pensions, you start starting the pensions the police will take it more serious about all that abuse and ship they will because you ain't gonna tell me I didn't put twenty years in my life on the line for this, and now I'm gonna take it all the way because I because of a cram if somebody accused me of there, I think that the police course had to get more serious stie snats de

pension and we take it seriously. I'm glad in that pass, but uh, it's gonna take a minute for the kick in a minute meaning about about ten fifteen years. Yeah, flame you right, there is that police pension in the union that is so strong because I think one of the other issues around this, Lauren, you and I've talked about this. I can leave one district and go right up the street to another. So yeah, those are things. Yeah,

but go ahead. My thing is I think it's interesting at because historically, in a lot of senses, New York City Police Department has been one of the most racist and one of the most brutal I think in our country. And some may argue or disagree, but that's my opinion. Um. I also, my whole family, you know, grew up in New York, so I have a lot of conversations with family members just about what police were like from you know, like the my my my friends, and my great grandmother.

She's a hundred and one, So imagine being born in nineteen twenty and just seeing all of these different things transpire from generations and generations. So I say that to say, I find it interesting that they're the first city to actually, you know, put this into some type of legislation and law. Um. I'm glad that they've done that, and I think that hopefully this is a starting point for the reform that

we're talking about. Because we set on this platform, I personally am not an advocate of the whole defund the police, because I think that we still need forms of police. I think it's more so we have to be able to teach and reallocate, you know, for since there's people in London that have police officers that don't necessarily carry weapons and they're able to you know, disarm suspects and

these sort of things without having to kill anybody. So I think that this is a nice first step, especially considering it's New York City and they just have an historical background of just being brutal, especially when it comes to people of color. So I think it's a good first step. Oh my god, I'm living at the Comments State, Nicholas and Lauren and people still talking about the whole m George story thing at Baby. I think y'all owe

us one. It's about that time, don't you always wanted y'all and Gabor was wanting, oh ja, And technically y'all could have kept that one because we think it's the same thing. Y'all think we should we bring in a flame mat or to Lauren, should we bring in let's bring in a flat. People definitely want to sound off on that, Kay, Cassie. Everybody else was not prepared. Hi, Flame, you funny and you're feeling it, that's for sure, Hi, Lauren, Hnick. No, My what I say is same with flames. Hit them

in the pocket. Hit them in the pocket. If we have to pay for the stuff that we do, Like if I hit you, just like when you're in a car accident, it comes out of your insurance. I think police officers should have a like an insurance on themselves, if that makes sense. Um just like when you are a private not private, but um like when you own your own business and you have to get your insurance and on fact, okay, police officers should have to do

the same thing. You should have to have your own insurance on you so that when you misbehaved, it's coming out of your behind. So like malpractice is what you're talking about, Like with doctors malpractice, insurance of some kind malpractice, but also not that. But like you know what, like you're a like a locksmith, you have to get bonded insured sure, so something I don't know if it's the same thing, but something like that, being bonded and insured,

bonded it inshurt. Yes, bonded in your shirt. So when you mess up, it's coming out of your pocket. I agree with Flame that you hit him in the pocket. You gotta think twice before you pull that trigger. Are you gonna think twice before you um do stupid crap? There's just so much stupid crap going on. And as soon as I've seen that post about qualify the beautity oh,

I sent it to Governor Instant and Washington State. I said to the mayor of the city of camp to the mayor of the City of Seattle, we need to qualified immunity across the United States to end it because they need to pay for their misbehavior. They really do. I agree with you, Cassie, I definitely agree with you. That's my and sometimes I don't earth while we always waiting they get to you. Are you gonna when you're gonna get you us? When you go to him? And

when you go I want to see it now. I think the only challenge with that, Lauren Flame what what cast talks about, which is a great idea. It all seems like retroactive or punitive after the fact, right, Like I think our issue is we need training to change right because we don't want it to get to this point. And I think that that's the problem because I think that there are many situations where officers forget that they work for us, they work for the citizen re That's

very true. Hello, I Afferris, how are you? Hey? I'm good. How are you, Lauren? I'm good? So let us know what you're thinking about some of the topics were going over. What are your thoughts. I think the Floyd thing is it's still a hard like hard no, Like I can't even watch it. I didn't watch it the first time and I don't ever want to see it. Um And that's someone whose brother was killed by the police. It

all just keeps on going. It's like something I've been dealing with since I was a kid and it just hasn't off. And I really want to see some change for that. I mean, this little thing that they're doing in New York State is okay, but like Flames said, you gotta hit them in their pockets, like, and they can't get away with this, like they need to lose their pension, planes ship in my cases, in many cases,

I think they should. You lose their damn lives. Put their asses in that chair at this point, because they're doing its own purpose. He knew what he was doing. There was a previous history between these two men. He was out for blood. He killed this man, and I'm sorry if they don't convict him. Oh this it's gonna burn down. It's gonna burn down because we're fed up and I don't want to support violence, but like at this point, if y'all do this to us, you're never

gonna win. Let me, let me, let me say something. And I hit baby. When I tell you, I hear everything. When you it's like you swept with me with a whip, and I feel a stripe everything you speaking. But if we win, if we win, it's one victory, what is it gonna change for us? I want us to win and hear me, but we've gotta think long term. If we win, what is it gonna change to make us do better by us? Not just them? Because if we win,

the country gonna erupt in victory and joy. If we lose, the country may possibly erupt in a whole different way. But if we do get this victory, as black men in this country, what we're gonna do for us because we can't keep leaning on them to give and do for us. So I don't want to and I don't want to sound like I'm against us. You know I love my brother, you know I love But but if we win the victory, we still gotta say, Okay, we get this victory, Now what else? Because this won't be

nothing but one victory. What else? It has to be fair for everybody, not just the George Floyd and I hope we win. Is we see we want this rout because we if the Eminence is writing, our face is clear. But if we win, then we just have one victory we still gotta keep, which is horrible. We can't just get relaxed. That's that's happy, and we're gonna get relaxed every win, and then it's gonna happen fifty more times until it's another big one and then you know who's next.

That's my feet. I guess that's what I'm trying to say.

You can feel the pain that I feel right now because I live in Buffalo, which is kind of like the south of the North, unfortunately, and there's like I just started driving because I moved here from Brooklyn, and I have so much anxiety when I'm driving because I'm just so afraid to get pulled over, Like it's about to be five o'clock here, and I'm like, I gotta get in a car, like I'm deadly afraid of like driving, and I have to know because I live in this city.

And I don't want to sound like a punk, but it's a legit like like I'm nervous, like you never know what can happen. That's my take. I would don't feel like you're a punk. That's just the reality, especially that black men have to deal with black women as well. But that is a reality for you, So please don't ever say that you feel like a punk. That's something that you guys will always have to deal with mentally, and that's something that needs to be talked about. So

please don't ever feel that way. I'll just say that first and foremost, and I will absolutely and as well. I I hear what you're saying to Flame in terms of us getting complacent, in terms of let's say we get this victory with George Floyd and Derek Shelton gets convicted. We don't want the country to get complacent. But I think that's where we step in and legislation needs to happen.

You know, laws need to be created. So that's what I would say is probably what for me at this point in time, that's the only thing I can really think of, is that we're going to have to push some legislation and some new laws forward. That's how we continue to fight, and that's how we continue to push forward. Those would be my initial thoughts to the comments that you just made. Thank you well, thank you guys, and Flame you only a show. Thank you, thank you, thank

you absolutely, thank you. And this goes back to you know you guys, there's how how is it that everyday people are nervous just to drive their own car in their own you know. This is what I'm talking about.

This is where things have gotten to. I didn't nervous driving their driving because but she remember the jump that I said on the Ready, which we just celebrated into your anniversary, and I said, the joke was, if I'm pulled over by the police, I'm more I'm gonna have to say that I'm a trance woman than I am a black man, because the way the word is is there just the same two words different around makes the

whole temperashire come down. Because if I'm a black man with tennis sounds offensive to them, I guess, as opposed to me saying I'm a trans woman. Maybe it sounds freakish. Whatever it is, it may be the difference for me between life and death. So I would rather say I was a trans woman. You know, I don't always play the training card, but people, but hey, I think that anytime we feel like we're in a fit of survival,

you do whatever you can to survive. Absolutely. No, absolutely, absolutely, Lauren. Should we move on to the next topic there? Yes, this this is gonna be a heavy show. I just wanted to warn us it's it's really it's a heavy show, but these are topics that we have to discuss and that we would love insight on. I just feel like laugh and learn. The whole purpose is to provide a space so we can have these conversations and sometimes they're

gonna be heavy and sometimes they're gonna be lighthearted. But that's just the premise of this show. So I'll just say as a forewarning to you, guys, we got heavy topics were talking about today, So we just said on the show, I agree with some of these comments. If you feel all that in your city, you really need to move because you're never gonna happiness there because you're gonna always walk around and the field and it's not good to live in fear. You should leave that town,

found another job. You're gonna just have to make it. It will work out somewhere else. It always does, it always does. I think it's um go ahead, Lauren, no no, no. I was turning it over to you to see I think I was going to go ahead and move us in the direction Lauren. We we have like three other things, but I'm gonna try to I want to get on this and then we can get off because we we brought up last week. We had talked about the hashtag stop Asian hate was trending. No sooner than we wrapped

our show, Lauren, we had another mass shooting. Like literally we have had this conversation before that there's always another story waiting in the media cycle to Um, I won't say eclips the one before, but maybe shift focus. And I think that that is what's happened with the with the most recent shooting Dajore right, um and and we were just talking about that one, the new mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado. I think Vesper, I don't know if Vesper is here. Just hold I yeah, yeah, as y'all

get Nicholas. I just feel like we have one every day. You know, Well, well that's what I want to talk about because I think I don't know if Vesper is on here, because I do want to bring him in at some point because we are going to talk about what happened in Georgia later on too. But he said it last week. He was saying, it's like these shootings were going to start, and it's almost like it was a prelude to what our week was going to be like.

And it's crazy the world is opening up again, you know, covid is the cases are coming down in some states and some they're going up, i e. Florida. But it just seems like there's a new shooting every day. It just seems like there's a new shooting every day. White Flame, where your mask, You'll be fine. But yeah, it just

seems like there's a new shooting every day. I think last week, last Wednesday or Thursday, I saw that there was like another four shootings in Atlanta, there were three here in Los angele List And there's just shootings happening that aren't even being covered because I guess it's not you know, there's not many victims, but there's so many shootings happening every day, and it's just like enough is enough, Like what's what's going on? What's going on? Two things? Were?

Were you just to touch on what you were saying that. What CNN did is they released just a number of shootings that have actually happened during but sometimes they just happened so often, and unfortunately they cited up Flame in our hometown of Chicago. They say they just happened so much that it just doesn't stop the news cycle. So the mayor is not gonna go out. Yeah, we have fourteen people shot? What do you what do you want

to do? Because if we did that every day, I don't know that it becomes too much or it just becomes white noise. But the idea was there have been a number of shootings. The shootings continue to happen. There was another shooting in Philadelphia. Uh, we're like, uh, eight or fourteen people were shot. But again it doesn't rise to the level of the supermarket thing because it was more of a house party and it's just part of the gun violence that happens, and and so that that's

the deal of that. Maybe we need to take a new look at that. But I think that's part of the problem too, though, is that because so many shootings are happening, it's like we're going to normalize it. People dying and people being shot is never something that should be normalized. And I feel like that's what's starting to happen. It's like, oh, yeah, another shooting happened, but ten people didn't die, so thank god for that. No, that should that should not be the case. Shooting should not be

taking place right now. We need gun control, We need gun reform. Asap, because we brought this up for the simple fact that the shooter in Atlanta was able to register and buy a gun the same day, but you can't even do that with voting. Is absolutely ridiculous. So something, something's got to give, Something has got to give. It's just it's unacceptable that it's just we're just hearing about all these shootings and nobody's really flinching anymore. I think

that has become the norm. We were talking about this, Uh, Flame and I were talking about this also just after this happened. We both saw some sound bite an interview with a young man who was about twenty, and he just talked about how, uh he saw his friend get shot but knew he could not run to her and offer aid or else he himself would have been shot. That he has not been in school since he's been in school where he has not had an active shooter drill.

Like Flame and I talked about, we have no idea what do you do with that? Right? We did the earthquake thing where you got that. You know, everybody in California does you do the earthquake thing? You get under the table. That was the only drill we had, or maybe a fire drill every now and then, the idea that a class might might come into the school and or someone who isn't a classmate may come into the

school and open fire. That kids now are so uh indoctrinated with what to do um that it becomes second nature that they know how to huddle, get quiet, lock the door, barricade. What what are you talking about? So yeah, I feel like they've they've grown up with your generation, laur And I think has grown up with the idea of UH. School is not necessarily always a safe space.

Absolutely absolutely. I remember even when I was in high school, there was a bomb scare that a student was bringing a bomb to the school and was going to blow up our school because he was being bullied and we didn't go to school for a week because they had to make sure they had to do a bomb sweep, the dogs had to come up. And then ever since that happened, like my last two years of high school, we had random dogs come into our school where they

had to. And I went to school in Torrens, Torrens, California, for all the that's the uppity place I went to school, you know, with a lot of white kids and a lot of Asian kids. So, and there was a small group of black kids at um my high school. But it became routine. The dogs came to the school to do bomb sweeps, to do drug sweeps, to make sure that we were safe when we were okay. It just

became a part of life. So I think that maybe my my time in high school was the beginning of what we're really seeing now because my mom my mom had said to me, had if I was in high school right now, she was like, I would have homeschooled you. I wouldn't feel comfortable sending you to high school at

this day and age, you would be homeschooled. Flame you remember when we were in school, the only scandal is maybe if somebody came up pregnant that that that was literally the only thing that that line right there, that one line right there and let me put the head in hand worked from me and on me. Good god, look it is it is just hiding that these students they're going on like this and like y'are both there.

How do you just it's become commonplace. I don't know why these people are so angry, uh, And that some of it is racism, Some of it's yourself. Hey, here's my thing. If you want to kill yourself at home, not in your room, I'm not I'm not promoting that. I'm hoping you can talk somebody off with it. Why why must you go out and kill seventy people? And it's the children and old people who live in their lives, just at the grocery store, just at a gas station,

not even thinking about that. They don't know you. And maybe if you talk to them you might change your mand but you didn't because you went out on a mission to just kill for the to get what some notoriety for killing a bunch of innis some people, you don't have many laughs. These people have affected one of death affects how many different people. Some people love that so many people. It's just fucked up, period, And you're right,

they need to change the gird loss. And I'm sticking y'all telling about everybody who get These a K assault righters get mental illness. They're not fucking mental illness. They funked up. They hate theyselves, so they want to kill everybody because they hate they self and they must see theirselfingen they shoot these people. I believe that they see themselves cool pett is I say it, and like you said, flame,

it affects other people. Uh. They were just talking about the residual effect, like the the one guy who had officer had like seven kids, and they're saying that not only are those children affected, their friends now know them as oh there, that's so, and so their dad was the one killed, that they even start to treat them differently. That that, yeah, that the effects are just a ripple effect for every one involved. Absolutely, And I'll just say

this too, it's not even just the mass shootings. Yes, are on the rise. But I don't know if you guys saw this story. Um, yesterday two teenage girls one thirteen and fifteen were arrested I believe in Maryland for a car jacking that went wrong. They tasted an Uber driver because they tried to steal his car and he ended up running into the side of like a building and he was killed. So it's just I don't know what's going on in our country right now. It's just

a lot of turmoil. It seems like thirteen and fifteen two girls tried to do a car jacking and ended up killing the Uber driver because he ran they taste him. They tasted him with the stun gun and he lost control. Go ahead, Nick, go ahead, Nick, that's almost my daughter's age. And here and here it is Lauren and Nick. As a parent, you think to yourself, I think to myself, I don't know how they were raised to the thing. How much drama have they had, had been a trauma

have they been throughing the young life? Give them enough energy or strength or the heart to pull off something like this. This is like this ain't like stealing a piece of candy at the store, you know. This, Ain't like I'm pushing on my shoulder. We're gonna fight. This is serious. What kind of ship had they been through in their young lasting make them have the courage to do some ship like this? That that's the way you saw that the store. We always hear people talk about

generational trauma. That clearly I'm with you on that one. Playing something has to be going on in the lives of those young women that that this is something that they're doing. Carjacking is that's that's pretty big, you know? Um? And fifteen? Absolutely, what at thirteen? What was I doing? I was playing catch the girl, Kiss the girl. I was always the girl, y'all? And I always, well, hey, and you kind of glossed over, But I do want to say congratulations. Can I believe that was two years ago?

They ready? Yeah, yeah, they're ready. They really did you say that? I did when he cracked? We did the women did the interview Loan about a month a y'all February Yeah, wow, okay, but I'm looking at the comments

and didn't serious reasons. But the reality is at thirteen, look girls thinking about little boys or or you know whatever they're going through, not carjacking somebody the e like, David, what has this chow experience to be able to have the which I'm I'm thirty fat, but I would never have the moms to do that when I got and we don't even tell this whole life, but I was like,

where are we going with this? I still don't have to dumption to want to do something like that that is like wow, and thirteen Loan, I'm like, you're thirty, Well just close on that. Nothing in the federal system would have prevented the suspect, who we will not name because we don't want to glorify these people, from passing a background check and buying a firearm and that goes back to what you said, Lauren, that we have to

do something with some kind of reform. I don't know what the answer is, but we've got to have the conversation. And anytime we have a Senate that is divided like this, it won't even bring the issue to the floor. I feel like, UM, I'm with you, Flame, I don't know what if Sandy Hook didn't do it, I really don't have much hope for uh anything after that, because I would think our most precious resource would have been the catalyst,

UH to to invoke change. And I just want to bring this up to the crazy thing is we we There's so many different instances. We can you know, go back in history to Columbine, all these different things. But the crazy thing is the shooting that happened in Atlanta was I believe the day before or the day after the anniversary of the Parkman shooting. Literally, So it's just something's got to be done. And I feel like on

that note too, we can kind of segue. We can segue into um, the next topic, which would honestly be Georgia. Let's let's talk about Georgia. We're talking about legislation reform, let's talk about what happened in Georgia with Park Cannon. Georgia Park get flame. Georgia lawmaker says she has shaken, but not shaken, but resolved. Following their arrest at the

election bill signing, So what are we talking about? Representative Park Cannon, Democrat out of Georgia, was arrested for knocking on the door while Georgia Governor Brian Camp signed a sweeping election bill um to continue the fight of voting rights in Georgia. Uh Cannon faces charges of obstructing, obstructing law enforcement, and disrupting a general Assembly after she repeatedly knocked on the door of Kim's office as he held

a private live stream of the bill signing. The ninety page bill adds new voting requirements for Georgia residents following the results of the election that flipped the traditionally red state blue Georgia. You're ye going for you? I know, yes, because you live there for a rap. They still don't Yeah, I know they're still man that Georgia to Georgia blue. That's how payback shit. They're playing dirty politics, That's all it is. Guess what we're gonna delono Crest don't has

to get load. We're gonna they're gonna have to play. You can't. You can't rise above in this situation because they don't think they're doing anything wrong. They're so used to doing it that their way that they're not gonna see no other way. Demo Crests don't have to get low deod Crest don't have to get granted. Well well more so to that, I just wanna explain the depth of this bill signing because two is going to be

a really really big year in Georgia. Uh, Senator Warnox seat is going to be up for re election, Governor Kemp's seat is going to be up for re election, and so is the mayor. So this bill that Brian Kemp signed was so um important and is bringing so much attention for a myriad of reasons because Georgia has some really important elections coming up. So I really hope, you know, Stacy Abrams has done such a great job.

I hope in a lot of ways she ends up running for governor again next year because I think that her being in that position is going to be such a saving grace for us. Um. You know, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottom like I said, her seat is gonna be up. They don't know what's gonna be happening in terms of the mayorial seat in Georgia. So this bill was the timing of it is no surprise because they knew what they were doing. And I'll just take it a step further.

Two for the simple fact that when the bill was signed, it was signed in secret. Like Nick said, there was all white men surrounding Brian Kemp. And what I did know, too, is in the photo that they took, there's an image or painting behind them and it's actually of uh. I

think it's the Hamilton's plantation, And that's so significant. So the simple fact that y'all are signing this modern day Jim Crow bill to restrict voter access, let's just call U spade a spade, and you've got this plantation, this image glorified image of a plantation where slaves were brutalized and murdered and everything else behind you if this was just something so special, So the subliminals around this whole

situation are very telling as well. And also Lauren to Piggyback that no one wanted this, like here's none of if you talk to Georgia voters. Georgia voters were polled, none of them wanted changes to the elections UM and and there are a couple of things that just stand out in particular, like the overwhelming majority of both Republican and Democratic voters UH saw no need for a change to the law and in fact wanted more access where they could expand voting by mail, could expand earlier voting

could expand drop off places. So these are all the things that have traditionally worked for the GOP that they have instead worked to cut back in an effort many argue UH to repress or suppress the black vote, particularly things like souls to the polls where for those who don't know, you know, church church leaders would hey, everybody who board the bus after service on Sunday and go and vote as as a group. You know, they made they made it a an activity that was that was

fun and people were engaged in the political process. Well, they're they're cutting back on that. Some some of these things seems specifically targeted. Another that I found just really interesting, like why would you do that? Uh, They're making it harder for people to actually stand in line. Lauren, You're standing in all and and you it's Georgia, and maybe it's a little warm. I come to hand you a sandwich or a bottle of water. I am now breaking the law. It is illegal for me to give you

water while standing in line, uh to vote? And or I can't. Also, I can't sit there here your your my i's like, hey, Nick called me a spot. My mother's like Nick called me a spot Till I get there. I can't then step out and let her step step into that spot. So you sit there? Yes, it seems almost punitive, like you, what was the what was the motivation the killer in this? Though they've also done this whole thing where now they can supersede the official in

that position, so now has no say anymore. So now your secretary, your secretary who has that role, who was trained in that role? Uh? They to Raffensburger's credit, Uh, he really did run like the cleaner. He didn't want the election and go that way either. Let's make let's let's be clear, but what it was an attack on his professionalism to say that it did not go the way that it should have. So now they have enacted new legislation that will allow them to come in and

supersede what had been officiated by the secretary. Yep, that's called spending Facebook, I hope, m hmm, yeah it is. And I and I think Nick to the question of what's the intention, I'll just say this, the intention is that the GEO Trump in a lot of ways. I know we all hate Trump, but Trump honestly pulled the

covers back on a lot of things. And that's one thing I will say that I'm grateful for him, because those closeted racists, racists, those closeted racists that we're trying to hide, they've been brought to the forefront, the folks that really the GOP. In a sense, the GOP is finally showing their true colors, in terms of we don't really care about the people. We just want our people to stay in office so we can keep pushing our

own agenda. So I hope that we're all understanding and really focusing on what's happening in Georgia specifically, because they're the first state to enact this legislation, I'm sure they're not going to be the last. I'm sure they're not going to be the last. I'll just end on this note.

I just think that. I hope they're all paying attention to what's happening, because it's definitely it's history in the making for sure, and we definitely need we need action on the federal level because if every Because the truth is, there are even democratic states that could do a lot better California about expanding access to voting as well. There are places that are blue that could also do a little bit more about early voting, a little bit better

about mail in voting, absentee voting. It would be great if we had a federal system that allowed everyone who's legally eligible to vote to be able to vote and not put these hurdles in their way, just as simple. Absolutely, I don't know if California is one, though we're pretty wide open. I think we're more of the most open states.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Nick, I think some other states could do you are, indeed, I'm just saying that I would like everybody to expand and do even better like wherever we are, I feel like we could do even better with with it. You know, it is still easier. I think Lauren's easier for us in so many cases to get a driver's license than it is to register and vote. You know, it shouldn't be all these barriers, Like, come on, if Lauren can't make it, why can't she, Lauren?

We can do almost everything else from our phone. You can bank from you trying to transfer funds? Why can't you register a vote from your phone? Right? No? I hear you for sure. So that's that's all I'm saying there. Uh, why don't we go ahead and and try to lift it a little bit because I think, um one to other topics that I want to make sure that we touch on. Um, I do kind of want to hit

on how Virginia has ended the death penalty. You know that that's a switch for you know, a southern Virginia beach. Oh yeah, Virginia beach is wild. Oh yeah, oh yeah, um college town. Uh so I'm sorry that's completely one off topic. Ye hey, that that's that's how it goes. That's like the death penalty ended sooner than expected in Virginia and for some not soon enough. What they have done is Virginia has decided that they are no longer

going to do uh death penalty. And uh, this is one of those things that people um feel like it's um huge and and it is because uh, this is this is the governor uh in many ways saying that it should not be up to man to put man to death, that there has to be other ways that we can deal with our most violent offenders. Man man takes another man, A man takes another man's life for him to do that, he made the choice. He made the choice. The murderer made the choice. Sometimes it feels

actually down, but the murderer made the choice. Uh. I used to think that I wasn't for the death penalty, but like for some ship, like when you sunk up a kid and you molest the kid. You know, I don't want you to be able to relive that. I would rather know that you did. I don't want you to be able to lay in a sale for twenty five years and relive the thought that you molested that kid and you and the joy that you get out of or whatever your sick man concocted while you was doing.

I don't want you to lay trying to enjoy that. I want you act immediately. Somebody seel to stay on death. Let me just some people on death rosh like three years, because that's the whole lifetime to some people. Death rowback and burning Laura open us up to some of those flame best because I know people will. Definitely, I've seen some of these comments. What were you saying, Lauren, No, I kind of I'm I'm kind of like flame. I

have some mixed feelings about the death penalty. I'm gonna be honest, because I think when it's been um adversely geared towards you know, people of color, who are you know, those that are on death row. But in some ways I think that some crimes are very fitting for the death penalty, for sure. That's how I feel. Guff Ralph Northam signed the bill last Wednesday banning the death penalty, making Virginia the first of the old Confederate states to

do so. Over the past four hundred years, Virginia has executed more prisoners than in other state. It is the second most prolific death penalty state of the modern era, only behind the Great State of You know, I had to get you, you know, I had to get you, miss T. T. J In because the topics were just heavy and we just need some knowledge today. So go ahead, Yeah, you know, I'm everything seems to move really fast when it comes for the black community to pay for it um.

And I think generally speaking, if you were remembered that you have to self motivate yourself constantly locally and you move further along because when you vote locally, that's where you see the first the first benefits for your vote or it's something you support, you have to become active and then you pass that on um. You know, the

death penel to. Now that we're seeing all these shootings, of course they're gonna make it more attractive for these people to sit there at our expense, at our expense, and they're killing, you know, randomly. You know, it puts a notch in their bed posts. All of a sudden, is fashionable to really express your hatred. As close as we get to putting some type of boundaries or assault weapons, you have a whole movement that now they want you

to believe they sleep with their guns. They like their kids, but they love their guns. And it just gets more complicit the more you think about it. And I was listening to some young black men talk. They were like, I'm having trouble with this thing called God. I mean, how is he letting his plague stay over our heads? And the only words that I could give them is value yourself. Love yourself more than anybody can hate you. Never get caught up and what the fellas doing next

to you. If you handle yourself like you about your business, that just makes them want to be you more. You know, uh, terminology nobody, but I mean you know everything about us is desired. You know what I mean? Um Uh. When somebody falls, they're looking for the black woman to kiss it and make it better. Everybody immolates the black woman, but they don't want any of the suffering that we go through. They just want to use us like an necessary and until we put the value back in ourselves.

You know, at any level, love yourself, push yourself. Don't get caught up in generational curses or plax on people because you're lending yourself too much to negative energy. We just have to as as as a people as whatever you do every single day, push yourself. Always be about making yourself better and that doesn't have to come with great rewards. If you go and ask a question on your child's behalf, you have exercise being a proactive parent.

You have to change the narrative and the simple is that I'm sure the folks in Atlanta if they're smart. They enough. Stacy had to know that there was gonna be backlash, you know, coolers and knew that there was going to be backlash. So you have to already have your soldiers in a in a in armor. They already have to be marching to a beat, you know. And that's not anything Act like you happy on your job.

People will come for you just being happy, you know, pull up in something new and you didn't tell everybody in the office you were getting ready to do that. Let them doubt that of chill is going to a private school. It doesn't take a lot to make people angry. And in this preconceived notion of what you should just want or have, break out of that mode. You can have whatever you want, as long as you pay for what's seeing yourself at a level you can have it

pushed through. I don't give a damn about a plague. We have to push through. And it says ugly for me having a very dark, full figured song, as it is for anybody. But all I can tell him is be about dressing up your resume and pushing forward. Let me just say this, miss t t Jan, you didn't you didn't dropped about a hundred gems and all of what you just talked about right now, And this is why we appreciate you so much. I just I didn't mean to interrupt you, but that was a myriad of

gems that was just dropped. You know, it's I think it's it's all of us said, we're all looking a hope one. It's like, as soon as we nudge a little bit here, we come with somebody extremely stupid to make us look. I hope you want one number. But I thought that they do not get the scarriage. Be encourage and just keep pushing, keep pushing, and because they want us to feel like we're defeated. That's the reason

they're scrambling. Because if they think they if they can create all this mass confusion, then they've gotten into our psychic to start letting us fight amongst ourselves and in our own brains. Whatever you're doing, keep doing. I'm not selling school. But if you go to school, go to school with a vengeance. If you're gonna go to a trade school, go to trade school with a vengeance. If you're gonna start a business, start a business with a vengeance.

Quit wearing your money and invest your money. We can all do it. You know, it's not anything. You know, I didn't come for money, but my portfolio looks really good. So get your knowledge. Keep pushing. That's what makes people, you know, respect you. They don't want to respect you, they really don't. They feel better. They don't want to own racism, but they like the works of it. Hm, you know what I mean. You're quite comfortable with racism,

but they don't want to own it. There's nothing new about, uh, the police department turning on peaceful protesters. There's nothing new about that. We've all heard about not driving in certain places when it gets dark. This is absolutely nothing new. But now of a sudden because we say, wait a minute, black lives matter. What it ain't talking about what you know, my life matters? Well you know what we mattered when you part us over on ships if everybody life mattered.

And I just say that that was the only cruise I was ever on. That's the one that I was. But I'm the first tax forard that was like, no, yeah, missed, I hold you. That went all over we all here by run us over here on ship. Oh yeah okay, no, no, we were with you were absolutely miss thank thank you so much. We miss Jam. We appreciate you as always.

Thank you for coming on here and dropping gems. Thank you, yes, thank you so much that indeed, you know, guys, we know today's show was a lot, but I think it's just reflecting everything that we're all kind of carrying, you know, um t J And just said something. You're gonna do

something doing with your whole heart. Flame. I'm not going to tell your business because you told a little bit of it, but I just want to say, and I hope that this is where where you know, this is why I constantly have hope because I'm so excited about the opportunity that one of your children may have and and it's just it just lets me know that, you know, uh, there's a whole world out there that uh, this young promise and talent can literally be that that beacon of change,

you know. So those are the times when you have to sit back and say, you know what, there is a light somewhere in all of this darkness right now. And I'll just say this, Laurie's about to step out and Lauren's about to step in. We're not gonna say nothing about that. So Flame, let's just say thank you

and let that go. Okay, you don't want to do it for that documents first, so talk to before we're going anywhere Flame when you got coming up, I'm going to see a familiarly with some point if I'm changing from this language, it's only about like an I want to have home and take a shower and just screw some I'm saying, y'all feature the outfit later. Um. Other than that, listen, we're gonna try to do where we work out with with another show. But y'all quality and

hit hold on enough. But he should rebooking that Gmail because we've taken them as they come respectfully. Respectfully is the word respectful as the word today We given five on that one. Well, thank everybody. I want to thank everybody for listening at home or on the go. And I want to remind you that if you like something you heard today, to definitely comment uh and and like and share it because it helps others to find, laugh

and learn. And at the end of the day, we say this all the time, but it really is true. We are not trying to get anybody to change their mind. We're simply just trying to get you guys to use your mind. Because wi flame. Because if you gotta have a man, use the we feel like I feel it right about that growing baby grew it. Because your choice is always yours. Your choice is always yours, but you have to be comfortable with the choice that you make,

not that somebody else make for you. Because I'm tall, right, anybody will tell me what can do if that's what's wrong with me now, because I'm gonna do what the want to do and I want to do, I'm not gonna do it. Nick. Where can everybody find you? Yes? Where can everybody find you? Looking forward to seeing soon? Friends? Uh? All that and we thank you so much? And yeah, come on when we tell you all that because I'm doing now. I'm trying, you see me trying to move

forward and wrap it up. I'm trying to be as discreet as possible. Damn Okay, lord, and you did fantastic galls are thinking so much for helming the ship. You can find me at Nick Smith News on Instagram and Twitter. And yes, I heard everybody sounding off about me in Nashville this weekend, so yes, I wasn't a couple of wen't gonna bring that up, but anyway, we'll talk offline about that one. I am Lauren Hogan on YouTube and

I am Lauren Armani h on Instagram. As always, we thank you guys for tuning in and we will see you next week. Also remember the new uh way that we're doing it. The audio comes out on Thursdays. The video will come out on Saturday. Y'all got it early this past week is going to come out on Saturday. We love you, guys, flame anything else, you got it all right? Bye you guys. Laugh and Learn is a production of The Black Effect Network and I Heart Radio.

Our executive producer is Tiffany Hattish. The show is produced by Triple Our theme music is by Chrissy Payne.