Voting, Midterms and White Supremacy

was listened to Malik's book show. Now, I even was able to do a few interviews with people on the stump at some of the events I was doing this weekend and asked them their thoughts about the mid term election. So this, this particular episode is a attenuation of last week's voting for the Lesser of Two Evils. Also, want to talk about a new segment that we're bringing to

Malik's Bookshelf. You know, about a month ago I started the Bobby Shop Talks and what I'm gonna do instead of continuing that from week to week, just bring that as one featured episode instead of breaking it up and having five six minutes segments each week. I mean, we're bringing just one episode of that, but I'm starting this new segment. And what we're gonna do with this new feature is give my audience a way they chime in and ask me some questions. So on this new feature

on the podcast, it's called Malik's mail Bag. Now my email is available to you, twenty folks seven and the email is called Real Malik Mohammed at gmail dot com. Let me say that again now, Real Malik Mohammed at gmail dot com. Now Mohammed is spelled m u h A M m A D and of course Malik is m A l I K. Now Real Malik Mohammed at gmail dot com. So bring your questions, your comment, anything at all. You can email me direct and Malik's mail Bag is gonna be a vital feature in a segment

on the podcast throughout the month. So I'm looking forward to my audience or anyone reaching out to me and so we can discuss whatever it is on your mind. I also have a few questions from Malik's mail Bag, and so I'm gonna discuss that on this segment. So stay tuned, enjoy the episode because it's a continuation of last week's episode Voting for the Less of two Evil. But the title of this episode is called Voting mid Terms and White Supremacy. Mid Term elections coming up, and

I just want to get your thoughts real quick. To be honest, I don't really pay things to the election. This is my point. I said my last podcast last week. Vote we vote for the less tree, and it's hard trying to survive paying attention to politics every two years. You agree, Yeah, yeah, that's well, that's been my thought. Thank you, brother. Appreciate what's your thoughts about the upcoming melation the same way, But I can't really pay attention to it. It's just tough to pay attention to it,

so I don't really follow it. Yeah, Like, somebody told me a question. They asked me a question. They said, the KKK wrote Republican every time, So what's your thoughts about that? If that's the case, I see, Like, like I said, I don't know nothing about that. I don't even know none of that, So that's news to me. Yeah, my brother, I said, somebody told me said, the k k K vote Republican every time. What's your thoughts on that? Um? I think a lot of spacy a lot of vote Repblicant.

I think a lot a lot of RACI people vote the Democrats to honestly, hello, hello, absolutely absolutely white supremacy of both parties. Yeah, yes, I think so. Yes, all over the world. There you have it, white supremacy. Vote Democrat and vote Republican. And that's my take on that as well. I'm going deeper when I get my thoughts about a few questions that I got uh email to me, and I'll talk more about that. I'm at a festival called to Do It. Actually, I think that's the name

of this, the biopic book. I mean festival here with auching crafts and multicultural Anyway, I'm still doing the Leak's Bookshelf podcast and I'm out here asking some of the people are here about the upcome the mixed term elections. And I wrote up on a brother and I wanted to hear his thoughts on that about to see participating in an upcoming election and if not, why definitely participate.

I haven't been following as much as I should, but I think us, as you know, young black people and older black people, we should be aware of who's gonna be controlling how we live and decisions we make, so I do think it's important. Do you think I needed diving in more than I am now? But I guess talking are you're gonna vote this next selection? In midtimand okay and and also um my last podcast were called voting for the lesson too, it was what you think

about that? Well, I think that's what I think. That's what I always think about before every election, because at the end of the day, you know, both sides are not really for you, but trying to pick the side that may benefits you the most. That's been my take on it is that, hey, I mean, it is what it is. And I said that if we need to focus more on economics and not politics, no, true, true, true.

I think that that's where the real power is that and I think we've spent too much time every two years trying to find out who's the saving grace And I don't think it won't exist, No, I don't think so. I don't think so just trying to find what what what would improve life a little bit moving forward. So we're not saying that no good comes out of voting, no good comes up. You know what got power and

they got married. What we're saying is that the results and the interest in the amount of time that we spend focusing on voting. In the sixty years that we've been voting system rights have not equal to proper gains. And other coaches have been here just as long and they have bigger gains and they don't even participate in voting or having amount of politicians. Yep. But I do believe as us as black focus is an incremental process.

So I think one vote at a time and we can get the right people in place, and I think we might see change, hopefully for the future. I concur thank you brother, to appreciate it. Appreciate it, thank you. I got to get your look. We have stirred about nice conversation about the mid She asked me about want to vote. This ain't about I just want to get her thoughts about what she's gonna vote. But hey, but we got this brother here too, so he can chime in as well. But hey, I just want to get

your thoughts on the mid term relation. And I got said, I do pay attention to propositions and some of the things locally as far as nationally. Sometimes I just you know, vote for less st without my last pocket so anyway, it's on you know, spotlight. So here's the thing. Until unfortunately, we are in a position of power, we're going to continue to vote for the lesser two evils. So the goal is do everything at a grassroots level. It's get

the young people here, young black people. We need to get out in the streets, get motivated and knock on doors, talk to each other so we can become in power. Because the goal is not to have our kids and grand kids voting for the lesser two evils. We've been doing that for decades and the time has come. Nobody let's do that ship no more. So that's the reality.

And and so yeah, so until we get in a position of power, until we're running you know, our financial institution, medical institutions, schools, everything that we're gonna continue in the same boat. So yeah, that's I gotta roll little. I say, vote your interests. I don't do that vote for the less two evils theme, because you're still gonna get evil.

Vote your interests, get what goes for what you want, usually what you want if you're black like I am, it's gonna be for the greater good of your people. But vote your interests. When we do that lesson to evil ship. History has proven that that don't get us to down far vote for your hood. But you're my choice. I'm a big choice this time. That's a question as far as may Yeah, you're voting for you know me. So when it comes to mayor's I do my research. I don't know yet. I do my research. You gotta

have your business. Oh do you even have time? I look, I'm at work. On my down time, I go on YouTube. I look up everybody. He has voted for. Karen Baths will be straight. He's not voting for Crusoe. You're not because he's not because of his his views on pro choice, and that was your determining fact. I'm not. Yeah, I'm very produced, so I live, but I mean proproach, demote rights. Now I have this next question, all right, because somebody said to me, they asked me. They said, the cookus Klan,

white supremacy, they vote on Republican all the time. And my answer to that was, so US Democrats that we vote at I said, did white supremacy? Republicans? They vote Republican one percent of the time. And as black people basically saying like, what are we gonna do in terms of you know, US unite now vote because they say white supremacis vote Republican one hundred percent at a time. My argument that was that white supremacy vote democratic as well.

They do. They record if you look at Joe Biden track the three strike laws, the main thing that put a lot of our So you got Carus already got the Democrat you got, you got Carus a Rudy as a Democrat, you got Trump. It was a democratic before. So everybody switching side, Like I said, the goal is we needed young black people have to get into power. So you gotta tell your friends, your family members, people who you know would be good in these positions. Young

black people have to empower each other. You don't have to get into power because you have that your people to empower you to get power. So how did the Jewish community, Asian community come into power Because they don't vote on they don't have a lot, they don't have a lot of politicians, they don't have a lot of politicians, but yet they got power. They empowered themselves. I tell everybody like what how did they empower themselves? Working with

each other? And what else? Economics? Right, I look at it like this. My business is in a predominantly Mexican neighborhood. When you see them, they work together. I'll come from the car industries, a lot of Asian people that work there. One of my best homies that I used to work with would tell me, hey, we got a Chinese restaurant, will build up. Help one person to help one person. We gotta learn to help each other at the same time. It's also having a foot on your neck and your back.

You still gotta know how to work with each other. We got a lot of place to work. We don't get a lot of bullshit out of our mind that has been fed to us from other people, and then you know, work with each other's They definitely work together, and that's one thing that we need to notice. But I think that's the point. At the end of the day, they'll do whatever they have to do to get to the next level, and they will always make sure they look out for it. So we can agree that we

don't do this, we don't do it. We can agree we don't do at some levels, but we don't do it enough. That's the problem, because if we didn't do it, then you wouldn't have your bookstore. He wouldn't have his water store. I wouldn't have my event space. So we do do it, we just don't do it enough. And so when I say selling meaning they're they're all about sticking together and it's them against everybody. And there's nothing

wrong with that. But I feel like black people we need to do the same thing, to learn how to highlight the good and keep it highlighting. Like we highlight the bag because I mean, we all products of our environment, but if you can highlight the good that comes out of the environment as well, because let's keep it real. We all like wrap, I like wrap the ship talking about killing all us all the time. But also know

on the other side, we know good. But I can point to you a gang of my younger home is that don't know you know what's right and what's good, I mean, what's bad for these times, so you have to there are no more old g s. When I was coming up on thirty, I still have olds to tell you like don't do that. Yeah, you can do something stupid, but they'll still tell you like, all right,

that's too stupid. Nobody telling nobody that. No more, So we keep leading the younger to learn that we you know that get us lost in the mix, then we ain't gonna be able to empower each other. We've been voting for sixty years now civil rights and do you agree with the empowerment that's taking place in these our communities or if we fall short? Um, I think it's fake. A lot of it was being take was taking place

in the communities. A lot of people. You have people with power and the money and the resources who show up on a on a random Saturday, smile, kiss babies, and then they go back to wherever they live or whatever they do. Like I said, I'm always about a grassroots level. If the person next door to you can't read, that's your issue. If he owns a business and he doesn't teach us, a little neighbor next door how to own a business, then that becomes all of our issues.

So we we absolutely have fallen short. And I feel like a lot of the people we have representing us today it's nothing but fake. Just yes, Well that's why I say we vote for that stupid because I agree because I think all the issues we sew from teenage pregnancy, alcoholic liquor stoles on every corner, fast food on every corner.

All that's because politicians in power allowed just to happen, knowing that ditbeat these high potension, high blood pressure, all of these issues, guns everywhere, come in here, and then this is where I like, I'm a YouTuber, so I get on YouTube and I look at all what's right, what's wrong from every Kennedy. But my issue is homelessness is out of control, and I live like I'm confident.

So over there and they're pushing all the Harvy's over there, and you got crackheads walking around everywhere, and it's it's it's in Gardena, a predominantly Hispanic and black part of Gardena is nothing but white drug addicts walking around, and you start to get the wonder, like, what the hell's going on? So we got a lot of stuff to work on before we started to get to the bigger stuff. They're pushing all these factories from downtown to you know, the South Bay area in the hood. Have a lot

of stuff to work on. But we can also be our own worst enemy too, like that that's a problem with an that can So when you talk about working together, we are we are our own worst enemy. I always say that we need to get our own way because we stopping our development, our growth, and our elevation. Yeah, and so when you ask about other cultures, I think that's that's what they have to be their greatest resource. They're not in a lot of times are not in

their own way. They're working together, and yeah, they're building each other up, but it's not it's not that we haven't been built down for centuries. Like, don't get its with it. But we do have the power, and clearly everyone looks at us, everyone follows us. So we're the most powerful. We don't even realize we are. We're just not exercising our true power because it's unit is more

powerful than autommy bomb. We need to unite money, intellect, resources, every interest, every hu minute that we need to unite, and we don't, and so we fall short absolutely. And I'm sure if you were to ask any like when you mentioned like Jewish cultures, Asian cultures, Latin cultures, if you were to ask them from a mentoring perspective, what would they recommend? They will probably say the same thing you got. You guys have to stick together. You guys

are charity. I mean it sounds hard, but it's the truth. All I know is I probably like to be a door knob in your house when y'are sitting around talking like this. Have my glass of wine because y'all y'all going deep, y'all lit toy. I feel impossive between y'all, I feel it. Yeah. Great, thank you, thank you, thank you. Appreciate that y'all gave me some good content. Malik's Book Show bringing the world together with books, culture and community. I thank you, thank you. Well, I'm gonna get into

my new segment is called Malik's mail Bag. Now. I get emails from listeners from time to time. But wait, last week's segment on voting for the lesser of two evils sure got people rowed. Now, some of you agree with me and some of you didn't. That's okay. I welcome all feet by, but some of you have some questions, and I wanted to address some of them right now.

This is from Anthony and Culver City, Malik. I agree with a lot of what you say about voting Obama, but one thing I keep in mind that KKK votes Republican every time, no matter what. We need to counter that. Who man, that's an extremely important question. I love it and it has is is loaded though is loaded because we're splitting some hairs here and we're dealing with a

counter move that is very important. My answer to that question is white supremacist vote Democrat one of usenting the time two both parties have white supremacists k k k and historically declude kluss Klan were Democrats. It was formed by the Democrats. It was an extension of the Democratic Party.

Are we just to forget that? Are we gonna just throw that under the bid, throw it in the closet and act like the Democratic Party wasn't white supremacists and that they burned lynch murdered black people all across this country and nation, that they exploited us during the reconstruction period. Did they have put together policies that kicked the man out of the house just to get so a wef I checked, A WEE can to forget all of that?

And I just know the Republican Party are the only white supremacist and clue Klusklan members right when the history of the clue klus Klan started from the Democratic Party. And I gotta keep it one hundred. This is a podcast about what bringing the world together with books, culture,

and community. I've read the votes and it's no way that you can fool me that Republicans are the only KKK members and white supremacists when a lot of suffering has happened by the hands of both parties, but in particular, mostly the Democratic Party historically. Is that to say that they ain't do nothing good didday some policy wasn't beneficial. All I'm saying is we vote for the lesser of

the two evils. And that's my argument is that we know subconsciously, mentally and fundamentally that is that both parties have issued in policies that the white supremacists and only benefit white people. And we have suffered far too long from these both of these parties. So what's our kind of move is that we need to unite, we need to bring our money together, and we need to vote

what's in our best interests. And and don't think that everybody running for the Democratic Party is about the interests of our community and our people, because that's a lie. And I'm tired of hearing that we already know where where the Republican Party stands. We're neither both. To be honest, some things were a great democratically party, and some things were great on the republic a good party. Let's keep

it one on it. Some of we were not on every issue with the Democratic Party, and we certainly not one hunted issues on every issue of the Republican Party. Both have harmed the black community, Both have censored the black community, and both had gentified the black community and marginalized the voice of Black America. So don't try to sell us one party no more. We're gonna be whid to woke today and we need a new strategy this so we can counter was on both sides of these parties.

That's my take on that question. Next is from Jordan's in avalon Gardens Malik, great segment on voting for the less of two evils, but I can't agree with you on suggesting not voting they There are many reasons that the system is stacked against black people and other people of color. One is that white people never miss a chance to vote, especially old white people. It's younger people, women, black people, and other people of color that could control

everything if we would just vote. You're right that people in power help the people that look like them. The more we vote for, more people who looks like us will get that empower man. That question was louded. But let me break you break it down how I see it. First of all, all white folks don't vote all right, Maybe larger segments white male female might vote a little more than us, but let's keep it real. Their voters there ain't never a vote is around seventy mons and

sometimes fifty. You know, they got people riled up. So this last election they had a lot, had a higher percentage of so called registered voters voting. But white folks don't all vote. They're dissatisfied, and many of them abstained from voting because of the fact that they don't like the choices. Okay, and that's the same with black people. We sometimes don't like the choices and the city and say that you gotta vote just because you can win both.

You know, whoever was running is not even a good you know, selection to even choose from. But and that happens a lot of times. That's why I said, we vote for the less of the two evils. Now, as far as not voting, okay, that's a political strategy as well, whether we like it or not. You know, there ain't nothing absolute, but deaf and taxes. All right, you're not gonna get on the percent of people to agree on nothing.

So the reality is that to say that not voting is not a political strike, when an absolutely is because they need to do something to get your vote. So let's say the election coming up and the masses of black people say I don't like neither candidate and we're abstaining. You know, don't you think that they're gonna have to come to us to get our vote now instead of us just giving them my vote. You see, we gotta

do something different. We can't keep thinking that just because this is the only selection, that we need to just go and show up and vote. Now. I'm not saying ain't no voting, There ain't no power in voting. Absolutely there is power in the voting, all right, But the reality is we don't have no money behind the vote. America wasn't established. We're talking about power. Did America gain

power because they voted? Or did American game power because they had wealth from Britain and brought it over here and took the land. And I'm not saying take nothing, but I'm saying that's not how America. You gotta stole it established. It wasn't about no voting. What no vote? The king is a dictator from Britain, the monarchy over there, whatever, they made a decision to come over here and expand their kingdom. They had complete control into the independence War

of Independence right seventeen seventy six. Then they got a president and made a party. The congress and judicial system and the presidential system. But none of that is what established America and the and the way I see it, the system is stocked against the masses of the people, so it only reinforces a system so they can maintain power. The reality is that voting didn't establish America. The power

came from wealth and conquest, not voting. It wasn't a vote to slaughter the American Indians enslave the black people were weren't no choice when slavery was was was was was set upon a whole nation of black people, and then the slaughter of the American Indians and genocide. There wasn't no vote. I had to bring up some history, but we keep thinking that we don't have to always go backwards. We can always go forward too. You know, when they say democracy rule, all right, how is it

that a a white. The white race is the smallest group a populated race on the planet, yet control the whole planet. How's that party? That democratic? Is that democracy? They're more Asians than white people, They're more Blacks than white people on the planet. They're more Latinos in spanished than white people on the planet. But yet they run the whole planet in the sense economic and busin economy, they come up with the number one inventions and revolutionize

the whole world. All right, we know this as a fact. They got the mightiest military in the world, but yet they have the lowest population of a race on the planet. There was democratic about it? You know, why? How are they able to do what they do? Because of economics? They do it. That's where they right get their power from. And they united and they make no exchuses for their mistakes. They do it in a collective manner. So when we yes, you know, listen, all I'm saying is we've been voting

for sixty years. If you want to vote, go vote. I'm not disturning to you, but I'm saying that a lot of people staying from voting because that's a political strategy, and there's nothing wrong with that. We don't have to just vote to be voting. So that's my take on that. We need to stop voting for the lesson of the the two evils and we need to vote for champions that's

gonna do something. Otherwise, don't vote, stop voting into somebody just ain't doing nothing but putting liquor stores on your corner, putting weed houses on every block, allowing all these fast food joints to pop up all in the in the in the cities where you know diabetes, hypertension and the colester raws a major issue. These are the same politicians did allowed this did we voted in So we need to stop voting for death and we need to find a way to vote for some life. So that's my

take on that question. Okay, you have one more. It's from Layla and at Water Village. Malik, you seem somewhat apathetic about voting in this year's mid terms. But a black woman and a white man are running against each other for mayor of Los Angeles. If Karen bas wins, what effects do you think that will be? For what? For black people in l A. It has to be better than the opposites right now, This is a classic

text book answer. We're gonna vote for the lesser of the two evils, And of course I think Karen Bass is the lasser of the two evils. Listen, we had Obama in office and we didn't get much out of that. But I definitely love the fact that a black man said in the White House and it was president and the whole family grew up in there. I loved it. I voted for him twice. Put that on your record. Now, Karen Bass, all right, I'm gonna pray, I'm gonna get

on my knees. I'm gonna call on God, and I'm gonna ask God to help guide her because she is going to be surrounded by so much bureaucracy and so much evil. The thing is, the person who sits in

the marriage seat don't necessarily run the city. It's a lot of power and wealthy people in Los Angeles, and they pulled strings and they expect certain results when they put their money up to go vote for her, and so it's going to be you know, she can have all the good and tensions and did she want, But the reality is that the people who run they got powered. You mean in these wealthy people. Now, these people. It's

a lot of them. They're white supremacists. They're all about themselves, and they'll do whatever it takes the maintain power, whether they're Republican or Democrats. So we're gonna pray, We're gonna pray, we're gonna move some stage saves around, and we're gonna hope that if she wins, then she's able to do some great good. You know that something good can come out of this. So you know, the question is would

it be better? You know, she's up against a lot of forces of wickedness because let's just be real, people with wealth sometimes they're not the most nicest and kindest people on the planet, okay, and they want to maintain wealth and continue to get well. There are a a lot of issues politically that we suffer from. So I see,

we ain't got a name names because it's irrelevant. The point is a lot of it's it's not a whole lot of wealthy people, but the reality is that they pulled strange and they make things happen that only benefit them and at the expense of the people of Los Angeles. So good luck, Karen Badge, if you win, if you're voting for and go vote. I'm not telling you not to vote, and I'm not telling you who I'm voting for. All I'm telling you is that I do think she's

the lesser of the two evils. Thank you for all your feedback. Remember it's real Malik Mohammed at gmail dot com. Let's continue the conversation and I'll talk to you next week. Thanks for listening to Malik's Bookshelf, where topics on the shelf, our books, culture and community. Be sure to subscribe and leave me a review. Check out my instagram at meliek Books. See you next time.