Uncalm and Uncollected

I am fucking pissed. I am pissed at the fact that I am losing literal sleep, that I am feeling emotionally unwell, that I have friends and family telling me that their young ones are afraid to go to school, that they are terrified that a bad man is going to come and get them, and that there is no way, no way for those that are caring for young children, for parents and caregivers to be able to tell children that they are safe, because it would be a fucking lie.

And why is that so? Why do we now have to lie to our children to tell them though no, no, no one's going to come into your school. How do you say that we have to lie to them? Because otherwise, what's the alternative for them to live in a consistent state of fear, which they already have, for them to

develop serious emotional and mental illness, depression, anxiety, grief. We are asking fourth graders to cover themselves in the blood of their friends because our lawmakers are craven, fucking cowards.

I am so filled with rage. Garnel Whitfield testified before Congress following the murder, the massacre of his mother, Ruth Whitfield, and nine other black people at a Tops grocery store, and he said, he said to the people there, this is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and domestic terrorism? It inspires because if there is nothing, then you should

yield your positions. How is it that we elect these people to be the voice right of their constituents and they turn a non listening ear, they turn their backs. We have people in this country parents going into a medical examiner's office waiting on samples of DNA because they don't have bodies that are solid enough to be able to identify their fucking kids. Because of an AAR fifteen.

You have members of cong saying things like, well, we didn't ban planes after nine to eleven, No, you fucking asshole, we didn't. But you know what we did do institute a whole bunch of really fucking annoying things that we have to go through in order to get on a plane, like pat downs, like X rays, like taking your shoes off, like not bringing on any liquids over three ounces. Those would be the equivalence of the fucking background checks that you need in order to get on a plane because

it was used as a weapon. But when we have actual weapons of war that are used on a daily basis to sacrifice the lives of our children, we say, well, that's just par for the course, that's just what it means to grow up in America. Tell those kids to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and go buy a bulletproof backpack. What the fuck I am losing the ability to have calm and collected conversation when all I see everywhere is gaslight and bullshit, and Democrats in the media

just continue to fucking eat it up. I am so sick and goddamn tired of listening to journalists allow craven, evil, heartless Republicans say, well, it's the Second Amendment. What about our fucking kids? How in God's name do you still refer to yourself as pro life when you gare more about a collection of cells than you do about the dreams and aspirations of third and fourth graders, of kindergartners

in Newtown, of high schoolers in Parkland. You don't care So let's stop pretending that we don't know what is in these people's hearts when their actions tell us each and every day what is. It's not that they believe that they don't have the power to do mighty thing. It's that they don't want to. And every time that I here, reporters say, well, how are democrats gonna sell gun reform? How about just sending them the pictures of

the nineteen children's bodies. How about delivering nineteen handcrafted, hand colored, fucking caskets to their offices. How about just piling up the fucking National Mall with bodybags. We're talking about, Oh, it's not civilized to protests at the doors of justices.

Fuck you, because here's the thing. If I'm not gonna feel safe in this country, if that freedom has been taken away from me because of their desire for a second Amendment, then I'm gonna tell you this right the fuck now, No one ain't gonna feel safe nowhere, No one, because that is the climate that they are creating in this country. Supreme Court just passes yet another fucking piece of law that says that citizens can't fucking sue federal agencies and governments know because I guess we have no

rights in this country. And what happens when people feel like they have no power rage riots, and that will be their justification for more violence against communities that they didn't give a fuck about. Any Way, Folks, when I tell you each and every show that things are going to get bloodier before they get better, I feel that each and every day, and it's what is keeping me

up at night. I just sit around going through Twitter two, three, four o'clock in the morning, just waiting for the next pang, waiting for the next headline. I don't know why, because it's not as if it helps me prepare emotionally. I feel like we have lost our grip, not only on reality, but on what it means to be an empathetic human. We have allowed corporate interest, the uber wealthy, and white sis, hetero white evangelical Christians to run amuck with their toxic,

fragile masculinity across this country. We have done nothing. Garnell Whitfield said, Buffalo should have never happened because you've known about the rise of white domestic terrorism for decades, dare I say centuries? Then you have white members of Congress saying well, we don't need special laws, no, because why

would they want to have their base targeted. But instead of reporters turning around and saying, why is it that you are embracing white supremacists and white supremacy, why don't you see that as a threat to the whole entity of America. But we need to stop asking people who have shown us who they are to pretend that they

are something different than what they have shown. But here's the thing that I'm going to say that every single Democrat that has not been using their voice, their power, their platforms to speak out against Republicans, and I mean all Republicans. And I don't mean to part in fucking parcel who you think is good or rational that has left, because there ain't any. If you voted with Donald Trump nine percent of the time, you are one of them.

You are part of the fucking problem. The only reason why folks are holding up Liz Cheney and Adam Kissinger is because they have literally been exercised from the Republican Party because the one thing that they choose not to believe in is the Big Lie, but they believe in everything else. I just I have had it. I have had it I've had it this week. I've had it this time. I've had it with this country, and I

want to say that it is worth fighting for. But in all honesty, I'm like, the only reason I don't want it to burn to the ground is because I don't want the good people to go down. But there's clearly going to be no way right that that doesn't happen. As doctor Brittany Cooper told us weeks ago, they can't kill all of us. They go and try, but they can. So when the dust settles, whether it's five, ten, twenty years from now, we'll have some people will be around

to rebuild. Who that is, I don't know. Coming up next my conversation with our friend, our in house doctor, doctor Jonathan Metzo, author of Dying of Whiteness. Get a behind the scenes look at Comedy Central's The Daily Show on Beyond the Scenes, an original podcast from The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Every week, host Roy Wood Junior goes deeper with the notable guests and experts from the

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Person of the Week, and much more. Listen to The Damage Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Folks, you know that when it is Wednesday, I always have a lovely opportunity to delve into all of the horrible things that are happening in America with our soothsayer, uh, doctor Jonathan Metzel, author of Dying of Whiteness, who is headed out folks on his European world tour to talk about

how America is crumbling. So Jonathan, first, tell us, UM, tell us about where you're where you're headed in the in the coming weeks um and why um, and then we can delve into where we are here in this godforsaken place. Well, I'm going to to Denmark and Sweden. There's a bunch of conferences about kind of the future of global democracy um. And people really want to know, like what the hell is going on with the United States. And so I'm going to be talking about the politics

of racial resentment um in a conference in Sweden. And then I'll be going to Copenhagen. If anybody has any recommendations, UM, I'm just gonna like walk around and UM, I won't make a joke. I'll just say I'll walk around in an environment where there are fewer firearms than there are um.

And and and so that'll that'll be nice. Um. And then yeah, so it'll be kind of a Scandinavian vacation, but also a sense to kind of talk about America and also being in a society where there people actually pay taxes for government services, um, and so I'm kind of curious to talk to people about the healthcare system

and public safety and things like that. So let me ask you this, because I'm curious, how do you express racial resentment to us, like in a society where maybe I'm wrong that there isn't a lot of racial diversity, maybe there's ethnic diversity. I'm not super familiar, but when I obviously when I hear Denmark and Sweden, I think white, white, white. So how how do you even begin to explain the issues of racial resentment that they see in the headlines

and on the news happening in America? If I can report live back, I will do that because I'm curious about that question myself. Scandinavia has a lot of tensions about immigration rights, and it is a more much more homogeneous place, but there also are different diversities within race, right, I mean, if you think about Sweden, for example, there are white people called Sammy's who live in the north of Sweden near the Russian border, for example, but they're

consider second class citizens. I mean, there's a lot of diversity within the category of white. So it's not like our racial categories are transported. But it's not like that means that there are no divisions or hierarchies. So but but I'm curious about that myself. I mean, the thing everybody wants to know about across the world is kind of why do Americans vote against what seemed to us

to be self interest? Yeah, I think that that's kind of the question, is like, how is political division used to have people vote against their own healthcare or any kind of common sense safety reform or anything like that. And so we'd love to see I mean, it'll be interesting. This is my really, my first sustained time in Scandinavia. I've done a lot of work in the Middle East. I do a lot of work with Israel policine physicians for human rights, and I'll be going back to the

Middle East towards the end of the summer. And for me, that's a much you know, it's a different conversation. But there's obviously I mean, American political division is kind of an export act, right, and so a lot of people who are stirring up problems in the US in terms of you know, the Fox News kind offenders and things like that, are also really active in conflict zones across

the mood. So let's see it. Yeah, I'll be I'm very yeah, I'll be really interested, um to to do an in depth conversation when you return, and you can share with us, um what what you've heard and what you've learned, and honestly what what the fears may be that are shared, fears that are happening globally as it pertains to UM to democracy because um, there I think that as we talked a couple of months ago, when the report came out for the first time that the

United States is a backsliding democracy, it wasn't the only one, um that there are several And so what does that mean for the safety of the world. And also if you're in Scandinavia, like you know, women in film and are getting military training now in case the Russians invade and stuff. So the world's just a very unstable place right now. So there's a there's a lot going on that just the traditional boundaries and borders that we've lived with are not since World War two are not holding

up right now, So yeah, that'll be interesting. So I want to switch gears. We have a couple of things obviously, that are happening right now, Following the Buffalo massacre, following the Valdi massacre, Following all of the massacres that have happened in between those two major headline mass shootings, there have been the mass shooting that just took place in Philadelphia over the weekend, and in Chattanooga, and you know, and I don't, the list is quite is quite deep.

And again for those listening, mass shootings are four or more people being killed being shot at one time, and so that just goes to show you how many of those events have happened and are continuing to happen. Jonathan. The way that the news, though right now, is reporting on these things is making it seem as if this

is new. So can you tell us Is it that the coverage is like, oh, this is sensational, so we'll keep going with it, or are you, by virtue of the work and the study that you've been doing, is it an uptick right now? Well, certainly, we had a CDC report about a month ago that said that there were forty five thousand gun deaths in the United States reported. There are more in actuality in twenty twenty, and probably

more over the last couple of years. So certainly we have more gun death by a magnitude of five to ten thousand, I would say a year I'm recorded, and

probably many more. So there are more shootings. There are more guns because there were there was up to an eight percent rise in parts of the country and gun sales during the pandemic the first parts of the pandemic, And so I certainly think there are more guns and more shootings across the board than there than there used to be UM, and that that's just a statistical fact. But I would also say that we're just more aware

of multiple victim gun homicide right now. UM. They used there's this thing called the mass shooting tractor, which everybody uses UM that tracks UM, that tracks UM for incidences where four more people get shot. And for several decades they would just use the media outlets like newspapers, and mostly newspapers, and so only new shootings that made the news were being ye and so that led to everybody thought, well, ninety percent of mass shooters are white, for example, But

that wasn't the case. It's just that ninety percent of white shooter made the news. There were tons of shootings in places like what we saw this weekend, where everybody, all of a sudden was saying, there are fifteen mass shootings this weekend. Well, that's been the case in places like Chicago for a long time and other places. It's just that, um, we don't care. Gang shootings or urban

shootings weren't being called mass shootings. And so what we've done over the past five years mostly is to expand the definition of what a mass shooting is. And now all of a sudden, there are many more shootings that come to the So there's two things. One is that there are more shootings, but two is that we're also reporting on multiple victims, on homicides in ways that raise awareness.

So if you live in parts of Newark or Chicago, or Nashville or Florida or other places like that, those shootings have been part of daily life for a long time. It's just now now they're getting Do you think that there should be a cont like that there should be a confluence of this conversation, meaning that should we be having distinct conversations about guns. Is there a difference in your mind between and to me, there isn't. So let me just say that. But I've been hearing this conversation

a lot. Should there be a difference between how we're talking about the mass shootings that we just saw in Buffalo and in Uvaldi and in El Paso and in Las Vegas and in these places versus the shootings that we see in Philadelphia, in Chicago in LA Should there be a difference in those discussions because the motivations, in my opinion, for those killings, the ones that make the headlines that we're talking about right now, are different than

the motivations that happen in places like Chicago and Pennsylvania and Philly. Two words. Who HU mean honestly that all gun crime is gun crime, all gun death is gun death. The minute we use those categories, we assume we know what the motivation is. That's the problem we got into for decades in the gun control movement, which is why the gun control movement is a very narrow coalition now

and not a broad coalition. From the first day this crap started happening, we should have been saying all gun victims are victims of guns of guns, and it doesn't matter because like, how do you know something's in urban shooting and not a psychological shooting. How do you know something that happens in urban Philadelphia doesn't also have a

component of mental illness or something like that. So in other words, it's just a way of like not looking very closely at black victim shootings and so and now get the gun. The GVP movement it's called Gun Violence Prevention is saying, how come everybody's not on board and marching in the streets. And it's because, honestly, for twenty years, with respect to my colleagues in this movement, we've only

been talking about white shooter, white victim crimes. And so dividing these up is what Coddison's trouble in the first place, and it's what we should be massively rejecting that right now. Honestly, I would say that's that's one point, um. And then and then the other part of it is just there are aspects it makes you rethink, like some of the aspects of gun control that people advocate for um, it's sorry,

I'm making coffee while we talk, um. But the other aspect is um, like, think about everybody's like, oh, red flag laws for example, Like that's the main thing everybody's talking about as a compromisation. Well, what's the red flag law? Um? You actually have to petition the police and a judge to come do an assessment of your relative for your worry about That's great, it'll work, um in some instances. But um, do people really want the police coming to

their house? Well there's a racial politics there. Yeah. And I was like, oh, background checks, we need more background checks. Well, who pings on a background check? It turns out a background check you ping if you have a record of incarceration. Who's going to overping in a background checks them? So a lot of the issues that the gun control movement

is based on actually are profoundly racist. And so I think that really thinking about different kinds of gun prime, different kinds of gun death, different kinds of gun trauma will help people realize that we you know, gosh, why isn't the gun control movement more broadly accepted. It's because we don't have the kind of coalition where people see gun control as a social justice issue. That's just my person,

What do you think? Then? You know, because it's interesting and I brought that up because I did um a black radio earlier in or earlier in the week, and you know, and that, and it was a phil Adelphia station, and this was the question that was asked to me, you know, should there be a distinction a difference between types of shootings? And my response was if you get

if you're a shot, you're shot. And I don't think it matters to the families whether it was a white supremacy shooter or it was a you know, a random shooting from a gang or whatever. It's like they're dead, right, So the problem in the country is guns. It is also in a lot of respects what we've seen is the tied up in white toxic masculinity, in white supremacy, and that being the other level problem, right, And so I wonder, I'm like, how do you like, how do

we have these conversations? Because even right you know, right now this week, we're listening to testimony from from the families that lost loved ones who were murdered in Buffalo Um the ten black you know, mother's, father's, grandmother's aunties and goals that were gunned down while they were shopping UM on a Saturday morning, and so One of the things that was said was this is about white supremacy, and by the very virtue that this country, this government

does not want to acknowledge, right the history and the present day rise of that is why we have instances like h Charleston at Mother Emmanuel like a buffalo, and like these other incidents of violence. And so what do you think about how we have these compacted conversations a

brown guns and white supremacy. I mean, you think I was thinking about Texas also, right, because it's not like the Texas victims were white right now, but the shooter was also not white, and so I just I just think I think the problem is so pervasive, and so the question is not really about I don't know if I believe this like every town and guys like that say ninety percent of Americans support background checks on all gun sales and stuff like that. I do think there's

broad support for that kind of thing. But I would also say just that the gun lobby and gun manufacturers have been so much more successful steering the shit out of people, and so race plays right into that. And I guess really this is like kind of an aside, but like it's kind of like what is the voice

of the everyday person in this debate? Right, the everyday person doesn't really have a voice in a way, like all we are are victims, everybody, And that's because this debate is predetermined, right in a way, So I totally it's so brave are those people to go right now to DC and people are really speaking out in very

brave and forceful and powerful ways. And at the same time, like the debate is predetermined because the NRA and other gun groups and the seventeen sixteen Project and all these gun manufactory groups stuff, they've already like they already literally owned the politicians and the judges. And so this is a question of power as much as it is a question. And this is like list to what we were talking

about before. This is a question of power, and so protest is super important, but it has to translate into like a strategy for like how can we control the judges or how can we have politicians who answered us and and and it's not a crazy thing to think like if people don't vote for common sense gun reform, they're going to get elected out of office or something like that. But we don't do that. It's not a

wedge issue for us. There's been a lot of polls recently the show that people protests and are angry and sad and tearful and rightly, rightly furious. But Democrats don't vote on guns as a regissue, but the Republicans do like like it, just like they can mobilize these guys on drop of a hat and get somebody primary out of office. And so in a way, there's just an imbalance of political power, which ties into race and everything we're talking about. Um. And so I guess the question

at this moment is certainly about gun reform. But let's be honest, like, even if they do background checks, that the problem, we're still going to have the same problem. Um And so the question is can you mobilize a political machine that will make people pay price for not

doing the right thing here? And I don't know that we're there yet, just and you know, and you've you've been in the gun reform debate for decades, and so you know, the other question that keeps being asked that I'm asked, and I know that you were asked like fifty times, you know, over the past interviews that you've been giving everywhere and writing everywhere is it. Does this tie and feel different to you? I think more people

are aware. I think that there was. I think that the stakes are a lot higher for people right now, and I think people realize that there, as I was saying before, there are more guns around. The fact that there is an incredibly conservative Supreme Court really changes the stakes of this issue for anyone anywhere in this country. And so and so it does feel different in terms

of the number of people who are being mobilized. I think it's also very important for the Democrats to play this right in a way that doesn't pathologize all gun owners. So the question is can they build a coalition out of this in ways that will reverse what seems to be coming down the pipe for the midterms and the next presidential election. How much are people willing to vote

based on this issue. I think that the attention right now is profound and real, and it's great, as somebody who studies this to see so many people, Like, right after we talk, I'm doing a big panel for vanderboot about guns. Never thought i'd see that happen. And then I'm doing ABC News right after that. After I make my coffee here and so and so so I do

think that the conversations are abroad. But I would also say there's a great sociologist, Patrick Sharkey at Princeton who studies the emotional aftermath of mass shootings, and basically people get mad for about a week at the most, and then they go back. And so the issue is going to be how can you sustain what's happening? Now? Gun owners live with their guns every day, so it's an everyday issue for them, But for non gun owners who are on our side, they pay attention after mass shootings.

But then something else comes up, which is how life works. That's understandable. And so the question is and I realized, I'm sorry, this is a lot of things I'm putting in all these answers, but I just want people to understand how flex all these is. Yeah, I would say, the question is how much can this be made into a right issue that will get people to vote. I guess traditionally what happens is when it comes to midterms, all these racial politics scare the crap out of people

and they vote for the status quo. So the question is the answer is, now, how different is it? But really the answer won't be fully told really until the midterms. Honestly, last question for you, Jonathan is, you know, folks are really concerned about this summer, right, and shootings seem to also uptick in the summer. Right. I don't know why that is, and I'm certain that you'll you'll tell me.

But here's something that I was asked and I want to pose it to you, which is people are very concerned about the Supreme Court rolling out They're very controversial decisions, right, row being on top a number one on top of that, and that people are then going to get out into the streets in the way that they did after the killing of George Floyd, Like they're going to be lots of mass demonstrations. There is concern that with people being out in the streets that we're going to see a

lot of Kyle Rittenhouse incidents. Right. What are your thoughts about like this again, this conflation of issues and things that are happening. You know, you're hearing that the supposedly the FBI and others are you know, ear to the ground with concern about these decisions coming down and how folks are going to react. And I'm like, our side is not the side with guns and that is violent. So funny that you're going to have concern now, But

what are your thoughts about what is on the precipice. Well, the Supreme Court is we're about to hit get hit over the next couple weeks with an absolute tide of wave that is going to change America for the rest of our lives. I wish I could be sunny. It's a nice day out. It's about to happen in the Supreme Court is going to change America forever as we know it. Because it's not just Row versus Way this coming.

It's also decisions about about the elect electoral process. There's a decision about um affirmative action that's almost certainly going to get overturned, and there's a massive decision about guns that could basically destroy the entire un control movement. And so it's just going to be like which protests do you want to go to? And and I think the stuff is going to come, and it's so it's so tectonic that it's almost hard to get your head around it.

I study it, I still can't imagine what's about to happen here. And so the question is um, certainly violence around the protests. I mean, you know, hot weather, people out of school, a lot of guns, and a lot of really intense built tension in friction right now. Um, I would say that that that's going to be a real dangerous sign. But also just the issues themselves that the Supreme Court is deciding on are also going to

be really really contentious. And so I am very very very worried about about the summer and also about what the effects. We never end on a good note. Um, I'm gonna vacation. You're going on vacation. Yeah, I'm healing a broken toe. And friend, I may tell you just stay where you are. We've been doing remote for so long. Stay you stay in Sweden. It'll probably be a hell of a lot safer than here. Well, safe travels to you, Jonathan.

Hopefully we get to hear really good um you know, whether you're whether we talk to you while you're gone or when you return. Very excited to hear um the results of all of your talks and hear your report back. Thank you. And again I'm really not trying to be doom, but I do think that there's a lot of there's a lot coming down the pipe right now that people just need to get ready. I mean I am yeah by definition correct? All right, friend, We appreciate you, safe

travels and we'll see you when you return. Indisputable with Doctor Rashi Ricci is one of the latest shows on the TYT network and also the fastest growing news show in America. On his show, Doctor Ricci plays no games regarding policy, delivering a heavy dose of fact based truth and penetrating analysis on all the top news stories, focusing on racism, criminal and social justice, politics, police brutality, Karens,

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a new episode. That is it for me today, Dear friends on Woke app as always, Power to the people and to all the people. Power, get woke and stay woke as fuck. Get a behind the scenes look at Comedy Central's The Daily Show on Beyond the Scenes, an original podcast from The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Every week, host Roy Wood Junior goes deeper with the notable guests

and experts from the Emmy Award winning series. Together, they use comedy to tackle current topics from gentrification to gun laws, and take a closer look at how and why these topics matter. Listen to Beyond the Scenes from the Daily Show with Trevor Noa on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. New episodes every Tuesday.