Shit We Don't Talk About
Shit We Don’t Talk About is the podcast that takes on topics we should be talking about more often and openly. Guests and topics will be incredibly diverse, sometimes painful, sometimes joyful but all things we need to talk about candidly to keep us all informed and connected. Some topics may be triggering so please listen with care.
Shit We Don't Talk About
Ep. 91 - From Loyal Democrat to Independent Voice: One Woman's Political Evolution - Deborah Burgess
What happens when a lifetime of political loyalty no longer feels like enough? Deborah Burgess, scholar and education leader, takes us on a deeply personal journey from dedicated Democrat to politically unaffiliated voter during one of America's most turbulent political eras.
The decision didn't come easily. After returning from six years in China where she helped build educational opportunities for children with disabilities, Deborah committed herself to Democratic Party activism. She worked tirelessly as a volunteer, house district captain, and eventually secretary, believing in the power of civic engagement. But something changed after watching how Democrats responded—or failed to respond—to aggressive political tactics from the right.
"Democrats are too quiet," Deborah explains with characteristic frankness. "They sit back and let stuff fly." Drawing on her background as a judo champion, she compares the current political climate to a match where "Democrats are getting choked and they're not fighting." This observation comes from someone who's seen the political landscape from multiple angles and continents.
Our conversation explores the realities of voter suppression targeting Black and Brown communities, the alarming parallels between America's current situation and Hungary under Viktor Orbán, and the rise of Christian nationalism. We discuss how traditional Democratic messaging fails to resonate with younger generations and the importance of staying politically engaged even when party affiliation no longer feels right.
Deborah offers practical action items for concerned citizens: familiarize yourself with the Constitution, diversify your information sources, watch corporate media critically, and engage at the local level. Most importantly, she urges listeners to think independently and draw their own conclusions rather than accepting singular narratives.
Ready to rethink what political engagement means in today's America? Listen now, and join us for future conversations with Debra about DEI misconceptions and why more African Americans are considering leaving the US. Subscribe, leave a review, and visit shitwedonttalkaboutpodcast.com for an accessibility transcript and more resources.
Deborah has 21 years of university teaching experience including teaching in Beijing, China at the University of Colorado Denver's Global Campus for six years. This was a tremendous experience teaching students courses in Business and Professional Speaking, Public Speaking, and Essential Communication in a Global Society. Additionally Deborah has consulting/training experience working domestically for non-profits, federal, state and private industry in Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Gender and Communication and Appropriate Business Communication in Corporate Settings. Deborah conducted training classes at Beijing Foreign Studies University in China teaching mid-level executives of China Construction Bank and China Southern Airlines skills/tools in the American Mass Media and Communication. Her belief is: “I’m not a teacher, but an awakener.” ~ Robert Frost
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Hey, welcome to the latest episode of Shit. We Don't Talk About the podcast that takes on topics that need more open and honest discussion, which means some of these topics are triggering. So please take care when listening and I'll always give you a trigger warning. For instance, here's one Every episode contains swear words.
Mia Voss:You've been warned, make sure to check out the show notes, which include an accessibility transcript of the podcast and all of the links for our guests at shitwedonttalkaboutpodcastcom of ours. My guest is Deborah Burgess. She's a scholar and an education powerhouse, among many things. Dang, she is impressive. She's so inspiring and informative that we decided to create a whole series on various topics. In this episode, we discuss how disgruntled Democrats are making the jump to the unaffiliated party. Tune in, it gets good. Here we go. Hi Debra, hi Mia, how are you doing today? I am doing great because I'm talking to you, because we're going to do a series. We've already decided on that. We have too many topics, so today we're going to get started, though, on something that I just think is really timely. Obviously and it's your experience and this is the topic Are you ready?
Mia Voss:The change from being a dedicated Democrat to unaffiliated. And I know you're part of the 92%.
Deborah Burgess:Yes.
Mia Voss:Let's talk about that. And before we go, before we really dive into it, please make sure you go and look at I'm going to have the full description in the description of the podcast of what Debra's background is. I don't even have time to get into how multifaceted this woman is, but you'll see why we're going to have a series, because Debra hits so many different points on different things. But again, today we're going to cover basically, yeah, changing from a dedicated Democrat to unaffiliated in this incredibly scary time. We're at, I believe, week 21 of this reign of terror too, as my friend calls it, and shit's getting real, real fast.
Deborah Burgess:Oh yeah, it's getting real. It's getting real. Let's just see how people are able to navigate the real going on, Because I mean you could become very overwhelmed. I'm glad I work out. I try to work out five days a week, Mia.
Mia Voss:Do you that helps your brain and your heart? Huh, that helps your brain and your soul and your heart.
Deborah Burgess:It helps keep it in focus. You know what I'm saying? It is I can't understand people that don't do something. And of course, I try to do my meditations too, because I'm telling you as you say, the shit is real, it is.
Mia Voss:So tell me what you think your turning point was, because you said you've been a dedicated Democrat and tell us real quick some of your background in politics too. Again, I'll have all the description in there. But tell us what your. There's a quick description of your background and then kind of what your point was.
Deborah Burgess:Yeah, Very, very quick. So obviously been a totally. You know, originally from Florida, family Democrats, dedicated Democrat, worked, moved, actually had lived in Colorado, denver, colorado, longer than where I'm from, in Tallahassee, florida, over 39 years and I've just recently moved out of Colorado. I moved out there in 89. Went to China for six years I'm going to make it really, really short and got involved in some of their community things. There was a woman that was there and built a university for kids K-12 and university that had different disabilities, got involved in it and I started feeling guilty. You know, when I get back home, you know I'm going to get involved in my community. So I was there for six years, 2008 to 2014.
Deborah Burgess:Took off about six months and got involved in being a Democrat in the Democratic Party, started as a volunteer, a co, became brand and won co-captain in my house district a captain also just lately before I left a secretary. So I really got involved, delivered, lit, you know, in my house district. So totally. But I felt guilty. I thought that a dedicated person is somebody to just vote and I realized after being in China, I'm 6,000 miles away and I got involved in a country that was not mine and the community thoroughly enjoyed. It's time for me to have responsibility for home. That's how I got involved responsibility for home.
Mia Voss:That's how I got involved. Wow, and it's interesting. I want to go back. When was when did Florida kind of turn?
Deborah Burgess:to. That's an awesome question. You know that's that is. You know I could remember doing some consulting for an agency which is moved downtown Denver, but back in that day was out your way in Aurora Western Management Development. And I remember talking to one of the one of the folks in federal government. He's a dedicated Democrat, always been a Democrat, and we were both on the break complaining about the Bush administration. The Bush administration looked like angels compared to what's going on now what I wouldn't give.
Deborah Burgess:I mean so. I mean I think it was a slow progression of what is going on and Democrats have just said you know, when you're involved with the group, you feel with the group. But then when I had a realization, they're too quiet, they're too silent, I'm sorry. Just like Roland Martin says them Republicans, they'll go ghetto on you. Democrats, don't go. They sit back and you just let stuff fly. You let shit fly, yep, not have enough of it.
Mia Voss:That's the crux of it. Honestly, we just like, and we're done with the recording. It's just like, just kind of let it fly. And I'm wondering too. I do feel like the 2000 election, you know, that was kind of hinged right on Florida with the hanging chads and all that.
Deborah Burgess:Oh, that was interesting. I remember that. I remember that. I could remember that because I was going through a and also I think I put that in. You saw my background. I also have a and I don't put it in my background because it could get the wrong impression for clients. But I actually have a spiritual counseling graduate degree program. But I don't want people thinking if you come to me as an online coach, that it's coming to Jesus, it don't have nothing to do with that.
Deborah Burgess:It teaches you how to meditate how to relax and how to be calm. And I can remember going through that program and I can remember seeing that you know, the second bush coming and landing Then then he had on you could see his genitalia with his, you know back, you know landed on that ship, then you know everything's over when that was just the beginning and I was a little naive then.
Mia Voss:I wasn't for him but I can remember the hanging chairs, I do, and I do remember too and especially since you're saying you came back and really got involved in politics. What I do remember is, you know, this wonderful time of Obama coming in, and that was 2008. And that was really when I always say this was when a lot of us really got into social media as well too, and so really, until the regime of terror won, beginning in 2016, we really had this idyllic timeframe of eight years. A little bit of a blip in 2012, when we had the binders full of women with Mitt Romney again, what we wouldn't give for that challenge, and you know, that's, that's really. We had this somewhat idyllic time, but I have heard that with this, with the tea party, like that was really. You know, they were so incensed after 2008,. They started to really quietly get the. You know they're filled with revenge and hate and I guess, in a way, I mean, are you thinking, debra, that's kind of what Dems need to do as well too?
Deborah Burgess:Yes, exactly, mia. I mean when I started getting a realization after what would happen in this election that you guys are still talking the same talk. Excuse me, I'm going to say it. We can say we got our asses kicked and you still want to be doing what?
Mia Voss:Well, and to make this a little less evergreen. You know, we're just finding out in the last week because, let's face it, nothing is evergreen right now. Everything is constantly changing.
Mia Voss:I mean, we were saying that before. We're in week 21 of this incredibly fast-moving times, and it's intentionally done so, but we are finding out from, I think, out of New York. They are starting to actually start counting, because a lot of these votes came in that were down ballot. I just saw this yesterday, deborah and you may have as well too without a lot of people voting for the presidency, and don't you think from your experience? Isn't that the absolute fucking opposite of what usually happens? They don't know shit about down ballot, so they're hitting the top two. They don't know about that.
Deborah Burgess:I know about it, but a lot of people don't know this is all intentional, this is all, and you know. Let me tell you what really hit me. It just hit. I just hit. I went in literally when I knew she was going to lose and I went to bed kind of depressed. I did do some meditations and to wake up and maybe maybe because it hadn't been called, maybe it won't be that way, and it just looked like months after that I just started going down.
Deborah Burgess:I don't want to be here anymore. I don't want to. I can't be in this party anymore, am I saying because I, you know, my goal is to move to another country. Now I'm not saying I'm going to take away my passport. I want to see my family, but I don't want to. I don't want to be a part of it. You know what really made me mad with the Democratic Party? Ok, you're going to ask this woman to run with 90 something days, 97 days, and to nail Trump? Yeah, give me a break. That has never been done. You all knew, and now it's coming out. His people knew he was Biden, and I love Biden. Biden was having problems. They were hiding that.
Mia Voss:It's the Democrats' fault that took me until, I think, mid-february to be able to even face that, because it was so painful and I'll be honest with you and I want to stop real quick because I forgot to do something that I always do in the beginning. But I think this is a great distinction, especially about this conversation. I want to give identifiers. So I'm Mia Voss. I'm a 60-year-old blonde, white woman in menopause. So I'm slightly angry all the time, but just because I get fired up and I'm in a do, I look like I give a fuck kind of mode of my life, which is wonderful. I'm wearing a blue dress. Debra, give us your identifiers.
Deborah Burgess:Let me give you my identifiers. So Mia's a baby compared to me, because I'm 70 years old and, as you know, black don't crack and I'm looking at Mia and she's beautiful too. I just tell you that for folks to get to see.
Mia Voss:Thank you darling, and I don't even think I've got a filter on today, but she's absolutely right, we're going to have. If you're watching this on YouTube, please, you know, go look at your screen too. So, and I love that we both have our blue dresses on. But I wanted to say that as an identifier, because I am going to ask you for some, some action items as well, too that when, when you came to that realization, I will say, as a 92% one thing that I feel like is, in a way, if you can, you got to stay safe. You need to stay safe and sit back, and white people need to step the fuck up, and that's my thought on it. But tell me how you feel about that and and give us some, some action. What you feel would be action items for black women, for young black women, for young black men, for white people. Let us have it. Let's hear.
Deborah Burgess:I can, and I'm glad you brought that up, mia. Good, and yeah, yeah, yeah, white people need to take a step up. But you know what, just like white people, brown people, we have generations. I'm angry and it's going to be probably some angry black people that's going to come on that. I'm angry with the younger generation of African Americans. You need to step up. You need to be stepping up.
Deborah Burgess:Our millennials our generation, zers, even people of my generation I'm older than, way older than me, about 10 years boomers. That's shuffling feet. What difference does it make to vote?
Mia Voss:I'm tired of that Day this weekend which was incredibly, very encouraging, and I know there's this 3.5% rule. I don't know if you've heard about, like the 3.5% of the population, and please also talk about we were talking about this beforehand what you're saying as far as oh God, I just forgot, is it?
Deborah Burgess:hungry, oh, you mean oh, and hung about the mentoring, the mentoring piece.
Mia Voss:Well, and also that you know trying to turn this over and trying to take this over and turn it into.
Deborah Burgess:Oh, yes, I know exactly what Mia is talking about.
Mia Voss:You know we're going, yes, and folks can look at this.
Deborah Burgess:I'm not making this up. You can look at Tom Hartman's, a 15-time New York Times bestseller. Some of you that are listening watching this on free speech television. I sent Mia. He did a compare and contrast of the step-by-step approach that Donald Trump, who has been mentored by Victor Orban I don't know if you call him Mia, the president or the prime minister, I guess it's president of Hungary how he took over Hungary. You know Victor Orban is probably around your age. He's a couple of years older than you. I think he's 62.
Mia Voss:Yes.
Deborah Burgess:Orban.
Mia Voss:He's the prime minister.
Deborah Burgess:That he's the president, what he has done, the step-by-step approach Mia had mentioned earlier, I think, before we went on, look at the confusion. That's one of the first things you do. He did in Hungary. It's confusion. There are a lot of people over there that are very angry with him. They do, believe it or not. Hungary does have a left wing. You hardly heard how he tries to suppress radio media. Does that sound familiar folks? What is going on here? Suppressing?
Mia Voss:media. These are playbooks. What a great reminder, because I think many of us are comparing these times right now, more to 80, 90 years ago, with Chuckles the Clown over there in Germany. I'm downplaying, but you know. I mean we are, but I mean it actually is more of a Victor Orban type of thing. He is 62, by the way, and he's been in office since 2010.
Mia Voss:So, it's these long game type of things as well too. So you think about that. We had the first go around and I think that is a tough thing about talking about Democrats and going more to unaffiliated, because what we were doing did not work and I started to see. I think the tough thing for me is I really had this somewhat like from I think it was July, would you say 92 days at the end of July. You know it was this wonderful wave of positivity and hope. Absolutely Meanwhile, you know, as I mentioned, you know we don't know if there was any kind of I feel like there was, there was. There was voter suppression.
Deborah Burgess:Oh, it definitely. And, mia, if you haven't seen it, I'm trying to think of his name. I actually have the DVD but it's now free on YouTube. That's talking about it. That came, he was able to. I can't think of his name. He's a New York Times bestselling author, journalist wrote for Rolling Stone magazine. I would have to look it up and I'll send you the information on it and I'll send you the link to the YouTube video. Weeks before the election, maybe even months, he was warning this was going to happen and I'm sitting there watching the election. That night they were sent torching voting mailboxes in Washington State.
Deborah Burgess:He said this of this voter suppression that was going. He was warning that that night of the election I remembered in Georgia two or three different precincts that were predominantly Black and Brown had bomb threats so they had to close them. It's the night of the election.
Mia Voss:So what do you think? Quote fingers, by the way.
Deborah Burgess:Exactly I'm doing quote fingers. What do you think they had? They had bomb threats and they had to close them. And then they come back later after they do a bomb sweep. There's suppression definitely going on. So you see, it actually is to wake up Democrats. The lingo and the message is the messaging that Democrat Party has been doing. It's too old. You still do it, you still talking to talk 30 years ago.
Mia Voss:Yeah.
Deborah Burgess:You can't do that anymore. These younger generation are not. They're not relating to that. We just talked to a gentleman right here. This is a real, the area my sister live in. It's in Manville. Traditionally, maybe 10, 15 years ago it was predominantly white. So it's in manville. It's traditionally, maybe 10, 15 years old, predominantly white. So it's becoming more multi-ethnic. So this young man beauty shop not far from here who's african-american? So he's african-american. He said his early 50s, 40. He was just saying my sister wasn't getting it. They don't see things the same way. You need to listen to what they have to say, right? This is the problem the Democrat Party has done. You're not listening. We have different generations that do not see things the way we see them.
Mia Voss:Right right, and I think that is part of the. It's an evolution because, you know, if you think about the difference and I'm taking this all in which I so appreciate the evolution of how Republicans handled being so mad on January 6th, right, we had none of that. I was just shocked at how much we sort of rolled over. So I do think that the idea, the topic that you came up for this, of you know becoming more unaffiliated in a way. Now I'm, I'm not the one to do the reach across the aisle, I'm not, and I really do feel like, yeah, I'll give you, I'll give you a reach across.
Deborah Burgess:Just being honest about that. I like a person that's real. People get mad when somebody. That's the problem we have in this country. If you don't agree with everything, you're not on my side. I would prefer someone being real, but I can trust somebody being real with me. Maybe we don't agree on everything, but you're being real.
Mia Voss:Right and I think it's going to be, and I agree 100% and I think it's going to be a combination of. That's one of the reasons, I think, why a lot of maggots do like Trump is because he tells it like it is.
Deborah Burgess:Yeah, he does.
Mia Voss:So does a fucking two-year-old. But you know, here we are Right. But then there's also the, the extreme opposite, which is the Dems. What you're talking about, which is just, you know, keep it very, you know, by the, by the book and the whole thing. And so so the fact that that it's not even talked about until now, which is june, of people getting really mad and saying I think our election got stolen yeah, and you're sitting there.
Deborah Burgess:It's sort of like you. You also I don't know if this is in my background, but I, I played. I started in judo. I played judo. I was a uh, a state international national champ, worked in women's world championship. I got fourth hang out. Worked in the Women's World Championship, I got fourth way back in the day in London. And judo, you know you can win by throwing a person, pinning them, choking them out. The Democrats are getting choked and they're just. They get choked. They're not fighting. Like Roland Martin said, they're not playing. Those Republicans would do anything. That means necessary to win. Look, just think about that. Am I saying Democrats should do it? But they need to change. Their game plan needs to be changed, and this is what I'm getting at.
Mia Voss:Yes, and not the same as them necessarily, because we're seeing, even from this past weekend, with a politician rep Hortman, I believe is her name.
Deborah Burgess:Yes, they've got killed, and her husband that's the one I think.
Mia Voss:Yes, and the little dog she was training, he killed the dog too. He killed the dog. This is evil, cartoon character shit. I mean and and again, and they, they really did she was. She was training like a seeing eye dog or an emotional support dog. Oh, I, I can't I I can't, but we have a dog my sister dog. I love that dog like she's my niece, I love that dog, but you know we hear something me let me ask you about this, as we're talking about this yeah, what's your opinion about?
Deborah Burgess:now? When they finally found you know it was neighbors or something on their remote found the guy in this remote area, they cornered him, but they asked him to crawl to them. Really, I swear, and I'm sitting there thinking I don't know how people may get mad when we say it and I said now, if this was been a brown or black person, would they have asked him or her to call?
Mia Voss:Ma'am, I actually said when I heard that he was captured, I'm like, did they take him through the drive-thru? No, you know what I'm talking about.
Deborah Burgess:Like remember how they did. They asked him.
Mia Voss:Interesting Wow.
Deborah Burgess:And that's when they arrested him and I'm sitting. I was telling my mom that my mom's just turned 86 in March. She says you know, they wouldn't, if it was a black person, they would have not asked them to do. That's what my mom said. I say, mom, I agree, a brown person.
Mia Voss:And I think that's the thing that we've always had that Deborah right and as white people, they're starting to realize that. Now it's happening to everyone and I think this is a sad piece, too, that you're not paying attention until it affects you. That's a huge, huge, huge part of the problem. But now I think the idea again of getting Dems to become more unaffiliated can also be potentially helpful for these people that are in the fuck around and find out phase that we're hearing a lot about. I am in no way shape or form unless you tell me you are really, really, really sorry and you were doing a tremendous amount of reparative work, and even then I'm still not going to invite you to dinner, exactly, and you know who I want to invite to dinner One of my sisters.
Deborah Burgess:He's a very nice man out here. I saw him the other day. He's walking his dog. See, that's the one African-American big time Trump. I don't understand. I don't understand a person.
Mia Voss:Chickens for Chick-fil-A. You know what I mean. You're a.
Deborah Burgess:Trumper and then I'm sorry, but there may be some of them coming here on your podcast. That's fine, I'll be able to. We can debate them if you want, when you have some people that voted for Trump and they're sitting there. You know, and I done made a mistake. This is what I do. I fold my arms. Absolutely, this is what you did. Yeah, it is I done made a mistake voting for him. I thought we were going to have more, make more money. So see, it's not an oxymoron to be white, republican and poor that you don't have two pennies to rub together.
Mia Voss:You know what I'm saying. I do, and let me ask you this when do you think, in your experience, that organized Christianity, which is really an oxymoron as well, too?
Deborah Burgess:Exactly Organizing.
Mia Voss:It really played a factor into this, which I, you know, in a million years. I grew up in a born again Christian cult, so I'm always like super itchy and allergic to a lot of things and so I see it a lot too, but I really did not see this coming of of them using using that as powerfully as they did, because of how ridiculous a lot of these people are. They're literally the people that Jesus would flip a table for Exactly.
Deborah Burgess:And they are really. They're just like this and I'm putting my hands in the fruit. You can see it? I'm putting my hand, like they're mesmerized.
Mia Voss:They're mesmerized. They are mesmerized, they're like that.
Deborah Burgess:You ever seen the Twilight Zone where you know, say, a spaceship coming down and then light coming and they walk into the light. They're like that. There's some people like, and I'm not trying to be and I don't want folks to be offended by what I'm saying I would and I'm not trying to be. I am a very spiritually connected person.
Mia Voss:Sure Big difference.
Deborah Burgess:You're talking about.
Mia Voss:These are I know you know this. There's a huge difference between spirituality and religion, and you've mentioned this several times and I love this, that you are super educated and you are watching the facts, but you also are relying on spirituality as well too, and I will say this as a quick aside I think for women right now, especially women really have to step up in their sovereignty and their spirituality. We have got to get so incredibly grounded right now and not be swayed and know that this is where everything is coming from. You know not, not apologetic.
Mia Voss:Right Know our worth Know our know where we stand on a lot of things. I think more than anything, I know that's a little bit of an of an aside. I think that's a really good piece of things. I think more than anything, I know that's a little bit of an aside.
Deborah Burgess:I think that's a really good piece of advice. But I think a lot of women, I think the matter of fact, folks will know that that's where I met Mia, in a group that is very multi, multi-generational, multi-cultural of women, progressive women, very progressive women that relate, and it's the women that are, and you know, I think this. I don't know how you feel about this, mia, I just had a thought. I think that this current administration is literally of women like you and I very afraid of people like me. God forgive me for saying it, whoever you want to say, divine intelligence, whoever you want to say it, most of the women in this current administration. I call them Barbies.
Mia Voss:They're physically. There's a physical manifestation. Now I want to be careful about talking about looks, but if the shoe fits, you know.
Deborah Burgess:I'm sorry to say it, but I mean. I know the people say don't you be in a little? I mean, but you look at some of the manifestations, you know what I'm saying. And then with the one that is the, what is her name? The 27-year-old, oh.
Mia Voss:Caroline Levitt with a K.
Deborah Burgess:I call her KKK Caroline. I mean go and look at, go and read Wikipedia on her.
Mia Voss:It's scary, it's really scary, and she's not even 30 years old. No, with a husband who's like okay, now we're doing our audition with a husband that's like 30 years older than her. But here's a good point of what. Oh, it's creepy. Here's a good point of what's happening, though. When you think about the looks and the transition I mean how Kristi Noem looks incredibly different. That also is. They're affected by patriarchy as well, too, because that's the look that patriarchy is letting them know. That's acceptable, right, that's acceptable.
Deborah Burgess:I mean, when I look at you, you're an attractive woman, but then when you speak your truth, that make very men like the men in this administration very uncomfortable. They don't like women like that and you know with me because I keep my People can't see it. Yet If they see it on YouTube, they see my hair. I keep it in a buzz cut because I'm a swimmer.
Mia Voss:I swim, I'm happy with my hair.
Deborah Burgess:I call it the wash and go look you are grabbing go gorgeous. I have to wash and go my mom and sister. They look like well, yeah, Well, she still got some hair I have. My clippers are 116. So I have 116 hair on my head all the way around. Yes, I can make it longer and I used to wear my hair long, but I'm a swimmer and it's easier for me. It's such a proclamation you can do what the hell you want.
Mia Voss:It is such a proclamation of power, and back on what I was saying before too about women really kind of knowing getting grounded, the spirituality is no joke, whatever you choose it to be. I think more importantly, right now, not falling for this Christian nationalism, this Christian fascism, more than anything I think is the most important thing, but I feel like this is a power move that you have going on too.
Deborah Burgess:It really is. I'm going to ask you. Thank you, des. I'm going to ask you about this. We have a constitution. Do you think that's dying? Now we have a United States constitution and the Declaration of Independence. I mean a constitution. I mean it looks like what I'm seeing. That's just getting brushed out of the way.
Mia Voss:It is, it is, but you know what I think is an interesting time right now and, as we were saying there, we still have to be so on it as far as action, and even if it's like you know, yes, we're tired from this weekend, but what are we going to do this week? I know Virginia has like a special election today, but what are we going to do this week? I know Virginia has like a special special election today, so are we going to start knowing like what's going on locally, getting super, super hyper?
Mia Voss:hyper local mutual aid and things like that. But we really do, we need to stay, you know, stay on the case and not, and not get, not get exhausted.
Deborah Burgess:And another action item is what you're saying leading, piggybacking on what you're saying, mia, is we need to be? Is we need?
Mia Voss:to be cognizant in watching our corporate media.
Deborah Burgess:I mean, look about something you had mentioned earlier, quite a few minutes back, about the media and I meant to say it then is that you didn't know something. You didn't know because the corporate media didn't tell you. That's right. They're not telling you why they are scared. This is another thing, if you read Tom Hartman's is how they silence the media. That is what's look, look, look, look what Trump did. He sued what's it? Was it ABC? He sued CBS and got money off of them. Has he sued NBC? Go back and look at what Arbonne has done.
Mia Voss:Yes, dc, go back and look at what Harbaugh has done. Yes, it's so true. And what I was thinking. I wanted to finish. I kind of went off on a little bit of a tangent when you mentioned about the Constitution, though I think what this is an interesting time. We have been so, especially my age. I'm the elder, you know, the oldest of Gen X. It's just always been, you know, it's taken for granted and for granted, and a lot of us don't actually know what's in the constitution. We actually don't know these things. We've relied on other sources to let us know that the cogs are still working and that the systems are working. Now we're starting to find that a lot of people are figuring out that it has never worked. It's never worked unless you're a top of the food chain, white Christian man, and you know what. It's never worked. It's never worked unless you're a top of the food chain, white Christian man, and you know what. That's another idea for an action item.
Deborah Burgess:As a matter of fact, I'm not going to get away off the camera. I have a. It's not in this binder. Another binder that is our constitution and I have a purse size booklet that I got from ACLU of what I constitute. That's an action item. People need to get a copy of the Constitution. Thank you, I agree. That's another action item that people need is to be aware of it. I mean back in the day way before like I said, I'm 10 years older than you there used to be civics classes.
Deborah Burgess:I don't care if you call it civics class, you can call it civics classes, I don't care if you call it civics class, you could call it civics, 21st century civics. That's another action item that needs to be these young people.
Mia Voss:Some of them have no idea and I think they don't, and we're going to wrap up here in a second. I think that's a wonderful action item, but I think for all and to add to that of all ages. But I think for all and to add to that of all ages, because I'm old enough. I do remember civics class, civics class, but it's been so long and I want to end on this. You show us your binder. You started asking me a question and if I knew who some a quote was from, I want to end on that. And then we're again. This is going to be a series and we've got a couple other topics, including the fact that Debra is. I mean, you're making the. You're making a transition, aren't you?
Deborah Burgess:And you're getting your time, but I'm going to still be on my, with my, on my. They gone for that. This is good for technology because even if and when I get to and you know it takes time to get a residential visa to Malmo, Sweden, that's in southern Sweden folks I might still be in the states for six to eight months, and that's cool. I know my family loves me. They don't want me to go, but you know. But if and when that happens, that happens. But yeah, we're going to end on something. So I asked Mia earlier. I said Mia, what is it? Tell me if you can guess who said this? So be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm. And I asked Mia, who do you think that is? And she said who said that was Abraham Lincoln.
Mia Voss:Really, I swear to God he had it going on back in the day, didn't?
Deborah Burgess:he.
Mia Voss:It's really I love that. I love that. I think he was an aquarius like me.
Mia Voss:I'm the cardinal sign aries, over here I'm a fire sign you're not, you're an aries, you're compatible very very good this is the year of the wood dragon or the, I'm sorry, the year of the wood snake, and the last time it was the year of the wood snake was 1965, which was the year I was born. So I'm really taking a lot of energy in that this year too. Hey, show us your binder real quick, and then we're going to jump out of here. My binder.
Deborah Burgess:You don't mind me showing it to you. Yeah, please, okay, hold on.
Mia Voss:Give me a second. Yeah, I love that's action item, which is to get a copy of the Constitution.
Deborah Burgess:Here, it is right here. Here she is, bring it over. This is my Bible. It's in the backpack. This is here. It's in the backpack the US Constitution. This isn't here. I love it. You see it, yeah.
Mia Voss:I love it.
Deborah Burgess:That's an action item, get a copy, you can get. Get a copy, you can get your. You can get a free copy for your purse and everything free from the a, from a you from the, from from the, uh, aclu, the aclu, excuse me, aclu, they can get into you free yes, um, quick uh question for you, and then again we're gonna get out of here aclu like are you really feel good about what they're doing, right?
Mia Voss:yeah, I look at some.
Deborah Burgess:There's some things okay it itch-ish because they still okay. Who's, where are you getting these command? I know the corporate office is in DC and you're impacted by it. Some things, yeah, some things not. I don't know how you feel. How do you feel about it? I was a member but because I'm going to be leaving, I had to. I'm no longer a member anymore, but I've been a member for 10 to 15 years with them, but since I'm going to be eventually leaving the country, I'm not doing that. I don't know your thoughts on that, mia. I know we don't have a lot of time left.
Mia Voss:I think they're one of thank you for asking. I think they're one of the better use of donation dollars from what I understand.
Deborah Burgess:Yeah.
Mia Voss:And I do think when I see I rely a lot on different sources. So I like what ACLU is doing, but I also always check to see what other people are saying about them. Like Mark Elias is a really great example of somebody that really is super nerdy with law, because you are seeing a lot of what our, a lot of our guardrails are gone right now, so a lot of these judges are able to stave off to, to put things in place, to say, hey, like even yesterday, this reagan appointed judge um was very much like I I don't know if you saw that with the nih, uh, the grants, and he said so who would help?
Mia Voss:yes, and he basically was like this is some racist shit and no one's saying it that way but it was about as obvious.
Mia Voss:He was like this is so just blatant, and so I do appreciate the following and paying attention to the ACLU there. They are going to, they, they feel they feel true, but I also think that going to sub stack and going to a lot of different sources is the best way. I just think at this point, this is what's got us into trouble, which is the whole point of why we're having problems with the Democrats. Absolutely, there's just no one thing anymore.
Deborah Burgess:You know what, mia? I'm going to tell you this real quick. I'm glad you brought that up anymore. You know what, Mia? I'm going to tell you this real quick. I'm glad you brought that up. You know, if you look up you can check yourself and those out there can check yourself the Latin root for education, the Latin root word for education. If I'm not mistaken hopefully I'm going to spell it it's called educare. I don't know if it's spelled E-D-U-C-A-R-E, e-d-u-c-a-r-e, but there's something around E-D-U-C-A-R-I. But educare, to educate yourself, it doesn't mean putting information in, it's drawing out. So as an instructor, as a coach, it's to draw out what is there. Another action item for people I would say is we're saying we talked about, you know, be aware of the Constitution. Maybe a civics class is to educate yourself, yeah, yeah. And then you get, you see, then you make, make your decision what you, what your truth is, instead of just listening to one.
Deborah Burgess:I had a friend, a former friend, watch Fox all day. This was 20, 30 years ago. I didn't know her anymore. She goes. There's no way I'm voting for Hillary Clinton. I would, I would. If Hillary Clinton becomes president, I'm going to kill myself.
Mia Voss:Jesus Christ. Exactly it is, and I think. I think that the interesting thing that'll lend itself to it is is that this administration is so bad that it is going to cause a lot of people to say, oh my God, we didn't think it was going to be this bad and that, right, there is the crux of it. So we're going to wrap this up, we're going to have so many action items in the notes.
Mia Voss:We're going to be back. Debra has a couple other topics that we're going to talk about as well, too, which I'm really, really excited. Coming up is. Dei was not created by people of color.
Deborah Burgess:That's going to be juicy, and then also African Americans deciding to leave the US, and why so?
Mia Voss:stay tuned.
Deborah Burgess:Those are our next turning into a talk show. All right.
Mia Voss:everybody, Thanks for joining us today. Appreciate you. See you next time. Bye you.