Let's go next to our caller from the four
zero four area code, who's calling today from
four zero four.
Four zero four, it seems like you may have
as muted.
Hi, David. Yes.
Yes, you know, you can hear me.
I can't. Who's this?
Oh, this is Connor. How are you, sir?
Connor. Pleasure to hear from you.
OK, ditto. So I want to ask David, I have
a quick question, then I have an opinion I
want to hear your thoughts on.
The first quick question, do I've seen you
on a couple shows, say, jestingly Petersens?
Oh, really? That's the only one, really. And
I did watch a little bit of when you were
on Joe Rogan, but I've heard you say that
you're not a Democrat and that you're I know
you're I know you're not a conservative, but
I've heard you say you're not a Democrat.
I know you most for the most part, you usually
use the word progressive. What would you definitively
say yourself?
So, Connor, I want to make sure I'll answer.
But you're not conflating political party
and political ideology. Right? Because when
you say conservative or Democrat, Democrat
as a political party, conservative is an ideology.
So I want to make sure we're not. I want to
make sure you're not confused about what you're
asking.
I'm sorry. Yeah. And Republican or Democrat?
Conservative, I should add the views. Conservative.
OK. So. So here's the deal. I am not a Democrat.
Because for me, the Democratic Party is another
institution that I don't find it particularly
useful to associate with in any formal way
or to pledge any kind of loyalty or whatever.
It's never been clear to me why I would register
as a Democrat in modern politics.
My views of social democracy, which is how
I identify, are more represented by candidates
in the Democratic Party than candidates in
the Republican Party.
But that could change. And so the way I characterize
my views is I am a progressive social Democrat.
In practice, I'm mostly voting for Democratic
candidates, but I've never found any particular
in Massachusetts. I can still vote in whichever
primary I want. I've never lost anything by
not being a registered Democrat, and I just
don't feel particularly drawn to be one.
OK. Amazing.
I I'm just curious because I've never heard
you, at least from what I've seen from you.
I've never heard you state definitively like
you are. I would consider myself I would say
I'm more in the middle, probably. I try to
be as open minded as possible, listen to all
sides and all spectrums. But anyways, my opinion,
I want to get to so I am biracial. I'm also
19, so it's going to be the first year which
I can vote. And I don't know how. I don't
know how much you talk about on your show
and how much talk about race relations. But
being biracial, I am black and white. Growing
up in the south, I'm from Atlanta, Georgia.
I went to predominantly black schools for
the most part. I went to a predominantly black
middle school, predominantly black high school,
and I'm taking college courses online. So
it's not really I don't really go anywhere
and see people. But I want to ask I just want
your opinion on because growing up in these
areas that are predominantly black, I've been
treated certain ways and a lot of people call
colorism. I've been treating treated certain
ways because I am lighter skinned. Some people
look at me, they're like, oh, you're black
or you're white or, oh, you're Hispanic. And
it never sends me. I just, you know, I get
I'm a little ambiguous looking, but it's I've
noticed I've been treating I've been treated
a certain way by a lot of African-Americans
in this in the area I live in. I've been I've
been called White Boy, which isn't really
a derogatory term, but I've been called white
boy. I've been called cracker. I've been assumed
because I don't because I don't align myself
with a lot of political parties.
I've been assumed to be a Nazi or a white
supremacist. Things like that. And I was just
so silly.
And I don't really call it ignorance. And
the reason why I don't call it ignorance is
this is one thing actually kind of agree with
Jesse Lee Peterson on this. He told me he
said it. It's not really ignorance. It's more
so that's how they're being brought up and
that's what they're being taught to believe,
right. Is by their parents or whoever, you
know, whatever talking head, you know, that
might spew the type of things that they believe
in. But I just noticed that it's very common,
you know, and and it's it's proof that it
happened. They didn't only have anything to
do with just may go into school because I've
experienced that at work. I've experienced
that. I've experienced that outside of work
like, you know, in social settings and things
like that. And I've had people countless times
try to diminish my experience, say, oh, you
wouldn't understand what it's like being black
or you wouldn't like all that other nonsense
that I feel like it's kind of ridiculous because
I don't really think that the reason why black
kids there are black people are treated like
that. I don't think it has anything to do
with, say, systemic racism or because we're
holding them down. I just think it has to
do with the immorality or the just the lack
of respect for other people. So I kind of
want your take on that.
Yeah, I mean, I, I tend to agree with you
now. My experience with this obviously is
not personal. It's more academic and through
talking to others. But colorism is prevalent
all over the world in different ways, in different
places. I would defer to you if you're telling
me that you don't identify that that's happening
because of reasons A and B and it's happening
because of reasons C and D, I think your experience
in that is important and it certainly passes
the sniff test. For me, it sounds plausible
that the reason you are called what you're
called because you don't look as black as
some of the people around you. I don't think
that that is directly because of systemic
racism. And and I I think your assessment
on it is way better than any any I could give.
OK. Appreciate that, David.
All right, I appreciate the call. Thank you
so much. Great to hear from you. Glad we were
able to take a few phone calls.
We turned a bad situation, a call, a guest
canceling last minute into a good situation
because I was able to hear from a few of you.
We will go to a break and have much more right
after this.
