Diana Moreno and Marquis Rice

00:00 Hey, everyone, I'm Marquis Marquis rice. How out there.

00:03 Hi, I'm Diana Moreno. Wonderful. So we're gonna get started. Marquis, why did you want to do this interview today?

00:13 I wanted to do this interview today because I believe having conversation is a great way to peek into someone's mind. If you don't ask, then you don't receive. And if you don't ask, you cannot understand where they're coming from. You still don't have to agree with them, but you don't understand where they're coming from.

00:34 And same here. Like, I think we're in a very polarized time, especially politically. And I think it's very important to make small conversations or small steps to understand one another and also make new friends along the way. Absolutely. So both of you have received a small biography about your conversation partner. The next thing I want to ask you to do is to read your partner's bio out loud as written, and then ask, what in the bio would you like to know more about?

01:02 Excellent. So I'll go first. Hi, my name is Diana Moreno, and I'm a third year at UVA. I was born and raised in California, and about six years ago, my parents and I moved to Virginia. My parents are from El Salvador, which is in Central America, and I enjoy spending time with my family, friends. And when I'm home in northern Virginia, a big life event that shaped me, that was particularly moved from California to Virginia, leaving behind my loved ones and looking forward my future. Particular issues that especially important to me are women's rights, education, policy, economics.

01:49 Hello, I am Marquis Marquis Rice. I am a black american first generation student and posse veteran scholar at the University of Virginia. I'm originally from Valdosta Valdosta Georgia, and I served in the United States army for eight years. A few things that shaped my worldview are skydiving in Germany, performing in Japan and Korea, deploying to Afghanistan, and of course, my mother. Issues are of importance to me. Are striving to be a better person every day through service. The way this is supporting the way this looks is supporting a friend in need or creating awesome desserts for a fundraiser or utilizing marketing skills to help support the refugees in Afghanistan. Service does not end after the military. It is only transformed and adapted in something new.

02:42 In your bio, what was really stood out to me is your parents are from El Salvador. How has that shaped your worldview of America?

02:53 Definitely. Yeah. Yeah.

02:56 I'm sorry if that was a little gangster coming out the gate. I'll even. I guess I'll go a little lighter. How are your parents in that exchange from El Salvador to America?

03:10 My parents?

03:11 Yes. What was their view on America from El Salvador?

03:15 Their view on America? Oh, they're very much grateful. They very much are proud Americans and El Salad orans as well. In El Salvador, they experience a lot of poverty, and they fled from war over there at the time, in the eighties, and they very much sought out America as a refuge country. So they are grateful, they're proud, and they always say, we're glad to be in America because of all the things we have, all the resources and the opportunities that we have here. So, yeah, they're pretty grateful.

03:57 Awesome. One other question is, you say women's rights are really important to you. Is there any specific woman's right that you. That really holds dear to your heart, or is just all of them encumbrance?

04:14 I think all of them, like, all of them in general, I think especially with the recent. Well, not recent more, but, like, at the time, well, two years ago, three years ago, the me too movement, I think that was also an opening a new window into, like, how there's, like, sexual harassment in the workplace and also how prevalent it is. I think it's always like, shush, shush, don't talk about it type thing. But now it's becoming more relevant, and people are becoming more open about these experiences. Women are special, either or either gender. Gender. But, yeah, I think that was a special time in my life saying that, because I was, like, 1716, I just didn't know.

04:55 Completely understandable. That's awesome.

04:58 Yeah. And for you, likewise, just a few of your experiences, like skydiving in Germany or performing in Japan and Korea. Like, explain, if you'd like to further on. Explain. And, like, just.

05:10 Okay. So in the military, I got the great opportunity to be a part of army entertainment is where we do singh spoken word via the army message. Suicide is not the answer. If anything happens to you, we'll take care of you and take care of your family. Also, it's a 90 minutes, high powered, high entertaining performance that we literally traveled the entire United States and we literally flew across the entire world in less than 30 days performing the show on the road because it was so impactful. It was such a great time. It was a lovely experience, and I appreciate the opportunity to experience all those cultures.

05:59 Yeah, I can imagine going through all those different countries and stuff. Yeah.

06:03 Oh, yes. New Zealand.

06:05 Oh, wow.

06:06 Top tier. Top tier.

06:08 You said it was a different experience.

06:10 Oh, yeah, top tier. Like, when you get off the airplane, when you get off the airplane, the air is so crisp and clean, it just hits your face. You'll be like, I know I'm somewhere else.

06:25 Oh, my gosh. Another question is utilizing marketing skills to support the refugees of Afghanistan. Can you expand?

06:40 Yes. Recently, with the refugees seeking asylum here in America, they need a lot of things, such as the basic necessity, food, water, shelter. My awesome friend Ashley Vegas, she helped shape and create a plan in order to support them. So we've raised about $6,000 on GoFundMe, and we've raised about $2,000 in cash to help in their efforts. We've collected donations as well, and just really have had the opportunity to see a change and put forth just a little bit of effort that went a long way for them here. I don't know how this is going to transfer into the future of America and the shape as a whole, but hopefully, that's just one small step for the veterans center and a large leap for them in the future, because, hey, I can't fathom having to go through that, and I pray that we don't have to go through that situation here in America.

07:53 Yeah. So, moving forward in the conversation, I want to ask, who has been the most influential person in your life? What did they teach you?

08:08 The most influential person in my life has to be a lovely woman by the name of Erica Folsom She literally, she utilized my military background and my sense of go get em to transfer me, transform me into a marketing advertising connoisseur. She really has a passion for finance, and she. That energy just transferred upon to me. And now I love commerce, all facet of it. Making things happen, teaching others, being able to do direct sales, and really able to step back and look at the whole picture of things instead of looking at that minute goal that you're trying to achieve, even though it may be important, but how is this going to affect the overall. Overall opportunity that we're going through? And also, of course, my mother, she cannot be remissed. That is a great woman. She took care of me my entire life, and. And I don't. I don't really have any other words other than that's home. Tresswell stay defining place is just not. Tresswell stated that a finding place is a place that you have your emotions and an attachment to you. And wherever she is, that's where home is for me.

09:46 Yeah. Likewise, I would have to give it up to my mother. She really has taught me a lot in trusting myself, in loving others, and always seeking out the best in others and also learning how to cooperate with others. She's very much a woman that is very friendly and is almost, people love her and everyone knows her. And she's very much taught me how to be more kind, to love more, and to always think of the best in people and not only focus on other things, but, yeah.

10:22 Awesome.

10:26 Great. So now we're going to start going into some of the deeper questions, and I want you to each briefly describe in your own words your personal political values.

10:37 Okay. So I am traditionally conservative, a Republican. I believe their values is something that was instilled in me when I was younger and I still hold true to me to this day, but that is a practice in my home. However, I vote for the candidate that gives the most promise to everyone's freedoms, that no one's political view should stop anyone from making their own choices about their body, about their health, about the way they want to live their life. We only get one and we should be able to experience that to the fullest. However, one defines what the fullest is.

11:20 And likewise, I am, I don't know. It depends on the topic. I'm very much like in between, I'm not conservative nor a Democrat. I guess I'm more leaning liberal, but in certain topics, I'm a little more conservative in that. Right. Especially with economics and things like that. But yeah, it's very much, I think whatever does the best. I don't know. I always like, it's a fight within myself. Whatever helps people the most. I feel like that's where I lean more, I guess. Just one question that appeared. What are you more conservative on the, like conservative on?

12:02 Conservative on my views. What's out in the public, what is considered very minimalistic with my lifestyle, even though I may have a gander and an opulence. Look, I just want to always be seen, never be heard, fade away into the background kind of guy when it comes down to things that, that are very hot topics right now. Like, I'm definitely pro choice. I'm definitely, I'm definitely hoping to never be in those situations where I even have to have the conversations of, do you, do you want an abortion? Do you have, would you have to utilize these, these avenues that, that would cause for you to let me start over? Don't you. I'm very conservative in my choices because, again, perception is everything across the board. I don't want to ever have the stigma that comes along with those tough choices such as, are you going to have an abortion? Is that the right thing to do? And then I look at the overall thing and like, hey, that's not something for me to decide, because, again, it's not my body, not my choice. So, again, pro choice on that issue, very conservative when it comes down to who should receive benefits from the government. And then as we get older, I realize that we've been conditioned to never want to use benefits from the government when literally the whole foundation of the government is it uses its people in order to thrive. And so, therefore, if it uses its people, why the people can't use the government in order to succeed. So it's definitely a really good relationship to have across the board. So as I get older and I experience things and I go through things, it really changes the shape and worldview of things.

14:36 Yeah, I think that's another thing. I'm roughly a little younger. And, yeah, I agree with the pro choice, and I think that's very important. That same thing with women's rights. I feel like that's a very important decision where the states should not limit what women should do or anyone should do with their bodies. And just let me see. Let me see if I can ask another question, I guess what political view has changed over time, like, drastically for.

15:18 You or what subject? I would have to say my stance against the LGBTQ rights, they have definitely changed over time, because, again, once I was in the era of the military, where it was don't ask, don't tell, we were drilled into our brains that it was something wrong, we shouldn't talk about it. And then people start having the conversation, why is it wrong? Why don't we talk about it? Is it something. Is it something that is gonna hurt the mission or help the mission? How is this a shaping worldview of us overall? And this is because we will look weak. But again, but again, that wasn't a good answer. Then once they repealed that, everyone got to see how everyone was, you know, not hidden behind doors, and they weren't. They weren't closed off, they weren't causing issues. And really, when the me too movement came around, more and more people, like you said, women came out of over alarming rate. The sexual assault rate was being reported. Was now even more. Was even now even more because an Avenue to be able to report these, because back then, if you reported it, that means you will be breaking the law. And then if you break in the law, that means you can get kicked out because of your something that is at your core belief or not even at your core belief, but because somebody else had an affinity to make this action towards you. So my views has really changed into being more acceptable, accepting. And again, why does it matter who is in your bedroom? All I need to do is focus on who's in my bedroom.

17:26 Yeah.

17:27 Yeah. Overall, and again, I employ anybody else in the world. As my mom likes to say, mind your business. Okay. Stay here, stay in your lane, and stay in your house, because if you're worried about somebody else's house, you cannot focus on the things that are going on at home.

17:53 Yeah.

17:57 So I guess I'll ask the next question. So how do you identify?

18:03 Like, identify just in general.

18:05 In general, how do you identify?

18:07 Yeah. Identify as likewise a first generation student.

18:16 Congratulations. Let's give it up. Give it up.

18:21 It's been a rough road. It's been very stressful because you don't have anyone to look up to. In a sense, obviously, I have people to look up to, but when it comes down to, like, oh, what classes should I take or what school should I go to? How should I apply? What's application? I should write how I should write application. All these things are what scholarships try look for. Yeah.

18:48 First generation student.

18:49 First generation student. So that's been a very lovely road to go down to. I know. It's very interesting, but then again, I feel like it's, like, almost more beneficial for me in a sense that, like, it's not easy. So I become a better strong. I know that's a hot take, but I become a more stronger person in the sense that I have to be more independent. I have to go. Look, I had to go knock on doors that I wouldn't have seen before, and I have to go do things by myself. That is a harder life, but it's very much taught me to be a stronger person, a stronger woman, and also go after the things I want to go after and not really think about services. I don't know.

19:33 Like, I gave you 100%.

19:35 Yeah. Like, I have to go after the things I need to go after because I don't have anyone to push. No, I don't have anyone to give me things. I very much have to do it by myself. But also, there's a community. There's support everywhere, but it's not given to me like other people are.

19:52 I get that 100%. I hate that idea of that. We. Hmm. That's. I'm gonna just say this candidly. I don't know how this is gonna sound. I hate the idea of being first generation and don't have anyone to talk to about it. Overall. I look around, and I see the people around me who've always had the support of how to build upon things, it's the things that they're taught. It's like we're running the same race, but we don't have the same tools to achieve what we want to achieve. And then we also don't have the mindsets that are around us to help push us forward. Even with my family. Your family sounds very loving and supportive for me, that's not the case. They're like, you've done so much with your life already. Just come home. Stay home and stay here in Valdosta Georgia. Don't try to get over your ailments. We can just take care of you here. Everything would be fine. You don't have to put yourself through this overall stress. And I'm just, like, this stress and this pressure going to make me a better person in the future. And even though I've gone through deployments and I've been in the military and I've dealt with a lot of things that people don't deal with on a normal. On a normal, everyday basis, doesn't mean that I'm not. I'm not done being turned into that diamond, if you know what I mean. Like, I just feel like there's just so much more for us to give it to the world, and it shouldn't stop after your first. Your first experience, you know? But your people sound, and I want to chop it up to your people.

21:57 Yeah. Because I feel like another. I feel like, another thing that's, like, I've always been instilled to me that, like, I guess now I'm older, I never asked these questions to my parents, like, what would they want to do in their lives? Like, they didn't really have a choice other than to work night shifts, or I wouldn't really see them throughout the week when I was younger, and they really didn't have a choice. They didn't have a choice. Oh, should I be accountant? Should I be a dentist? Should I be a doctor? They didn't have a choice. So it's very much like I had that choice now. And I'm like, wow, I know that sounds so, like, it's a privilege. It's a big privilege.

22:35 Cause it's scary.

22:37 It's scary. But, like, I'm like, I have to do something in my life, and I want to do something in my life because my parents didn't have that option. So it's very much, like, for me. Like, I'm doing this for me, but also, like, I'm looking behind and I'm like, this is also for them, too.

22:55 I get it. For you. Exactly. I'm not doing this for them. I'm doing this for me. Because if I do this for them, then my people around me will think this is all that has to offer in our area, and I refuse to have that. I refuse to continue the same traditions that my family feel is conducive to the area that we're living in. And that's just not. That's just not me. I will continue to be the black sheep of the family because that's what I am, and I will continue to strive to move forward and to just do all the crazy things in the world until I get somewhere where I can, like, hey, this is good.

23:52 Yeah, you know, I think. But also, like, important to, like, like, even my little cousins, I'm always like, hey, if you need help of college, I'm here. If you want to go down that route. It's very much like I'm a new resource to this family, to new opportunities that it wouldn't have had. So I always like to bring people up and, like, even my little cousins were 1312. I'm like, hey, do, like, do activities. You know, get out there not only because they'll look at our resume, but also, like, for yourself. Like, you'll meet new people, you experience new things, gain new experiences, and become a better person. I feel like it's another thing. Like, yeah, it's nice to be here at Uva. It's also. It's a great privilege to have, but also, like, explore different routes, you know, think about different mindsets as we're doing here. Yeah.

24:42 Oh, I get that, too. But again, my friend, I love the ideas, and hopefully my family will be able to get to where you're at with your family one day. But my family was definitely descendants from slaves. My mother's great grandmother was a slave, and I'm pretty sure they extended some of those traditions, traditions that are rooted in our family and that are rooted in my family. And I'm definitely breaking away from those traditions. They're very stern and strict and always in fight mode. Like, this is the way I want to raise my child. This is what I want to do. So any suggestion that we make to, well, any suggestion that I make to the younger ones, they take, they say, no, that's not how we're gonna do things. This is not how it's gonna go. And then as they get older, I have to be that catalyst for all of my family members and say, hey, hey, look around. If this is something you're happy with, then you can continue to go down this route. But look around and really critically think and have perspective and look around and see what you have versus what the people around you have when you go to the store. Look and see what is there versus what is not there. See what qualities that you see in others that you wish that were in your home, and then make that change. Because at the end of the day, when you turn 18 and you don't have the means to, the means to do what you want, because you have these habits that have been instilled in you since day one, it's going to be a long road to break them. I know. I know. I'm doing it right now because it's so much easier to, it's so much easier to grow up with good habits than to break the bad habits that have been put in that has been stilled with you since birth. Because if you don't know something, if you don't know something and you think it's right, the, all the way you live in that specific bubble, and then someone come in, push their bubbles and change the way your way of thinking. I believe it's a beautiful thing, but it could be definitely jarring.

27:27 Yeah.

27:28 You know, like, you say you came from California to Virginia. How, how was that entire experience?

27:40 It's very interesting. Very interesting, because the Maya family has always been a moving family. So I've never had a. I wouldn't say to this degree, but, like, I've never had a place of home, like, a long, like a, where I, like, childhood home or even, like, I would say California's my home state. But, like, I moved it from, like, southern California to northern California. So it's just very much, I think that's another reason why I think the way I do, because, like, I, I'm not, I wouldn't say not stable, but, like, I'm very open to new opportunities because I've been forced to be open to new opportunities because I just, everything's changing every time. I can't, like, say, like, oh, I just want to stay here. That's never been an option. My younger self, it's just very much been forced, like, well, we have to move because of work, because of family, because of things that we can't control. So it's very much has, like, impacted the way I think, because now I'm like, okay, if I want a new job, I can just get a new job or an opportunity. It's just new opportunity. I never think of, like, oh, what I'm leaving behind. I do think about who I'm leaving behind because that's very much important, too. Not leaving behind, taking them along with me, and also just in a new way.

29:01 I get you. I get you a hundred. And on that, I think the military definitely has taught me to bring it up, taught me to take who you can, wherever you're going. Because, again, we all have this basic foundation of basic training of shared experiences. We might not have shared that experience, but we've shared experiences. And so it's really easy for us to slide, I wouldn't say slide in, but to adapt to any environment overall. Overall, has that upset you as you grew up? Has that experience upset you because you don't have a place that you can literally say, this is my home, this is my route.

29:55 And, yeah, when I was younger, oh, my gosh, if you would have asked me three years ago, I'd been really pissed. No, because I was really mad at my parents for, like, the longest time. Then again, I became more. I grew up, and I understand certain things you can't control, and you can't blame people for that. They couldn't control, you know, the recession happening. They couldn't control the 2012 layoffs that were happening at the time, too. I can't blame them for those things. You know, I can't blame them that they work so much. It's just how life is sometimes and just very much made me, like, oh, so, like, the time that they do spend with me, that's why I care. The little time that they spend with me, that's why I care about and how they treat me. And I also how they treat them and my family. And that's why I think family is sometimes really important to me because. Yeah, it is. You've talked a lot each about your backgrounds and your families and some early formative memories and experiences, and I want to ask each of you, what is your first political memory or a memory of something political that you experienced or witnessed, and how did it affect you? You?

31:12 Hmm.

31:18 I could take it.

31:19 I don't know. I definitely got burned. I'm just. I don't want to be rude. I just feel like I always go first.

31:24 I don't know. I think my. I don't know if this is, like, a political memory, but it's just like, I remember when the 2008 recession happened and, like, my parents had owned a business, and then it failed, and then we moved the whole thing. Life went to shit after that, and then they rebuilt it. But like, but then again, I just remember my dad was like, oh, this is because of Bush. And that was, like, my first introduction to politics. And the whole thing where he was saying that. I don't know if I should say this, but he was basically saying that he had put us in debt, and this is why the whole economy has gone to where it is now at the time in 2008. So I think that was, like, my first memory of anything political because of that recession. Yeah, but that was just, like, a general memory. Yeah.

32:21 Okay. And how do you feel that affected you?

32:27 It very much affected me on how people react to crises, like how presidents react or just like government. I feel like sometimes they either react in a good way or they're ineffective. And that's also. If they're ineffective, then that also impacts so many other people, like, lives, children, families, where they're like, how do I say this? If no one helps them, this is. To a certain degree, this is only extremes. Like, whenever a session happens where if no one helps these people, they're just struggling more and more. And if the government can't resolve an issue, then they're adding to that issue of people being harmed because they can't get it together. So.

33:12 Yeah, but just remember, the government doesn't control the economy.

33:17 Yeah, that's true.

33:18 So, again, we put a lot of gender and aspects and expectations on our government, as we should, but. And when it comes down to the. To the root cause and problems of that, most of time they're just reacting to this, and they're doing their best to get it under control. Yeah, but I'm gonna go.

33:42 Yeah. Like, oh, okay. Yeah, okay.

33:46 But I am definitely going to go. Mmm. My first thing ever political, I would have to say, is when. Oh, God, I'm gonna date myself a little bit. My teachers rode this black cart, television box, television at that, into our classroom on September 11 and let us watch the twin towers, the fall. And I remember not knowing what was happening. And then they started explaining it, and kids were being taken out of class, and the hallways were eerie, silent, and we were all just in class. Like, we knew the energy had changed. We just didn't know what specifically was going on. And. And again, I believe that was definitely one of the steps that definitely pushed me forward to join in the military. Not only just that, but just the understanding that there's so many people that came before me that. That. That felt the urge and the call to action because of this one instance and me obviously wanting to get an experience, a new experience on life. Instead of what is currently in my area, which really pushed me towards joining the military. And I do appreciate that experience. But at the same time, I wonder how that idea of showing us what was going on has affected our overall worldview. On the one hand, I'm grateful that I have had the opportunity to experience it in real time. I'm grateful that we weren't, as a child, I wasn't kept in the dark about this. But at the same time, was that really the responsible thing to do to minds that are being developed and growing and just like a little sponge when it comes down to consumption and information? But that is definitely my first decision with anything political. But my favorite one was when Obama joined the presidency.

36:33 Yes, yes, yes.

36:35 It was a long time coming. It was a long time coming. And now I'm ready to see the first female president there as well.

36:46 Yeah, I remember that time in 2012. I remember he was going through debates just like, I don't know who was. Was it Mitt? No. Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney. Yeah. I was like, good old Nick.

37:05 I get it.

37:06 I was like, Mitch McConnell. But no, that's not Mitch McConnell.

37:08 No, not at all.

37:10 But, yeah, I remember going, like, just sitting on, sitting on my, in an apartment in, like, the Bay Area, and I was like, wow, like nine year old. Like little girl. Like is. I was just nine. And I was like, whoa, times are changing for the better. Yeah. Do you ever feel misunderstood by people with different beliefs than you so people who you might ordinarily consider people on the other side of the aisle, and if you do, like, how do you feel that and what does that experience for you? Okay, I could go. I think sometimes in the sense that some people have harder lives than others, I think that gets very misconstrued in politics that like, oh, these people should have benefits or these people shouldn't have certain services. But then again, I feel like they fail to consider that certain things, like generational wealth comes into play or certain people don't have opportunities to certain things. So they're very much, it's almost that whole narrative like, oh, pick yourself up from your bootstraps type narrative where it's like, not everyone can do that and they need help from the government. So I think some more conservative people or identify people are like, oh, no, let's not give them service or benefits because of certain things like that.

38:46 Those mindsets, they definitely play a big role into how, into how we deal with things, how we're able to change things. And if you come from a poor people's, mindset, then. Then we'll always be poor. And that's reason why us being first generation like this uphill battle is real gangster. But I will go with, I have been misunderstood many times by beliefs, and it's not mainly political, but, you know, there's no room for religion and politics, but yet there's a gray area of religion and politics. And I remember this conversation with this muslim woman. She was amazing. Her brain and intelligence was just off the charts. But her religion is so deeply rooted into her core system and values that she didn't see how she was hindering her overall success. And not just hers, but her kids, too, for her. Because in the muslim religion, women doesn't have any rights. Well, most of the rights are determined by the man. And her daughter is over here in America, where women gets to make their choices themselves. They're in the public system, their self. And she consistently gets upset and gets demanding of her. And I was like, hey, we have to literally argue, like, hey, you have to allow your child to become who she wants to be. She is not defined by the other half that may come into her life. And she's like, no, that's not. That's not the way our religion works. That's not the way our life works. I'm like, but you're in America, and you have to get this wrapped around your head that. That the freedom of expression is here. That is the reason why you're able to. To work here at this office, because women have fought for your right to be able to work in this office, because somebody said, you deserve to have a job. Because if we go back not even 100 years, that would literally still. My bad. Not 100, 120 years, that was still decided by the head of the household, which is typically a man. And so you being in America right now would not even be and would not even be a thought process for you, because, you know, whenever foreigners come over here and they want to get citizenship, they have to work. And without having that. Having that tie of being able to work, they can't be over here.

42:06 Yeah.

42:06 So, so, again, you never know what your child is destined to do, and you should allow them to. To have their experiences, because from what it sounds like, that child is a go getter. Yeah, she's strong. She speaks her mind. She has a great group of friends that support her. And having that over with the mindset that she was portraying doesn't sound like positives. You know, they sound like negatives. And I was just looking, stepping back and looking at the idea of that is not how I want my children to grow up. Is this a part of the american dream that other, that other countries don't get to experience?

43:01 Yeah, I think it's very much interesting, like, that whole concept because, like, here in America, it's very much, oh, thankfully, that, like, women don't have to be in the household as much or women don't have to be, like, in these certain roles, but so interesting on the other side and, like, different parts of the world where it's like, they want women to continue to be in that role where they can't grow out of that role. So it's interesting to see how that mother is like, oh, I don't want that for my child. But then again, that's the best thing. I don't know, because people have different things of what the best thing should be for a person. But it's very interesting to see that dichotomy. Yeah. And I'm just going to jump in here because I think, you know, we're talking about beliefs and, you know, people with different beliefs and how we kind of relate to them or don't relate to them. And I want to kind of follow up on that previous question by asking, do you ever feel troubled by people with the same beliefs as you? So people who you typically agree with or that you, you vote alongside or the candidates that you believe in, are there times where you feel troubled by what they think or how they communicate those beliefs to others?

44:21 Yes. Oh, yeah. But again, I understand. Yes, I am very much troubled by some of the beliefs in the way they. My party has been communicating those beliefs to the world. And I like the fact that we're very direct, very stern in our, in our deliverance. I like that we stand for something, but, but at the same time, I also don't like the, the emotional tugging that they're doing at people just to, just to create emotions, because as we learn in marketing, emotions, they may be a good thing, but most of the time, emotions are a bad thing. And it never really gets you where you need to go. Right. Because you want this, this and this. But why do we need this? Having those conversations on why we need to have things is ten times better. And don't say is to push an agenda. It just feels like they're trying to push an agenda. But again, we've lost a lot of trust and our political parties, because they say one thing, then do another, and then they double down and do another thing. And if everyone, I understand that to get to a solution, you may have to spread your branches to go into different lanes before we get to that solution. But at the same time, we're not trying to diminish people's rights and freedoms and things they're accustomed to across the board. So I feel like whenever I'm trying to communicate to another republican and my people is like, hey, we can still do all these things, but we don't have to stop other people from doing these things as well, if that makes sense. We don't have to cut funding for things. We don't have to stop people from succeeding. We don't have to stop this across the board. I don't know who the powers that be or the maneuvers they're making to get us to a certain goal, because as the, as the public on the outside, we're not privy to the end game. We're only privy to the next step, you know?

47:25 Yeah.

47:25 And so hopefully someone has a plan. Hopefully this plan will make us successful in the long run. And hopefully, and hopefully these small steps is a part of a bigger design that's going to really reshape the entire world as a whole.

47:45 Yeah. Likewise with me. I think it's especially being a little more liberal. I think it's very much interesting, that whole notion, like, oh, politicians say one thing and they do the other. It's very much true on both sides of the aisle where it's kind of almost like, well, I voted you in, but are you actually in a competition? Those goals? And like, I could just, I think that's one thing where I'm like, uh, where it's like, but then again, I still stand with that party because of my own beliefs. But then again, like, some people have other motives, other means, other things going on. So it's very much understandable. And that's the whole thing. We're going back to being reactive. Government is reactive in the sense that, like, most of the time, presidents only react to, for example, like Biden, he's only reacting to, like, what is up front with him. Like the COVID pandemic and the whole thing with exiting Afghanistan, it's just very much more reactive. So sometimes policies don't make their way because it's just reacting like the government's just reacting throughout time.

48:52 Yeah, agreed. Agreed. And I'm also looking at the COVID thing is like, I don't know what the, what the rules are. What is, what is the end goal? Are they allowing Covid in here so we can transfer the wealth to the younger? Are they allowing Covid in here because they're trying to create enough chaos to bring in a new world order. Are we allowing Covid to run rampant in the states because we have to do qualified immunity, the fittest? I am not understanding. I'm trying to look at all the moving pieces and ask all the appropriate questions, but without that knowledge, because, again, we only can react because we're not giving that knowledge. We don't know what the overall inking will be. Is this something that we just have to suffer through like all the other generations did with the bubonic plague and all those other item, other things, but only time will tell?

50:03 I think it's also, like accounting history as well, like you were saying. Cause I think sometimes, even with the vaccine rollout, where it's like certain communities, especially marginalized communities, don't trust in the government. Yeah. So it's like, also accounting for, I think that's where government is very politics, very interesting, where it's like, all these moving factors of, like, oh, history and also how to also account for that history and go forward. But, like, it's that, it's that dilemma where it's like, how do you, how are you effective?

50:39 That's my biggest pet peeve. Like, I don't appreciate us calling, calling it the government, even though it is the government. Like, who? Like the individual people that made the decision to make this happen. But we don't attest that decision onto them. We attest it to the umbrella of the government because they're in the government. They can do this. This person can do this. If we definitely start, you know, putting more emphasis on this person made that decision along with these people to make this happen, definitely. Well, and hold them accountable, we'll definitely, definitely see a different trend in other people, in America's success. Because now I just feel like everyone is hiding behind the title of being a senator, being in the House of Representatives, just. Or being a governor instead of actually doing the jobs that they're set out to do.

51:50 Yeah, I think that's also, like, that's, I feel like, how many things got away with. How many people think. How many people they. How do I say this?

51:59 How many things people have gotten away.

52:01 With, especially, like, gerrymandering or doing things like that? Or, like, it's very much purposeful and it's like, then they hide behind these doors so they protect it so that they can be protected and that no one knows about it. So it's like, to the public, it's like, oh, this is just how things are. But it's very much purposeful and intentional, of course. Yeah.

52:23 All these didactic statements.

52:26 But I know that's all good. I'm curious, is, so we can start with you, Marquis. Is there, is there anything you learned about Diana today that surprised you?

52:37 Hmm. To be honest, all of it's just surprising. I didn't know that. I didn't know that a parent from El Salvador, I don't like to assume anything. So I just think everyone's american because, because I know that question, where are you from? Is very jarring.

52:59 Oh, that is, yeah, no, so I'm.

53:02 Just very much everyone's american. I'm not labeling anybody because I definitely had an experience with that. But it's just very awesome to see where her political views lie. It's awesome to hear about what really makes you, you overall. And it's also, it's also awesome to see that, hey, I'm not one of the only ones that has to be extremely adaptive in spaces.

53:31 Yeah.

53:32 So that definitely, definitely has surprised me as well.

53:37 And same, too. I think it's very much interesting to hear someone, I don't know a lot of military people or, like, I only have, like, a former. Sorry. That's why I just, yeah, I just don't. Yeah. But I think it's very much like, it's just an interesting perspective that you have. I think it's very important perspective in these, like, conversations because you bring a different perspective in, and I think that's very much important. I feel like I've learned a lot from you in the sense that, like, you have to account for these different perspectives, and also you have different. I think it's also like having a conversation. I think that's just with people, too, but especially if you like different families, different households, account for different perspectives, and it's very much true.

54:23 Agreed. And it's the reason why we fight. A lot of people in the military fight is so that we can have the freedoms to discuss these perspectives, because in other countries, these perspectives can get you killed and get you maimed and get your life no longer with your family members. And I hope that we, as we have more conversations and the age of technology expands into the world, that we can continue to have conversations like this. And everyone's ability to agree, to disagree will not only, you know, transcend one spot to another, but it just won't be a privilege to those who control the, control the area, if that makes sense.

55:17 I think that's also, like, a good thing that we can agree and disagree because it makes us better at the end because we make more informed decisions. Yeah.