Joseph Batavia and Sarah Padgett

00:01 Hi, my name is Sarah Padgett. I am 25 years old. Today is Sunday, December 5th, 2021. I'm here with Joseph. My conversation partner in Tallahassee, Florida. My name is Joseph. Batavia. My age of 31 years old. I'm in city of Tallahassee. My interview partner Sarah and I have my service dog named baby all capital. Can you tell me a little bit about baby Jesus? A Blue Nose Terrier double XL, Pitbull. She's the runt of the litter. She's six years old, but the State of Florida and United States for 55 and a half years. And I did all the training for straight 2 years and followed all the federal guidelines. America's Americans with Disability Act of 1990 my father and Drive Batavia and general Thornburg a Subway senior and 10 million. Plus people that gathered in 1990 to make Americans with Disability Act.

01:01 Possible for equal rights for disabled people veterans non-veterans. Cuz if you're not disabled and you become disabled, he'll probably don't. But if you do those laws are supposed to protect you, if you have children and their come from birth and they go through something, through birth, and maybe have some type of disability. People don't realize service dogs, our minds and medical says, she medical assist me. So for medical department, is over a hundred fifty plus disabilities that qualifies a child only two seniors that helps a person or a child to have a service. The issue is, is people don't understand that if you don't do the guidelines and properly trained on that, there's certain things you have to do the least policy for a lot of leaf policy overrides. The city ordinance for service dog. We have to try them with the leash without the leash. T e collar verbal hand, gesture sign language.

02:01 Because people don't understand, you're not supposed to touch service down at all and it with your training, a service dog. And you go into the public. You got to come by to the health code Administration, and everything that federally, Ada overrides every health code laws because those are service dog. If you're in training, please put a training vessel. We know that the dog is in training. Do not allow them to come and approach them. A lot of people can't don't know that you're not supposed to. At All, Pro Touch, the service animal or pet them. If you decide approaching, please ask the Handler because it had was going to say yes or no, but 99% of time, you're not even supposed to touch it because you're going to interfere with their test performance. For example, one of my favorite things. I tell people is epilepsy. Do you know what that is?

02:53 A lot of people are my expense of people that are listening to this. They don't understand what apple is there seizures and epileptics shop, where your body's trimming. So, there's three styles of toutant to Styles, or want both her medication. Then, the third stage is when you can't take pharmaceutical pills for your body rejects it, my body rejects, pharmaceutical pills. So she's medically assist me. If you touch a person's dog that has epilepsy and they dropped in front of you and having seizures that's attempted murder and felony, felony statue. We don't have databases are for service. So I really don't know how many real service dogs are out there. I heard a bunch of stories. I see certain things in this town and city of Tallahassee with other people. I got a service dog. Where is it at? I'm looking around and I was always with my friend holding the dog. What are you got, epilepsy? Why is he holding. So that's one example, I could tell you millions of the store.

03:53 But that's all I'm going to say for that part.

03:56 Thank you for sharing and

03:58 You talked a little bit about the Americans with Disability Act. Can you tell me a little bit about how is that has affected your life. The Americans with Disabilities Act affected me cuz I was meant to hit and run auto auction. February 2016. So my brain is not all there. So she helps me get home. She knows how to get to the library. I save a couple words. She helps me my service, dog does certain things and everything that helps me a certain way. People don't understand because they're not knowledgeable about it, but I came out as a citizen to talk. I'm not an activist. I'm not a lobbyist. But because certain things you don't realize long for some job that train. We don't have a crisis unit for people that have mental, disabilities and physical disabilities. So, we need certain type of things that the government could help us with. These are laws that protects us to help us get through and everything.

04:54 You're not disabled. But if you'll say you did become disabled through an auto accident and you needed a service dog or not. Thank God. I'm not to watch. I should be I survived the 60 Mi an hour are auto accident in the country SUV. Hit me 60 Mi an hour. I have no recall. I cracked my phone score of other body problem. Brain damage is serious when they get one goes through trauma. That's why we have veterans that are disabled and they go through war and they have the explosions with the those things. They, they go through. If you wash in the movies, some of those movies, really shows you what they go through. Yes. It's a movie, but if you talk to some veterans, they could say some things, but some things are classified. So I understand what they're going to do, cuz I go through it. I'm just not as bad as them. And I'm blessed, and not being a wheelchair, cuz really people don't even survive. Sick of 40, mile an hour, auto accident, and mine was a 60. My body got hit. Not a, not in a vehicle, but walking, imagine you're walking. It asks, you just go clock.

05:54 You fly up in the air all the way. I know that is, I woke up with my head wrapped up and crutches. Ex girlfriend told me, what happened. Then I called my mom. I called the police. They all say the same thing. I still don't believe from today and stubborn 2021 now, and I still don't believe it, cuz I don't have the evidence. I don't have to pay for our food, hit me, but there is a rumor, but I don't know if the rumor is true. And if that's the person did get arrested. I want to meet them and ask them to us. Please give me the story, what happened and they're on, then I'm going to work to tell, whoever to free them out of prison. For the rumor is serving 25 years in prison.

06:34 Don't know if that's true. It's just a rumor. But if the rumor was true, I would free them. So they could get a second chance that I could be with their families on the one suffering every day.

06:47 I go through it. My stress disorder is not a joke. PTSD is serious. I have one that I don't want to share it. So people can understand. That's why she's a medical assist. You can hear her cuz my heart rate, I'm nervous. So I'm basically letting you know why, she's The Way She is totally end.

07:07 It's okay to be nervous in the situation cuz I'm sure it's really hard to talk about this. So if I ever ask a question that you're not comfortable answering, totally don't answer. What would you like to talk a little bit about what your narrative is you're talking about how other people are telling you stories of what happened. Do you have a story that you like to stick through for yourself?

07:31 Wait, what's let's put the boycott the bus Center, imagine you're going on the bus and you sit on the back of the bus, your service dog. But the bus Chardon never asked you the questions. They just let you and they do that then I don't know where the bus driver says. Excuse me, ma'am or sir. Is that a service animal? We have to comply to to Lost. Yes, ma'am. Yes, sir. Then I told the lady, if you go into further, I will have to file report. She don't like that. So we basically she called police shut off. The police asked me if I'm a veteran cuz of the camouflage. I'm not a veteran. I'm a disabled person but I represent disabled veterans because our veterans served and put their lice in the front line to make us possible. As one nation under God. Doesn't matter what religion we practice were all the same where it's supposed to help each other but because of my pigmentation. Pigmentation and hurt me more.

08:31 Because like really this is really happening. I feel like I'm back in history. Going through what Rosa Park did.

08:38 We should not get kicked off the bus. We should not be going to slander. When you tell the truth. I'm going to tell you the truth. You are my government. You are my citizens. You are my brothers and sisters. I'm about to tell Merica and I don't know what else to do and it is emotional because like this, it's not just this town. It's all over United States, but I'm here fighting for our state. Where you from again, where you work. I only want to start for from Brooklyn.

09:20 He he was a quadriplegic person that got struck by, in the accident. The store is. He's in the back seat, back in the day, with no seat belts. Back in the day. He had his support of a quadriplegic person that had his spine destroyed as a child. I know that buy a book. I know my father by wisdom, 30 years has a quadriplegic, wisdom of a chair, is the book called. It was wasn't finished by him. My family, finished it for them. And that's where I got the information. That's a nice start digging into it and learning more about it. Cuz I knew what stores sell animals was. I know what my disability. But there's other people stories out there to a veteran was not panhandling, but that town in another state, had a law said, no panhandling and she was waving someone, gave him money, please. Shut up the dog service dog was doing.

10:20 Their job and they taste the service dog in the service dog rant.

10:25 So this is a thing that we need people to understand. I can tell Millie other stores and we could go for hours and have a little power.

10:36 Well, it's up to you. Would you rather tell another story or would you want to get a little bit deeper into the messages that you'd like to share? Cuz you said you came in here as a citizen and you're here just to speak on behalf of the disabled Community. Is there any particular message that you really want people to know?

11:01 When you have a, if you're a business, landlords, I hate slumlords. And reason I called him slumlords. This, if you have a elevator and you don't want to fix the elevator violate the Ada, but then they say over complain to lost, but you have a washing machine upstairs and people like problems, even sure, not to say what you have crutches. You hurt your foot in your break it and you have to use card. You can you go up and down the stairs on crutches all the time. It's, it's a challenge. But then when their leg heals, they can go up in the stairs, but the ones that can't have we can't go up there and they're not his problem.

11:39 Just because of a breed or because of a pigmentation of a disabled person. Their stories where other people said they've been fighting in this town and other towns will have a, we come together and start putting love with each other. Let's have less violent. Let's have less drama and have more peaceful to walk together. My commute down south down south. I lived in the projects where we are together. We never I never had bullies. I had in other areas where I got a gun pointed and made myself got me to strip and everything. That was a scary moment. But come in the starting tiles. What, what do people have to cost to move? Move move, or can we just stay and work together? What people want more lawsuit with forget losses because that's not going to help the problem. They just wanted to brush it off the shoulder and put it under the carpet. Well, guess what? That's not helping.

12:36 If we are for person who knows the solutions.

12:40 We're trying to get the other people that has degrees in certain areas to help us, and we need them to be Advocates to speak for us because certain people go through certain things. Why we can't come together and help, that's the question.

13:01 You're appealing to people who have degrees to help you. Do you have any specific, any specific requests that you would really like help with achieving?

13:14 Achieving. Okay, let's put it this way. The middle class and the power and the low-class. We got to pay, Tyler, Texas.

13:24 Know if the rich people have 50 million dollars in their bank account and every other making 3.3 million dollars and our thing and they got to pay 33%. I'm going to talk about the foreign stock market, cuz when you do the foreign stock market, that's the market for the whole world.

13:41 Long story short, why do we have to pay a lot more? We're struggling. People can't even make ends meet. I had a store where children came and asked for food for me, in the hood. And I had to go talk to the parents. They're just trying to put food on the table or buy some Pampers. It's our backgrounds messed up. What about second chance? Second. Hope everybody wants to make money will how we work together and give Second Chances.

14:08 We work together to make sure we have safe communities and said I have to deal with it when we ask for help. They turn the other way around.

14:18 That makes a lot of sense. And one thing you said before that stuck with me, was that we need to come together as a community and stay put where we are and work from where we currently are. Do you feel like there is any thing preventing you from staying where you are? And I don't think the Mendes brother forgave each other. We spoken on Sunday, last Sunday, week, from now. I'm still traumatized from it. I still get nightmares. I even certain Commissioners where my nightmares

14:55 Certain things when I telling the truth. Are you really listening or are you willing to give me the help? So I can help my brothers and sisters called America as one nation. Do you really want me to get on my knees and beg like a dog and cry to you cuz it hurts.

15:13 I will beg for them.

15:16 I wish people in this country and around the world could hear it.

15:20 Because honestly, that everybody said, this is a great country. I just know from February 2016 to now and honestly, I regret coming here. I regret it to the fullest.

15:33 Because my father was alive, he would help cuz he was out back in 1990. He helped for the people with other people.

15:42 I should have went to the White House, but I didn't I can't to the capital Florida to Capital. We're supposed to help the people.

15:49 We have a thing in the capital says, for the People by the people.

15:53 Well, I've been reaching out getting on the live, news City Hall, giving my numbers making little letters, little slideshow. What I'm trying to do.

16:04 Not just service animals. It's us.

16:08 As Brock family is American my family because I'm my nationality is Russian. I'm a doctor to America. I got black in my family, Hispanic and my family that white Chinese.

16:23 Doesn't matter what Temptation are you my family? Don't tell me. You're in my sister and my brother. Lets you really mean it because what I went through last week.

16:32 That person said he's my brother. We forgave each other.

16:36 But I was forgiven him because what he did to my other brother.

16:40 I let him know. Yes. I didn't even know he was a veteran. You could have done a lot more. What if I didn't have my non-lethal device? At the time. He could have done more harm.

16:52 Because they're trying to specially, we need to help our veterans. We need to help for disabled people who need to have to look at the communities that struggling and shut these slumlords away. They're not willing to help. They should not be landlords.

17:10 If I could get in the office in state of Florida.

17:14 I will fix this mistake. I can't fix the United States, but I can least fix the state. I live in is my home.

17:21 But if I could go back to my country and The Time Machine and tell myself as a child.

17:28 Don't come to America.

17:30 I'm not against America. I'm against the Pitta tea.

17:34 I want our country to be better. This is why I wear this like everyday. I used to wear upside down. People don't understand why. We're upside down, our liberties in Jeopardy. Our rights are in equal rights.

17:49 To America. I love everybody. People don't understand. I got the heart, but don't cross the line cuz I was protect this country because you come at me the wrong way. I will forgive you, but I'm still going to protect whoever is in front of me.

18:08 I'll bleed in this country multiple times already blood for my school. My nose, my niece.

18:14 How much more blood do I have to put on this soil?

18:21 Yes, ma'am.

18:22 A little bit early to talk about peace and it being really important.

18:29 We'll talk more about that.

18:31 Peace, like we can go to a park or come to the library. I'll go to Randolph community and live there and they going to hate how you doing weather and everything. We can have a block party. The block party workers, soul food, turn on some music down houses for the kids. That's peace without the hatred coming to looking based on pigmentation. We're looking at is each other. That's piece. That's love.

19:02 Peace for me. I could come here and it's peaceful. Yes, you guys had a different certain thing and I respect that because you want peace. I want these two. So we came together to get this address. I want peace in this city. I want to send this country. I want peace all over the world. We got to cost to go through War. We sacrificed so much. We lost so many brothers and sisters.

19:29 How much more people we have to lose if we're really Christians, Catholic, Jewish Muslims Buddha, doesn't matter. What condition, what about the heart? What about the? What about the Soul Train?

19:44 Where's the love, baby?

19:50 One thing you touched on earlier that I just want to Circle back to before we finish is how you feel that?

19:59 Most people are not listening and most people are not speaking up and aren't trying to make a difference.

20:06 Do you have any advice or any goals you're working towards that you feel?

20:11 Everyday people like me could help out with.

20:16 Put more awareness up if you practice a different categories, helpless.

20:23 Don't call us back and say we can't help you because for me being this town says may 2017 by had a lawyer. He could he or she could tell everything and put out some things and then we could go to the federal department and get it more embraced. Like right now we have President Joe Biden. Keep her going through with President, Joe Biden. How many people know the the infrastructure? How many people know about the chainsaw of supply chain?

20:54 A lot of people don't know that our generation ours, but really the children, the Youth of the Nation wants looking up to us. Is this what we want to go?

21:04 Pretty much just cuz it give people a chance to actually do when they care. Like our governor said, if you're in the way, get out of the way he were in the way. So I can't do what I need to do for our country, or our state. You want to come to our state. And I'm going to tell you, you must go back to your stay. Cuz you don't even know how the state is running.

21:25 What is a great state? It's a great communities bleeding. Still got issues to tweak and 6 and add on to.

21:34 Money can't replace a life.

21:37 But if we do it together.

21:40 And truly do it together as United States of America. Hawaiian Alaska used to be rushing property of Hawaii. Used to be a kingdom that can history royalty Kingdom.

21:51 We sold it. The Russian government sold it to America. They're going through poverty.

21:58 So now we're United States of America, 50 states. Let's work together.

22:04 I want to go see the rest of the country. I only know Florida. But do I have to worry about the same stuff? I'm going through here or someone else is going through and all this test tomorrow and I got to go over there. I want to listen to their testimonies only use their me. I'm just a little bit cuz you're telling me there's stores. Like I'm telling you guys my store but I don't. I'm not afraid. I'm just afraid of stupidity of certain things that's going to be happening as we speak. Now through the four years, we've gone through or three years, pandemic thing the whole thing. That's what's going through.

22:38 Well, thank you so much for sharing Joseph. It's really wonderful to hear your story and to hear about all the work you're doing and all the effort you're putting in.

22:50 And I really hope that.

22:53 People listening to this, including myself will start to listen more and work on making changes and thank you so much for sharing. It's been really great to speak with you. So I feel so honored above you and I mean that cuz I would have been dead long time ago. There were 2016, but God gave me a chance. And every time I tell my story people says God, I believe I have it on my arm, but true testimony. So is truly both your honor to America the world. Happy holidays. Happy New Years to everybody brother Joe's, who loves everybody.

23:35 I don't have haters baby. Loves everybody. He's a born in America on this soil. I wasn't.

23:43 Let's start of showing love and helping each other and when it's stupid, he starts happening. Let's work to walk together and make things. Let's put the right people in the offices, so we could have a better Community, doesn't matter. What county does it matter? What state let's work together, and please give Joe Biden. A President, Joe Biden, a break for real. I've been watching and listening. Y'all don't understand how politics Works. Unless you practicing politics. I'm blessed to know about politics. Please give our new president of break.

24:20 Cuz my next thing is Florida, what helps me to get to the president. I'm going to put it out there. So Joe Biden can start pushing further.

24:31 Thank you so much. It's truly an honor. Thank you so much.