Justin Richardson and Meliton Otero

00:00 My name is Patrick Otero. I'm 33 years old. It is September 25th 2020. I'm in Wilmington Delaware. I am here with Justin Richardson, and we actually met because our wise sticker up together.

00:16 My name is Justin Richardson. I am 31 years old today September 25th 2020. I'm in Wichita Kansas here chatting with Patrick Otero. And as he stated we met each other through our wives that grew up together together on stuff. So yeah, so why did you want to do this interview today? So it was great. It was a learning experience for myself and Sarah gave me the option if I knew someone that had different point-of-view loser us a good story life experience, whatever I can reach out to them and says it was you because I know previously us some of your views and opinions whatever and then I know now, so I was curious. I thought it'd be good to get your story on tape in and sit down and chat.

01:16 That's why I reached out to you.

01:21 So expensive

01:32 I was intrigued because I know we know each other but not very much and depth and

01:39 I think part of it too is a human connection right now, you know, we moved across the country to Wilmington from New Mexico and just missing friendship and the learning aspect of his o is always very good. I've been trying to do learning, you know work through a couple books. I'm reading on myself and you know if I can if I can improve myself in any way by learning things about myself, I think that's there's nothing wrong with that. It's always a good step. Absolutely.

02:09 So I'm going to read your bio Justin. So I've been married for 10 years. I have one daughter three years three years old and one son 11 months born and raised Wichita graduated from Friends University. I have tattoos and very frugal and love old cars and trucks college football is the best sport and I can talk in length about any of those topics. Oh man right in that but yeah, that's that's a very broad overview of me. That's just like, you know basic someone's being in, you know 500 characters.

02:54 What in his bio? Are you curious to learn more about?

02:59 Frugality, I mean there's nothing wrong with it. But I feel like growing up it's funny because the term I think Millennial gets misused but when you hear Millennial weight will a lot of it comes down to what do you spend your money on and I always find that fascinating on Twitch. What do people value monetarily or person like personally, I weather has monetary value attached to it and why you spend I guess the money on what you do spend your money on so I know about you, but for me, yeah, I just I am a real person at heart man. I still to this day after 10 years of marriage. I'll text my wife and say Hey, you know, can I go to lunch today? She's like, yeah, I don't care if it's one of those growing up.

03:59 Because seeing growing up in lower-income households, but we didn't have a lot of money we had enough to get by and just seeing how my parents struggled my mom. She's worked several different jobs. So she never really made as much as she could have my dad always had a steady income, but just knowing that it whatever whatever money we did have went to Food and then that the basic needs things like that. So it's just real.

04:34 Now I have no problem spending money with kids. That's for sure. But I'll myself I'm definitely, you know, the same pair of shoes for years till I get holes in them. But yeah, I'm just real Frugal especially I should say when it comes to myself my family even people I know I have no problem spending money, but that's me.

04:57 I like that makes sense. I have we don't have kids. So it's it's it's different when you come. No kids. No air was raised in Southwest New Mexico. I was raised in a conservative family is multiple Law Enforcement Officers during Obama administration to maintain fairly conservative outlook on life, but I started moving away from it after I fell down the rabbit hole of radical conservatism like Breitbart excetera in change so much of my worldview I support and try to help more Progressive views.

05:43 There's a lot in there. So I think let's speak to the first so let salons by know. Your dad's is a Sheriff officer.

05:57 So my dad worked for Albuquerque Police Department for 20 years move back when we moved up to the four corners area. He became a sheriff's deputy there with my uncle. I have another aunt and uncle who works for APD and then I have currently have a cousin in Texas who's a law enforcement officer. And then I have another cousin who is MP in the National Guard. So I am my mom worked for dispatch. I'm at the Police substations. So I grew up in that law enforcement community. And I remember is a little kid my dad, you know was involved in the The Academy in training and so, you know little we can leave the kids at home. So we go and I remember hearing stories from other officers and hits himself when they would go, describe to these new recruits.

06:57 Just hearing how things have changed through the years. I remember driving home from elementary school in the back of my beds police car and we'd always gets that looks two cars driving by my dad's car tires being slashed tires rock thrown through the window stuff like that, too. So kind of seemed both sides of it being right there.

07:30 So did you ever get any of your friends ever say anything was there any you don't like what a different look at you because your family is a law enforcement. Was it accepted? What was the community like if you will?

07:48 No, Albuquerque, I don't really remember it much is so so long ago and then moving up to the Four Corners. I never I never heard anything positive or negative. It was just you know, it's an occupation in the four corners is very fairly conservative. And so I wouldn't

08:12 Are you looking at it?

08:17 You want to go? Yeah, so influential person in your life. And what did they teach you?

08:27 Okay, so not to sound like a broken last time. I said my wife still going to roll with just seeing the way she is with her kids. It's pretty amazing to see how someone can go from not a parent to a parent immediately overnight. It's for some people it's natural and she doesn't she doesn't everyday my commander, you know, I leave for work early. So she's always getting two kids ready and stressful. It's chaos, but wouldn't trade it for the world. But she she's thereformation Iraq. Like I said that married for 10 years and amazing and it's one thing I'll say it's crazy growing up ferrets have been divorced since I was too so I didn't really know a healthy relationship if you will a mother and father together what how they react it was always

09:26 It's not a silly pitted against each other, but it was a lot of animosity towards each other. So seeing how they acted it was, you know, I always knew I didn't want that for me. And what's crazy is my my three siblings. The two of them have been married, you know several years now 10-15 years on my brother just got out of long-term marriages almost 18 years.

09:53 Yeah, she's there for me. And in the point. I was getting to his people always say marriage is hard and for me, I'd say it's been one of the the best choice is one of the easiest things I've ever done and it's something that yes. I have to work at we have too few no agree on things, but it's one of the best nights of my life for sure.

10:16 Yeah, I I completely agree Jess and I say that all the time we we talked about how you carry in a marriages is work and it's hard and we weave we talk multiple times where it's just it's just not that way, you know, we we just there's so many times on the couch watching Parks and Rec or something very uplifting cuz we need that right now. She's just chilling over and just say, you know, we're really good, you know other couples. Wish they could be so I completely understand.

10:56 I'm on the same page.

11:01 Listen here to see if you get another question.

11:06 Or I can go back to the others.

11:10 Paradise but I've stopped out for now. I'm really glad you're still could you briefly describe in your own words your political personal political values?

11:30 Off for me my personal political values and it's women's rights are definitely right there, but she raised him a daughter. That's something that I worry about everyday. I want her thankful that right now she's not in the future as our wants to know if the women's rights is is right there lgbtq rights a big thing for me really? It's it's kind of the Gold Room for me treat others as you want to be treated. That's where I come from.

12:12 Your Healthcare is huge having a kidney stone myself last year. Just a horrible it is, you know, you can be in and I know you're in the healthcare industry and just seeing that I would never want anyone get turned away for a pre-existing condition something that somebody has no control over you help with I think that's a basic human right that we should all have a choice even religious freedom have the right to choose whatever religion is what they want. Those are

12:55 Pretty much in a nutshell. What about yourself, please in your own words your political values.

13:04 I've been very much the same it's obviously changed a lot Through The Years, you know who taught you the most I think my wife has been the most influential person in my life, but growing up. I think I've learned so much for my dad. And I and a lot of it was As I Grew I realized a lot of the things that I saw are not good. So even though I I saw I learned a lot of very very good things for my father. I think I learned a lot of things that I saw I didn't want to be that way and I did want to know carry those things that I have learned or witness growing up, you know, just that the Casual racism, you know, people just say, you know, the things they say and as you grow older and kind of in a wise enough, it's like, oh that's that's not right. And so I think I learned a lot

14:04 That's not where I'm at today. I you know, we my wife in high school and went to high school together. She

14:13 Hey, I think it was English maybe senior year she and I thought I loved the story and I I I don't deny it but it's long as we played the fish. She said when she gets married she's going to keep his her own last name and allegedly. I said good luck finding someone to marry you. This was a high school kid. And so I mean she has her last name and some people send stuff in the mail. It'll say mr. And mrs. Artero and she'll stay out here. She won't open it because I have a million-dollar she want

14:49 We got two rights. We were lucky that where we live. We are sitting on the couch when our friend called and told us about Ruth Bader Ginsburg passing and I got up bright early before the sun and drove down to DC and went to the Supreme Court and put some stuff down at the memorial and it just it just grew and grow wish we could have stayed through the night cuz it just kept growing growing and it was nice to see the people in the support for that and realizing what this this woman has done, you know for

15:34 I mean not not enough for herself. I mean really, you know, it's it's the selflessness of that and seeing that I think that's something that I've been trying to work for. You know, it's it's realizing there is who needs help. You know, I we have a bit of good food bank here around Philadelphia that we donate to because you know, I come home and I'm have a fridge full of food and then I'll sit here and I don't know what to eat. There's people who don't have anything they don't see and so it's it's really my political beliefs that changed in perspective.

16:11 So quick question you in and you can labret if you want to do you think so. I know you guys live in New Mexico for a long time and you moved to Delaware. Do you think the area has had an influence on that like kind of seeing the way the other side lives or

16:30 Yes and know where we lived. It's honestly so if you go South Wilmington, it's becomes very rural country kind of land. So if feels like Farmington, New Mexico, but you know, I some of the hospitals would cover I go through West Philly and you know, it's so different world Chester and they treat, you know, a very underserved population. And that's one thing you're talking about the medical industry and the cost of this one thing that the good things in this is a question. I wanted to ask you but I'm one of the good things that has come from covid-19.

17:30 Where these patients if they don't have any cost to it, you know because it and so they've been working for things like that but positive this all this covid-19 and you know, just more time at the reflection of the time you have in in you won't necessarily take for granted when you can go out to a movie or to a concert he with other people, you know, you'll really see the value in that as opposed to

18:11 Just a regular old day. And I think for me I'm with my wife she'll scare with you know, that the mass on her lung and just dealing with that. It was kind of scary it was you know, I didn't even think about going to the grocery store or the normal stuff. We did it was cut it all out and I didn't miss it really it was it was fine. And I think the biggest thing was our daughter and her socialisation just from her or preschool go in there and and hanging out with the kids. It was a couple weeks in and she was missing them pretty pretty hard and just getting to play and interact with all the other kids with some big. So I I see I see everyone growing and and learning from this not taking stuff for granted as as much as we did before. That's what I'm taking.

19:07 I agree. I think this has opened a lot of people's eyes to things like, you know seats in the rows of cars at three Banks and you know, seeing you know, just think said everyday activities that you know, we took you know, I told Jess I never wanted to go to a bar and spend five times more than what this this drink is worth just to go pee in public and then get out and be around people it's either I'm really missing that you know, and then seeing how underserved number funded education is, you know, they were forcing teachers to do something. They've never had to do in a setting in its it could suck his back. I mean for a long time but it's one where I think it can hopefully make people realize how important this is, you know reality.

20:07 Am I your kids your kids are our future. Let me speak to that real quick. Cuz that was my last conversation. One of the things that would kind of seem like a flip-flop Beyond would be being physically conservative. Right? So I I I I understand the need to watch our national debt and all these things but I see more so we keep funding Wars and we fund the border wall all these things that are not needed but yet we are all these items that we could see immediate return on it and really changed people's lives. It's it's always a dinosaur a partisan issue, but it doesn't get the attention that need, you know, it's always a fight when when the FBI needs a new building its you know, there's no problem right that into a bill or something but, you know to cover College tuition for a

21:07 Two kids that wouldn't necessarily go to college or could be the first in their families to go to college. It's it's always a fight so it's kind of yeah, it's kind of scary.

21:21 I hear you. Do you want to ask the next question? So all through Obama's presidency conservative and then 2016 what was give me an example of something that really flipped you in and you know let you know for sure on today.

21:47 Yeah, you know 26 Scott I so I mean very conservative.

21:54 And it was always anything. I think I knew a lot of the things, you know, I think a lot of conservative ideas sometimes it's I think that's the problem with it being a or b black or white, you know, it's right or left and it's a spectrum and I gets lost and I was I was definitely on the right side, but you know, I always, you know, I remember after Sandy Hook I bought an AR-15 because there was you know, this mass panic that went out on Mini conservative message boards, and you know, just just the media that you know, they're going to take guns away and I I I remember one of them and then, you know, we work towards 2016 and I still have my Gary Johnson shirt and you know how you I was one of the Libertarians. I I didn't vote.

22:54 Trump or Hillary and it was one of those were in my mind. I was like, what's the worst this guy can do? I don't think he's going to be great. I don't like him but it was one of those where I don't think that I was not one of them. I don't want to say no until this coming cuz they're people much more educated and have more foresight and they saw this coming but I I did not and then it's it seem like it just happened so quick just seeing the changes that were happening and the divisiveness that was growing and just hatred it to me. It seems like the

23:32 This social media comments and message boards and things that I read now. We're no longer in the dark. This was mainstream. This is not something that you just care about or read about online. You know, people are on the street saying the things that they wouldn't say before and it was one of those were it open my eyes and it just it just seems so overwhelming that you know, these things are not right and how how are we here, you know just hating one another and it's I think it's

24:04 As someone explain it, I think the been out of my right eye many I've heard most people say it but you know, he's he's not a problem. He's a symptom of the problem the president and and I believe that because you see it you see it, you know all around but at the same time, you know, you do see a lot of good and so I have hope you know, I mean, like I said, seeing the people turn on Washington and the black lives matter protesting in seeing just the sheer numbers of people who are speaking up saying no this is not right is is a very heartwarming and I'm glad I mean, I feel like I'm on the right side, you know now you know with where I stand and what I'm in a fighting for and spending my time and money to try to help not feel I feel like that's where We've Ended up and it's it's it just seemed like it happened pretty quick. It's not like the election happened in immediately. I flipped but sometime in there it just it was it didn't seem like it was a slow progression it was

25:04 Immediately. I felt like this what's this is wrong, you know where we're at.

25:12 So, is there a belief you hold now that is different from you know, when we first met in the past relationship.

25:25 Early on in my relationship with my wife. I would say I heard about you and really met you very many times and just seeing whether be social media are the way other people have talked about you and him are different and I was like, you know that we can never message from past. If you will it was we were going to be best buds were hanging out with a hose like it is what it is and then I would say the trip we made that Easter. I think it was right after you got married or was close to you. I don't remember and just talking with you and sitting by the fire and having conversations and just pay, you know, he likes a lot of things that I like you both audio files if you will.

26:11 It. I was a complete change it, you know complete change of what any perceived idea. I had of you or thoughts or whatever. Anybody have said it believes but it was like I got to know you and that's definitely shaped. You know, why I brought you here just so we can talk and because I know how you were. Your noun definitely. Yeah, is that that's definitely one of the different than we first met.

26:44 I still love I still show people that photo of me holding your daughter where I'm just holding her like this and she is just waking and screaming and would be going to have kids. So that's a no look. This is what happens when I hold you now, and I'm sure she probably still to this day. I don't know.

27:15 Rights show about kids. I have a question. What is something that you think in 2020, you know the election that have I seen this, that you are most proud of that you will be most proud to tell your kids about when they're older and they understand I I hope that I can tell them that you know, we faced one of the biggest Health crisis that any of us will ever do you know, there's there's there's nothing that has ever hit the US like this and that we

27:57 For the most part a lot of good people came through and help other people and it was you know, we we did what we need to do what we stayed home. We social distance we washed her hands and warm ass because regardless of your believes, you know, it's not just protecting me. It's protecting everyone around me. So it's just the right thing to do and it would all be excited to tell them is hopefully this country has seen so much in the in the years that it. We came back from the brink of complete separation of political lines in and hatred and people that just can't even stand each other we and we came back with Uncommon Ground And in the indecency one, that's what I hope I can stay at Indian humans came together and decency want so I hope that's what happened.

28:52 I agree. I agree I am.

28:56 I think that's enough. I turned in my application last week for to work the polls, you know, when it's it's things like that. It's just doing doing what we can and you know, I know that there's so much excited it's hard cuz when it's hard not to lose myself in that the rabbit hole of social media and the News cycle. So it's it's trying to stay informed than engage without just becoming overwhelmed because especially right now, you know, why don't we don't have an outlet. I know I can't go I can I go outside and go for runs and I go to work. Can we go to the grocery store? And that's that's pretty much all we done is try not to become overwhelmed and really trying to seek out the positivity because there is so much that's not right but there's so much good in like you're saying I think you know, that's that is one of those things that we'll be able to tell you. I don't have

29:56 We're not planning on it. But you know nieces nephews friends children, you know, this is this is what happened and this is what week did you know?

30:04 It's not it's not a war, you know, but it is something that we are fighting or putting the country first. Essentially. That's that on one side were fighting for the country. The other side were fighting for a party. So it's

30:25 We're trying to get these and see back in there.

30:32 Let's see. What else you want to talk about.

30:37 CIA I honestly I'm I always ask people this because I have grand ideas. But what's the first thing you're going to do when life is back to normal, you know when vaccines are out in Interstate travel is a thing in a passport mean something we can go places. You know, what's the first thing you want to do outside Wichita outside Wichita.

31:08 I don't know. Maybe I'm a travel to Florida to see my in-laws and maybe go fishing or something. You don't get out there and let the kids play in the good. My son hasn't been to the beach yet. He wasn't old enough to play in the sand and stuff. So take the kids to the beach and let him play and saying I think that awesome.

31:30 What's what are you planning to eat drink and just decompress and relax, you know, and then I've been back home and a year. I haven't seen my parents in over a year. I haven't seen my sister. I need a longer. You know, I have a new niece who she was sick. I had open heart surgery. I haven't seen her yet.

32:06 Engaging in Spain part of the community again the ice can't wait. I think I think it's going to be slow. But I know it'll be okay. So I'll ask you this one. What what good do you think do you sense comes from our differences? What do you think?

32:29 So it just the collective you like us and you know, I mean cuz I think it's realizing that you're really not that different. I think more people have I think people have more in common in general than they believe with others who they they may disagree with on You Know da hot button issues. It seems like political identity has become the only idea it's not you're a nurse in a father and you know, you know you work at your church and you you know, we build cars and use things is called a Republican or conservative or someone who needs to pick us up options. And I think people have more in common than you think. It's such a small world. I met a guy today at a hospital who knew

33:29 Someone from a Farmington New Mexico cuz he'd work with them. And you know I said, I'm from Farmington. He goes Farmington, you know, do you know so and so it's like the world's not that big and it's every time we think there is you know, I think it's the big picture. This world's pretty small. We got to share it and I think we're all actually Loyola more common than we we believe that that is so true. I working being a red State and working in an industry that you know, everybody's got to be hard-nosed hard-working man, they're conservative and that's that's the way of life. It's it's quick for them find you by your political views. It's not. Hey, let's let's learn something I try to do, you know, I speak to people the same and I give you the same respect no matter what their Walk of Life is race color religion, whatever, you know, it's all

34:29 World people are all in this together. So seeing how right now it is politically divided in people are so quick to label someone. It's I'm hoping we can get back to to the middle, you know, say hey I get both sides. We can work together. Let's let's agree. Let's say it's for the better of everyone not just for my party myself, you know, so yeah, that's definitely the good.

34:58 That's one thing I'm looking forward to is the saying that it's you know, everything you want any way in life to get and I think we can get there. It's like set its progress and so, you know, Jesse's social scientist. And so it's it's talking about social progress not so you don't study trajectory up, you know, it's this always when we talked about it. I was think of is like a roller coaster that's constantly going uphill but you still have Peaks and troughs. So even though I think we're going the right direction. This is one of those trucks.

35:38 So, how do you think we can come together after all this man? What do you think we can do we have to tackle code. I mean that's we got to handle that. We got to clear Sky's leadership is going to help and just getting people to understand that you're not as protecting protecting your community in that's going to be a big thing.

36:13 How easy it is for people to get in bubbles for us to get back to.

36:22 We're here. Not everybody is are in a me. Where do if your fellow person is the common decency? There is good. His is there just

36:34 And I mean beer right side of history and in helping your fellow American everybody references patriotism. Now, everybody came together in there was no we're having more people, you know, it was got to get back to that.

37:03 Yeah, I I mean that was freshman year. I remember that and yeah, it was it was a it was interesting time cuz I think there was a lot of fear and I think fear can bring people together but no Diss disinformation and just lack of clarity, you know, you have multiple people saying different things. And so that's why you have this confusion and you have people don't believe what they hear because they are so many different things and I think I'm going to think coming together. It's just going out and being willing to be uncomfortable. I kind of have a social media best in the worst thing ever. I kind of had a conversation with my cousin who is a law enforcement officer back and forth on on social media Netcong went downhill quickly, but that was something I think I said to him was that you know,

37:56 Stuff to make you angry and you may be mad and you may hate these people but nothing nothing bad can come from having uncomfortable conversation. You may feel uncomfortable but it's a whole you can't go around this and I think that's a big thing and it's challenging people on their you know, their beliefs, but even just trying to ask why and you know, explain your side. It's I think it's getting to where you're willing to hear things that are not your own belief, you know where your mind can get past protecting itself and open up to those ideas. And I think we can hang out of your own Echo chamber is a big thing if people are just in social media, I think is allowed that to happen where you just end up in your own bubble and you just hear the same things that

38:56 I believe so just reinforces that even if it's not correct, even if it is being able to differing ideas with decency, like you said absolutely time left.

39:34 Uncle difficulties

39:39 I'm looking forward to not having the door. I can't wait then I'm it's like I said, it's not a joke. I'm like I go spend $100 for two beers just took you talk about being Frugal. I'm going to I just want to go sit in a pub watch my soccer match, you know, I'm like that's that's all.

40:04 Man, I swear it's you know, it's one of those right by drive-by cuz there's some places that are opening out there and I drive by and I look in her sleep. I guess I just wanted but you know it is it's tough, but

40:24 Okay, we got to hop out and then get into a different one.