Maryann Elder and James Layton

00:00 4 years old today's date is July 30th. 1920 20 location is I'm in Cleveland. You know, my partner is Maryann Elder and relationships Partners, hopefully future from

00:23 My name is Maryann Elder. I'm 62 years old today, July 30th. I'm in bratenahl Ohio name of my partner is James Layton?

00:45 Okay, so this is my question James.

00:59 If the people ask me if I believe in reincarnation always tell them I've already had 10 lives already. So of course, I just traveled everywhere and I

01:13 Which takes you everywhere so many different careers and education.

01:22 Four different countries

01:24 Did every state in the United States except Hawaii and I have a wonderful son. I'm a proud of that's one of my life goals is wonderful adult and a human being.

01:43 How about you Mariah?

01:47 How would I sum up my life?

02:16 I've been very unlucky in sensibly, but not of pediatric anesthesiology.

02:55 Graduations

03:00 In your own words describe your personal political values one of the most important issues for you personally.

03:19 I should have put your 4/4 at 1 a.m.

03:27 I have always been a democratic and so I guess the reason that I have is that I

03:36 I cherish and value the what the founding fathers. I think what they wanted to do with the People by the people for the people. I don't know that that has happened. I

04:05 I believe in Aston I believe in America. I wish that we were doing more less than the

04:16 The inequality of the partisanship that is rampant today.

04:28 What about constitutionalism? I would describe myself. I don't support a lot of Republicans in the traditional Republican philosophy like the bush Republican where they went to war and the current Republican never met a problem. They didn't want to bomb so I'm not for that at all. I'm a veteran. I'm an infantry and that's why I be Ronald Reagan and then when I lived in California because that's the only

05:17 Libertarian party. Big enough to be a realistic option.

05:26 Yeah, I know some of that, you know.

05:30 What would formulated my opinions was being in the servicing and under Jimmy Carter and we were always on alert for all these little things going on and maybe not so little but

05:45 We change Social Security before him military people did not pay into Social Security to any change that teachers have two bedrooms. You have to do it.

06:12 And it was just a way to get more money because prior to that I was paying into the Federal Reserve. I'm in the federal system and I would have got my money from it like you I mean, I think

06:26 I think we need I think we're getting approaching.

06:31 Equal opportunity of opportunities. I think we're getting there.

06:38 It's just been so much progress in my lifetime. And and I think I want the same thing as you but we may find out that we disagree in the difference for me the most important issue. I think it's cool choice. I can't think I live in Cleveland. I got it. I don't hear anybody. I called the Cleveland CEOs and had a discussion with him and then his primary to go.

07:13 White City or whatever she is and

07:19 They don't really seem to have a plant and I asked him. Why are you telling parents you absolutely have to be involved with your child's education. There is no government-run and 15. It's going to replace.

07:34 And so what we need to do, we don't need to blame the parents. We need to help but somebody has to have the conversation say hey single mother house on when the mother isn't overly educated or overly have job skills. That might be bad and it's just too much of a bear.

08:03 It's about that. We need to somehow.

08:08 I understand what you're saying is I think education is like I think when I was first in Earth.

08:15 And I thought you know, I was at the Academy is

08:42 The structure of the society that we have now.

08:47 Have not because it's not a healthy one and I'm wondering if there are things that could be changed like why are property taxes the thing that on school system, which I find extremely problematic. I'm not sure that I think that used to be the case, but I think Ohio change their school funding method and if I'm if I'm not correctly though. He's more perfume old than the Jefferson, Ohio, Bucyrus, Ohio

09:33 But I can check that out. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I'm pretty sure it's there are property taxes so we can hear the typing so you shouldn't be Google.

10:18 I think it's I want to take us back away from like let's talk about the specific policy issue and I'm going to have James. Why don't you ask Marianne? How would I get to icon look like?

10:48 Never ever the screens. It'll bring up the toolbar and then you'll see leave call your video your Mike invite and then shattered the screen at all. Is it?

11:04 Would it be so it should be a

11:08 So if you can get back to where you can see yourself on the video.

11:22 After using witch

11:24 Oh, you think it would be in the browser?

11:27 Yes, I go to the browser.

11:29 Thank you. This is very important.

11:44 My sister and got me watching MSNBC and CNN and she began watching Fox and my throat's now in the last two to three years where you get your news is where you have your facts, so I don't think I can't, you know, if I get my news from Fox I'm going to believe this set of and so that's why that's why I like to go and actually get it. So we actually have the actual steps so I could be totally wrong.

12:35 Describe your earliest political memory, please.

12:44 You know, I mean

12:47 Remember when I was in the sixth grade?

12:51 Also, I was eleven or twelve Richard Nixon was Barry Goldwater was campaigning. Also we did talk about it and I remembered and everyone was.

13:28 So I think I'm kind of tuned in a little bit even as a child. My parents didn't talk about it a whole lot maybe going back even further. I was five when JFK was assassinated.

13:49 It was a pretty pretty young age and I have been mostly tune in to apologize voted and since since I was able to get my first order and I've always voted for.

14:14 What river is JFK in?

14:18 Irritated my parents forced to sell to watch it at a younger age is like this.

14:30 At that time future mother-in-law was addicted to the hearings.

14:38 The Senate hearings on the impeachment. I forget what the guys he was an older gentleman that ran.

14:49 Really involved in politics until Ronald Reagan

14:56 And you were in California. I got out of school and then Ronald Reagan.

15:10 Yeah, I just like the hope and promise.

15:13 So I did and then some of those clips. I mean, he's good. I'll tell you he's so much better than Donald Trump speaking words in the English language. I'm from the government and I'm here to help if it says a lot in a few words and then of course tear down this wall. Even the Star Wars everybody laughed at him for here. We are 40 years later.

15:57 You know what? It sounds like.

16:04 Experience in the military has on you know your development in politics.

16:12 I think that was probably the most in the military.

16:20 It was so dead that verse and so here it is you I mean, you just have a bunch of 18 19 year old guys and they're just picking up from all over the country and thrown together in a barracks and there's no 500 people in this barracks and you know, all these different music and and we can laugh at each other and make a router. I like country music and this one Jewish Puerto Rican Soldier friend of mine would hear, you know, everybody and my stereo systems in the Army and I would play the country music and then you come and tell me you can't play country music and that good of a person and so what we all do

17:05 Passed it from Baton from one to the other.

17:10 Amazing Story, I think I feel the same way about traveling to other countries.

17:24 Should I take the next question?

17:31 Misunderstood by people who have different beliefs than you do and if so how so

17:42 I believe it's possible that they just understand me, but it's not very relevant to me.

17:51 I'm a gay male. I was married and divorced I had relationships in this is before it was legal on the before, you know 1973. It was still when I join the Army or still a psychiatric disorder my sister something up that she told me, you know, John Wayne wouldn't care what other people thought.

18:27 But that's okay.

18:31 For example, I'm in again at 6 a new sources with also just

18:37 Like we're talk about the education. We just come from its from 2.2. So

18:44 I mean force people. I don't know if you've ever been to the Orion, but the one thing I notice in China's they have a whole different belief what lying and telling the truth is we have tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth the whole truth is not part of their philosophy in line as far as am I. Nobody would ever lie to me directly, but if the facts that was okay because that was on me to ask the right questions. So I asked the right question I get to the honest answer in 90 system is better.

19:19 We just have you just have to have a common belief.

19:24 So do you believe if you tell the truth that people will just understand what you're what you're saying.

19:30 Right, and then and we can have different abused like that. I could take this to me. This is what I honesty means if you honestly mean and we can be different. We just learned after learn how to immigrate are different beliefs.

19:51 Is there a particular issue that you could talk about James Ray feel like people might not always be telling the truth or might think that you know that have a different route than your truth cannot understand. There is a March in Cleveland and not sometimes I go to protest and then sometimes I wear Maga hat and you would not believe the bench that I get. You could buy my mega hat and I just don't understand why I'd rather going up the person to I don't like that piece of clothing. You need to change your font to vote for.

20:29 Joe Biden Hillary Clinton billboard W Bush, whatever I don't I don't understand.

20:39 That and I don't understand why 20 year old kids will and they misunderstood don't come up and say

20:49 Oh, okay here when I work for the Federal Reserve. They wanted to fly a rainbow flag during the month of June for pride.

20:56 I'm only sending out a memo on so I was the only one that replied to it and I was closeted at work or I wasn't whatever I wrote back to the memo. I said I disagree with that thing up because why does this occur? Why not? Why not? Why do we get all identify as Americans and I was attacked and it was funny because I went when I find it when I tell people we had meeting.

21:25 This one of the young lady was telling all this is a teachable moment and she is an example of a woman who needs are by water near death, and she thought that was offencive to gay people. And so that would be Unforgettable that I don't know why why a person and some people my family believe a marriage is between one man one woman. I don't believe that but they believe that and I don't I don't feel any compunction to change their mind. So I totally don't understand.

21:58 Why?

22:00 Young people want to lecture

22:02 Senior citizens on what they should believe

22:07 Where to go to get I mean, I don't know.

22:11 So is this an answer question?

22:16 Definitely. Do you want to ask that to you.

22:29 Blue band most of my friends and family feel similar that every completely everything.

22:44 All I need

22:46 Try to be

22:50 I'm going to try to answer this question, but I'm going to go around about it.

22:57 And it's very difficult when you know with the partisan saying right now like, you know people and if I put a sticker on my car.

23:09 Sometimes I get worried it's somebody's going to you know, I'll just I'll come back from the grocery store and I'll be at the bullet hole in it.

23:18 And

23:33 Secular Esper's an atheist. I have to keep my comments to myself a lot of friends and family know how I feel inside.

23:49 So, you know, I don't got to be.

24:02 It only gets in the way of seeing okay rights and it gets in the way. I see it cuz I don't really don't want to go there. You know, it's hard for people to be very inclusive.

24:51 To Wong

24:53 Can you get this understand your position or do you think they're just against the fact that I think that's probably the Baseline of a lot of what's going on in my father was a minister. We were at school and at some point in my college education had a chance to explore a lot of things and I think what really really changed me.

25:48 On 9/11 when I realized that people for their religious beliefs, which I did and I was before that and I absolutely grieved enough for three months. I watch the news and fried emerged from that. I started reading books by people who said, you know, the Miracles of the universe.

26:38 Thank you.

26:57 What what you were saying brings to mind, but I I different feeling black girl when I was younger. We were lived in a Quaker and we moved away from the church and they were very conservative. You can't get more fundamentalist and I believe her preaching against things. I just didn't think they were talking about me because I'm not I'm not a terrible person. So all these things you're saying, but but anyhow, $1 space.

27:35 And then the reason I like taoism and some fundamentals of Christianity is I decided you know, I'm not going to judge religion.

27:46 Of their believes. I'm going to judge him on the result when you go there terrible. I mean, they actually they disfigure Children of the lower classes so they can get more money from begging. I have seen I have been approached.

28:30 A better world for rituals are important. I still celebrate Christmas. I was just before I could talk to you guys. I was watching a funeral and if they're having a big send-off for him and I don't necessarily believe what they're in a what?

29:20 Tell me more about the different viewpoints that you have.

29:33 Fundamental is anti-catholic. So when I join the army that I was supposed to all these Catholic kids and everything else, you know, a lot of gay people were anti Catholic Church during the 80s.

29:53 Vehement Lee anti-catholic

29:56 When I later on one of the recovery, I saw Catholic Charities just doing this great work. And they and that what really amazed me is Breyers. I'm brother the Coen brothers in the Catholic Church. What they were the ones that were having the hospices for people with AIDS your last text messages for applying they were completely

30:32 It was just amazing how they did it. So I never could understand mocking them. I can understand that agreeing with the Catholic Church.

30:45 You must have the same.

30:53 He died in the hospital. I didn't see a whole lot of.

31:01 United States year that was

31:06 Thank goodness. You don't need to do that in the name of something else. You know, it's really the things that you grow up with her.

31:47 Sometimes really hard to change and sometimes anyway, one of the questions that they wanted to ask is why did you agree to do this interview today?

32:07 Well, I think because we approved.

32:12 My Philosophy is we don't have to yell at each other because I'm wearing a Maga hat you're wearing a bike that sits.

32:22 I think we all have the same basic goal and this one a little bit of a shot. But some people some people need to have that religion to believe that people stop drinking because they just fine whatever whatever you hook is as long as it works.

32:41 I'm all for that and that's why I agreed to do the interview today because there's no reason for animosity we can.

32:50 Hotel

32:52 We could be totally different and still agree on once I see so much difficulty in communicating with people. I haven't had a lot of opportunity to sit down with someone who so maybe it's like literally sit down and talk to somebody and say, you know, let me understand this appointment. So

33:47 I really appreciate that. I think I made you think I was in the military. We had to stand up before every time I went to see a movie every time we went anywhere. We got to stand up and salute and they played a thing about the American flag and they show the country and you know, when you're playing the national anthem and they got stolen green with me. I'm furious when people kneel during the national anthem in the flag because

34:21 You have to be I guess in the military to get that indoctrination, but it's just that's why I find it offensive.

34:29 Every night every morning and I think that for me it's not so much a disrespect for the flag as it is a way to get it to look at me listen to me because no one else is listening to me. So I would say for somebody who is in one of those positions where they're doing something. That's what they're saying is I need you to hear me.

35:16 And not you. No talk to me.

35:30 I agree with you that that's what they're doing. They're saying I want you to hear me, but I think I should have the right to free speech want to hear that is time. Do you want me to hear you?

35:46 Like a professional do you want me to hear you presented to me in a way?

35:51 That I'm interested in this.

36:02 Down the road where they can find out where you going to protest when they don't feel like they're being heard because there's some kind of an injustice going on and it went to quite those people to try to put them down because I don't want to hear you and nothing's going to take it will change if we focus on things that they're upset about. Let's look at what they're upset about. Yeah, you know what? I'm 65 years old and I have my priorities in life and they might be upset about that, but you know what, I mean?

36:49 Young black men dying in the streets every year. I mean set that nobody none of the kids. I know in Cleveland or coming out because it no I don't like rock and roll if you're protesting on the side of her we both have the right to say, you know what I choose to disengage disengage.

37:27 We're losing the opportunity to move forward my last question. How can we come together after? How could we maybe not you and I but how can our society comes after this year?

37:56 Are we going to be able to come today?

38:00 Yeah, I don't think because you know what? I just said, I don't want to go back and see today. Some people think they could say this is what I want to focus on my grandchildren. I want to I don't want to focus on there, but I don't think

38:26 I don't know how we're going to come back together to buy sandwiches and overwhelming Landslide, but the protesters I don't think the process was going to stop because you can always find.

38:41 Yeah, I mean I can always find something I just agree with you and if I'm going to focus on what I disagree with you.

38:47 If the only way possible is if we have another Martin Luther King or somebody to say.

38:53 Weather, police. What can we what can we have a lot of common interests? You want your grandchildren grow up with the same thing for my so you and I feel the same way. I will get there a different, you know, maybe different happy healthy life.

39:37 Well, I believe my son and my grandchildren will have a good half our values and then I work in in like I said you'd like, you know, what your daughter going through medical school. That is not you're going to find out after she starts working and she's making good money when you hear somebody say she needs to pay her for it to get here because he works.

40:24 Do not give me time to catch up on what he's lost. I'm Tom James with ice.

40:42 Actually once I heard you were well travel. I knew you you could navigate through different people.

40:54 Can you ask Fat Tire low?

41:05 I understand. I got a chance I did get a chance to hear some of the background from people who I love your experiences.

41:25 Exceeded my expectations

41:35 You met her Standards Initiative very high expectations for herself. And she's has literally come. She didn't vote for the a woman no matter who it is if it's a homeless woman off the street.

41:50 Or nah

41:51 Yeah, I know. I know I know.

42:03 Okay, we're done. I have a stop the recording.

42:08 Thanks. Thank you.