The Problem With Jon Stewart - The Problem With Guns (and Domestic Abusers)

Episode Date: November 18, 2021

Domestic violence is a predictor for gun violence, yet we have a problem enforcing laws that strip firearms from domestic abusers. Jon talks with head writer Chelsea Devantez about her experiences with these issues, possible solutions...and also, somehow, puppet TV shows from the '70s. Jon then talks with bounce musician Big Freedia about her documentary, Freedia Got a Gun, and how gun violence has affected her hometown of New Orleans.Content warning: This episode deals with topics of domestic violence and gun violence. National Domestic Violence Hotline: [phone]CREDITSHosted by: Jon StewartFeaturing, in order of appearance: Chelsea Devantez, Big Freedia, Tocarra MallardExecutive Produced by: Jon Stewart, Brinda Adhikari, James Dixon, Chris McShane, and Richard PleplerLead Producer: Sophie EricksonProducers: Caity Gray, Robby SlowikAssoc. Producer: Andrea BetanzosSound Designer & Audio Engineer: Miguel CarrascalSenior Digital Producer: Kwame OpamDigital Coordinator: Norma HernandezSupervising Producer: Lorrie BaranekHead Writer: Chelsea DevantezElements Producer: Kenneth HullTalent: Brittany Mehmedovic, Haley DenzakResearch: Susan Helvenston, Andy Crystal, Anne Bennett, Deniz Çam, Harjyot Ron SinghTheme Music by: Gary Clark Jr.The Problem With Jon Stewart podcast is an Apple TV+ podcast produced by Busboy Productions. https://apple.co/-JonStewart 

I've been micro dosing the whole fucking week. Oh, you're a micro dose. I would love to. Honestly, doesn't it sound great? I kind of want to do it. I really want a micro dose. Oh, I want a micro dose. I just heard it.

I want it, just like it cures your depression. Right. Like a tiny bit of shrooms. Apparently. Hey, can we get a sponsor? Can we get a micro dose? Shroom sponsor? Today's podcast is brought to you by Silla Saibon.

Silla Saibon. Just don't have it on an empty stomach. OK, everybody, we are doing the podcast. We're talking to Chelsea Devontes. She is our head writer. Hello. And tremendous. Oh, I thought you were going to.

Wow, just one adjective, huh? Brilliant. No, I'll take the one. Hard work. Remember, this is a good one. She thinks she's taller than I am, but I guarantee you, it's the boots. Should we say our height on three?

It's 5'7". I do wear very tall boots. Yes. So there's an intimidation factor. Chelsea. Yes. We did an episode on guns. And I had, let's face facts, I had this thing nailed.

When I was telling Chelsea about the idea for the show, guns was the template that I used, and I laid out this incredibly clever, really smart take on the stagnant gun debate in this country, where rather than focusing on the cycle of violence and the helplessness of the violence, we would attack it not through gun control, but in the way we attack illicit drugs.

And we would look at guns through lethality. Not a assault rifle, nothing, but if it's a higher caliber, if it's a higher velocity, what are the things that do them more damage? And we'll regulate it through the. Yeah, like what's your marijuana? What's your meth? That's right.

What's your Advil? What's your heroin? Although your drugs work too. Chelsea was blown away. And she said to me, oh, I shall do this show. Yes, I said, this has turned me. I wet. I wet on the phone.

She she wept on the phone. So we get in to do it and it turns out I was completely wrong. Our researchers were the one who blew the whistle on that because I was like, hell, yeah, let's start regulating. Fucking research. Fucking research, man. Every time we love your research, could not do this without you. But wow, fuck you guys.

But wow, fuck you guys for always knowing. Always knowing everything better than the dumb comedians. So upsetting. Yeah. So they came in and said that's actually not a good idea. Yes. What they said was, yes, that could have some effect on a tiny, tiny percentage of the violence in this country.

But through our research, it looks like a lot of things run through the lens of domestic violence. And look, spoiler alert. You got to go watch the episode, you guys. Also, this is a trigger warning. We're going to be talking about guns and domestic violence. But the stat that really got me is that 60% of mass shootings are done by domestic violence offenders.

So 60% of them could potentially be affected if domestic violence offenders simply weren't allowed to have guns. You know, more than 40% of women who are killed by guns are victims of domestic violence. Oh, yeah. And this, I mean, we even had a stat roll where it's like, one in every 14 hours, a woman will die from domestic violence. I mean, every four.

Domestic violence through guns, I think. Yeah, yeah. And even higher number through just domestic violence. But the intersection of gun violence in our culture and domestic violence was shocking and looked like a really good way in that if we just enforced the laws on domestic violence, we could really have an impact on gun violence as well. Which is a nice way of saying, since you haven't taken domestic

violence seriously, maybe you can care about yourself. And if you don't want to go to the movies and fear of mass shooting, all you have to do is take domestic violence seriously. That's right. Or if you're on the side that says, hey, I back the blue and I want to protect the police, the most dangerous call they go on is a domestic violence call where there is a firearm. Yeah, where there is a firearm is the most police death.

So I guess what we're saying is you clearly don't care about women. But you do care about guns and we could go. We could go this route. Well, also, I feel like in every episode, we come up against things like, oh, well, it's going to take government regulation to some degree. And oh, my God, that it takes so much. And this is the one issue so far where the government has already said domestic violence offenders can't have guns.

And all we have to do is enforce that. I feel like that was what was special about this episode and that like the rules are in place. We just don't follow them. That's right. We don't follow the rules because America. Can't we just see it in a second verse? Nope, keep going.

You started this. No, because we have a massive, massive cultural issue with domestic violence. And then Chelsea said, which is odd when you're considering that it's an issue on guns and domestic violence, this is my dream show. This is my dream show. And I was like, really? Because my dream show is like H&R puff and stuff. It's giant people dressed up as puppets.

You remember H.R. Puff and stuff. You don't even know what you're talking about. It was the freakiest fucking thing you've ever seen in your life. Like these dudes were absolutely tripping. I don't know what we're talking about right now. Do you think anyone's still listening? No, I lost myself back on track.

This really was my dream episode. I mean, it's gross. I hate myself for saying this, but like I feel like I feel like this is the most important thing I've ever been a part of television wise by far. I never imagined we would cover this. This is a topic that people don't like to cover. And look, sad topics are covered a lot, but specific to domestic violence is shame. There's such intense shame around it.

And so it's a topic that's like very hard for victims and survivors to talk about. And then for other people to talk about, it has this like extra factor that people repel from. Why so much shame? Like is it that people believe at some level it's their fault or they're weaker for having experienced it or what is the shame revolve around? Yeah. Well, so, I mean, the reason it was my dream episode is because domestic violence has affected my life.

It's probably like the main thing that is like had an effect on my life. I know I felt like like disgusting. Like what type of a person was I that I like brought this into my life and that I couldn't get out of it. And also, you know, April Ross said this amazing thing on the show, which is that these relationships start in love or at least in like. And so you're a participant in it in something that becomes very, very violent. But even you feel a lot of shame about like having participated in that relationship.

And I was very young. I was 15. So it was also like, you know, first love and first like guy I lost my virginity to. Oh, boy. You saw me at the taping. No, I know. I sobbed through the taping. But I have to say, if you're going to have a breakdown at work, do it with a

mascot. Oh, my God, the mask, it caught my tears. You couldn't see the tear streets. And I was like, oh, this is wearing a mask at work. It was great. Oh, my God. I sobbed because I think this is what is so important to me about this episode and this issue in that like when I was going through it, like I really felt fucking alone and for years after it, I kept it to myself.

In this episode, there were so many similarities that both those women said about what happened to them. Like this is a pattern. It can happen to anyone. And like you feel like a freak, but the pattern is crazy. So one of the things you said about about it starting in love, I think that goes with the shame it like slowly escalated in my relationship and and also was very young and a lot of like really intense things happened.

But the kind of final thing to happen is like when I broke it off is he did three drive by shootings, one of where my mom worked and two of our house. Oh, and it was like, you know, I remember thinking about like, what am I going to say at school? And like, do you think I'll ever go to prom? Like, you know what I mean? Because you're just right. And it sounds insane.

But when you're in it, it it feels so normal. So this is where it leads to our episode. I'll do this in the broad strokes. Look, I'm looking at some tissues between us. I'm like, I'm not looking to use those. So I am. The broad strokes are that I dropped out of high school. We went to court.

I was given a permanent restraining order against him for the rest of my life, which I didn't even know till way later how rare that is. And even on our episode, our researcher, Susan, was like, I don't even think you can get a permanent one. I hadn't heard of that. And the reason I knew you could is because I had one, which is crazy. And I even had to like go back and look at the documents like that. Yeah, it was permanent because this is what happens.

I moved. I did so many things to change my life to get away from him because a restraining order is still just a notion. It's a piece of paper. It's not like a it's not like a shield wall. So I moved away, take that giant wall of pain, become what a comedian. You know what I mean? Like, you're welcome.

Exactly. And 10 years after that, I was performing on stage at the Second City and a cop walked into the building with a folder to subpoena me back to court in that town across the country because my high school boyfriend wanted to lift the permanent restraining order because if you have a permanent restraining order on you, you can't own a firearm.

If you can't own a firearm, you can't become a cop. And he wanted to. He wanted to become a cop. So then when I was in my 20s, I like faced the court system again. And that's when I really learned about a lot of the things that are in our episode. Like that was the only thing stopping him from owning a gun or how rare it was that I had a permanent one or that like standard domestic violence laws say that like

if you haven't been contacted or stalked in two to four years, it's automatic grounds for a dismissal. And most states like permanent isn't like they usually have an end period. They usually are like, OK, it's been however many years depending on what state you're in and then it's up. And then at the same time, I had so much trauma. I mean, I didn't tell anyone. I was so embarrassed.

I'm fucking embarrassed. Like I don't want that to be my life story, but like it is. Once you changed your life and you moved away, was there a moment where you felt safe again or there wasn't? There's there's never that exhale. No. And it was a weird thing to like the only thing that made me feel better was comedy. But when you start getting more success and you're performing live shows

as I was doing, it's like anyone can buy a ticket. You'd like scan the audience and it's just like it's just constant. Even, you know, this is also it's not in the digital age, like in the way that everybody tracks everybody. Now, this is like sort of an analog story, I would imagine. It was on the cusp. So when it Facebook later came around and I was like, oh, my God. You had to factor this into every decision that you made in your life.

I think it held me back for a long time. You're just like, don't want to be seen and you're hiding. But then also like you're living your life. But then also it was a long time ago. But then also like, I think it's just your mental health is like wrecked. So really until I saw a trauma therapist, highly recommend, got some hot meds. That's when I like finally. Good Yelp reviews, a lot of good Yelp reviews on this.

But I mean, that's what allowed me to like become a person again, because I was living with CPTSD and had no idea. I just thought I was like a fucked up person. I was just like, wow, I have a really fucking crazy personality. And then sort of realized like, oh, no, I'm living with all these things that happened when I was a teenager and unresolved and and hadn't dealt with. And now I'm like having been in therapy for so long, I'm much better. And also.

Like, yeah, getting to do this episode felt so. I'm so glad. Yeah, but it just felt like finally, like you can like do something. That's how I feel. And it's it's interesting because it feels like what you're saying, too, is that the catharsis of it, it doesn't go away. It's like a scar, but that you have to you have to deal with it. Like the more you bury it, the worse it gets.

Yeah, I mean, for a long time, I thought my strength was not needing to talk about it. Like I was very proud that like no one knew that about me. And I never needed to speak about it until like when I when I got subpoenaed like back to like list the order, like I was in a relationship. I had never told him. I hadn't told my friends. I mean, like I just wanted I just wanted a chance at life again. Like I didn't want it to come with me.

And a lot of that was because I was like so ashamed of it and and thought there was like something wrong with me. And it felt like I would unravel if I did it. And I feel like what you're looking at is like just fucking years of work. Like I'm just like and I'm very proud of it now. But it's like, yeah, because we don't talk about it. I thought I was alone and so do many other women. I think it's very important that we made it funny because oftentimes

these topics are like relegated to like, you know, the sad lady show, which you don't turn on like it has to reach people. Like I wish as a kid, I could have like known that it wasn't just me. The crazy thing about it is more than likely wherever you lived, not only was it not you, but you could probably go around your block. Oh, yeah. And find numerous examples. I mean, it was my mom. It was my godmother.

It was in my own house in terms of support and being able to talk about it. Seeing it as an example away from you is one thing. But like even in your own family, they didn't talk about it or they didn't. It's so nuanced. My mom had divorced her husband's because of this. Like we had like gone through horrible things already. And yet the first thing I did was was get into a relationship like in myself, which also statistically is what happens.

If you are raised around domestic violence, you are way more likely to participate in a relationship like it doesn't. You're not like, oh, I know I don't want that. In fact, you're just sort of like, that's normal. And I wonder if those predatory individuals. Yeah, they know. Oh, yeah, I'm a mark. I have so much mace on me, John.

I feel like I'm not a mark anymore, but like even in like, you know, the fucked up improv world where there was like, you know, it was very predatory. By the way, like the world she entered into. Worst, worst choice. I mean, stand up, improv, pathological, patriarchal, sexual harassment, a plenty. Like it's about as dysfunctional, a world in that way that you can find. If there was a predatory improv teacher, I got a DM. You know what I mean?

Because there it's like you had a thing above your head being like, daddy issues, relationship issues, like fuck with me. But I also think it's like I was, this sounds woo-woo, but it's not. I mean, the scientific, I wasn't in my body. Like I was dissociating like all the fucking time. You can kind of tell when someone's like checked out, is this dad? This is dad. No, it's not. Here's the other thing too.

Like the other thing is as, as your friend, as someone who loves you, like I felt like completely ashamed that, that I didn't know that. And that, and that I would never want you to know, you know what I mean? I would hate to be walking around and like, even as I speak about it and I'm like, people are going to know this thing about I'm no longer just a comedian or hopefully your funny friend or I'm going to be like that girl who went through this. Everybody goes through their traumas and it's all individual. I know you to be incredibly empathetic.

So you don't judge people on that basis. And other people's trauma, you totally understand. And you are completely there and supportive and all those things. So why don't you think that's going to be reciprocated? That's a great question. I think I'm a trauma therapist. You're doing great. I'm prescribing you.

Yeah. Actually, I would love more drugs. No, I think that it's definitely like that is where you get into the science of trauma that changed my life because there's just no, I bet it changes your brain chemistry. I mean, I bet it absolutely changed, especially at a time when your brain is developing, when you're a kid. Yeah. And there's things with me that's just like, they're just, it's just me now, you know, but like, I would be told like, oh,

you have a very unique personality. And then I'm literally every box you check in a trauma textbook. Like I was like, oh, like literally down to like not liking yoga. What? Because like closing your eyes and getting calm is the last thing that feels from safety, like the opposite of safety, like safety is like vigilance and looking around and like, you don't want to close your eyes and get calm. You want to like be aware and turning in a 360 motion all the time.

I never even would have thought that you would. Oh yeah. Yeah. But I was like, yeah, I hate yoga. And they're like, yeah, yeah, you all do. Yes. Yeah. I just don't like yoga, but it's not because of that. Yeah. I just, I just don't like anybody saying to me like, feel the ground. Oh yeah. You're like, fuck off.

I mean, I'm sure there's, and there's many other reasons I like yoga, but it was, you know, things that I just thought were like, oh, that's me. Do you still feel like that hyper vigilance will always be with you? Oh yeah. Yeah. So it is. Um, but I've, I've come so far. There was a time in my life, I couldn't even say this like out loud. And it wasn't that long ago.

And I, even now I'm like, I, I'm sad. I'm like trying to not cry on a podcast with Jon Stewart. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. But I'm just saying, like, I'm trying to like keep it together. But like I, there was a time I didn't think I could ever even say it out loud. Right. And I so desperately don't want you to judge yourself. Like, I really, that's my whole thing.

Like, I keep wanting to say, like, you don't understand, like, we love you. Like, we, like you, I don't care what you, you could say to me like, I was raised by aliens and killed people. Like it doesn't, you know, you're so, the person you are is so wonderful. Like whatever it was that got you there. And I know it was probably a struggle and I know it was hard. But I so desperately don't want you to judge yourself. You really are my therapist now.

I think it's cultural, though. Like I, it really felt like it's like good women are like cute and sweet, they have worth. And I really felt like it happened to me because like I was like a fucking freak. And that's also not true. You took that on yourself. Yeah. And you can be any woman. Like it didn't happen to anybody.

And the spread of it, it was sort of like when we were talking to people about this, it was stunning the depth of it, the breadth of it. It cut across every community, every demographic, every age group. Like it was stunning. It's crazy when you say like this affects one in four women because you're like, wow, that's crazy. But you still kind of think it's like other women. Whereas like it really is the people like in the room with you.

It's just hard to share it. And also if you're not out of it, you can't share it. And like this is like very fucked up to say, like in a way, I'm like so grateful. It happened to me so young because I, I just went so far the other way and like so protective of myself, you know? And and also it's like I became like a raging feminist, but not because I like even knew who Gloria Steinem was. I just like went to court and saw how things were so heavily

imbalanced towards women and how you can't be protected from this and how people treated you in the town. Did you feel like you were in a system that accepted that just that's what men are like, like that it that it dismissed the terror? I would imagine it's like if a terrorist attack happened and everybody was just like, hey, man, that's just how people are. Like that just, hey, man, people do they do bombings.

Oh, yeah. Or they'd be like, oh, he didn't mean it. Or he was just scaring you. Is that the stuff they would say to you? Like, oh, he's he's just going through it. And don't worry. Right before it happened, I had a teacher say, like, don't fuck with our player. Like, you're fucking with his head. Really?

And like part of the whole reason I dropped out of high schools, because it was like even if you now the court order could make him leave. But like, I would still have to like go and be around all these people. And I would have been the person that like took their star player off the team. Do you think at any level that teacher would ever have a moment of like, oh, I'm a terrible person and the opposite of a teacher? I don't I don't think so. I think like, I don't know.

It's like, what gets you to change? Like, I left like my whole life was destroyed. Like, I didn't know if I was going to be a person again, you know, and like, that's not enough. And he still wanted to like lift the order years later. Like, I think like, if it doesn't culturally shift, it's really that thing where it's like, it has to happen to your mother, your daughter or your wife, and you can't be the one doing it.

Well, that's what people say, you know, I have a daughter. And, you know, so I but you shouldn't have to. You should just be like, you know, I'm part of being human. At the time, I felt like so like the gross girl who wasn't going to get to graduate, you know, and now I'm sort of like, I can't fucking believe that happened. But also, it took me so long to even say it that I didn't even realize how fucked up it was for like many, many years. When you said it, were did you find other people around you?

Kind of because you were saying you didn't say it out loud. You said it to like a therapist. Um, yeah, so when the when I like had to go back to court, I said it out loud to like a relationship and friends. And no, they were like, I mean, it sounds fucking crazy, like three drive by shootings is crazy. Oh, that's very intense. Oh, yeah. I had sort of been like, actually, I'm going to go with one.

Yes. One limit on drive by shootings, generally one, generally one. Yeah. I mean, part of surviving it is playing it down and disappearing it. And it's it and it's like, not the bad. It's not the bad. It's not the bad. It's not the bad. Like it was fucked up, but it's fine. It's fine. It's fine. And so I think a big part of MIT was like being like, oh, that wasn't fine. I was actually like, whoa. Or like even now I'm like, I got a permanent restraining order.

Like then that's really rare. And like there were many other things apart of that court case besides the shooting. All I can say is that like trauma brain is like very real. And it feels like it takes your brain and it just shatters it. And then you spend the rest of your life trying to like somewhat puzzle some pieces back together. And it makes you a terrible person to try and fix these things,

help these things stand up for yourself because you're now working with like a brain that doesn't function like a normal brain. I wonder if that's like, you know, if you think about. Fight or flight, you know what I mean? Like if you feel like you're in in that kind of trauma, like I imagine there's a certain like reptilian aspect to it where you're just in this survival mode. And I would think that's really hard to come out of.

It's very hard. Thank you. That was welcome to obvious man, the obvious therapy man. It is so fucking hard to go through it. It's annoying. I almost wish I didn't talk about it at all. I did this a long time ago. I chose to talk about it. But sometimes I'm like, Jesus, this was like way easier when I wasn't fucking opening up and sharing it and dealing with other people's emotions about it or worrying that like it would get out and people would know I was talking about it.

And then I would feel repercussions from that. So it's not like talking about it was a huge weight off your shoulders. Like it's still it was just one part of a process that takes years. Yeah, I think it was killing me from the inside. And now I'm like free of that part of it. And also I just logically I'm like, if more people talk about this than like that girl who is 15 right now can have more help. And so then I'm like, got to be loud, got to be loud.

I feel like when April was talking about it, when you saw her doing it on the show and when Janet was doing it on the show, like did that? Did you at least feel like you did that? Like, did you at least feel that sense of pride? Like you set that up to have that message? Do you know what I mean? Like that that that's real. That's going to make it through the whole pocket.

Oh, you're going now. No, but it's like it's so hard to. It's so hard to come back from it. And like you like doing that episode, I truly felt like at least I've like done this. And like maybe I can like have peace because this has happened. That's how I feel about our episode of TV. I'll cry. I wish I had done it in front of a paywall.

Jesus, oh my God, what have I done? Subscribe to the Patreon. We'll be selling John's tears and little tiny teacups. And thank you for doing that. And also like it's a real solution. It's like it's a real solution. Oh, all we have to do is enforce these laws against domestic violence offenders. And like there's solutions for gun violence.

And the crazy part, though, was your thought process on it was so clear and so smart and it it got us to that place. So I just wanted to thank you because you made that episode. Thank you truly from the. I mean, I used to think I'd be thanking you for giving me a dream job. Now I'm thanking you for giving me my dream episode of television. There you go. Dream job, dream episode.

We got to figure out what's next. Yeah, what's for Christmas? Jesus, dream narrative. Oh, boy, mini series. You didn't even get into a show time. Oh, boy, it's a Western. OK, so as we were mentioning earlier, we did a entire show on this, looking further into gun violence and domestic violence

and how it all sort of works together. Talks to some folks who are dealing with that right now. I hope you do check it out. But right now a pivot, a segue, a segue, a pivot. Gun violence obviously goes beyond domestic violence. And I saw this documentary, Free to Got a Gun, and it looks at rampant gun violence in New Orleans, made by New Orleans native Big Frida. She is a bounce performer, really talented singer and musician

in New Orleans, who lost her baby brother to gun violence. And so we got a chance to talk to her for a little bit. And the documentary is Free to Got a Gun. And it's it's a really interesting look. At at New Orleans. So take a listen. No one is responding to the gun violence issue like it's an epidemic. No, they're not. Nobody. You know, one time I had to sit down and really ask myself,

how many people do you know killed by gun violence? It was between 60 to 70 people. It's such a repetitive thing to do here in New Orleans. There's a story of gun violence in America that people are not talking about, but we're living in it. We're talking to Big Frida from New Orleans. Who has, first of all, an incredible career in creating the bounce sound and an incredibly talented performer,

but also doing some really impressive work on the violence issue in New Orleans. And Frida, thank you so much for being with us. Welcome to the program. Thank you. Thanks for having me. I saw the documentary that that you made about the violence and the personal connection that you have to it and the things that were going on. Your brother was killed in gun violence in New Orleans. And is that what spurred you to look deeper at the issue in your community?

You know, being that my favorite brother was taken from, you know, me and my family in in 18, I definitely want to do something that will dig deeper to, you know, to help my family as well as families around New Orleans and Louisiana that, you know, we deal with gun violence on a everyday. So I wanted to do something to help my community. I was stunned by the connections. It was interesting.

There's a part in the documentary where you talk about it as an epidemic. And as you are dealing with some of the different cases of violence, not only is your baby brother taken, but you yourself had been shot. You know, your life has been touched by this in so many different ways. Most definitely. I've been dealing with it since I was a kid, growing up here in New Orleans since I was a young adult and happened to see this, you know, on an everyday scale,

just maybe coming out my front door, not knowing if I'm going to see somebody laying on the ground, shouting out. You also talk in the documentary a lot about the the trauma of it, just the the PTSD of living in those communities. But there's a lot of parts of the documentary that are really joyful, you know, that show what you love about New Orleans and and how the community there really embraces each other and lives joyfully and even in difficult conditions and times finds a way to celebrate.

Yeah, we're a tough city, you know, but we do find ways to celebrate even in death. We don't take their lives for granted. And we definitely want to celebrate our people, you know, in times where we lose people. It has been really rough. New Orleans. We have to tuck up the tears and and really just go ahead and move forward.

A lot of times I tell people here in New Orleans, most of the time we just have to keep praying and pushing. And I think that's with us pulling together as a whole and supporting each other. You talked a little bit about, you know, New Orleans being really territorial. I think our knowledge of New Orleans is generally from, you know, tourists. We're interlopers. We come in and we take advantage of all the richness of the culture there.

But we don't think so much about, you know, and you talked about how in certain projects, you know, Josephine doesn't get along with Magnolia and Ninth Ward doesn't get along with Third Ward. And and this is all passed down to these kids. It really focused on interpersonal beef, as they called it. Yeah, it stems down from, you know, different generations of young men that has been been holding beef with other territories and different wards. And so as they teach in their younger cousins and their younger brothers, have that same mentality.

But like I tell them, the neighborhood is going to be here when you're dead and gone. It's a big problem here in New Orleans. Was music the way that you were able to put your energy not into that kind of territorial fighting, but into something else that that you felt filled you up? Church was my outlet. That was my safe haven. It was, you know, the people at the church and the community around the church, they love me. They help protect me.

You know, a lot of times when people say they come to a free to show, they feel like they've been to a revival. You know, I say, well, you know, back then I was a choir director as well. And when I will open my hands, you know, people will open their voices and really, you know, use some power behind it. I say, right now I'm just directing asses to go different ways. Oh, yes. But it's it's really wonderful.

And it's so I think in some ways when you watch it, I think what's so heartbreaking, it feels like we have let you down. It almost feels like we've allowed this city that's given us so much to suffer so greatly. I think the government has let us down. It's not the people letting us down. It's the government who controls these laws that that can put some of these things at ease and to put in stricter gun laws and gun reforms for us to be able to be, you know, safer in our own communities.

It's just heartbreaking to see that people who has the power to make change happen. It is not happening. But have you had any legislative progress from the people down there? No, nothing. People are or tied. I know a lot of people are tied. The documentary is incredibly powerful. It's really a journey from a personal tragedy, obviously, that affected you and

you're obviously lost your brother and then, you know, working through your own trauma, but in a really positive way to speak about. I just want people to, you know, check out free the gun and whatever they can do to help the situation and less thought having these conversations and less thought, you know, trying to save young kids all around the world. Because this is not only a thing that's happening in Louisiana. It's happening all around the world. And how can we fix these situations?

How can we fix some of these problems in the community? And I think it's up to our government and it's up to us as a community to help provide resources to give better opportunities to our next generation. Well, the documentary, Free to Got a Gun, it's really powerful. Your spirit is infused throughout it. It's really moving, really warm. And I can't thank you enough for coming on and talking about it and also for making the film and just for being big freedom.

Thank you, John. I appreciate it so much. All right, next up, it's Karl Mahler, one of our fine, fine writers with some sartorial thoughts on gun ownership in a new segment called Now That's What I Call Petty. It's time for another edition of Now That's What I Call Petty. Mm hmm. Hi, my name is Takar and I'm a writer on the show.

Enough pleasantries. I have something very important to say and very little time to say it. There should be a dress code for gun ownership. If you're going to exercise your right to carry a gun, can you please also exercise your right to not look like you frequently get kicked out of Toby Keith concerts? Keep in mind that your outfit will be the last thing your potential victim will see. So color coordinate and stop dressing like you expect your personality to do all the work. Are you seriously going to brandish a deadly weapon while wearing jorts?

Enough. Are you a patriot or a dad looking for lighter fluid for another long day on the grill? The right to pen a love song to a Glock is somewhere in the Constitution. So trust for the occasion, if having a gun is so special, buy some genes that were made after Netflix stopped sending out DVDs. Oh, you need to take your gun to the grocery store. Then I need a black church lady on Easter Sunday energy in your outfit.

Two words, power pastels. I need you to be giving me full Steve Harvey fashion Renaissance leather pants and bald head. OK, I'm talking 10s across the board. I would more enthusiastically defend your right to have a gun in your holster if I liked your outfit. Petty, I know. That is the end of our podcast for the day. I have already popped as Annex. You have popped as Annex, but you're here, man.

I'm still, yeah, I still have to work. I still have to run your show. But like, are you OK that I popped? I prefer you to run the show on at least as Annex. Thank you. OK, bye. If you are looking for more information on gun control or domestic violence resources, head to our website, sign up for the newsletter, or you can also check out the

good work of the National Resource Center on domestic violence and firearms. As always, if you haven't seen the Apple TV Plus show, please check that out. And there is a link to that in the show notes, which I know you read diligently because I read them diligently. By the way, we will be taking a break next week for Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving. But we are going to be back the following Thursday. Very excited for, I guess, that week talking to Steve Kerr, and he's going to

talk about how this year he is going to throw the NBA championship to the New York next. That's right. Steve Kerr is going to talk about how the Golden State Warriors are going to do everything in their power to make sure that the New York Knickabockers are victorious. Bing bong, tune in for that. See you then. Prima John Stuart podcast is an Apple TV Plus podcast and a joint busboy production.