VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE  126  
AIR DATE  06 12 2020   
TRANSCRIPT


OPEN  ((VO/NAT)) 
((Banner)) 
A Policewoman’s View
((Tracie Simmons, Retired Deputy Chief, Metro Transit 
Police Department)) 
We get to say what legacy George Floyd's death has on us 
as a people.  As long as people feel like it isn’t going to die 
out like all the rest of them, because those four officers will 
go to jail for a very long time.  But it doesn't mean I feel 
super safe about my son driving at night.  
((Animation Transition)) 
((Banner))
Shining a Light
((Robin Bell, Projection Artist))  
Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, people can't be around 
each other.  And it makes it really hard to mourn the loss and 
to mourn the death.   It really helps serve a purpose.  
 ((Animation Transition)) 
((Banner)) 
Learning from Home
((Nour Roberts, Junior, Cooper Middle School)) 
Distance learning is quite the buzz kill, if you ask 
me.  Testing is definitely hard.  I had a math test the other 
day and I’m almost positive I failed. 
((Open Animation))  
 

BLOCK A 

 
((PKG))  PROTESTS / POLICE DEPUTY  
((Banner:  Racism, Seen from Inside))  
((Reporter:  Marsha James)) 
((Camera/Editor:  Gabrielle Weiss))
((Additional Camera:  Virginia Gunawan))  
((Map:  Laurel, Maryland))   
((Main character:  1 female))  
((NATS))  
((Tracie Simmons, Retired Deputy Chief, Metro Transit 
Police Department)) 
So, here we have me graduating from the police academy.  
This is my chief at the time.  Quite happy to have a gun and 
a badge.  I was working on the bus.  We used to wear plain 
clothes on the bus.  And that's me with the general 
manager.  I had just made sergeant.  I remember being the 
only African-American female in that group of promotees.  I 
remember the levels of competitiveness and the gratification 
that I was able to compete at that level and excel.   
((NATS))  
((Tracie Simmons, Retired Deputy Chief, Metro Transit 
Police Department))  
My name is Tracy Simmons and I am a retired Deputy Chief 
of the Metro Transit Police Department.  I served there for 
over 25 years in various capacities.  I came up through the 
ranks and I retired at the rank of Deputy Chief and I was the 
first African-American woman to reach that rank at my police 
agency.   
It was very intimidating for a young woman, especially a 
young black woman.  I was in a highly, you know, Anglo 
workplace with majority male and it was challenging.  You 
had to get in to fit in, to get along and really, you really still 
weren't a part of.  Be clear.  You know, in the police 
department, there was rampant sexism, rampant racism.  
There were remarks made in roll calls that, you know, I 
wouldn't dare repeat.  And as I was there, because I was, 
because I was there, I got to be a voice for things that 
needed to change and be different.  
((NATS))  
((Tracie Simmons, Retired Deputy Chief, Metro Transit 
Police Department)) 
There'll be a certain segment of racism because we come 
from those same communities.  Police officers come from 
those same communities and they bring along with them 
their belief systems, their worldviews and their cultural 
experiences.  It's, I think it's come to a head.  I think there's a 
lot of things that we get to see now because of technology 
that has occurred for many, many years.  And that now it’s 
kind of in our face.  We all had an opportunity to see George 
Floyd, you know, be murdered right on television.  I've never 
seen anything like it in my life and I don't think most 
Americans have.   
((NATS))  
((Tracie Simmons, Retired Deputy Chief, Metro Transit 
Police Department)) 
I think though, our country is in a break down and I think that 
around police brutality and law enforcement, I would tell the 
protesters that I support them wholeheartedly.  I would tell 
them to be thoughtful and be aware that there are other 
stories and other spaces.   
((Tracie Simmons, Retired Deputy Chief, Metro Transit 
Police Department)) 
That's just part of the story but it’s not the real story.  It 
doesn’t tell the story of the ten police officers that got killed 
last week.  It doesn't tell that story.  Or guy down the street 
that got shot by other assailants who the police locked up 
and now they're in jail.  So, there are a lot of stories here to 
be told.   
((NATS))  
((Tracie Simmons, Retired Deputy Chief, Metro Transit 
Police Department)) 
And so, I'm hopeful.  I do think that there are definite ways 
that we can begin to change the culture and we get to just, 
you know, retire out those that want to hold onto the old 
ways.  It's not like….It's changing.  And those that aren't 
ready to change need to move on.  They need to go. 
((Courtesy:  Reuters))
((NATS:   
Because he changed not only this country, not only the 
United States.  He changed the world.  George Floyd 
changed the world.  
((Tracie Simmons, Retired Deputy Chief, Metro Transit 
Police Department)) 
We get to say what legacy George Floyd's death has on us 
as a people.   
((Courtesy:  Reuters))   
((Tracie Simmons, Retired Deputy Chief, Metro Transit 
Police Department)) 
As long as people feel like it isn’t going to die out like all the 
rest of them, because those four officers will go to jail for a 
very long time.  But it doesn't mean I feel super safe about 
my son driving at night. It just doesn't. 

 
((PKG))  PROTESTS / TRUCKER    
((Banner:  Impact))  
((Reporter:  Marsha James)) 
((Camera/Editor:  Martin Secrest))  
((Map:  Waldorf, Maryland))    
((Main character: 1 male))  
((Sub characters:  2 females; 1 male))  
((NATS)) 
((Michael Allmond, Truck Driver)) 
The thing that we think about the protests in D.C. is that -
 where can I start?  We need a change in this country, we 
do.  I mean, we have a lot of friends that are really touched 
by what's happening.  You know, black and white.  I mean, 
I’m just being honest.  We have a lot of friends that we met, 
you know, people that we’ve gotten close to during Andrew's 
football years and still, he's still playing.  He's still active and 
Kailah's high school and all her activities.  So, with the racial 
divide, it makes it rough and they ask a lot of questions 
because this generation, they don't really see color like some 
past generations have. 
((Michael Allmond, Truck Driver))  
So, what do we plan on doing today, you all?  What do you 
all want to do? 
((Andrew Allmond, Michael’s Son))  
Going down to D.C. for the protest.
((Kailah Allmond, Michael’s Daughter))  
Yeah.
((Tracy Allmond, Michael’s Wife))  
I guess we'll make a run to the store and then try to go 
downtown just to, you know, to participate.  I mean, I think 
it's important.  You know, you guys, it's important for you 
guys.  You want to be able to tell your grandchildren that, 
you know, how you made it through this time because I 
believe we’re going to make it through.  We just got to stick 
to it, stick to what we believe and what we know is the right 
thing, so.
((NATS:  Starting truck)) 
((Michael Allmond, Truck Driver))
We thought we’d – it’s 2020.  We want to move past this and 
let it stay in the past.  You know, we only can control the 
future.
((NATS:  Truck)) 
((Michael Allmond, Truck Driver)) 
I’m just trying to provide for myself and my family and just 
taking one day at a time.  People just got to think of others.  I 
know we’re all upset, trust me.  I mean, one night I was up 
all night because I just pictured myself, my family, my 
friends.  It could have been any of us in that situation.  And I 
thought we’d moved past that.  Hopefully, we can move past 
it now, not later, because it’s affecting people.
((NATS:  Truck)) 
 

((PKG))  PROTESTS / GRAFFITI CLEANUP   
((Banner:  The Message))  
((Reporter/Producer:  Julia Smith))
((Main character:  1 male))   
((Map:  Denver, Colorado)) 
((NATS)) 
((Khyyam Cooper, Owner, Home Theater Company))  
My name is Khyyam Cooper.  I own a company called Home 
Theater Company.  I'm a United States Air Force veteran 
and I've lived in Colorado about 27 years now.  
((NATS)) 
((Khyyam Cooper, Owner, Home Theater Company)) 
What actually brought me out, I saw some people on 
Snapchat.  They were out here cleaning up on Monday.  Girl 
and her boyfriend and a five-year-old kid were out here 
actually scrubbing by hand.  And once I saw them doing that, 
I was like, you know what, I can help out.  What really 
motivated me was seeing them do that.  And then I thought 
to myself, you know what, this will help the message versus 
the destruction.  The destruction was taking away from the 
message that people were seeing.  People were seeing the 
violence and the looting and they're forgetting what actually 
happened.  So, by doing this, this actually gets focus back to 
what the message is. 
((NATS)) 
((Khyyam Cooper, Owner, Home Theater Company)) 
So, the process to remove the graffiti.  When I first started, I 
was just using the power-washer.  Then I figured out today, 
by using the actual thinner, I can get down, scrub it, let it set 
for a minute and then use the power-washer to clean it off.  
And that process seems to be working the best by far.  
((NATS)) 
((Khyyam Cooper, Owner, Home Theater Company)) 
I've got to figure out how to get those up.  I don't know. 
People are perceiving the graffiti as destruction.  People are 
trying to convey the message with the graffiti.  And I 
understand what they're trying to do.  But the average 
person is looking at it as destruction and they're taking the 
message the wrong way.  They're saying, 'Oh my gosh, 
you're destroying everything.'  But they're not understanding 
what's happening.  These people are, they're out crying.  
They say, ‘Hey, listen to me.  Pay attention.  Look, look 
what's on the ground.  Not just a bunch of signs.’  But that's 
not the right way for the average person to see it.  People 
don't want to see the destruction.  The message is: Stop 
police brutality.  That's what the message is.  When 
something bad happens like that, people have to be 
accountable for their actions.  Police, government, anybody. 
No matter who it is.  Stop the violence.  Be accountable for 
what you do. 
((NATS)) 
((Khyyam Cooper, Owner, Home Theater Company))  
This is amazing to see so many different cultures, 
backgrounds and different people coming together, unifying 
across the globe.  So that means, everybody obviously 
knows there's a problem, there's an issue.  So, it means a lot 
to me to see people unifying and standing up for something 
that they all believe in, which is amazing.  So hopefully one 
day, that we won't have this issue anymore.  I hope to God 
we won't have this issue anymore.   
((NATS)) 
 
 
TEASE  ((VO/NAT)) 
Coming up….. 
((Banner)) 
Remember Those Lost 
((Robin Bell, Projection Artist)) 
I also get a lot of comfort and solace when we create a really 
good projection that makes people feel better or that really 
shows something.  So, I quite enjoy doing what we do.  

BREAK ONE									 
BUMP IN  ((ANIM))				  
 

BLOCK B   
 
 
((PKG))  COVID / PROJECTION ARTIST   
((Banner:  Remembrance in Light))  
((Reporter/Producer:  June Soh)) 
((Camera:  Sora Yamahira, Bell Visuals))  
((Map:  Washington, DC))    
((Main character:  1 male))  
((NATS)) 
((Robin Bell, Projection Artist))    
One of the projects we’re going to continue to work on is the 
COVID memorial in looking at ways of how we can create 
projection memorials in places.  It really helps serve a 
purpose.  Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, people can't 
be around each other.  And it makes it really hard to mourn 
the loss and to mourn the death.  
((NATS)) 
((Robin Bell, Projection Artist))  
We do this part of these projections with this group that's 
doing this COVID MEMORIAL.   
So, I've taken the content that they have and I’ve been using 
that to project onto buildings.  And that’s photographs of 
people who’ve died from COVID and words from their loved 
ones.  
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Courtesy:  Bell Visuals))  
((Robin Bell, Projection Artist)) 
My name is Robin Bell.  I am an artist and filmmaker in 
Washington, DC.   
My specialty is projection art.  So, I do projections on  
((Courtesy:  Bell Visuals))  
buildings, museums, galleries.  I do it with music.  We also 
do projections all around the city, all around the country and 
some international projections as well.  COVID-19 is 
definitely, like most people in this country, it has directly 
impacted the work we do.  
((Robin Bell, Projection Artist))   
Every event that we have, you know, set up has been either 
cancelled or postponed.  The best you can tell now, you 
know, it’s going to be a long time before we get that kind of 
work back.  
((NATS)) 
((Robin Bell, Projection Artist))   
It’s like somewhere between 10 and 30 seconds delay.  So, I 
just zoomed out a little bit.  Let me know if that’s good and I 
can go more if you want.  
((Robin Bell, Projection Artist))  
We now do projections in my studio just out the window in 
Washington, DC.  We do this because we love to do it and 
because we know it is an important service for the 
community that we live in.  We’ve done some projections 
that were as simple as WASH YOUR HANDS.   
With COVID-19, most of our work now is online.  That’s 
where most people will see the work we do.  We have a 
Twitter.  We have an Instagram and Facebook. 
((Courtesy:  Facebook Live)) 
((NATS)) 
((Robin Bell, Projection Artist))   
Yeah, excited to show you some stuff.  So, this is what we 
are doing right now at this very moment. 
((Robin Bell, Projection Artist))  
We get comments in real time especially when we're doing 
Facebook Live or a live stream.  People would give 
encouragement or would give some suggestions.  It’s pretty 
amazing.  It’s pretty awesome to be able to share it with 
people who are also stuck at home as well. 
((NATS)) 
((Robin Bell, Projection Artist))    
Yeah, I mean, I guess at some point I can, I can zoom in.  
((Robin Bell, Projection Artist)) 
I think it's really important to continue doing what we do, 
even though we can't be on the street the way that we were 
used to.  I also get a lot of comfort and solace when we 
create a really good projection that makes people feel better 
or that really shows something.  So, I quite enjoy doing what 
we do.  And if it works well, I get a lot out of that.  
((NATS/MUSIC))  
((Banner:  In recent weeks, Robin Bell has also begun 
shining a light on racial inequality)) 
 
 
TEASE  ((VO/NAT)) 
Coming up….. 
((Banner)) 
The Class of 2020 
((NATS))  
((Matt Mendelsohn, Photographer))  
All right.  Let me get some disinfectant. 
I ask each senior what they're about, what they love.  So, it 
gives me a sense of how I should photograph them.

 
BREAK TWO									 
BUMP IN  ((ANIM))				  
 

BLOCK C  

((PKG))  COVID / DISTANCE  LEARNING   
((Banner:  Distance Learning))  
((Reporter/Producer:  Lisa Vohra)) 
((Camera:  Rajan Agarwal, Dia White, Mohit Gupta, Maryah 
Roberts, Priya Agarwal, Bimal Prakash)) 
((Map:  Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Washington, DC))    
((Main characters:  1 female;  3 males))  
((NATS)) 
 All right, let’s get started.    
((Nour Roberts, 8th Grader, Cooper Middle School))   
Hi, I’m Nour Roberts.  I’m 14 and I go to Cooper Middle.   
((Rajan Agarwal, Freshman, University of Maryland))  
My name is Rajan Agarwal and I’m currently a student at the 
University of Maryland.    
((Justin White, Social Studies Teacher, Rossville Middle 
School)) 
My name is Justin White.  I teach 7th grade Social Studies.     
((Mohit Gupta, MBA Student, Georgetown University))  
My name is Mohit Gupta and I’m 28 years old.  And I’m an 
MBA student at Georgetown University, McDonough School 
of Business.    
((NATS))  
((Nour Roberts, 8th Grader, Cooper Middle School))  
I am on class with my Civics teacher and she’s reviewing 
last week’s assignments. 
((NATS)) 
((Nour Roberts, 8th Grader, Cooper Middle School))  
My distance learning experience so far has been kind of 
lame.  And that is because we’re doing online school at our 
homes by ourselves.  And you don’t get to see your friends 
and your whole entire social life is missing.  And teachers 
just assign work for you to do on your computer. 
((NATS)) 
((Rajan Agarwal, Freshman, University of Maryland)) 
I think for the most part, The University of Maryland has 
done a good job with getting everything kind of settled in and 
getting students to perform the best they can in an online 
environment. 
((NATS)) 
((Mohit Gupta, MBA Student, Georgetown University)) 
My experience so far has been pretty interesting.  It has 
made it easier because when you have everything going on 
online and you can see your professor’s screen, then 
everything becomes crystal clear and it’s easier to learn, 
from my perspective. 
((NATS)) 
((Justin White, Social Studies Teacher, Rossville Middle 
School)) 
In a regular classroom setting, I have four classes, about an 
hour and 15 minutes in length for each class.  We have 
about 25 students per class.   So in a normal year, for this 
particular setting, you know, it can be a difficult challenge, 
meeting the needs of each of those students, but that's 
something as a teacher that you’re used to. 
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Justin White, Social Studies Teacher, Rossville Middle 
School)) 
This is Coach White.  I was just calling to check on your 
student.  They’ve got a little bit behind this week on their 
assignments and so I was just calling to see if I can be of 
any help, maybe, maybe encourage your child or answering 
questions you might have? 
((Nour Roberts, 8th Grader, Cooper Middle School))  
Distance learning is quite the buzz kill, if you ask 
me.  Testing is definitely hard.  I had a math test the other 
day and I’m almost positive I failed. 
((Mohit Gupta, MBA Student, Georgetown University)) 
I think distance learning is a pretty good arrangement where 
people can switch over to the online version whenever 
possible and whenever it is required. 
((Rajan Agarwal, Freshman, University of Maryland)) 
Sometimes being at home, it’s not always easy to focus.  It’s 
easier to get distracted at home because it is so much more 
comfortable. 
((Nour Roberts, 8th Grader, Cooper Middle School))  
So as far as communicating with my classmates, it’s not 
really like it was and nobody really shows their faces or talks 
because it’s just not as easy.  It’s more awkward. 
((NATS)) 
You can be in it.  You can include your parents or not. 
((NATS)) 
Yeah, she’s on the list for a Chromebook pickup. 
((NATS)) 
((Justin White, Social Studies Teacher, Rossville Middle 
School))  
It’s a real struggle for many parents in this era that we’re 
dealing with.  It’s really trying times for all of us.    
((Justin White, Social Studies Teacher, Rossville Middle 
School))  
Homeschooling while teaching is certainly a challenge.  I can 
understand how some parents are struggling with it.   
((Rajan Agarwal, Freshman, University of Maryland)) 
This whole quarantine and online learning has made it easier 
for me to have a little bit more time because a lot of my time 
is spent walking between classes or going different places in 
the day whenever I’m at school.   
But at home, I don’t really have that.  Going to the next class 
is just opening a new tab.  
((Nour Roberts, 8th Grader, Cooper Middle School))  
Hi, I’m back and at first, distance learning was like, not really 
easy, but now it’s kind of got up and rolling.  I usually just 
have school in the morning and then I work out because my 
swim team has Zoom calls on Tuesday and Thursdays but 
sometimes I just work out by myself. 
((NATS))  
((Courtesy:  Georgetown University))  
((Robert M. Groves, Provost, Georgetown University)) 
Welcome to the 2020 Conferral of Degrees in Course by 
Georgetown University. 
((Courtesy;  Zoom)) 
((Mohit Gupta, MBA Student, Georgetown University)) 
I have my parents and my sister back in India.  They were 
supposed to come to my graduation ceremony which is now 
an e-ceremony.  So, I miss them.  But it’s okay.  It’s a part of 
the whole promise that we’re making for a safer society in 
general. 
((NATS)) 
((Mohit Gupta, MBA Student, Georgetown University)) 
Do the honors of throwing my tassel on the air.  So...one, 
two, three.  Cheers! 
((NATS)) 
 
 
((PKG))  COVID / GRADUATION PHOTOGRAPHER   
((Banner:  Not Forgotten))  
((Reporter:  Penelope Poulou)) 
((Camera:  Mike Burke))  
((Map:  Arlington, Virginia))    
((Main character:  1 male))  
((Sub characters:  2 females; 1 male))  
((NATS:  Matt Mendelsohn, Photographer)) 
Just kind of lean on that, lean on that typewriter top like that. 
Yeah, like it's more comfortable.  There you go.  The 
typewriter is killer.  Beautiful right there.  
((Matt Mendelsohn, Photographer))  
I've been a photographer for 35 years now.  This is my 
neighborhood high school.  And so, I just had this idea that I 
would boost their spirits a little by going around and taking 
pictures, creating a photo essay of this sort of forgotten class 
of 2020 and we called it ‘Not Forgotten: The Yorktown 
Seniors of 2020.’   
((Photos Courtesy:  Matt Mendelsohn)) 
((Matt Mendelsohn, Photographer))  
There are five hundred seniors in the class.  We're up to 200 
students that I photographed in three weeks now.  And 
everybody comes out of their house the same way which is 
they put their hand over the heart and they mouth the words, 
because we can't get close, they say, ‘Thank you so much 
for doing this.’ 
((NATS)) 
((Gracen Flores, Yorktown High School Senior)) 
We've all been very excited to get our pictures taken.  Then 
someone told me that during graduation, people wear white.  
So, I was like, oh, I’ll save this dress for graduation.  And 
then, unfortunately I wasn't able to.  So, I figured this would 
be the perfect time to wear it.  I am worried about next year 
for college.  I'm hoping it will start on time.  I would love to 
teach and I'd love to have a book published one day.  
((NATS))  
((Joseph Saldana, Yorktown, High School Senior))  
I miss my classmates and I miss my teachers.  I just really 
like to go back but, you know, it's probably for the best that 
we all stay home.  I'm really passionate about astronomy.  I 
have been for a long time.  Actually, it was our unit on lenses 
and focal points that made me want to build my telescope 
and 
((Photos Courtesy:  Matt Mendelsohn)) 
((Joseph Saldana, Yorktown, High School Senior))  
why I wanted to put in my picture because I feel it's a big part 
of who I am.  I was really, really proud of myself and so is my 
family when I found out I got into college.  It's a really huge 
accomplishment for me.  I got into George Mason Honors 
and I was looking forward to the smaller classes and more 
seminar-based form of learning, but it's still a little in the air 
how they want to continue on with the next year, if they want 
to start off by virtual classrooms or go into the dorms.  But I 
am disappointed that I won't be able to get the traditional 
college experience.  
((NATS))  
((Matt Mendelsohn, Photographer))  
Now that we have 200 seniors photographed, the project 
feels more like a cross-section of aspirations of these 
seniors.   
((NATS:  Matt Mendelsohn, Photographer))  
All right.  Let me get some disinfectant. 
((NATS))  
((Matt Mendelsohn, Photographer))  
I ask each senior what they're about, what they love.  So, it 
gives me a sense of how I should photograph them. 
((NATS))  
((Galilee Ambellu, Yorktown High School Senior))  
I want to study chemistry, but I might change it to 
neuroscience or psychology.  I realize that I won't have my 
last last day of school.  I won't have senior experience which 
I kind of looked forward to.  And I won't have, I guess, like 
my last month of fun, if that makes sense.  So, it was kind of 
devastating because I worked so hard.  And like graduation, 
it's probably not going to happen in-person for obvious 
reasons and I don't think that we should have an in-person 
graduation but like everyone kind of dreams of going to 
Constitutional Hall and like just walking down the stage.  I 
don't know.  I feel like my memories were kind of robbed 
from me.   
((NATS:  Matt Mendelsohn, Photographer))  
So, we're going to pretend.  Ready?  
((NATS))  
((Galilee Ambellu, Yorktown High School Senior))  
After some, I guess, texting with other people who already 
have their photos taken, I decided that it would probably be a 
good opportunity because I'm not going to have many senior 
memories.   
((Photos Courtesy:  Matt Mendelsohn)) 
((Galilee Ambellu, Yorktown High School Senior))  
So, this will be like a good memory that I could show my kids 
and would be like forever ingrained in my mind.   
((NATS))  
((Matt Mendelsohn, Photographer))  
People say, ‘It’s just the prom.’  It's not the prom.  It’s four 
months, the last four months of your senior year.  It's sort of 
the culmination of 10 years of school.  It's just a project that 
was meant to boost the spirits of this senior class, who like a 
lot of other seniors around America, they're all the same.   
((Photos Courtesy:  Matt Mendelsohn)) 
((Matt Mendelsohn, Photographer))  
They're all very smart.  They're all very passionate.  And 
they all had a chunk of their senior year just evaporate.  And 
so, it started out to be a boost and it's gone crazy.  We've 
been on the evening news and ‘The Today Show’ and ‘The 
Washington Post.’  I now am getting e-mails from people 
from Sydney, Australia, saying, ‘Good luck to the seniors of 
Yorktown High School.  We're thinking about you.’  From 
Sydney, Australia!  It's gotten crazy.   
((MUSIC)) 

NEXT WEEK  ((VO/NAT))                             
In the coming weeks…..
((PKG))  PROMO:  AMERICANS AND GUNS 
((MUSIC)) 
Americans and Guns 
Differing Perspectives 
((SOTs)) 
This is a fight for our way of life and our freedoms as 
Americans. 
The United States constitution says the right of the people to 
keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. 
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
((SOTs)) 
Got to be some regulation, stop somewhere. 
Guns take on a different meaning when you have to kind of 
recognize that they are not just one thing.  Hunting has just 
kind of been a part of our lives as long back as I can 
remember.   
((SOTs)) 
I was shot eight times. 
My older son, he was murdered. 
People think it’s only a city problem or it’s only a domestic 
problem or it’s a gang problem and that is absolutely not the 
truth.  It hits families from every walk of life. 
It’s an attempt to demonize the tool.  It’s not the tool that 
kills.  It’s the person.  
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
((SOTs)) 
Easy access to a gun turns an impulse into a tragedy.   
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
((SOTs)) 
What frustrates lawful gun owners is that we get lumped into 
this heap in the media with people who are breaking the law.  
So, there’s a lot of ways to be safe with the guns.    
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
((SOTs)) 
We live in different realities, you know.  If you have been 
affected by gun violence, what guns are is one thing.  And if 
you have never been affected, you can kind of blithely go on 
with your life never really confronting that.  
((MUSIC)) 
Coming Soon on VOAConnect 
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
 
 
BREAK THREE								 
BUMP IN  ((ANIM))		

 
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