Legacy, Power, and Accountability

A music legend dies, a senator gets pepper sprayed, and a judge's private life collides with public trust. This week on Thirsty Topics, we ask a simple question: what happens when talent, power, and accountability don't line up the way they should?

We begin by honoring Peabo Bryson and celebrating the remarkable legacy he leaves behind through timeless R&B hits and beloved movie classics. His career sparks a deeper conversation about what it really means to leave something behind that continues to impact others long after you're gone.

From there, we examine Senator Andy Kim's claim that he was pepper sprayed during protests outside an ICE detention center, raising questions about transparency, civil rights, and accountability in government. We also discuss a viral Florida traffic stop where body camera footage appears to contradict a citation issued to a woman for holding a phone in a right hand she doesn't have.

We then explore the realities of an aging workforce, retirement pressures, and why more Americans over 55 are choosing to remain employed. Finally, we unpack a courtroom scandal involving allegations of an affair and debate whether private discipline is enough when public trust is at stake.

We want to hear from you. Head over to our social media pages and join the conversation. Should public officials face stricter consequences when they violate trust, or was the punishment appropriate?

Watch Thirsty Topics live every Thursday. If you miss the live stream, catch every episode anytime on elrodtvnetwork.com.

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

Transcript

Greetings And Community Loss

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Hello everyone. Welcome to this week's episode of Thirsty Topics. How's it going, Wonder?

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Hey, everything is groovy gravy. I can't complain. But you know what? If I did complain, ain't nobody gonna listen no way. But but overall, just a blessed day, man. No matter what. I'm blessed.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

And you're Sam, what about you? I am blessed as well. A lot of crazy enough stuff has been happening this week.

SPEAKER_02 0:46

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Um, before I start, um, for a lot of people who are in the Midwest, especially Chicagoland area, just want to give my uh condolences to the Leek family. Um, Spencer Leek Jr. has passed away. Um, he's actually my age, which is kind of scary. Oh, wow. Very sudden, uh, but I definitely want to give my condolences before we start. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Wow, yeah, and and likewise, because I know a lot of people that uh that knew of him, and it was it was just kind of weird because he just buried uh Jesse Jackson, you know, and all the the things that went along with that. And then in mid-50s, man, 50s are the new 40s, right? So to it was it was definitely sudden. So yeah, my condolences to the family and to everybody that's connected to him in the leak family, yeah. Because they are a pillar in the community.

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Yes, yes, yes, and unfortunately, another passing this week, um Peebo Brightson has passed away.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

Um, I don't know if a lot of young people know who he is, but older people, people uh that have followed music for a while knows uh people for all the soul for music that he's created. He's also created uh some Disney ballads as well. Um, and he's definitely an RB legend. Um real quick overview of people Bryson, who smooth tone and operatic control produced classic Disney hits as well as RB standards, has died according to a statement from his family. He was 75. The statement said that he died Tuesday evening, surrounded by the love of his

Peabo Bryson Tribute And Legacy

SPEAKER_00 2:39

family and those closest to him. Bryson is best known for contributing his talents to the Oscar-winning Disney Disney duets Beauty and the Beast, Sung Aside, Celine Dion, and A Whole New World sung with Regina Bell for the animated film Aladdin. Um he's created some great hits. I mean, just kind of touching on a few of them. Uh I'm so into you, Feel the Fire, um, and then he did a duet with uh Robert Flack tonight. I celebrate my love. I would probably say if I had to pick one, I would say Feel the Fire, probably. It's hard to choose because all of them were great. Which one did you like?

SPEAKER_02 3:26

Man, all of them. I was just telling someone as we were talking about people, Bryson. I got goosebumps, man. And just thinking about him. And if you remember, he actually came from Shalomar. Remember, he was with the group Shalomar. And uh, yeah, there's nothing, you know, he's one of those type of persons that you know that can sing and he can sing the Bible, he can sing anything. He just had that that it factor, you know. And so I I don't know if I could even choose and pick a song because I had so many favorites uh from him, and I do him a disservice uh to do to uh to uh just pick a song, pick a song. But yeah, but I have to say that was one of my favorites, but that was just uh so many. Um, like I say, just going back to Shalomar days, it's going back to his days, yeah. And it's just sad, you know, that uh we woke up to that news this week.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

Yeah, that's true. Um, I know that earlier reports stated that he um had a stroke when and then um I want to say a day or two later, that's when they announced that he passed away. So um it must have been a very severe um event that happened to him. Yeah, he's definitely gonna be missed. Um a lot of a lot of artists do sample uh artists that's been around for a while. So I think that his music is definitely gonna live for a long time after this, right?

SPEAKER_02 4:50

And you know, talking about people, you know, it reminds us that the talent consistently and professionalism still matters because guess what? We just talked about that. He's got music from that's gonna last forever. Weddings, you know, uh love song, baby making songs, you know. Um, oh my god, just so many different songs, and he he he left a uh a legacy because he was so talented, he helped so many people. We talked about that, you know, and one of the things that people made uh unique was his ability to elevate everyone he sang with. You just talk about Roberta Flack, uh Regina Bell was that tonight I celebrate my lover. You I ain't gonna mess it up, but yeah, yeah, yeah. Celine Dion. I didn't even realize he he had uh done a song with her. Of course, we talk about Roberta Flack, and it's just amazing of the people that he connected with, man, and they just it was like magic. It was it was like magic, you know.

SPEAKER_00 5:59

Do you think that um his unfortunate passing will kind of maybe revive some of those songs and you'll start hearing them a little bit?

SPEAKER_02 6:06

At least yeah, and that's the thing. I said his legacy will live on, and that that's another thing, uh Lawrence. We have to all just think about what are we leaving for people to remember us by? What is our own legacies? He left a legacy, he he left a legacy, and and it certainly will remind us, man. You know, it'd be sad, it we're a little sad, but to also just remember, man, if he can do what we can do. It we could there's some things that we can also find ourselves doing that he did to let us know that whatever we did on yesteryear, guess what? It's it's on it's it's it's gonna be forever because even though it's not on vinyl anymore, they they went from the cassette uh to the cassette tapes to the uh with a tracks of the cassette to the CDs to uh the MP players, so it'll be around forever with what he did. Yeah, and it's just sad just even what happened to him was it it was a stroke, correct? Uh allegedly it was a stroke that he had. So you just he didn't think about health because 76 was it how old was he?

SPEAKER_00 7:17

Uh 75.

SPEAKER_02 7:19

75. That's not old, you know.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

No, it's not at all. And you know, the one thing that I hope is that we start seeing more RB songs come out.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:31

Now, don't get me wrong, I like rap and hip-hop, but I kind of like a variety of different stuff. You know, I don't want to listen to that all day and all.

SPEAKER_02 7:39

Well, right, that's that's that's true.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

A lot of times, in order to get some good soul for RB, you have to look, you know, look at the classics because a lot of people aren't making it anymore. I guess it's not the flavor of the day, but hopefully, hopefully, you know, maybe some people start making some more RB hits, you know.

SPEAKER_02 7:59

Yeah. And then and it's it's and and for the people who don't know him, it's just like I remember going, uh, I'm living in Nashville at the time, and uh I knew Mr. Winfrey, Oprah's dad, and I finally got to get on Oprah's show twice through him. And I lived in Chicago all my life, right? So the second show that I attended, the guy said, they'll come out and tell you, well, our guess today is if you never heard of him, you've been up under a rock. And then they went, James Taylor. I'm like, I thought I said, Who is James Taylor? I had never heard of James Taylor. Well, on our way back to Nashville, of course, that's all I heard was James Taylor's song, you know. So for anyone who didn't know uh people bryson, man, you get to know him, or they'll be like me, oh that dude made that song. Oh, he made that song. Oh, okay. You know, so yeah, so it's it's sad, and uh the the tributes are definitely going out for him. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:01

I hope a lot of people do look alone to his songs and everything.

SPEAKER_02 9:05

So oh not again.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

Well, we still hear you, so we'll keep moving until you until the video catches up.

SPEAKER_02 9:22

So one that can come back on the I can't I can't blame the devil for everything. The devil it's just this internet, and I guess in my office here is just, you know, a little rough.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

But anyway, about Peeball just Yeah, what I what I was saying earlier is that I really hope that a lot of young people take the time to get to know who he is by listening to his music.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

And, you know, for the artists out there, you know, maybe even do a cover of his song or maybe incorporate his style into what you're doing, because he definitely has some great, great tunes, and it's been very successful, especially being able to create music for not only major record labels, but also for the TV, you know, for animated shows.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

You know what? It is when I remembered him, I remember back in 1985, and I went to Detroit, Michigan with a friend to his family reunion. And I went there to kind of clear my head. I was like, I just you know, I was thinking real crazy, but the Lord was talking with me, dealing with me. And lo and behold, my friend's cousin was a background singer for Peabody Bryson. Oh, wow! And she sparked my interest, man. And God just knows where to place you. Because, like I said, I was young, kind of going through some things in my mind, like I'm coming back to Chicago, and I'm not gonna be, I'm I'm tired of people treating me this way. And it was a relaxing uh road trip from Chicago to Detroit. And when this cousin, she she told me about the entertainment uh feel because I was singing with groups, trying to find my way uh at that time because I had the I thought I could sing a little bit, so I was with a group, so all those types of things. So it was really, really right on time to see I can touch somebody that actually was in Hollywood singing with uh uh A-list uh uh artist like People Bryson. So I'll never forget that moment in my 20s to meet meet this background singer uh People Bryson. So I got that little touch there.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

Yeah, that's a beautiful thing.

SPEAKER_02 11:57

Yeah, yeah. Got one with Barry White, but I'm gonna wait till we talk about him. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:05

Well, um, something that I'm I'm really surprised did not get uh much more airplay on the news channels, but uh Democratic Senator Andy Kim was pepper sprayed outside of an ice center. So to kind of give you a little bit of background for those that may have not heard of this story, um protests continued on Tuesday outside of an immigration detention center in New Jersey, where U.S. Senator Andy Kim said he was pepper sprayed by federal agents the day before during demonstrations against immigration and custom enforcement agencies outside the facility. A video posted on social media shows Kim, a Democratic representing New Jersey, receiving help from a volunteer on Monday who was seen pouring water in his eyes outside Delaney Hall in Newark,

Senator Pepper Sprayed At ICE Protest

SPEAKER_00 13:02

where detainees have said they are staging a hunger strike against poor conditions and the denial of medical care. You know, this these stories are starting to be way, way too common. Um, we've we've heard about stories in Bellwood, we've heard about stories in Minnesota. I don't know what can be done right now because right now they just pretty much do whatever they want. And in their mind they feel like they're unchecked. But when it's to the point where they're comfortable enough to pepper spray a United States Senator, what does that mean for the rest of us?

SPEAKER_02 13:40

My brother, my brother, let I'm gonna start go back to the beginning. I have been aware of uh some of the things that they were doing with these containers. Rachel Maddar on uh MS Now, she she does a lot of breaking stories. She broke a story early part of the year because so much is going on, and that's what the enemy does cause chaos, so much chaos that people say, you know what, I don't even want to hear about it. But uh uh um what's it uh Teddy Pendergrass said it's so plain wake up, everybody, no more sleeping in bed. It's time for us to really figure out what's going on. So Rachel broke this story, and there are uh in several states, and most of my Republican states, unfortunately, um there are warehouses or containers that's built to hold eight to ten thousand people. And the and the and the thing is what ICE is doing was to gather these people up and throw them into these cages or or or containers, and they'll never be seen again. We see the MO of how ICE has been treating people. So this falls right in line to when she broke the story uh back uh uh in February about these containers, and we need to be aware of it. So during the marches that the people were having about the No Kings, uh once people start finding out, not in my town, this is a new form of slavery. And so what happened in New Jersey was a fulfillment of what has been going on that these people, over 100 people were uh protesting uh hunger strikes. There was maggots in their food, the water wasn't even able to, wasn't even drinkable. So, and then I just happened to see Ari uh uh no Ali Vasher. He was one of the only reporters this past Saturday at that facility. Well, they they told the people to go home because nothing but trouble happens after you have peaceably uh protested during the daylight, and then you can see everything. Well, at night, thing instigators came in, they set fires, and and as Ari uh uh um voucher was uh uh giving the story, he said there was only a handful of uh protesters. Why are all these police out here? They marched him backwards while his camera was still rolling about a mile away. He said, Now I can't report. He said, You hear the booming? So something was going down that he couldn't report. So then by the time they pushed him to where he couldn't go any further, there was another set of police there. He said they weren't even here. Where are they coming from? And the bottom line was they did not want him to report the story about these containers and what they were doing to the people inside. It's a shame. People had better wake up and realize that there are containers that's gonna house 8 to 10,000 people at one time. Once they're in there, it's gonna be hard to process them. That's why it's hard to find the people they've already gathered up. Some people are lost in the system right now. So this is a breaking story that people have better wake up while they're thinking we're in 2026. There's a new form of slavery that's trying to uh embed you, and it's it has a lot to do with the voting, all of that. So, what happened this week in New Jersey, it was a it's a sin and a shame. And if they are doing that too, they won't even let the governor in. They wouldn't even let the governor come in. So because and then already, and this was the most scary part of his uh reporting Saturday, Saturday night. He said, if I don't make it back, because they they were reporting another uh uh show on, they it was a breaking news. So he told them, if I don't make it in tomorrow, take over my show. He didn't think he was gonna make it home. That's how scary that scene is to get rid of reporters from reporting the news. So it was a feeling of shame what happened to those people in the in this facility. Uh, one young lady, 18 years old, she couldn't even graduate. There are pregnant women in there. There were people who are actually citizens, legal citizens, and they are in these facilities and they are in a whole bunch of different cities. And you all had better wake up because you're gonna one day look up, you think it's for Hispanics now. It's gonna be uh African-American people, it's gonna be every other person that they don't want. And once they throw you up in there, could you imagine the chaos? Could you imagine what slavery was like when you read the books about slavery, being on a ship, when they were eating their own people, the the uh pregnant women? Could you imagine us going back? It's not gonna happen, it's not gonna be a pretty sight. It's not gonna be a pretty sight, and it's sad what happened to those people uh last week in New Jersey.

SPEAKER_00 18:50

Yeah, I mean, allegedly, if if all this is true, I guess the biggest question is what do we do? Because obviously our elect officials aren't doing anything. Um, I don't know what can be done.

SPEAKER_02 19:03

Well, it's privatized. This is new. I want to share this real quick. When when Rachel was given information, these containers will make 26, that's 26 million dollars, right? DHS, the government, end up buying these containers not for 26 million, but for 191 million. So that that was the question that Rachel was posing. Why are these containers that were in these low brackets now the government has purchased them three, three, four, five, six times the amount of what they were worth? And then we find out now they are one one of them they shut down in of all places Nebraska was owned by a billionaire in Canada. They shut those Republicans in Nebraska shut it down. The guys said the deal was no longer in place. I don't know if they found somebody else to do it, but they're finding these billionaires, they they're privatizing these containers, and that's what they are. They're warehouses, they're containers, and they're owned by private people, individuals.

SPEAKER_00 20:12

I think the way to probably address this is at the ballot box because because for a lot of people who say, well, there's nothing we can do about Trump, he's gonna be there for another number of years. Well, actually, that's not true. Right. If, and again, it's a big if, if the Democratic Party takes over, both the House and the Senate, there will be checks and balances in place. Yeah, but they have to be able to control it by a wide margin, not by one or two seats, because we've been down that road many times. And it goes back to what I always said before: your vote is very important, it's very important, very, very powerful. And the most important thing to think about is if you if you give your voice with your vote, politicians listen. They pretend they don't, but they listen. As long as they think that nothing will happen to them in their seat, they're gonna keep doing what they want. So it's really up to us as citizens to check them by at the ballot box. Because once you start voting people out of office, there's gonna be other politicians that go, oh, you know, I'm not gonna do that. Let me make sure I'm doing what I need to do, and let me make sure that I do my job to make sure that there are checks and balances in place. Because when everything works the way it's supposed to, it's not perfect. Okay, let me make that clear. Sure. It's not perfect, but when it's running correctly, it is a great system. It really is. To me, one of the best in the world when it's running properly.

SPEAKER_02 21:53

But here's here's the deal, and everything you said was was spot on. Here's the thing people say. My one vote don't count. My vote don't count. It ain't gonna matter. They're gonna put who they what they want to put in there. They've been saying that for many, many years. I said, I don't care who's running. When I look at the history of what we have to go through, and it wasn't long ago in the 60s, that we had the right to vote. And you sit back after seeing the videos with water hoses and dogs sicked on you. How dare you not get up? But you want to collect uh food stamps and you want to collect different things, and that's why a lot of that has changed now. And that the bottom line is when you don't use it, you lose it. And this is where the uh the the powers that be, they are now trying to really take your voter your right away with the gerrymandering. So it is imperative that people get up off of that, do nothing, and do something. Because we're we're we're at the 11th hour in the United States. We because there's no way in Haiti that everything that's gone down in the last year and a half is way worse. You think because people are saying what they're gonna do if things change, you think they're gonna let that happen without it being a mayhem? So we have to brace ourselves even for that. It's kind of scary, but we've allowed this them to get away with so much stuff to this point. Now I'm loving to see the people that are beginning to get the backbone and try to fight back, and there are more and more people that are doing that. I can't because with with God, all things are possible, and it's gonna take us coming together with unity and with him as a leader, with God as our leader, man, giving us wisdom how we're supposed to deal with this thing because we are in a rabbit hole.

SPEAKER_00 23:58

Yes, we are in a rabbit hole. That is so so true. Yeah, well, this next story is kind of borderline funny and kind of wow at the same time. Okay, so a Florida Palm Beach County Deputy pulls over a woman by the name of Kathleen Thomas for holding a cell phone in her right hand. Sounds like a typical stop. Yeah, here's the problem Um, she doesn't have a right hand.

SPEAKER_02 24:32

And it's not been wow.

SPEAKER_00 24:36

So body cam video shows a Florida woman repeatedly telling a deputy she does not have a right hand after being cited for allegedly holding a phone in it while driving. The traffic ticket was later dismissed. So the body cam video shows the deputy whose name has not been released, which I don't know why,

Ticket For Holding Phone Without Hand

SPEAKER_00 25:00

and says he saw Thomas holding a phone as he again shows her right arm, which stops at the elbow. Now, I actually saw the video for this, and to give a little bit of perspective on this, she actually had a court appearance and everything, and it was thrown out because she, you know, and I guess the the the um the the sheriff department decided, well, because of lack of evidence, they dropped the charges. Oh stuff. Now, I guess there's a few things here. One, it's kind of scary that this officer, and I I don't say this lightly, kind of blatantly lied and held on to that lie, but um, when the person literally has no hand, how could they hold a cell phone in their hand? And you know, they decided to drop it at the last second, right before going to court. But I guess my question is is that, and again, allegedly, what other things has he may have um stretched the truth on that we're not aware of? That's just my opinion.

SPEAKER_02 26:16

Man, it it's so many things. This is just a reminder that you know, people can make mistakes, but when those mistakes involve law enforcement, they can have real consequences. Here it is. This woman, now, she would have been wrong had that been somebody else. It had been quick-tempered, where she had sucked him with it, said, I don't have a hand. You know, I don't, you know, let me just want to stop because I'm going somewhere else. But the the bottom line is, brother, that is a story that we as African Americans can certainly, certainly understand. I'm pulled over for what? Driving while black? You can a lot just because you're in law enforcement, doesn't give you the right to have uh the reason to lie on somebody to make this instead of say, oh uh, it's my mistake. Now some could some police officers, because recently I was going a little bit faster. He asked me, uh uh, you you know, you were you were, I was thinking I was 10 10 miles over, so I was really driving fast. And he said, Why were you going so fast? I said, Well, uh, no reason. And because I probably was honest, he gave he would check and make sure I had all my stuff, my credentials. He came back, he said, I'm just gonna give you a warning. He's gave me a warning. So there are some police officers that that are honest if you're honest with them, but in this particular case, that's and it's nothing like having a camera, having a receipt. That was his own body cam. Am I correct? Yes, sir. That was his that that was see, that's what you call giving somebody a stick to beat you with, with your own camera. And it's and it's good that that's a law now that police officers have to carry body uh armor because of so many lies or alleged lies that have been told on people.

SPEAKER_00 28:10

But the scary part about this is that you literally can see she physically does not have an arm. So, how could you see her holding something with her right hand? And remember, if she only has one hand, that means she's using her left hand to hold the steering wheel.

SPEAKER_02 28:26

Right. I mean, Tesla.

SPEAKER_00 28:30

And and you know, the the interesting thing about it is she she really, like you said, she could have really flew off the handle, but she didn't. She she kept her composure. She actually, you know, kind of made light of it a little bit. And you know, the the officer was like, Well, do you raise your your hand and and and swear that you wasn't holding with your right hand? Yes, I do. Here's my hand. I think that was a little on the silly side personally.

SPEAKER_02 28:54

See, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:56

But it's just it's just amazing to me that that it this is even a story because once you saw she physically had no hand, why would you know go ahead and persist on trying to allegedly harass her or give her a ticket, knowing that she did not have a cell phone?

SPEAKER_02 29:18

Yeah. And you and you know, Lawrence, that's also a teachable moment because even though I was you know making a little light about you know hitting them or anything like that, but there are people when the police would stop them, they could be right, but now you've given them a reason to arrest you to get violent and not to comply. So the fact that she complied, but it showed the world because that video went viral, it showed the world, his his uh his attitude being in law enforcement. He took a vow to protect, serve, and protect, right? And then that that video shows that he was less than that, and and and that was less than humane to uh make light of her uh handicap.

SPEAKER_00 30:07

I I think it's another teachable moment because I remember when my son first started driving, and of course, you know, we had to talk. And I remember covering this story years ago on a different show, and a lot of people outside of the African-American community did not know about the talk. The talk that we've been having for centuries, decades, about how to act. Most importantly, I taught my son when you get pulled over, say yes, sir, yes, ma'am. Absolutely. Even if they're assholes, they're totally wrong, yeah, still keep your composure. Don't fight on the street because you're not gonna win. You're not gonna win in the car. Get home safe and let us fight that battle. Because you're not gonna know you have a bad officer or a dangerous officer until you confront them. So the last thing you want to do, just like you said, do not give them a reason. Because the bad ones are looking for a reason. Don't give it to them.

SPEAKER_02 31:04

They're looking for in all the stories we even have been talking about, they are looking for a reaction so they can be justified in doing what they're plotting to do to you. So, yeah, you have to be wise as the serpent, yet harmless as a dove. Sometimes mean biting that tongue till it bleeds. But you know, my my my last takeaway to that, you know, it wasn't just about the traffic ticket, it was about accountability, paying attention to the facts and treating people fairly. If that woman was accused of holding the phone and he saw that it wasn't, what was the common sense in that? He didn't have any evidence. So that was just my takeaway from that, as I you know said earlier about that. Didn't make any sense.

SPEAKER_00 31:47

I agree, especially when it was his own camera that proved him wrong.

SPEAKER_02 31:53

Yeah, and she and she she she needs to be uh really uh put up on a pedestal, so to speak, to show what a model uh individual should do when they're stopped, as we just said. How do you re-behave when you are stopped? Because there's a they're not all bad cops, but there's some bad cops out there that just make a bad name just because they carry that title.

SPEAKER_00 32:17

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Yes, this is a very, very positive story that I love here. Okay, an aging workplace workforce is evolving employers' playbook. So I recently came across this article on LinkedIn, and actually there's other articles out there to back this up, but it states that as American workforce ages, employers are adapting career paths and health benefits to drive down costs and retain talent. Roughly one in four workers are aged 55 and older, a surge of 17.3% since 2016. In light of the labor market tightening, companies like Delote and BMW have begun to shift their recruitment and retention strategies to capture this talented pool from implementing more age-neutral language and enhanced workspace, uh, workplace ergonomics to more flexible work options

Aging Workforce And Rethinking Retirement

SPEAKER_00 33:22

and mentorship opportunities. Employers are starting to adjust and accommodate. I think that is great. We've all heard these horrible stories about how talented people try and move into a different position or a different company, and it just seems like nobody wants to call them back, nothing goes with it. It's like they're being pushed aside. Well, take advantage of that workforce because here's the thing they can also teach people there and people coming in. So I commend this. I love this story.

SPEAKER_02 33:55

It's called a new chapter. You know, America is changing, and so is the workforce, as this article just told us. Workers are now 55 and older, they're still working. I just talked to a friend, uh, and I think one of them is going to retire in two years. The other one said, Well, I can't retire until I'm 65 to get my full, because there's a difference too. When you go to the Social Security Board and they tell you about what your benefits will be and when is the best time to actually do that. But it's changing. And as we prepare for that, check this experience matters. You just said that. Older workers bring decades of knowledge, membership, and problem-solving skills. In many industries, they can't replace experience with technology or a college degree. That's right. That's why sometimes back in the day, I think back in the uh, I guess the 90s is when you started hearing about the downsizing, they're downsizing. And so they they could have two or three people working for one person's salary that's been there for a long time. So they either force you to retire, uh, to get out of there. Yeah. So we have to understand that there's talent there. As a former educator, I remember our seniors, we were sending them out to the different areas in uh the local areas around the school. And one of the young men, the teacher showed, he said, now with the no, the lady told him, now, if there's no customers in, you can wipe the counter down and you can uh do they my job. Isn't that funny? People, that's not my job. Don't you know? The more you do on that job, then you are the most valuable person there. If you can do three, four, five different things, don't say this is not my job. I know people that I know a lady right now. I just found I thought she had retired. She's 92, she's still working. 92.

SPEAKER_00 36:00

Probably one of the most dedicated workers there.

SPEAKER_02 36:04

Yeah, you know, and she gets she get, yeah, because the thing about it, even when people retire, they have to start a new chapter. Some of them get bored, some of them die earlier, you know, because they're not really doing a whole lot. I'm just gonna sit back. I'm not gonna, okay, you're gonna sit back and die. You need to get up and start exercising, doing something, find another little part-time job, just kind of you know, keep your brain moving. You know, that that's that's my thought about that, you know. And then one of the other things is retirement isn't what it used to be. Like for many Americans, retirement is no longer a choice, it's a financial challenge.

SPEAKER_00 36:41

Yep. That's true, that's true. And you know, the thing is, you hit it right on the head. Just because you retired don't mean you sit at home and do nothing. Yeah, you can get a part-time job. Maybe you don't want to walk for a time, working a part-time job. Maybe you want to donate, maybe you want to work in a charity or something like that. Yeah, you still need to do something because we've heard stories of people who retire and literally within a year or two they're gone. You don't want to be that person either. No, so you definitely still need to do something. But I do love the fact that they're recognizing that you have to take care of your business and not push out. It's almost like this post that I saw, and it's a great post. It's a post of this dog leaping off the edge of a cliff trying to get a bird. And to paraphrase, it says, Don't let one bad decision ruin your entire life. And that's so true. It's so true. Think about it. He's leaping to get the bird, but whether you get that bird or not, yeah, your life is over because you jumped out.

SPEAKER_02 37:56

It's over. Absolutely, brother. And you know what? In today's workplace, we have to we we have to understand the older people they're staying because they want you know, because they they they need something to do, the smarter ones. Now, the ones that sitting back not doing anything, then we'll you know, you're gonna find yourself getting older quicker because now you stop this thing that's getting you up. We used to fuss about getting up in the morning, going through the traffic, you know, all those other different things, right? You know, I'm this was my friend told me the other day. I'm not doing nothing. I tried to convince her. I said, you know what? And just before you get we started talking about the topics, right? Honey, oh, I hope she changes her mind because you would be bored to tears. Just sitting, you're gonna sedentary. People don't realize sedentary, uh having a secondary life will cause your heart to the arteries, you know, no blood circulation. You know, don't sit down. I'm just I worked all my life, okay. We'll put down your tombstone. I guess I should say like that, but yeah, but you know what, just in closing, also, and the aging workforce isn't a problem to solve, it's a reality to embrace. You said that, and the challenge for employers is creating workplaces where experience, wisdom, innovation can work together, right? That's that's basically what we need to do, and and and utilize that that wisdom, you know.

SPEAKER_00 39:31

It is so true. That is so true. And unfortunately, Wonder, we're at a time right now where a lot of people can't retire. They physically can't afford to, especially in today's with the gas price and food. And you know, a lot of people talk about well, it's just gas. Well, what people fail to realize when gas prices go up, diesel fuel goes up. When diesel fuel goes up, restaurant food goes up. Because guess what? It travels, it travels on a truck. Stuff in your grocery store, it all travels on trucks. So when the diesel prices jack up, they're not gonna eat that cost because they can't afford to. So that cost gets passed to the consumer. So whether you like it or not, even if you don't have a car, it affects you.

SPEAKER_02 40:22

Absolutely. And you know, I remember going to a restaurant when this gas thing first started going up. Everybody, the gas stations, oh my god, they are really gouging. They are they are loving this. I went to a well-known restaurant, food is delicious. Get some breakfast, and I'm a pancake junkie, I'm a connoisseur of pancakes. We go and get the pancakes, they come bringing up these nickel size. What happened to the pancakes? I mean, it just went up. Oh no. So they must have got a lot of complaints because guess what? The pancakes are back to the right size again. Come on, the pancake. Come on now. So, yeah, so yeah, so people they don't they don't realize that uh that it's more than just having a vehicle putting gas in your car, it's being able for the uh uh industries, the grocery stores, and different places like that to be able to travel on the road to deliver this stuff. That's why what's happening with the Hermoose, the Strait of the Hermoose, Hermos, whatever you want to call it. You know what I'm trying to say. That's the same different all those goods are just sitting there. Because remember when the terrorists first, the tariffs first happened, food was going bad in all these containers. Yes, just sitting there going bad, because of you know, selfish people who don't care about the average a human being, you know. But anyway, yeah, so that's just so the workforce and kudos to those that are out there working. I will definitely be that because I've I work two or three jobs anyway, so I'm always doing a whole lot. So I would definitely be the one constantly working. Um one thing my husband taught me many, many years ago. He said, You have income coming in multiple sources.

SPEAKER_00 42:09

It's a beautiful thing, especially right now. That is a beautiful thing.

SPEAKER_02 42:14

Yes, yes, yes, yes. Yeah, that was good.

SPEAKER_00 42:18

Yes, definitely. Well, our last topic is actually a little bit of a hot topic here. Um an Atlanta judge uh was caught in the courtroom having sex with a top officer. So a federal judge had an extramarital affair with a high-ranking police officer, including having sex in the judge's chambers that was overheard by staff and initially lied about the actions, but remained on the bench after receiving a private reprimand according to an investigation by the court system. The judicial court of the 11th judicial council, I'm sorry, 11th judicial circuit, which includes Alabama, Florida, and Georgia,

Judge Scandal And Public Trust

SPEAKER_00 43:17

said that a February order that the judge would receive a private reprimand. The Committee on the Judicial Conduct and Disability of the Judicial Conference of the United States last week affirmed that order. Now, they haven't officially said who this person is. There's rumors that it's um the judge that sentenced Chris Christie um to prison. I don't know if that's true or not because they're not releasing her name. I believe Chris Christie is probably leaning into that because it's a black female judge, again, allegedly, because they have. Released the name.

SPEAKER_01 44:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:02

And supposedly it's a top cop. Um, I want to say Captain, I think, allegedly, because again, they haven't released names. But I guess my first reaction is wow, first.

SPEAKER_02 44:17

I've I I got so much about to come about it. Yeah, yeah, go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 44:21

And you know, of course, you shouldn't be having an affair, period. Okay, that's we all absolutely, but to allegedly have an affair in your chambers where you're a judge. If this is true, again, allegedly, because we don't know how stupid can you be?

SPEAKER_02 44:45

Very, very, because we when you were saying and they heard them, what I mean, oh I see, uh, we're on camera, so I'm like, and they heard them. Oh my god, I I can I there's so many ways to go with that story that is so sad, but you know what? The affair isn't the only issue. The investigation found that the judge engaged in a relationship with a high profile uh uh officer, right? Which they both denied. Now, should a private reprimand be enough? Because this according to some articles, she was rep, they both were reprimanded and not fired. So I thought about I worked uh over time and I have found out some something was happening on one of the jobs I used to work for. I'm like, whoa, they this person, they were in this at night at night times on the job. So is it fair that a judge or a high profile judge or her alleged uh accomplice get a slap on the wrist, whereas someone else would have gotten fired if they had been caught or been accused of having sexual relationships on a job? So should they have so should should a high profile person get better privileges than us? I ain't doing I'm just saying us, I'm saying as human, just as regular people.

SPEAKER_00 46:22

You know, that's such a hard question to answer because you're right, the average person, yeah, they'd be fired. It wouldn't even be a question. Yeah, no question there. But I guess as a judge, it's hard to say. I mean, some people are gonna be really angry about what I'm gonna say, but I think that I don't think they should lose their positions for what they did. I do believe that they should get more than a slap on the hand for it. Because again, we're talking about a judge and we're talking about the leader of a police department. Again, I'm not saying it's right, I'm not saying any of that, but I don't know if they should be fired. I really don't.

SPEAKER_02 47:12

Well let me let me look from the other side because I know somebody probably listening to this, and they the bottom line is, and and I don't know, I know you probably have heard this. We as African Americans, we have to be twice as careful about doing things. So to be in a position like that, because there are some people in Congress who have uh lost their position dependence, and some of them haven't, but some have. So yeah, it could go, like you say, either way. But in a position like that, man, that the the you got all kinds of eyes on you waiting for you to fall. True, and here it is. You are giving them a stick to beat you with. You could have gone if you gotta have each other. Was it crack? I don't know what it was. You could have gone to a hotel, you could have gone somewhere else. Why in the chambers? But see, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Some people think that they are beyond, you know. Oh my god. So, yeah, this is definitely something that's gonna probably be talked about. And now that you mentioned if if this is the same individual that does the pop the politics of it alone is about to be Yugally.

SPEAKER_00 48:34

Well, you know, the one thing I would love, um, there's people that are watching this live, and there are also people that are gonna see it later on. Yeah, I would love for you to go to our social media and you tell us.

SPEAKER_02 48:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:48

Should they have um a much more stricter punishment? Or do you think that the punishment they received is adequate? I would love to hear what people say about this. So I'm quite sure we're gonna get some very strong opinions on this.

SPEAKER_02 49:05

And I'm gonna get mine right now. Listen up. If if in first of all, they are in a leadership position, sure. So that's almost like a preacher, you know, pastors that that fall screwing somebody in the church and all this other stuff, and that so they are in leadership position, they are in a they took an oath, both of them, to uphold the law and you know and integrity. So to be that much in heat to do something like that on the job, and then to do it as professionals, yeah. That man, check check that that that's so wrong on so many levels, the affair alone. And this is so the story is bigger than just an affair, it's about accountability and public trust. When judges sit at a bench, they are entrusted with making decisions that affect people's lives. If an if an uh average worker could lose their job for misconduct or just uh dishonesty, many people are asking whether their position of power should be held at a higher standard. So, yeah, so yeah, yeah, yeah. That's that's that's the debate for you right there.

SPEAKER_00 50:23

Yes, it is, yes, it is. And you know what's crazy about this is that for other employees, staffers to hear this, that means you're doing this in the middle of a work day at that team.

SPEAKER_02 50:34

And you loud, you don't care.

SPEAKER_00 50:36

I'm like, wow. I mean, you couldn't go to a hotel or nothing.

SPEAKER_02 50:42

That's what I'm saying. You couldn't even wait till you know the the the last case was called. So, yeah, so that that's wrong on so many levels. That's that's huge. That that that is huge, man. So I don't I don't know about that. So we're gonna put a pin in that one right there. Because I tell you, it's it's I don't know any anyone, unless it's somebody that's doing the same thing, and then unfortunately, that that's what really happens. Uh like I said, when you do it, even like with some of the churches, why they aren't I'm not gonna get into that. I'm gonna leave that alone. I'm gonna leave that one alone.

SPEAKER_00 51:16

But you know, do you think that with all the publicity that's going on right now? Do you think that um the judicial committee is gonna take another look at their punishment, or do you think it's a done deal?

SPEAKER_02 51:28

Oh, absolutely they are. Yeah, that and and I think a lot of times when people are in high-profile positions like that, the public opinion does kind of sway. You know, because some people they they make decisions, but then when there's so much uh public opinion about uh uh a certain situation, yeah, they're gonna go back and think about that. They will definitely think about that. They're not gonna let that go. That you know, color has nothing to do with it, right is right and wrong is wrong. Because if if in fact they both were married, it goes back to that question you asked. Have you ever thought about the ones you're gonna leave behind? Because if they have families, what are their families thinking? True, so yeah, there's a lot in that moment of passion, that he heated moment or whatever, you're not even thinking about anything else, but you're that's selfish to the highest power.

SPEAKER_00 52:25

And another thing, too, is the embarrassment that you bring on your family because if you have kids, guess what? No matter how careful you are, even though they haven't released the names, it's probably not very hard to figure out who they are. Yes, yes, which means if your kids are going to school, especially if they're in high school, there's a good chance that classmates are gonna find out about this too. So it really hurts a lot of people in a lot of different ways. I just don't understand why you would risk doing this because theoretically she could lose her seat. I'm not saying that it will happen or anything like that, but we don't know. For the officer that did this, he could potentially lose his job. They could potentially just blow up their marriages for a little bit of heat, and that's all it is, is just lust.

SPEAKER_02 53:24

And look, let me tell you about this, brother. In this day and age of cameras, everybody got a camera. You won't even know who who got their phone on, listen to them. Got an ear witness, you know. I haven't been an eye witness, but just have an ear witness and just imagine what probably would have went on after everything happened. Did she get back on a bench? What happened? You know, so you have to think about all those things. They go right back to work like nothing happened. You know, some people try to do things, and you're the only one that's looking foolish, but you think you want everybody else to think, oh, I've gotten away with this. No, I know what you did last night. Yeah, so yeah. So they better hope nobody has a camera or got uh because people are there there recording everywhere. Big brother is listening and watching.

SPEAKER_00 54:14

No, I hope I'm wrong with this, Wander, but if Staffers heard this, there's a good chance one or more people may have recorded it.

SPEAKER_02 54:22

And not only that, that's some juicy news. What you can't hold that, you know Payton's place. There's nothing happened on the job that's juicy that somebody's gonna keep. So yeah, everybody talked about that. So yeah, they they know who it is.

SPEAKER_00 54:39

That's true, that's true. Well, I tell you, this car went by very fast. This was a very good, good uh episode we had here. Yes, well, everyone out there, um, definitely thank you for watching us. Uh, I'm gonna go ahead and count us out so we can end. Thank you all for watching us. I'm Lauren Telrod.

SPEAKER_02 55:02

And I'm Wanda P, baby. Peace.

SPEAKER_00 55:05

Make sure you continue to watch us on Thursdays. We'll be live. And if you miss it, don't worry about it. You can always go uh and watch us on our YouTube channel, L Rod TV Network. Take care, everyone.

SPEAKER_02 55:18

Take care, everyone.