All About The Joy
All About The Joy is a weekly hang-out with friends in the neighborhood! We share insight, advice, funny-isms and we choose to always try and find the positive, the silver lining, the "light" in all of it. AATJ comes from the simple concept that at the end of the day we all want to have more JOY than not. So, this is a cool place to unwind, have a laugh and share some time with friends!
All About The Joy
Rewarding Racism? The Viral Playground Incident That Shook America
What does it say about our society when hatred gets financially rewarded? This question lies at the heart of our raw, unfiltered discussion about a disturbing playground incident that's gone viral across America.
When a woman was recorded calling a child the N-word repeatedly over a minor playground dispute, she launched a crowdfunding campaign on a platform known for supporting extremist causes. The shocking result? Over $750,000 in donations and counting, with her goal now reaching toward $1 million. Meanwhile, the man who stood up against this racism by recording the incident has received death threats, forcing him to relocate his family with just $40,000 in crowdfunded support.
We explore the painful reality that this child will carry this trauma forever, robbed of the innocence that should be every child's birthright. As one host poignantly puts it, "Our children are not allowed to be children." The incident exposes not just one person's racism, but a disturbing undercurrent of support for such behavior when donors – many initially using variations of Hitler's name – eagerly contribute to reward it.
The conversation broadens to examine how modern crowdfunding has transformed community support, for better and worse. While legitimate causes benefit from wider reach, the platforms also enable exploitation and grifting. We reflect on the value of direct community engagement – volunteering at food banks, supporting teachers, helping neighbors – as antidotes to the disconnection that allows hatred to flourish.
By the end of our conversation, despite tackling difficult subject matter, we find ourselves reaffirming the need to use our "powers for good" and rediscover joy through meaningful human connection. The path forward isn't easy, but as we've seen throughout history, the brilliance and resilience of those facing discrimination continues to shine through even the darkest moments.
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Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth
DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.
Hey everybody, hi guys, Everybody, welcome to All About the Joy. The private lounge In the house is Mario and Alma. Rick Costa, cynthia, hi, hi, how you guys been doing. Good, it's been a minute, Miss you, miss you. We're going to have a conversation about crowdfunding sites and I think a lot of you, if not I sent you the link, but a lot of people have heard about. I'm not going to say the name of the person, I'm not going to say the crowdfunding sites, but we're going to talk about this because I think it's an interesting conversation that's been happening.
Carmen Lezeth:There was a woman at a playground site with her own child who called another child the N-word, because the said child supposedly I think the child is four, five, six years old took a toy or took something out of her bag, and so she felt it important enough to scream the N-word at the child. She was recorded by another gentleman. The gentleman proceeded to ask her why did you? You know he was upset. He was like why are you calling this child the N word? How could you do that? And she just, with no problem whatsoever, kept saying it over and over again because she felt entitled to do that or whatever. So the next part of this that's very triggering to me is because of that, she set up a crowdfunding site. It is not the regular crowdfunding site that is well known for supporting white supremacists, supporting let me see neo-Nazis. It also raised the money for Kyle Rittenhouse If you guys remember who he is, I will say his name because it is an interesting part of this conversation.
Carmen Lezeth:Interesting part of this conversation. She has raised over $750,000 as of 10 minutes ago, when I just last checked on the crowdfunding site. When you go in and look at all the people who are donating money now, everyone is doing anonymous, anonymous, anonymous. But when I was looking at it when it first started, people were doing like every different variation of Hitler names. People were thinking they were clever and saying things like Michelle Obama donated money. Right, they were hiding their names, but they were saying all of these. Really, I think, horrible, asinine things.
Carmen Lezeth:Let me also say on the other side, the parents of the young child who was called the N-word. They also had set up a crowdfunding site on the probably more well-known crowdfunding site. I'm not going to say their name either. They raised $300,000 pretty quickly and then they cut it off because they didn't want to keep taking money from people, so they stopped collecting money, whereas this other person. So they stopped collecting money, whereas this other person the woman that called the child the N-word keeps upping the amount, so now she is requesting up to a million dollars. Okay, the only other person that I think is actually he's been getting death threats. He's already moved his family, his children and his family out of their house is the man who actually did the videotape. The videotaping. He set up a crowdfunding on a different site and he raised like $40,000 just to help him move. Because he's getting death threats and out of everyone, I feel probably even worse for him because he was so doing the right thing and his life has been upended.
Carmen Lezeth:So, first, I wanted to get your thoughts on the crowdfunding parts of this or anything you want to talk about regarding it. I know it's very triggering, but that's what these conversations are for. You don't have to divulge, you know. You guys know this is not about divulging our personal. I will, because you know that's how how I is, but none of you have to divulge anything. Let's just have the conversation because it's out there anyways. Rick, I don't know if you have some insight, being that I'm talking about that site that is supposedly christian yeah, I didn't even know that part um it.
Rick Costa:It's astounding that people are rewarding her for bad behavior, like, really, let me find something to say, see if I can make some money. This is insanity, this is nuts. That there's people that are thinking oh yeah, I agree with you, cause why would you give money unless you agreed with her and this many and that much. But the worst is that she keeps upping it Like you have no shame. You know what?
Carmen Lezeth:We're going to talk about shame because I think that's important, but let me say that much. But the worst is that she keeps upping it. You have no shame. We're going to talk about shame because I think that's important, but let me say I actually think what's worse. Not that she's upping it, I agree with you, but I think we already know the moral of this woman. Her morals are clearly out of whack. As far as I'm concerned, I don't care what your reasoning is. Yelling at a child, let's not even talk about the N word. Yelling at a child, it's just ridiculous to me. And then on top of it, the N word so. But you know what's worse, the donations. It's not like there's one person giving 3,000 or 4,000. It's $1, $5, $10. It's so many people. That, to me, is the heart wrenching part. I just want to throw that in there, because when you said that it just recalled me. But you were talking about shame, which I think is important.
Rick Costa:Yeah, she has done that. That's absolutely ridiculous. Like she what do they call that? A grifter? Is that how they call it? Somebody just trying to make money? And it's like you are, in my opinion, the lowest of the low. Like it doesn't get much worse. Like how can you do this? This is insane. You did something bad and getting rewarded for it by other people. This is are we in a twilight zone episode? What is happening here? It's great. I think.
Alma Dawson:I think for me, this video just really illustrates the point that we I'll speak for myself me as a parent of a Black child always try to explain to people that our children are not allowed to be children, and explain to people that our children are not allowed to be children. Our children are not allowed to be children and this is the reason why we have to create safe spaces for them so that they can be children, you know, and be safe. Because these children are just at a playground in their neighborhood and you know. Their parent, I guess, felt safe enough for them to go to this park in their neighborhood on their own to go and play, because they do it, they've done it before, but even there they're not safe. It was no safety. There is no safety. There is no safety for children of color. There is no safety, even for a child. So if a child is being treated like this, openly courting you, and you're able to make money off of this, how safe are Black men? They're not.
Carmen Lezeth:Let me add this part to you, not because I want to be fair, but I should be fair. It's not like I'm a motherfucking journalist, but let me just say the argument for her needing the money if you read her site or whatever is because now everyone's going after her. She says that supposedly and I'm doing this that her name was leaked, her address was leaked. She has to move her children, but I'm like, okay, maybe that's part of the argument for why she needed to raise money. I think she did a bad thing and there are consequences when we do bad things, but somehow it's going back to what Rick said. The consequence here seems to be rewarding you for a retirement plan right.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:It only took 40 000 for the other guy to uproot his family. It's taking her now 750 and possibly a million dollars to move her and her family. Like, why so much more? Let me tell you, when I, when I saw the video, you know the the Boston came out of me. I watched it because has that been me standing out there watching this woman do that? I would have confronted her Forget the cameras and all. I would have confronted her, Me and her probably would have went at it or something. But you know, after watching it I had to calm myself down because you know that's not Christian of me, Her saying she is a Christian woman. And you know all these people who are giving money to her and are doing it anonymously. They're all cowards. Because if you really believed in what she was doing, why not put your name out there, why not put your name on that list instead of doing?
Carmen Lezeth:it anonymously.
Carmen Lezeth:I don't know if she said she's a Christian woman. I don't know if you saw that somewhere. I don't know. The crowdfunding site is a site that was initially started by siblings, who set it up, I think, for good intentions it was for missionary work back in 2014, for missionary work and giving medical care to people who were doing missionary work, or something like that. Because I went and did some research, I wanted to know what this site was. However, they thought that the other crowdfunding site, which we all know very well, okay, was anti-Christian, which I don't know if that's very true. I don't think the others, I don't think all that really matters, but you know, okay, so set up your own site, do what you want, but when you start saying you're Christian and you start supporting things that I would believe are not Christian at all and are immoral, like that line, what is that line? So I'm not sure that she said she is Christian.
Carmen Lezeth:One of the latest things that I saw today. I was going to post it on here, but I don't want to trigger you all, because Tizzy is somebody who everyone, I think, follows or knows who he is. He's the one, I think, who starts sending these things out and he has an update and she is proudly even writing the N word to verify who she is and posting it on Twitter or X, whatever it's called. Let me just say this what's happening with the crowdfunding site as of 10 minutes ago that I was looking at, there is a young lady whose name I don't remember. I should have written it down because I would like to say her name.
Carmen Lezeth:She's a coder. She went in and looked at what third-party app is supplying the banking and routing information that holds all that money that then gives it to her, and she has figured out that it's not Stripe, it's Square Square. That sounds so funny and I think they're going to try to disable it. But I don't think they're going to get away with that. I think they're trying to disable the programming so that she won't get the money, and I think you know that. In and of itself, I understand, and what a smart woman to find out who the third party banking institution is, but I don't think that's the right way to do it either. But I think they want to kind of pressure the third party app to say, no, we're not going to give you this money. So that's another little tidbit.
Maurio Dawson :Mario, share whatever you want to share, even if it's nothing at all. I have no words. I have no words, I just don't.
Alma Dawson:Okay.
Maurio Dawson :I don't. I don't have anything to say because I live it every day. I've been called that Don't have anything else to say. And the fact that we are continuously going backwards into a slave mentality where people think that we are boys, we are the N-word when we are children, when our children are coming out of the womb, and that's what you're seen as. When we were written into the Constitution as two-thirds, I don't have anything else to say.
Maurio Dawson :I just think that I feel sorry for the child because the child was exposed to something that baby probably didn't know what that meant, but they will know. He knows now and it is a touchstone memory that is ingrained in him from the age of five for the rest of his life and he didn't even get a chance to live, get to a teenager or an adult.
Carmen Lezeth:That's part of America, though, right, that's part of our country. My book starts off, rick and Cynthia, you guys have read. My book starts off with me being called the N-word. That's how it begins, I think even as a woman I've been called that, and I was a kid. I ran home to my mother because I was crying so hard, trying to figure out why everybody hated me and why they were calling me this name. And yeah, this is part of America. I'm not trying to blow it off, but I'm like I agree with you. That kid never had a chance. This, I think, is even harder in a way, because it will be on line right forever, forever what a thing to be famous for.
Rick Costa:Not a good thing. Yeah, oh, you're that kid. He has to live with that the whole rest of his life.
Carmen Lezeth:Were they able to shield?
Alma Dawson:him. Though he did, he shielded him. My thing is, I hope that the mother, the parents, get a lawyer and sue her for everything that she's getting.
Carmen Lezeth:They are. I think the NAACP is already involved.
Alma Dawson:I really do so. Yeah, keep raising the money. Keep raising the money so that I can all go to him. Yeah, keep raising it so it can all go to him. That's my prayer and my hope.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, you know what's so interesting, though, as Mario was speaking so solemnly, is that the right word? So I just I feel it in your heart. What I speaking so solemnly, is that the right word? So I just I feel it in your heart. You know, what I was thinking about as you were speaking was and then we have Kendrick Lamar, and then we have Ryan Coogler, and then we have, and we have, the Met Gala. That just happened and I'm like you can't push us down. You cannot push black folk down, and I think this is what is so amazing to watch these people who are trying to hold on to crumbs of white supremacy because they cannot deal with the brilliance that has always been and is now even shining more blatantly every single day, and I am sorry about that. It's kind of like when you were saying I'm like that's my prayer you have to keep seeing the magnificence of Black beauty, and still I rise.
Alma Dawson:right, and still I rise.
Maurio Dawson :No, it's about and I hope maybe this young man will see it one day it's about Black boy joy, and I hope this doesn't scar him so much that he forgets that he is a beautiful Black boy and full of joy. And that's the beauty in us giving back to our kids and saying you have Black boy joy, you have Black girl magic. Those are those things, those little diamonds that penetrate and pierce the hate.
Carmen Lezeth:And what about the white child?
Maurio Dawson :Bless his heart.
Carmen Lezeth:I'm being serious. She's holding a white kid in her hand.
Maurio Dawson :No, but the thing is that's what she wants to teach. But then there are those people out in the world and there are some kind allies who see us for who we are and love us, naturally and beautifully and magnificently, magnificently. The world, everyone doesn't hate us and I understand that, that these ignorant people get the glory and the shine and it just perpetrates the negativity over what when we don't, when we're. We should be shining lights on our black doctors, our black lawyers, our black accountants, our black magnificent people, not just in the arts but in science. You are beautiful, you are loved, you are magnificent.
Carmen Lezeth:Can I interject here, because this and this is probably not going to make you happy, but here's the thing that pisses me off about. It is, as people continue to be racist fucktards and I'm going to say it that way you also take away from the beauty of every culture in this country.
Carmen Lezeth:That's not my fault, that's her fault, I know, that's her fault, but that's what I'm saying is, then we all become hyper-focused on only how we can keep shining, because there's no ability to breathe and to just enjoy each other, because of the racism, because of the hatred.
Maurio Dawson :Can't do nothing about that, but just keep living and doing what I do and keep feeling what I feel. You gotta uplift yourself, because nobody else is gonna do it.
Carmen Lezeth:That's not the world I wanna live in.
Maurio Dawson :I'm just saying but it's the world that is.
Carmen Lezeth:Cynthia thoughts.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:I said my piece.
Maurio Dawson :Can we find some joy tonight?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:yes, we have a new pope.
Carmen Lezeth:We're not going to talk about the new pope because all we're going to do is talk about politics, which is just going to bring you guys back down.
Rick Costa:I didn't want to say go ahead, rick go ahead because there is some people that love to say y'all are exaggerating. There's not people that love to say y'all are exaggerating, there's not racism, it's racism because y'all keep talking about it. Okay, then how does she get all this money? Who are all these people?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:Exactly.
Maurio Dawson :And I try to love everybody. I really do.
Carmen Lezeth:I don't try to love everybody, because that's not my goal.
Maurio Dawson :But you know what?
Carmen Lezeth:Because the thing is as true Christians God is love and you're supposed to love everyone. You can't love someone, mario, and in one breath say you want to be revengeful, which is what Alma just did. No, because even it's not about revengeful because you said I hope my hope and my prayer.
Alma Dawson:I'm not about revengeful because my hope and my prayer exactly my hope and my prayer is that they do get some type of redemption. But it's not my fight. The fight is the Lord's.
Rick Costa:That's it. I can pray for them.
Alma Dawson:I'm just saying no, because I don't want you to misinterpret what I said. What I said was I do, I hope and I pray that he does get that. He does get the money he does. That's not going to change the hatred in that woman's heart. I pray that the Lord works on her heart. But that's not my job, that's the Lord's job. But I can't pray that. I can, pray for that. I can't. You can't pray for that, and it's not about hatred.
Carmen Lezeth:You can't start defining what love is and then the next breath saying something that I think is kind of no two things can be, true.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, they can be true. At the same time, I'm just saying, I just we're called to love everyone.
Alma Dawson:I don't have to like everyone.
Carmen Lezeth:Can I say a word now? Let me just say something. Here's what I'm saying. Your definition of love is very different from my definition of love. That's all I'm saying. That's okay, yeah. Saying that's okay, yeah, and that's okay.
Carmen Lezeth:We can agree to disagree. I just think it's for me, it's like I don't have to love everybody, like I actually don't love everybody. I don't love people who hurt other people and I actually I can actually say that I hate those people, and I think the problem this is my opinion I think the problem is we put a lot of emphasis and freely use love like it's no big deal, but then hate. We're all like clutching our pearls, like it means something big and it's no. There are some people there are 8 billion people on this planet. There is no way I'm going to love all of them, because some of them are horrible human beings like this woman. I have no problem saying I do not love her. I have no wanting to love her. I think what she is doing she just damaged you just talked for 10, 12 minutes about how much she just damaged a young boy's joy. Why am gonna find love in her? There's no love to have for her, none but we don't know her heart.
Alma Dawson:That's what I'm saying it we can't her heart. Well, I mean, she has to. She has her own child there you know what I'm saying? It's like I can't speak on what's in her heart. Her actions show the ugliness that is in there for certain, for certain. But yeah, it's just different philosophies.
Carmen Lezeth:Rick, what's your thought process on any of this, since you're the guru of Christianity in the room?
Carmen Lezeth:I don't know.
Rick Costa:I'll be like y'all when you're talking about women stuff, like I don't represent all women. I think there's a difference between revenge and justice. Yes, revenge is I hope she falls off a bridge Right. Justice is I don't care how it happens, she ain't gonna get none of that money that she don't deserve.
Carmen Lezeth:I think it's a two different things and I think that's a very gray line of wishing her ill will but not saying it that way and putting it on the lord. You can do it however you want like.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:Think of it this way there's a difference between telling somebody have a blessed day and saying I hope you have a day you deserve.
Maurio Dawson :Boom.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, but it's still OK. All I'm saying is you guys are using verbiage to say the same thing. You may not want to use the word revenge or whatever, but at the end of the day you're wishing that she doesn't get the money, which in turn will hurt her. Right, supposedly, I hope I look at I. I'm on the side of her not getting anything either. I just don't want to. I don't want the woman who wants to code and do it that way to get in. I don't want any more people to get in trouble in this mess. You know what I mean.
Carmen Lezeth:I think when you say have the day you deserve, that's coming from a place of being a little snooty about it. Right, you're doing something, you're saying something, but what you really mean is F you, you know what I mean, or whatever it is you're trying to insinuate so you can color your words however you want. There's still the basic meaning behind it. So I understand that's your belief system. I'm just saying I disagree with the. I pray for her redemption and then I have to love her thing. To me that feels very contradictory, but it's because I don't believe the same thing you believe and I think that's okay. You know what I mean, but I don't want to promote one way of thinking over the other, because I am not a Christian. I'm not. I have been done with that thing long time ago, even though I will respect all of you. Y'all are Christians in the room, so I will respect your Christianity, but I don't want to lie about how I feel about it.
Maurio Dawson :No, and everybody's feelings in the room are valid 100%, and that's the beauty of being an individual. We all have our own opinions and thoughts and we can respect each other and have a very passionate conversation about something and still respect each other, yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:It's not that I don't want to talk about the Pope. We can talk about the Pope tomorrow if you guys come on the show. Whatever, the thing about talking about certain things with you guys as a group is that it's very eggshell-y sometimes because I know that we have different viewpoints on what God is and what God is not, and you know Christianity versus the Bible and Rick knows I think I you know on the last episode that I just put up honoring Rick. I don't know if you guys got to see it.
Maurio Dawson :I don't know.
Carmen Lezeth:I don't think Rick liked it very much, but that's okay, I thought it was adorable. I don't know.
Maurio Dawson :He said it was adorable, it was adorable.
Carmen Lezeth:I'm not feeling that, but whatever I was trying to Any warm feelings, what Squishy inside? Squishy inside, yeah that. But whatever I was trying to warm feelings, what was she inside? Was she inside? Yeah?
Carmen Lezeth:I missed something in this um.
Carmen Lezeth:You had said it had been so long since we had done something, just me and you. And then the other day we thought it was going to be me and you, and then I felt bad because then jeff came on the show and then it wasn't, and I was like you know what? I'm just going to do a whole. I had been thinking about it anyways, and so I took them from long time ago, whatever. But my point is even on there. I explained in one of those segments back then.
Carmen Lezeth:You know that I don't believe what you believe, and sometimes when I watch your show, I'm like nope, nope, nope, but I keep it to myself. I'm like nope, nope, nope, but I keep it to myself. I don't go in your comments or say anything. You know what I mean. But so you and I have never. We don't agree on a lot of things. But then I think fundamentally I don't know if it's just about respect, because I think that goes without saying I wouldn't be involved with people I don't respect. But I think just being able to understand that it's okay to not have the same, I think just being able to understand that it's okay to not have the same fundamental belief system.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:But you can still be friends or still be acquaintances and still talk to each other. You know what?
Carmen Lezeth:I mean 100%, but I think, on this issue just to get back to the crowdfunding I was curious if you guys think that this whole new way of living because when we were growing up and Rick, you just touched on it a bit when we were growing up, I don't know how many times I was called names or beat up or whatever there was no crowdfunding you know how rich I'd be right now. Do you guys think I'm not trying to be funny, but, rick, you kind of said earlier but do you guys have a thought or an idea of how crowdfunding is changing the way everybody does a I'm not going to say the name of the site, but does a crowdfunding thing whenever they need something. I see it all the time now and I have to tell you, sometimes I get really bitter about it. Maybe that's just me, though.
Maurio Dawson :Well, okay, if there's a true need.
Carmen Lezeth:Like medical.
Maurio Dawson :Medical. Like, for example, there was a time where we were struggling and we didn't have any groceries in the house and we were like, okay, how are we going to get our food? I was like, oh, crowdfunding would have been helpful. You understand what I'm saying. But the thing is, then you see people's stories and you're like, are they really Because? Now, you're like, because now you find out somebody's driving a Lambo and you're on some BS and I gave you my hard-earned $50.
Carmen Lezeth:$50.
Maurio Dawson :$50. And so that's where it gets a little sketch. Sketch, because then we've seen the scam artists come out through these crowdfunding things. So it's, it's a little dicey, you know.
Carmen Lezeth:I like the ones that are for like I. I donated money last year. Didn't know who it was, but it was a young woman I'm not gonna say woman, she woman, she's a kid, high school kid doing a film and her father helped her do a LinkedIn. He was on LinkedIn and she was trying to do a film to put into one of the festivals and I was like so, artists, you know what I mean Like, give some money to this, and those things I think are kind of a cool way to help, especially when you don't know somebody or whatever.
Alma Dawson:Yeah, I think, with these crowdfunding, like you said, I think it's just it's, you know, consumer beware. So if you're going to give it, then you know, give it. There's ways of you know, being a sleuth and kind of investigating to see if things are kind of real. Things are kind of real when, if I feel led to it, I do things like I don't want to like the ones that the educators go on and ask for supplies and things like that. I like doing those because I know that it's helping an educator, because I see, uh, from my own experience, how much of their own money they put back into.
Carmen Lezeth:Well, let's say that's horrible that even this has been happening forever. But let's just give a shout out to teachers, because alice mcintyre used to do that in the seventh grade and we know how old I am, yeah you would take money out of her own pocket. And teachers are still, to this day, still doing it in their classroom. Yeah, and that's horrible. And they have the Amazon list.
Alma Dawson:So yeah, I mean that's how they're able to supplement some of their things. The other thing that I do like to also do is, like you students, if they're trying to do their senior trip or they're trying to do their trip abroad or they're trying to go study abroad, there's ways to investigate that and usually they put the links there for the school so you can go see that it's legit.
Carmen Lezeth:You know things like that, so I do like to do those you know, but if somebody needs legal services, like it's a legitimate person.
Alma Dawson:You know, and, like I said, the beauty of it is you can pick and choose. There's a lot, there's no. There's so many, there's so many. Where it used to be more rare, Now it's the more common thing, where before we, we would go to the church and they would. They have a fund where they help. You know where they help, or community, or you know family. That's how it used to be before. Now it's you go and you do a link and send it out.
Carmen Lezeth:You do a TikTok and you send a link and then you get a superstar like Tizzy or something We've had.
Alma Dawson:someone bold us to send a direct text requesting.
Maurio Dawson :I told you that story.
Alma Dawson:So you know, I'm just going to say that I'm just I'm not going to go any further. But yeah, we've had that and I was like huh, cynthia, would you ever?
Carmen Lezeth:do it.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:No no. But, I, like I know my, my brother has done one when his house caught on fire. What do you mean? I didn't know about it. This was years ago. Yeah, the boiler, carmen, you.
Maurio Dawson :This was years ago. Yeah, the boiler, you can still do it. Carmen, you can still do it. How?
Carmen Lezeth:did I not know. Wait, was this Sean?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:Yeah. I didn't know. This was years ago. Maybe. I think it was probably before COVID, the boiler in the basement. That was that long ago, oh a few years.
Carmen Lezeth:I thought you meant like 30 years ago, but like oh, no, no, no Talk later the boiler exploded in the basement and caught on fire.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:Yeah, oh man. Thankfully everybody got out, Like all three apartments got everyone out. They did lose a dog, but everybody got out.
Carmen Lezeth:Someone made a good point on TikTok. They said you have money to give to this crowdfunding situation. The woman who did the N-word thing, but you don't have money for eggs Got it Understood.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:I was like, oh my God, but you complained about money for eggs and I was like yeah, exactly, so it's an interesting dynamic yeah, it is tricky because I do know somebody else who did one and I knew their situation and I couldn't believe that they were doing it and I did not donate.
Carmen Lezeth:But that's what it's tricky. I think it's a different thing. Again, I think we've established thing. There's certain things where we're like if it's children or school teachers or somebody who's actually in need, I don't even care what it's about if it's something in need. But I think what's harder for me, especially when it comes to the lawyer thing right, the meeting, legal or whatever there are a lot of law firms out there, especially if it's now become a high profile thing they're going to do it pro bono because the marketing and advertising alone is worth it. Al Sharpton going to be out and do what he needs to do to take care of people. You know what I mean.
Maurio Dawson :Lawyer all red, she's going to be out there.
Carmen Lezeth:That's right. So I always get nervous when I see that kind of thing and I also think it's made us. I don't know how to say this in a nicer way, but I'm suspect now, every time I see a crowdfunding thing, every time I agree Really.
Alma Dawson:Yeah, I agree. To me it's more teach our kid that it's about the human connection. So do good in your community. Find out what the need is here, because there's plenty of people in your own neighborhood that need the local churches help, the local food banks they need help and that's a secure place to give to yes, exactly the church or your food bank someone.
Carmen Lezeth:If I need something, you know what, that's where I would go first that part.
Alma Dawson:And the thing is that if you really want it they'll give you a receipt. You know what I'm saying. So those are the places that I say go and don't just give them money. If you can give your time, they really appreciate you giving your time, because then they get to know you and when you get to make those connections and then to me it's like you're more willing to go back and help again, because it's like, whatever time you have, if it's just one hour once a month, they will gladly. You know, you know.
Carmen Lezeth:And a lot of people want help, too, online. You'd be surprised how many churches, food banks, whatever, are not techie and really could use somebody who could help them with kind of the things that maybe younger Gen Z, whatever people know how to do. So you could probably or delivering.
Alma Dawson:Churches need help delivering things seniors as well yeah, yeah, even for myself, just knowing the second language, just helping people fill out forms, helping people make translate documents, things like that there's so much joy when you volunteer and help people.
Carmen Lezeth:Mario, there's a joy, baby there, it is a volunteer, even this past weekend.
Alma Dawson:There's a local farmer's market every weekend and one of the things sometimes we'll all go and then sometimes our kid will just go on her own. And she came back and she was like I just saw this gentleman and I was just really moved to help them. I want to go back. I told them that I was going to come back, so all three of us okay, we put a bag together with toiletries, clothes, because that's what he said he needed. He said he needed toiletries. He said he needed clean clothes. He said he wanted snacks because he was just trying to make it and we were like let's.
Carmen Lezeth:Then we put it out together, we packed the bag.
Carmen Lezeth:I think one thing about community right, we've lost that and, but it's so hard and not to keep bringing it back to what we started talking about but, like, in the one sense, you have the crowdfunding that could act as a way of community to help. Right, because you could be in another state and you could be like, oh, this gentleman needs something, I can donate money, like I know, for the fires we had here in the Palisades, a lot of individual people were doing crowdfunding sites, and so you see that and you're like okay, like you can help. So, in one sense, it brings community together even if you're not in the state. On the other hand, though, I still think what we're missing is the in touch in person, even if it's like this, which is part of what we're trying to do here, most definitely.
Alma Dawson:So I agree with that. It's just to me, it's that human, it's that person to person connection and I feel like if a person just wants food, take them. That's always my thing. You want food? Okay, come on, let's go. Let me go buy you the meal. I will buy you the meal. Now I've had situations where they've been like oh no, I just want the money. Oh sorry, I can't help you.
Maurio Dawson :Right, no, this one gentleman told my mother five dollars. What am I going to do?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:with five dollars. I was like give me my $5 back.
Alma Dawson:Oh no, it takes all kinds, but I'm just saying. I just feel like if you really want to do well, You're not wrong, mario.
Carmen Lezeth:No, I'm just kidding. It's not wrong, it's a start.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:What do you have? A dozen eggs.
Carmen Lezeth:It's amazing, we in LA baby what you going to do with $5?
Alma Dawson:I'm kidding, I had to. I'm saying is look in your neighborhood, look at your local school, look at your local food bank.
Carmen Lezeth:That's where you can give and know that it's going back to your, into your own community and you know, if you do want to do crowdfunding, just do what you said earlier. Just make sure you research it. I don't. I think technology is great. I think it has done a lot to bring us together. I think it again I've never met rick in person and cynthia and mario, and I have never met you know what I. And so it's this we have. We've met on here, we've met no, but I'm saying like we haven't done the physical thing. Okay, that sounds wrong, but you know what?
Carmen Lezeth:I mean, I'm just saying like.
Carmen Lezeth:I think you know that's part of what All About the Joy is trying to do is build community, even if it's through this kind of situation on the internet, Because I think having the conversations, having the arguments, having the whatever controversies, the discussions actually builds community, which is what we're missing, right? We're missing that kind of ability to be in touch with each other and get to know each other. I say this all the time. I would not be here today if it was not even an exaggeration. It is not an exaggeration. I would not be here today if it wasn't for the community that I grew up in Cynthia can vouch for that, I'm just saying it and we've lost that. I don't think today. If what happened to me when I was growing up happened, I think I would have fallen through the cracks easily, Without a doubt, Because we don't have that sense of community. No more People don't care about their next door neighbors.
Alma Dawson:It's so sad because just working in the schools you see how a lot of that that used to be the kids would get you know with family or with community, be able to, you know, grow up. Now it's just so. Now even that is monetized. Oh sure, yeah, I'll foster but it's monetized, or I'll take them but I'm not going to adopt, because if I adopt, I don't get the money, it's so, it's just yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:That part of our capitalist country? I don't know Very much, very much.
Carmen Lezeth:Everything is, you know, and I want Rick and Cynthia to say something, because then I edit and it's just me and Alma talking.
Carmen Lezeth:No, no, it's true, though right Me and you are like that and you and I should just have a show together. We should.
Carmen Lezeth:You and you, you should those.
Alma Dawson:Latinas Right.
Carmen Lezeth:Well, we could do it in Spanish, with my broken fucking English Spanish. It'd be cool. Like Spanish, we can do it in Spanglish. That's what I'm saying. It'd be so good. Okay, that's, we're going to hook that up.
Carmen Lezeth:Rick.
Carmen Lezeth:Cynthia Thought Ideas.
Rick Costa:You want to go first, Cynthia?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:Go ahead.
Rick Costa:Rick, well, well used to be said it takes a village. But now the village is too scared because you might get in trouble. For you know, because, oh, you talk to my kid that way. How dare you I'm like your kids try to beat up my kid, like I'm gonna sit here and do nothing the village is backstabbing each other that's why, rick, rick, do you know who wrote a book and called it that?
Carmen Lezeth:Mm-mm, it takes a village.
Rick Costa:Oh, was it Maya Angelou.
Carmen Lezeth:No who Hillary Clinton? Oh Boom Sorry.
Rick Costa:It takes a village, the other thing I wanted to bring up too bringing it back to crowdfunding is because I've heard of a lot of people that started one and then the crowdfunding place canceled it. Yeah, and they had already raised a lot of money. So I'm going to be honest with you In my mind I thought when this started I'm like surely they're going to cancel this Because that's the norm, so let me just let me verify.
Carmen Lezeth:So there is the normal or the most known one that everyone can pretty much say easily. Then there was another one established, and I'm not lying to you. It is the American Christian Crowdfunding site. That's not the name of it, I'm just telling you. That's their definition. And it was established in 2014 for the first purpose and then, after that, it became a place that housed not housed, but helped neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups and Kyle Rittenhouse is one of the biggest names recently, right in the past years, who killed two people.
Carmen Lezeth:And here's the thing just to be fair, I want to be fair. Everyone has a right to a defense. Everyone does, especially if you become a high profile, even if I hate you. I want everyone in this country to have due process. Hate you. I want everyone in this country to have due process, which is what we have in our constitution, and please know I didn't say citizens. Everyone in this country is allowed due process, so that means Kyle Rittenhouse and the women and anyone else. What I'm saying is where is our ethical line? Where is our morality? Where is that line where we're now making $750,000 on calling a child a name, the N word and using that word easily, right? What is that line?
Rick Costa:I want to know if this one that is going to eventually give her the money, which I hope she doesn't get the money. If they're not big on canceling, well, have they ever? And who have they canceled? I want to know that.
Carmen Lezeth:They've given money to neo-Nazis and white supremacists and so why would they cancel this? This seems to be in line with what they do, I think, with the young woman whose name I wish I knew because I would scream her name. I just don't remember her name. I just saw it and I didn't write it down the coder. What she's saying is, if a place like Stripe or Square or whichever one is, if we tell them they cannot allow that money to go through, it'll make it harder and she won't be able to get the money. So she's saying she found out what the third party was in its square and so putting a pressure campaign on them not to allow the money to come. But I still think the problem is all the donations that are going. To begin with, it's not even about money.
Maurio Dawson :It's about where it began and how many people are encouraging.
Carmen Lezeth:Are encouraging it and are saying that it's actually okay that she did what she did. Where was the parent of that?
Alma Dawson:child. From what I understand, the gentleman knows the children because he takes his children there to play and those kids are there. They come to play there every day as well when he brings his kids. They must not live far, but the child was there with an older sibling.
Alma Dawson:Oh okay, I think you're right recording, because that woman was started chasing them because, he took whatever it was her bag her bag and called them the n, the n word, and then he was, and he even said something, like you were trying to hit him, like you know, so it was just yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:I think he's a. I mean again, you know, I'm always like, would I ever pull out my phone, like every time I'm in a situation. I don't know if you guys saw my latest Tik TOK probably not, cause I know you guys aren't always on Tik TOK but I was coming home the other day from taking a walk and I'm walking home and there is there's a big, there's a lot of trees on our street. This is like a big one coming out the sidewalk, it's like big and fat, and I saw a woman about to take off her pants and a man in front of and he was holding this area. Yup, I thought they were about to have sex. It's worse than this. It's worse than that. Okay, he was to have sex. It's worse than this.
Maurio Dawson :It's worse than that okay, he was peeing.
Carmen Lezeth:He was urinating and she was about to and she saw me. I stopped cold. I was like what is happening? And I said that out loud like yeah, I had my headset on and he said he kept going. Now he was going around the tree and you could tell she was look at your face. I did a tiktok on this.
Carmen Lezeth:Not of them.
Carmen Lezeth:Not of them when I can't I live on a side street of a very busy street, okay, a very well-known street, and I was shook. I was in my first thought Was it like let me pull out my phone and do a tick tock on this, you know what I mean? I was totally thrown and the woman was totally scattered, she was totally embarrassed or whatever. And here's the thing. They were maybe in their thirties, they were not homeless. They looked well-dressed. I mean, if they were homeless, it's recently or something. Here's the thing. I was there for like at least a minute because I did not know what to do, did you?
Maurio Dawson :set up a crowdfunding for them.
Carmen Lezeth:What about my mental health For my trauma?
Alma Dawson:What about my mental health, my trauma? I set up a crowd for me, for a spotlight to get close right there.
Carmen Lezeth:Whenever anything moves, it just, oh my God the thing is it was during the day, it wasn't nighttime, it was during the day, not during the day.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:I'm far from a main street they could have gone to a restaurant, not even a restaurant restaurant.
Carmen Lezeth:We have three bathrooms.
Alma Dawson:I live two blocks from the beach there's people exposing themselves and there's children around what I'm trying to say is I was shook.
Carmen Lezeth:There were other people, there was a couple walking towards me and I was like they're going to see this, and when I saw them coming, that's when I kept walking. But my point is I was shook, I was shook, shook it and I.
Carmen Lezeth:My thought process wasn't like let me find my phone we are different because I've been like what the are you doing?
Alma Dawson:yeah, well, I did say that I was like what? And then my salvadorian comes out and I would have been like I think you and Cynthia would have handled it differently.
Carmen Lezeth:I was shocked.
Maurio Dawson :Alma and Cynthia are the same.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, what the? I feel like there's kids.
Alma Dawson:here there's people.
Carmen Lezeth:I know when the couple walked by, because my house was right there.
Carmen Lezeth:Like I know there's a coffee shop around the corner.
Alma Dawson:I heard them say something what I'm like. I know there's a coffee shop around the corner. I heard them say something what I'm like. I know there's a coffee shop around the corner. Go get a code and use the right one. You know what?
Carmen Lezeth:I honestly wish I, when I came home, is when I did the TikTok. I could not and it took me like an hour. I couldn't even I was.
Alma Dawson:That's why I don't want to see your kibbles and bits there's no shame.
Carmen Lezeth:There's no shame. This is a very wealthy area.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:I don't know why you've been out of Boston for too long we'll do another show on all about the joy of fetishes is that what this was?
Maurio Dawson :it's really a fetish how about in public. Exhibition.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:I think it. You know what they were R Kelly-ing? No, it's just Cynthia stop.
Maurio Dawson :Y'all listen, they get their rocks off about doing that stuff.
Carmen Lezeth:I think you're I didn't even.
Alma Dawson:Yeah, it's a thing, we're a couple.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:It's a couple.
Alma Dawson:Yeah it's a thing, you actually helped them.
Carmen Lezeth:You helped them.
Alma Dawson:You saw her face oh.
Maurio Dawson :Do you see her face? That was good. Let's go.
Carmen Lezeth:Why are you doing? You know I'm fighting with you now. The whole show was good, let's go. Why are you doing? You know I'm fighting with you now. The whole show is me and you fighting today. Oh my God, I helped you.
Maurio Dawson :You helped them get their rocks off. Good for you. Good for you.
Carmen Lezeth:I couldn't understand. All they had to do is go on your phone and do bathroom and it'll show you. I'm right here at the beach. There are bathrooms, right there.
Maurio Dawson :It's the excitement of possibly getting caught, and so you help them get caught Going to the bathroom is a fetish. That's disgusting. You've heard of golden showers. Stop it. You know what that is. Stop it See now that is. Stop it See now. You know, see your face. Just told you.
Carmen Lezeth:I'm sitting there thinking about Donald Trump. That's why.
Maurio Dawson :But still, you know what it was.
Carmen Lezeth:I did not realize. I didn't even dawn on me, did you guys, cynthia?
Alma Dawson:and Ricky, did you not? I didn't think about that part either.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:I was just like Cynthia, they could have also tried to like they were about to have sex and they were like saw somebody coming like let's play it off. Let me just.
Carmen Lezeth:I mean and it was a lot he was peeing. I didn't see it at first, but then I looked at him because I thought they were going to have sex. And here's the thing I'm talking about. I'm talking about on the street, like you walk out of people their home, it's right there. And here's the thing I'm talking about on the street. Yeah, like you walk out of people their home, it's right there. They weren't hiding I think you're right, Mario.
Maurio Dawson :Didn't even go in. No, it is a thing, you're right.
Carmen Lezeth:I think it was that it's a fetish. It's a fetish and she got embarrassed. Yeah, he kept going and he just went around the tree. He kept going and he just went around the tree. And then the other two couples the couple that came towards me, I felt bad because I'm like I'm just going into my house, I went down my alleyway or whatever. The other two couples you could hear them doing what? Like they were yelling something they were yelling at them something.
Maurio Dawson :It's a thing You're welcome.
Carmen Lezeth:Listen, look at her face.
Maurio Dawson :She helped, you did it, you did your job.
Carmen Lezeth:Great Is this joy for you. Mario, do you feel better now? Is this the?
Rick Costa:joy. This is the joy.
Maurio Dawson :She said hi, welcome. My name is Carmen. I have a show called All About the Joy.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:I'm bringing you joy today. And I'm going to talk about it on my show.
Carmen Lezeth:This is terrible. This was a horrible show I'm not airing it. It was horrible, ew. Now I'm grossed out even more in a whole different icky way.
Maurio Dawson :What can I say? She's going to go and take another shower after the show.
Carmen Lezeth:Ew, you know what I think that you know what it is. I feel stupid. It didn't even dawn on me, didn't even dawn on me.
Carmen Lezeth:All.
Carmen Lezeth:I can do is put up. No shame.
Maurio Dawson :You can do a follow up TikTok.
Carmen Lezeth:I'm not doing a follow up TikTok.
Alma Dawson:I'm changing the subject. We're not going to talk about that anymore. Yeah, there's no shame, though. There's no shame.
Rick Costa:It's a trend, but it ain't on TikTok.
Carmen Lezeth:That part. Okay, all right. Well, all right. Well, that was a great show. It's time to end this. It's time to end it.
Alma Dawson:So we're going to say so, since it's National Teachers Week, make sure you thank a teacher. Thank you, alma. Thank you, Alma. You don't have to do it in person, but you can, you know, make a donation to your local school or send some muffins just door. Dash it just say thank you. Wait, do you guys?
Carmen Lezeth:really accept door dash muffins at a school?
Alma Dawson:yeah, I mean they're being sent from a company. It's not like you're walking them in. You can put in if you're sending them from a company, like if you, you know, order some cookies from you know different places. And then, week after next is for all the other staff. All the other school staff get appreciated. So you can thank a teacher, assistant or, you know, your school nurse or the front office people, anyone you want to thank at the schools. Just Thank them. Just thank them.
Maurio Dawson :Okay, thank my old teacher and bring them some joy.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, bring them some joy, for sure, I'd love to see my older kids come back.
Alma Dawson:I really do. Like I said, I've attended weddings and christenings for their babies. Really, things like that, oh, yeah, yeah. Graduations all the way from their middle school to college, phds, all of that good stuff, so yeah she has.
Maurio Dawson :One of her former students is nfl player.
Alma Dawson:Yeah, so yeah so yeah very cool yeah, so it's nice. We'd like to see all of our kids come back. So you know, even if you think there might not be anybody there, they love to see. You know, kids come back and and just share their their stories.
Carmen Lezeth:I didn't know. Oh, go ahead, Rick. I'm sorry.
Rick Costa:It was that story of. It was an elderly woman. She's in the hospital, she's very nervous because she has to have a procedure and she's scared. And then a doctor comes and sees her and tells her I was one of your students, I was the troubled kid, what's your name? And she said, he said the name. Oh my God, I remember. You're a doctor.
Carmen Lezeth:He was a surgeon yeah.
Rick Costa:It was like such a beautiful story.
Alma Dawson:It's so awesome. It really is. I'd love to see it. I'd love to see our kids come back and just see how they're doing, and some of them are doing really well. Some of them they've had their struggles but they're still persevering. So that's the thing that they think of. Enough of you to come back and say hey, I remember when you used to sit me down and talk to me and tell me the things that I could do with my life. I just use my powers for good. That's my line. Powers for good, that's my line. Use your powers for good.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, everyone, use your powers for good.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez:Yes.
Rick Costa:For God's sake, find a bathroom.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, use a bathroom. Oh my God, God's sake. Hey everyone, we're going to wind this down. I'm really grossed out now, but there's a bathroom for that.
Rick Costa:The title of this episode is people that have no shame the title of this episode, listen everyone thank you so much, we're on.
Carmen Lezeth:You guys are making it hard for me to end this right now. This is a private lounge, okay you know what this is?
Carmen Lezeth:a private lounge. We're going to end it now. Listen at the end of the day, remember. It really is all about the joy.
Carmen Lezeth:Take care this week. Bye, Bye everyone.
Carmen Lezeth:Thanks for stopping by. All About the Joy Be better and stay beautiful. Folks have a sweet day.