Public Awareness, Reproductive Rights, and Vaccination
Zach stated his support for reproductive rights, with emphasis on individual decision-making and government non-interference. They also explored the implications of family breakdown on society, with Zachary not agreeing that the breakdown of two-parent husband and wife families is the core of all societal issues. Zachary expressed his belief that vaccines are important for public health. Zach affirmed his support for vaccines based on scientific evidence, and expressed his disapproval of a recently proposed 100 billion-dollar bill for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, arguing that each issue should be examined separately.
Warrantless Searches, Federal Spending, and Unions
Richard and Zach discussed two main issues: the extension of warrantless searches and the high level of federal spending. Zach admitted he needed to investigate the specifics of the warrantless searches issue, but expressed his general disapproval of such practices. Regarding federal spending, Zach proposed reallocating funds from certain areas, such as the Department of Defense, to other sectors like social programs. He emphasized the need for auditing government organizations to identify wasteful spending. Furthermore, Zach clarified his stance on the ‘right to work’ issue, explaining that he strongly supports unions as they provide workers with the ability to advocate for themselves and protect against unjust dismissals.
Discussing 2020 Election and Capitol Protest
Zach and Richard discussed the events surrounding the 2020 US presidential election and the subsequent protests. Zach clarified his stance on the election fraud allegations, stating he didn’t believe the election was stolen. The pair also discussed the events of January 6, 2021, where a group of supporters of former President Trump protested election fraud at the US Capitol. Zach believed the leaders of this incident should be punished, but due process should be granted to those arrested. Richard, however, expressed his belief that many of the arrests appeared to be politically motivated.
Discussing Government Spending Bill Transparency
Richard and Zach discussed the recent government spending bill of 1.2 trillion dollars. Richard questioned Zach about his stance on this bill, which was passed to continue government funding for the year. Zach admitted he would need to know the specifics of the bill to give a definitive answer. They both expressed concern about the lack of transparency and the fact that such massive bills are often passed without adequate time for review and knowledge of their contents.
Social Security Fund Depletion and Potential Solutions
Richard and Zach discussed the potential depletion of social security funds within the next decade and possible solutions to address this issue. Zach proposed lowering the retirement age to allow people to live better, increasing taxes for high-wage earners, and reallocating funds from other areas, such as the military, to social security. However, Richard voiced concerns about the funding of these proposed solutions, given that a reduced retirement age would increase the program’s cost.
Discussing Coal Production and Renewable Energy in West Virginia
Richard and Zach discussed the impact of new environmental regulations on coal production and the shift towards renewable energy in West Virginia. Zach emphasized the importance of a just transition towards renewable energy sources, such as solar power, while also addressing concerns about the impact on rural farmland and the environment.
Clarifying Zach’s Second Amendment Stance
Richard sought clarification from Zach on his stance regarding the right to bear arms. Zach affirmed his support for the Second Amendment, emphasizing the importance of mental competence and thorough background checks for gun ownership. He also expressed his belief in closing loopholes and improving mental health care nationwide..
Criminal Justice System and Family Support
Richard and Zach discussed various issues related to the criminal justice system, with a particular focus on trend for prosecutors in some areas to reduce penalties for certain misdemeanors. Zach expressed his concern about the mass incarceration problem in America and his opposition to for-profit prisons. Zach expressed that increasing the number of two parent families to help society could not be legislated. Richard, on the other hand, argued that the statistics showed that children who grow up with a mother and a father are less likely to get into trouble.
Good morning, welcome to this edition of the Richard Urban Show. I’m your host, Richard Urban coming from historic Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. We present news and views from God’s point of view. Today, May 21, we very happy to have Richard Ojeda, a candidate for the U.S. Senate on the Democratic ticket here in West Virginia. So please introduce yourself.
“Thank you very much for having me on your show. I am retired after 24 years from the United State Army. When I retired and came back home, I found myself in the classroom for four years teaching at Chapman, the Regional High School, and then I was also elected as a state senator for the seventh senatorial district. In my first year as a state senator, I was able to make West Virginia the 29th state to become legal for medical cannabis. And that wasn’t all the things that I was able to accomplish during that session, but that was probably my main fight,” Ojeda said.
“The very next year, as we all know, we had the teachers strike and I feel very comfortable that I was one of the main characters in elevating the voices of our educators. So I’m running for office for the United State Senate in West Virginia. During the mid-terms, I was number one in turning red boats blue out of all 435 races and I believe that I am the best candidate to go forward that has an opportunity to turn a Red seat blue in the Senate,” Ojeda continued.
Richard: You mentioned the medical marijuana on the state level here. Certainly I remember that. What would you say are your three main platform points for your US Senate candidacy?
“Well, first off I want to end Citizens United. We’ve got to get big money out of politics. I want to fight Right to Work. I’m a huge supporter of unions. I think people deserve to have a seat at the table. If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re usually on the menu. And that’s where our working class citizens are at today, so those are two main issues. I also want to give people across this country the ability to have a non-addictive form of pain management, which is cannabis. I’m talking about fighting for medical cannabis across the country. I want to end forever wars. Those are just some of the top things that I want to fight for,” Ojeda answered.
Richard: What do you think about the current situation with COVID-19? To me, personally, I’ve been blogging on that a lot and talking about it. That’s a really concerning issue about the governors putting in a lot of restrictions on constitutional rights. What is your feeling about that? Has there been overreach in the mandates and edicts by the governors?
“Well, you know, first off, I’m going through the COVID-19 here in West Virginia and I will tell you that for the first time in three years, we finally have a governor that’s actually speaking and trying to educate and help the people. For the first time our governors have finally stepped up and done something across this country. I don’t think that we’re listening to the experts the way that we should, we should be listening to Dr. Fauci. I think that if we do things like opening these areas too soon I think that we risk the numbers skyrocketing. So my thoughts are is that we’re talking about the lives of our citizens. I think we’re right about 95,000 deaths since this began in only just a few months,” Ojeda said.
“I mean, luckily I’m here. Campaigning is being done online. Here we are, and this is a phenomenal way for me to be able to reach voters because actually I can’t be out there knocking on doors because if I catch that and I’m delivering it to other people, I’m putting their lives in jeopardy and we cannot allow that to happen,” Ojeda added.
Richard: You mentioned 95,000. I think that the statistics the CDC has a lower number. Well, let’s leave that alone for now. What do you say to people who indicate that this isn’t so much different than a flu season, or maybe a bad flu season, maybe not even a bad one? How do you feel about that?
“Absolutely wrong. I mean, at the end of the day, this is a global pandemic that is absolutely turning economies upside down. It’s causing people to lose everything. This is a serious situation and I think that we should not play with it. I’ve got parents, they’re in their 70s, and I’m doing everything in my power to keep them from going out from going to the stores. I don’t want to give up one single person to this virus,” Ojeda said.
Richard: What about a somewhat related issue? I was listening to William Binney recently. He was working for the NSA, for 20 plus years or 30 years, until 2001, and he was talking about the continued surveillance as a result of the Patriot Act and at how actually they’re collecting data and then they say they don’t collect data. The short question is if when funding comes up, like for the NSA, would you try to defund those kind of surveillance programs on all the US citizens, or do you think they’re okay. What’s your view on that?
“Well, first and foremost, hopefully, if I am given the honor to represent these people and I find out that the NSA are actually doing those things, I’m against that whole heartedly and I’ll fight them tooth and nail to make sure that those things don’t happen. No, we cannot even allow organizations to privately break the law for the ‘good’. That’s unacceptable,” Ojeda responded.
Richard: Absolutely. Well, one issue that’s close to my heart is the issue of vaccinations and forced vaccinations. As you know in West Virginia, from being in the Senate, that’s something that keeps coming up here, but also on the national level through the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, the liability was removed for the ability to sue pharmaceutical companies and we have the so-called vaccine court, that’s given out over $4 billion. So, the short question is, Would you, should you be elected, support getting back the ability to sue pharmaceutical companies for injuries on vaccines or would you oppose that?
“If it’s proven that vaccines have done that, absolutely. Let me tell you. I want to fist fight big pharma for the opioid epidemic that they have thrown on top of us and for their actions in our capitals, at the state level and national level where they go in and they grease the pockets of legislators to buy their freedom to buy their security, so that they can continue doing the things that they do,” Ojeda answered.
“And look, like I said, I believe in taking your shots. I’m not one of those anti-vaxxer folks so make no mistake about it. I’m also able to look and see and realize that today one out of so many children and, it’s an alarming number, have autism. And we got to wonder, “Where is all of that coming from? So I’m not against doing the research and putting things in action so that we can pinpoint exactly what this is that is causing this and make no mistake about it, if it’s vaccinations that are being pushed, you can probably guarantee that somebody probably knows that that’s taken place, and in that case, they need to go down,” Ojeda continued.
Richard: That’s been come up with the William Thompson case. And you’re right, I think the conflicts of interest are huge, with a big pharma and yeah, definitely the whole CDC. Like a related question is would you promote doing safety studies, because now they’re not doing vaccinated vs. unvaccinated safety studies, no one knows if the vaccines being introduced or ready existing cause more harm than good. Would you like promote doing those kind of safety studies?
“Absolutely, absolutely, first off, before we stick the first needle into the skin of anybody there should be testing to make sure. Nobody is a lab rat. Nobody. And nobody is expendable. We cannot allow these companies to do [that]. Let me tell you, I am from the southern part of West Virginia, and the opioid epidemic has literally destroyed our communities, has fractured our families. We know now because of information that has been gathered that the people that did this basically knew, that they used us as lab rats, even caught on video or on email, basically saying keep them coming boys. They are eating them up like Doritos. That’s the type of people that are at big pharma. And they could care less about you and I.” Ojeda answered.
Richard: So this is an interesting question. President Trump’s been saying, Maybe we’ll have a vaccination possibly coming for the COVID-19. Maybe we’ll have the military giving it because I guess they need more personnel. So if there is a vaccine developed in the future should everyone have to take that? Some people are coming out with those kind of things. Hey, you want to work at some place you have got to take this vaccine or no job. Do you agree with that? Do you disagree with that?
“I don’t think that that would ever happen, I really don’t think that that would happen. I don’t think that our country would ever push anything of that nature. Now, if they come up with a corona virus vaccine that can cure the disease and then if they want to give that to people that have come down with the symptoms, and if they can prove that it works I don’t have a problem with that, but as far as line up everybody, mandatory. I don’t think that our country will ever push anybody to do things of that nature,” Ojeda said.
Richard: I hope not.
“I hope not, too, because once again, you always hear about those types of things. But I would like to think that our government is not the type of government that rules with an iron fist even though right now we have somebody in office that would love to do just that,” Ojeda responded.
Richard: You mentioned the right to work. Can you explain a little more?
Let me tell you when you hear certain terms, ‘Citizens United’, ‘Right to Work’. Sounds great. They’re usually bad. Right-to-work legislation is a union buster. And that’s all that it is,” Ojeda responded.
Richard: What about the issue of so-called Red Flag laws with putting restrictions on the right to bear arms because someone reported you, they said you’re psycho. What’s your opinion on those kind of laws?
“I disagree, I disagree. I don’t think people should be able to call somebody and get them labeled. Now, do I think we’ve got people around here that probably shouldn’t be running around carrying weapons? There’s probably a few of them that probably shouldn’t be running around carrying weapons,” Ojeda said.
Richard: I noticed on your website you were supporting President Trump in 2016 I guess now you’re not. Do you want to share anything about that?
Absolutely, I do. First and foremost, I supported, I wanted Bernie Sanders, when Bernie Sanders lost. First off, I want you to know that Bernie Sanders won all 55 counties in West Virginia. But when they said ‘who’s gonna get the votes?’ they said Hillary Clinton. They took it from Bernie Sanders and that left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. How can they give Hillary Clinton to West Virginia when she didn’t win one single county and a lot of people were angry about that, I was angry about that,” Ojeda responded.
Richard: So wrapping up, did you want to share anything else like with the viewer that they should know about your candidacy and why they should choose you in the Democratic primary June 9th?
“Well, I think that if people research me, they will see a lot of times people think ‘This guy seems like he’s always angry’. It’s passion. I spent 24 years in the military, and I thought that the leadership that I served under in the military was the best I’ve ever seen in my life and I thought that that was how it was also on the civilian ticket. So when I retired and come out, I didn’t find that I found people with their hands in the cookie jar. I found people that were bullies and that’s when I started challenging people. A lot of people don’t know. I won my state Senate race from the emergency room because two days before I won that race, I was struck in the back of the head knocked unconscious rolled over and had eight bones broken in my face with brass knuckles,” Ojeda answered.
“I am not scared to continue standing up and fighting these people. They should have killed me, because make no mistake about it. I refuse to sit back when I see things that are wrong. Never walk past something that you know it’s wrong and fail to make comment for if you do you’ve accepted a new lower standard. And I’m the guy that will refuse to sit silent when I see these things going on in Washington D.C. I will alert everybody as to what has happened. If people go to www.voteojeda2020.com, they can check out my page. I also do live videos, literally every single week, sometimes twice a week, because I believe in making a two-way line of communication with people and they can ask questions and I answer right there in front of everybody,” Ojeda added.
Richard: Alright that’s a good conclusion. Well, thank you very much for coming on today and we’ll make this available on video and podcast and hope people will take the time to watch it and make informed decisions on June 9th.
