Transcript From Episode 66

No Mongo Podcast, Episode 66 - 7 Octillion Atoms

Welcome to the show. My name is Rick Bata. If you are new, thanks for tuning in. I normally list off how to get in touch with me or follow along, but for now please just dig up a previous episode. I need to get right to it. I do have to admit, I almost took this week off. I just wasn’t feeling like talking about skateboarding at all. But I felt the need to vent a little so here we are. I wanted to chime on on what’s been going here in the United States this past week, but technically it applies to everyone.

But first. Here me out for a min. Let me just set it up. Feel free to take notes. Right now we are spinning about 1000 miles per hours on this planet we call Earth. Just spinning and bobbing around. A planet with 7 other brothers and sisters in our solar system. We’ve got a Sun. You know, keeps us warm and helps things grow. As we zoom out a little. We are part of the Milky Way Galaxy — a galaxy that contains between 100 and 400 billion stars and at least a billion planets. That’s just our Milky Way Galaxy. Just this one. Billions of stars. Billions of planets.

With that being said. The nearest galaxy to us is 2 million light years away from us. 2 million light years. And if you don’t know how far or long light year is…it’s equivalent to 6 trillion miles.  One light year = 6 trillion miles. Stay with me. That’s just one light year!! Imagine how far away 2 million light years is!! It’s insane. That’s just our galaxy and the nearest of possibly two trillion other galaxies in the known universe.

Why do I mention all this? I mention it because I continue to be shocked, absolute horror and shock at the amount of hatred, pure hatred in like “I hate this PERSON, or Group of PEOPLE,” that many human beings can have towards each other. And not just each other per say, namely people of color, or getting more specific, black human beings.

Let me just say this here. Black Lives Matter.

I’ll say it again for those of you in the back. Black Lives Matter.

Black Lives Matter.

Yet, we continue to see situations with police brutality like the recent killing of George Floyd. Rest in peace. And, unfortunately, he wasn’t the first and damn well won’t be the last. This one was so horrific.

George Floyd died while being retained by a police officer and his demise was recorded for all to see. all While the officer sat there with his knee on his neck. I mean, it pains me to even say that. How? How, in the year 2020 is this still happening? How? Why!?

So back to this planet we call home. You know, The one that is floating around in space, as part of the Milky Way Galaxy. Part of a universe that is so enormous I don’t think we’ll ever truly be able to comprehend how grand it is.

Nevertheless, we have the privilege of calling this planet our home. How in the heck are we here? And why? You ever ask yourself that? In the grand scheme of things humanity is all but a blip on the radar. A tiny spec. Tiny, tiny, tiny spec of time and space. The odds of us just being here are so crazy to think about. And the fact that we get to have experiences and live. Have joy, etc. If you think about it, we should be so damn grateful to be here. TO be here Right now.

The entire known universe is made up of atoms. In fact, so are we. About 7 octillion of them in the average human body. And Despite the vast number of atoms in the human body, we are still surprisingly full of empty space - due to the space inside the atoms. That’s what we are made out of. We’re all made of the same stuff. All of it. Most of it is empty space.

Yet, we continue to have certain individuals on this planet, remember we are still spinning in space, that’s still going on, who literally HATE with a capital HATE, anyone who’s skin color isn’t white. This happens on our beautiful planet. Human beings are getting killed because of the color of their skin. Their skin! We’re all made up of the same damn thing? Maybe you’ve got 8 octillian atoms and I’ve got 7 octillian. So what! I’m not going to hate on you for that. Yet alone kill you because of the color of your skin, which you were born into.

This has got to stop. Killing and absolutely HATING on another human being because of the color of their skin. For how they LOOK. Not act. How they LOOK. Killing other people for how they LOOK. 8 octillion atoms. We’ve all got them. It’s a miracle that we are here to experience life and this planet. An absolute miracle. We are all one. We’re all made up of the same stuff. Down to an atomic level. The hate has got to stop.

Quick skate thought. I remember watching Tommy Guerrero way back in 1989’s Ban This. Go watch it if you haven’t seen it, but he was rocking a board with the words END RACISM on it. Even way back then he was trying to help the cause. It was an issue then. 31 years ago. And it doesn’t seem to be going away. At least not quick enough. This has to stop. Shout out TG.

As I wrap this episode up. I have a special moment I wanted to share from the other day. The wife and I finally decided to discuss what was going on to our kids. They just turned 8. I mean, to them it has been just another week of sheltering in place. But we hadn’t filled them in with what was also going on, you know just in case they bring it up at school, plus they need to know regardless.

So we brought it up while we were hanging out in the backyard. My wife helped do a fantastic job of explaining everything to them. The riots, etc. And you can always tell when you have a kids attention or interest or not. Mine were both locked in.

Here’s where I almost broke down in tears though. After we finished talking. The very first thing my daughter said. Right after she raised her hand. We don’t require that it’s just sometimes she thinks she’s in a classroom. I still think it’s awesome when she does it. But the very first thing she said was “I feel sad that that man died” The very first thing. Not what did he do? Not how, or why?

It was one of those moments that was instantly added to my permanent memories bank. I told her I felt the same way. What a moment. I just had to share that. Only because I truly believe there is still hope. Hope for us all.

Police brutality has to stop. The teaching of hate has got to stop. Kids aren’t born to hate. Stop teaching hate. It’s not going to be easy, but I hope to one day racism will be a distant memory. For all races. We are one.

I love you all.

#blacklivesmatter