Host Rachel Miselman addresses food insecurity, how politics affects hunger, the rising cost of living in Boston and MA, Project Bread, diversity in politics, prioritizing character over qualification when voting, & more.
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Bostonian Rap
Hello and welcome to Bostonian Wrap. My name is Rachel Montesleman and you are listening to me on WBCALP 102.9 FM Boston. This is Boston's community radio station. So we're going to go to a quick disclaimer and then we're going to come back and jump right on in to tonight's show. The following commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff and management of WBCA or the Boston Neighborhood Network. If you would like to express another opinion, you can address your comments to Boston Neighborhood Network, 302-5 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02119. To arrange a time for your own commentary, you can call WBCA at 617-708-3215 or email radio at bnnmedia.org. Hello and welcome back to Bostonian Wrap. Again, my name is Rachel Montesleman and you're listening to me on WBCALP 102.9 FM Boston, Boston's community radio station. So I am going to talk about food insecurity. That's something that I really wanted to get to on a few of the last shows. So I wanted to vote a little time to really kind of, I don't even want to say I'm impacted because this is nothing to go on back. I mean, food insecurity is what it is. But to really kind of, I think, treat the issue judiciously because I don't think people really understand how big of an issue it is, and I feel like with so many other issues now in Massachusetts, it's something, it's a crisis, most definitely a crisis, and it never had to, it never had to or never should have gotten this bad. So first of all, I think a definition of food insecurity is important. So it's not just about having enough to eat. It could also be having, having food to eat, but it's not balanced. It's not nutritious. So you are malnourished, even though you're not going to bed on an empty stomach. And, you know, that would probably be an instance where someone is eating whatever he or she can, just not to go to bed on an empty stomach. And it's heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking to know that this is an issue in Boston and throughout the common wealth, I mean, throughout the country, really, but I just feel like we have so many resources and it's just tremendously frustrating that, that again, that we're at this stage or at this point. I remember in 2018, talking to an older woman and we were just talking about how it's difficult to make ends meet, it's, you know, Massachusetts Boston is very expensive. And she said, you know, hey, look, there are seniors who are eating cat food because they're proud. And that just, that made me tremendously sad because again, we have so many resources. There's no need of it, but I think a lot of it is down to we just have a lot of horrible politicians. We really do. I think increasingly we prioritized having people who had the right look, people had to have the right profile, so we worried more about ticking boxes in terms of is this person, a female is this person, someone of color, as opposed to looking at merit. Now, I'm always going to say this. I always have said this is very, very important to have a diverse workforce because we have a diverse population and we want people to be productive. We want the maximum amount of people to be productive. So there's that, but then we're a society where as Americans, we've all been promised, so to speak, that we have opportunities waiting for us, that if we work hard, that if we train, if we, you know, keep grinding, that, that there's something at the end of that tunnel, that there's something at the end of our journey, that there, that there'll be something for our efforts. So I think for abundance of reasons. And then of course, it does, it does mean a lot to see someone, the phrase, you know, looks like me. I mean, I mean, I understand how it's loosely translated, but it's a problematic expression. And that's, I guess, a topic for another show. But for purposes of simplicity, it is, I will freely admit that it is important to have people that look like you because it's the idea that there's another person who understands what it means to walk through that door into that particular space where there might not be a whole lot of people that look like, you know, fill in the blank. So I completely get it. And for those reasons, and there's some more, I fully, fully, fully support the concept of diversity. The issue for me, though, is that I also support diversity of ideas and diversity of politics, you know, so different perspectives. And I also believe very strongly in a meritocracy. That's, I, I adhere very, very firmly to the meritocratic ideals. So for me, this prioritization of gender and race and ethnicity without without, that's the key word, without a thought for the person's actual qualifications, that bothers me. That, that, that greatly bothers me. So yes, to diversity of all kinds, first of all, of all kinds, including, as I said, of, you know, political leanings, political fought, intellectual leanings, but also when we are looking at bringing a person who looks like this aboard, that person has to be qualified. And so someone might argue, or someone might say to me, well, Rachel, what about, you know, a white person who's not qualified? Well, that, that bothers me just as much. I mean, that bothers me no less. I don't care what your skin color is, what your ethnic background is, your ethnic origin. You have to be able to do the job that you're getting paid for. And if you can't, then you shouldn't be there. Because they're going to be, they're going to be effects, adverse effects. Other people are going to be unfairly impacted. So yes, we've, we've prioritized, in my opinion, someone's profile. Or even someone's personal narrative. You have someone like Erin Murphy, well, I'm a single mom from Dorchester. Okay. And I, you know, what, what does that have to do with anything? I can understand to a certain extent, maybe trying to make herself appear. Maybe more human, more relatable. Maybe it's the idea to show that she's a hard worker, that she's raised a family. It's not easy, you know, maybe to convey the idea that she's tough, but it was someone like Erin Murphy. I would have been more interested in knowing how she's going to do the job and what it is in her background, her professional formation, professional experience. What, what is there that was going to enable her to do the job of a city councilor? And we never really got that. And now we're seeing, in my opinion, the consequences because they're not a lot of deliverables, and she's not the only one. But I mean, this is certainly an example. I don't really care about someone's narrative because I'm not looking to be someone's friend. I don't I don't look at and then more, more importantly, I don't look at public office. As something that should be used to show how forward thinking, society is, how compassionate society is. I mean, think about it, single mother. That hardly makes Erin Murphy unique, hardly makes her unique. They're single, they're single fathers. Two, it's, it's, it's not something that makes her stand out. My concern is, how are you going to do the job? Are you going to be able to do the job? And what two and a half years in, I have my answer. I don't think she can. I don't think she has been. They're not a lot of deliverables. And so, this is just to really kind of, I think, underline and just really bring home certain ideas that that I hold very, very firmly, very closely. I don't care about backstories. I don't care about personal narratives. I mean, to be sure, in some instances, it is something admirable when a person overcomes a lot to be able to achieve what in the eyes of many is, is success, great success. But at the end of the day, I need to know that the person can do the job. And if you're pink, if you're white with green stripes, if you're, I mean, I, I, it's just I don't care about color, I don't see race, I don't see ethnicity, I focus on ability. And when it comes to public servants or, you know, politicians, it's really important that they know the community, that they know the issues, that they know their constituencies. It's just so, so, so, so, so, so important. So, when I think about food insecurity, I do blame politicians because I feel like. I mean, I'm well aware that I can't just, you know, it's not blanket blame because some people, I mean, depending on what their office is, they don't have too much that they can do to address the issue. But I do feel that when it comes to food insecurity, it really comes down to an income issue. Stat, salaries have remained stubbornly stagnant, but the cost of living has not. And I just, I feel that people having problems, putting food on the table. It's, it's, it's, it's really. A nasty, horrible, in some cases, tragic side effect of being low income, of being one of the working poor or being just poor. And, and it's just, as I said, there's no need of it in a society such as ours, where there are so many resources, so many resources. And the problem with food insecurity is just it's become, it's snowballed, it's, it's, it's grown tremendously. And it's become this big, ugly beast because as rent has increased, as mortgages have, have gotten more onerous, people are making choices. And so people say, okay, well, I need to keep a roof over my head. So people don't always buy the best food. Sometimes people skip a meal or two. If there are families and this, this breaks my heart, it really, truly breaks my heart. You, you have parents that are skipping meals so that their children can eat. And so for me, it's, again, it's, it's, it's, it's the faults of the politicians. We need people who know what they're doing. We need people who, who understand the issues, as I said, and above all, we need people that care. Because we have people in office and I'm going to tell you, some of them, I know they don't care. They think they're doing you a huge favor if they take your phone call or they respond to an email. Whoop-de-do. No, really, whoop-de-do. To address food insecurity, it's, it's hard because food has gotten more expensive of course, a lot more expensive. Let me give you an example. There was a time when, you know, those ramen noodles, packets, packages, they were what? Like, I remember when they were 25 or 30 cents, depending on where you go. They're like 99 cents now. It's, it's crazy. Or going to Burger King and yes, I like fast food. I just love to eat and yes, I, I like, I like Burger King and they had for a long time like a two for ten and then like it became like two for 14 and now it's like it's insane. Like if I wanted, I want to get the same deal, air quotes, it's, it's like double what I initially was paying. And you know, I'll pay it because okay, you know, two meals, but it's, I mean, think about it, when money is tight, it's just, I don't know, I think it's important for most of us to, you know, not saying like, okay, well it's important for us to be able to go to Burger King and be able to get something cheap. Although, I mean, some people that's what they do, but I think it's, it's, it's, it's important in general to be able to go to supermarket, you know, be able to go to a restaurant and, and, and just have healthy or relatively healthy options at a price that's not going to kill you. Now, of course, my two for 10 deal wasn't necessarily, you know, super healthy eating, but it still, it's, I, I freely acknowledge that, you know, it's like ouch, now I'm paying 20 instead of 10. And I also know that, you know, there are people who, you know, when they're low on money, it's okay. Let's go to Burger King and let's go to McDonald's and let's go to that, you know, get something off that dollar menu. And it's, it's just, it's not easy, it's not easy, it's not easy for me, it's not easy for Joe Schmo, it's not easy for Jane, it's not, it's just not easy. And I think that was something like food insecurity, like housing, it's really, it's, it's important for people to be able to provide for themselves. It really is because it's not being able to afford food, it's an attack on the dignity of a person. And so, you know, on a federal level, inflation has got to be adjusted. I think on a municipal and state level, a municipal and state levels, I think the focus needs to be on creating more business opportunities. And really doing something about housing. So whether a person is renting or owning engineering things so that people are not having to make choices, it's just, I, it's just very frustrating, very, very frustrating. There was the head of Panera and he is a really beautiful person. And let me just, I want to pull up, there's, I think it's a TED talk and it's awesome, it's awesome. And he's actually a Massachusetts kid. I don't think, I don't know if he still lives here and he's no longer the head of Panera. But the reason why I'm bringing up Panera is because this beautiful former CEO, he came up with a great idea called Panera Cares. And Boston was one of the few cities in the country where someone could go and get a nutritious meal. And it was quick. I mean, it was along the lines of fast food. I mean, we're not talking about food being prepared over however many minutes. I mean, but that's okay. But it was, it was good, nutritious food. And someone could, you know, go in, eat, enjoy some dignity, quite frankly, and then leave. And the idea is that a person paid what he could. And of course, if you or I were in the position where we could pay more than we did. I just thought that this was a beautiful concept and it lasted for a few years. And it was right in government center, very close to City Hall Plaza, right across the way. And it was just, it was just a beautiful concept. And I just, it just makes me think that, okay, well, there is something that we can do. I mean, there's, there's definitely something that we can do. And so, yeah, so it's, yeah, here it is. It's Ron. I just want to make sure I pronounce his name correctly. So Ron, Shaish, Shaish, Shaish. I have to get the pronunciation, but he's just such a beautiful, beautiful soul. And I thought he was from Lowell or he spent some time in Lowell. Let me just, now I'm looking. So I need to get the pronunciation of his name correct. So let me just, I'll get back to you guys on that because I want to make sure I get it right. But he is an American businessman, an entrepreneur, investor, and best-selling author. And so he actually, he founded and built all Bon Pan, which I loved. I don't think there any more left. And then he founded Panera Bread. So he's just really a special person. And there is a TED Talk. You know, some, some TED Talks are, are not as great as others, but I think on the whole, I quite enjoy TED Talks. And I thought that his was like really special. He actually talked about how he came up with the idea for Panera Cares. And it wasn't, it wasn't easy because there was a lot, there was a lot of moving pieces. And what really impressed me listening to him was his passion. And it was very obvious that he cared. And it was very obvious that for him, and I do get emotional because it just, it was so moving and it was so touching. And it was the idea that if someone in my community can't eat, can't a food to put food on the table, that that is my problem too. So not that person, that's not only that person's problem, it's my problem. And he talked about how it started with, you know, he and his family, he'd take his children and they would, you know, volunteer, put packages of food together for people. And then he thought, well, maybe we can do something else, maybe we can do something bigger, maybe we can do something, you know, better, bigger, and the idea of Panera Cares was born. And what really impressed me further was that throughout this whole process, he was very concerned about the dignity of the person who could not afford to feed himself or the person who was skipping males, the person who was food insecure. He wanted to make sure that the person had his dignity. And it's like, okay, how can we do this? How are we going to go about ensuring that everyone who comes in, who needs a heart, fresh meal, can get that and not be singled out or not feel, be made to feel that? Charity is being given, is being doled out. And so it was just very, very thoughtful. I see other efforts. You certainly, you have Project Bread, and they organize, of course, the Walk for Hunger. And you have wonderful people. You have people like Sal, State Senator Sal Dida Minico, and he is just, I wish, I wish every public servant were like Sal Dida Minico, he's such a good person. And he has done so much to fight hunger. He has fought for children, all children, to receive free school lunches. He's just, he's just really something. He's just, he's really, he's a really good man, very decent. And you have, on federal level, you have Congressman McGovern, and I actually saw him, and I think I shared this on a, on a previous episode of Bostonian Wrap. I saw him, it was at the 50th, I believe, anniversary of Walk for Hunger. So Project Bread, you know, organized a little, you know, Schindig. First of all, he was very approachable, and it's funny because you have people who are not elected officials themselves, they work for elected officials, and they have the worst attitude, especially on Beacon Hill. It's just like, are you kidding me? You can't possibly be serious. Then you have McGovern, who's been in office for a very long time, been a long time Congressman, very approachable, and we had a brief, but I think very meaningful conversation. And I shared that I was a Republican, but I really loved what he did around raising awareness about the cost in so many different ways of food insecurity, and his efforts to alleviate food hunger, to eradicate it, really, but to at least take steps to alleviate it. And, you know, I said that, you know, I brought up that I was Republican because, for me, it was really important that people, regardless of what their political affiliation is that they need to address this, that this is something that's an on partisan, and that everyone can put his hands, you know, together with someone else's or put his or her head together with someone else's to really kind of come up with ideas. So I want to kind of move on from this subject, but I want to, I do want to talk about it more because it's become a particularly big issue with the outrageous cost of living right now, inflation. And if people, by the way, don't think that this is going to be an issue when voting, you know, when people go to vote November, they better think again, they better think again. Never underestimate the importance of people and their affinity for a healthy bank balance. And when you have, as I said, situations where people are so crippled financially that they're struggling to put food on the table, you really are striking at the dignity of someone. And so people are going to respond. So it's important for Donald Trump, but certainly it's very important for what looks like the presumptive nominee. You know, she's the presumptive nominee. It looks like she's going to be the nominee Kamala Harris. It's incredibly important for her to say what she's going to do to bring down the cost of living. You know, there's talk about build back better. And, you know, that was supposed to be a really bright spot in the Biden administration. And people really haven't had, haven't been experiencing much relief. So the presumptive nominee, I mean, I don't, I can't imagine a scenario where she's not going to be the nominee. She's got, she's got a lot of explaining to do. So, you know, certainly at federal level, it's going to be an issue. But yeah, state and municipal level as well. It's, it's, it's, it's become a crisis and its own right food insecurity. So we're going to go to a quick break. And then when we come back, we're going to talk about whining. And what I think about it at this point in time. As veterans, we're no strangers to helping others. That's what we were taught, service before self. But we do have one question for the veterans listening. When is the last time you reached out for help? If you or someone you know needs resources, whether it's for stress, finances, employment or mental health, don't wait, reach out. Find more information at VA.gov/reach. That's VA.gov/reach. Brought to you by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the Ad Council. Hey, everything okay? Yes, I'm fine. Honey, hey, I'm here for you. Tell me about school today. When kids can't find the right words, music can help them sound it out. Talk to the kids in your life about their emotional well-being. 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Find resources for breaking through barriers at tearthepaperceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. Hello, and welcome back to Buff Stoney and Rat. My name is Rachel Moslin. If you've been listening thus far, thank you so much. I'm always so grateful. And if you're just tuning in, well, I'm very grateful for that as well. So this, of course, is WBCALP, 102.9 FM Boston, Boston's Community Radio Station. So before I went to break, I talked at length about food insecurity and the importance of people being able to put food on the table. Being able to go to a supermarket where they can actually find something that they can buy, being able to go to a restaurant, whether it's a fast food restaurant, or just kind of an average, simple restaurant, and being able to afford a meal. And if possible, leave not having paid more than $10 to $15. I guess then we're talking about a fast food restaurant, right? But it's just, again, it's the idea that everything else is so expensive. And there's just a real need for solutions, and I think that they're going to come, they have to come from the government, but to a certain point. I think ultimately, the best solutions, the most meaningful solutions are going to come from partnerships in the community. And sometimes those partnerships can work with members of the government and different governmental agencies, but it's just, it's an all hands on deck kind of thing. And so, that kind of leads me nicely into this topic. I have gotten better at just scrolling on by do, do, do, do. There's that song I'm dating myself from Dionne Moorick, you know, just walk on by. And so, you know, I'm talking about scrolling on by because it's not everyone who put something on line, you know, not every provocation, online provocation needs to be responded to. I mean, I respond to a fair amount, but if people knew the amount that I didn't respond to, it's just, it's really something. You know, so there's, there's the, I'm really thinking about some, some things that I've chosen not to respond to. So this, there's certainly that, but the idea is that I'm looking, I'm looking, I'm reading. So I do go through the provocations to a certain point. Sometimes I'm like, okay, yeah, this isn't even worth it. It's not even a matter of choosing whether or not to engage or not. It's just like, this is ridiculous. This person's an idiot. I'm, you know, I'm, I'm not wasting my time on this. But I also, I also look at just different exchanges and I look at what people post about. And I got to be honest, I get, I get tired of people. I think I'm at a stage, as I mentioned at the very top of the show, I think I'm at a stage where I just, I don't want to really, I don't want to play the game. If I can phrase it like that. And it is the game. You know, someone posts something outrageous and it's outrageous. And so far as it highlights just how tone deaf, you know, a number of our politicians are. And then people fly in to respond. They, they talk about how our electeds are idiots. They're morons. They're stupid. They're incompetent. They don't care. And people really, I think some people really enjoy the opportunity to rant. They enjoy the opportunity to take the pot shots. I also think that there's some people who are very clue, I mean, they're just absolutely clueless. And the last time they've done anything for anybody besides themselves and maybe their, their inner circle is probably the time they can't remember. And probably no one else can remember for that matter either. But these people will weigh in, you know, because this is another group. So if they're not necessarily ranchers and they're not taken pot shots per se, but it's this idea that they know, whatever it is, they know. Oh, you, you didn't get a response. Well, of course you didn't. That's how it goes. Oh, that's, that's, that's an idea that seems stupid. That's an idea that runs counter to common sense. Well, of course, because our, our electeds don't have any common sense. Well, that meeting, it didn't take place. Huh. Well, why are you surprised? Of course. And so this person, this, this person or the, this type of person is, is one that is going to give the impression that they know what's going on, that they're aware of how the system works. And it's almost like they have some kind of inside information. And it's like, no, it's just a person who quite frankly, or, you know, people, you know, anyone like this. We're talking about a group of people who not was standing their lack of knowledge and understanding of really of what's going on. They, they have to comment because they think that what they have to say is that important and it really truly isn't. It really, truly is a nothing is, is going to change one way or the other because of what, of what they say. And it's just, it's really, I think that that annoys me more than the rant of the people who take the cheap shots from the cheap seats. Because it's, well, you're talking like, you know, you're talking like, well, based on all of your experience, but you don't have really that much of experience. You know, and engage with political officials because you don't call them. You generally probably don't send emails and you don't go to any community meetings. So what exactly are you tired of? What exactly are you wary of? How do you get all this information? Why is it that nothing surprises you? You know, and it's just, these are also the same people that if you explain something to them, should they actually try to offer something besides like the general kind of elastic. Oh, well, politicians, they don't know what they're doing, or they're morons, or they're this, or that that. They actually try to give a fact, you know, put forth a fact. You know, a lot of times it's not accurate. And if you try to correct them, it's, it's, oh, yeah, yeah, I knew that. It's like, but no, you didn't. No, you didn't. And so all these people, you know, the ones that love to rant online, but then offline, they don't do anything. The people who like to take the cheap shots from the cheap seats, well, why don't you put that energy into running for office and the people who rant as well. Put that energy into running for office. It's just, I'm tired of people who don't do much of anything. I'm tired of people who reigns supreme online, but offline, they're nowhere to be found. And then, of course, the people who somehow know it all, and they communicate that to you. But only by speaking in like the Vegas of statements, they need, why don't they run for office too? Really? Why am I supposed to be upset when I see a green space being misused by politicians? Why should I be upset? Because I'm going to say that not only do these people not convert any of their anger, frustration, or cynicism, not only do they not convert any of that into anything that's concrete and substantive. But they also just, they don't seem to really know what's going on, and they're not even prepared, I guess, yeah, they definitely don't know what's going on. They don't know the half of it, they don't know the depth of it, because, again, none of them are generally at meetings. But I think the thing that probably gets me the most is that when someone who is decent stands up, these people can't support them. I don't understand that. You're going to rant, you're going to take cheap shots, or when I say cheap shots, you're making nasty comments. We're not talking about being snide. In some cases, people will even say vulgar things, right? Or, like I said, the third group who's a world wary, wary from doing nothing, wary after learning nothing, and wanting to learn even less. These people can't support decent candidates. And one thing they all have in common is that they're able to spot a phony. Oh, yeah, they really have that ability to spot a phony, yeah, sure. And that's why a lot of them, if they're not voting, or if they actually vote, I should say, they're voting for the biggest phonies and the biggest losers. And so it's just very frustrating. So I'm at a stage in my life where I'm just like, okay, you need to reach a point, or not, I guess. But you need to reach a point where you're going to do something, and you're going to say, you know what, I don't like what they're doing to this green space because it's affecting my family. The time that I like to spend with my family, the time that I have spent with my family, that I look forward to spending with my family in this particular space. Or I don't like this bike lane here because it's hurting my business, or it's making me more difficult to go to one of my favorite businesses. Or, you know, what's happening at the schools, or the lack of good jobs. I mean, we have Uber and Lyft. Let's get real. It's not a side hustle. For a lot of people, it is their main source of income. So all these things, these are all issues, the usage of public space, the configuration of our streets, the economy, our schools, the state, the quality of our schools, these are all really, really big issues. And if people actually stood up and try to do something, that would be incredible. Or at the very least, if they took the time to educate themselves on people. Now, I'm going to give a very personal example. I, of course, ran for state committee 2024. You know, this year, and I, you know, I sat down. And I, you know, looked at maps. I really tried to take in what people from different parts of the district have been talking about on a wide variety of issues. And short, I tried to know what was going on because one of the biggest roles, of course, of a state committee member is recruiting candidates. And it's difficult to recruit a candidate because recruiting candidates, it's not just about finding someone and say, Hey, why don't you run? Oh, okay, you're on the ballot. Yay, you know, it's, it involves a lot. The support needs to take a lot of different forms. You know, it's not just about finding a name to appear on a ballot. And so I wanted to be sure that should, I get the honor, this is what I was thinking at the time, I'm serving the third Suffolk district, and that's the state senate district in which I live. I want to be able to guide whatever candidates are running, you know, in the right direction, and, you know, be able to vet candidates, be able to refer candidates to resources. You know, these different things, I weighed and considered so that when I came out, I, and I presented myself at large, I already had a solid platform and I had my talking points, but they were meaty. It wasn't, it wasn't something that was a, it was insubstantial. I had something to say. I'm looking at the other candidates in the race because there were two other females running to be state committee woman. One of them apparently does not know what's in the district, and I mean that literally. The person still thinks that Cambridge, which had been in the district, is actually still in the district. And that's that angers me because this particular person, this is, I mean, I'll say the name, it's Gianna Thomas, she's running for state senate against Lydia Edwards. And what bothers me is that how do you run to represent the third Suffolk district without knowing what's in it? And if you don't know what's in it now, that means that you didn't know what was in it when you ran for state committee. So if you didn't even know what was in the district, how in the heck were you supposed to recruit people and really help people and orient them? And then you have the state committee woman who won, Veracaducci, and the state committee man who's been, and that sees since 2004, they, they're supposedly like really supporting her strongly yet they have not corrected her on her. How can I phrase this on her, or they haven't provided knowledge to fill in the gaps about her knowledge of the district's geography. There we go. It's just, and there's so much more, so much more. And so I guess what I want to say is that if someone's going to run, and we need good people to run, and I hope some of those, those people that I was complaining about run, you got to do it right. And you got to know the nuts and bolts and I'll, I'll pick this up on the next show. I also did want to say very, very quickly that I think that I misspoke and I can't believe I did this. I was talking about the Supreme Judicial Court clerk race, and I talked about judges in the court. I think I might have said that, please, please, please forgive me. Justices, justices. But on that note, I need to say goodbye, and I look forward to hanging out with you next week. The preceding commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff and management of WBCA or the Boston Neighborhood Network. If you would like to express another opinion, you can address your comments to Boston Neighborhood Network, 302-5 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02119. To arrange a time for your own commentary, you can call WBCA at 617-708-3215 or email radio@bnandmedia.org.