1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,430 Alright, next up, We have candidates for US 2 00:00:03,430 --> 00:00:09,590 Representative second district, the one and only Alex Spencer. 3 00:00:15,310 --> 00:00:23,470 I hope I'm the one and only. Wouldn't that be strange? Hi 4 00:00:23,470 --> 00:00:26,910 everyone, I am Alex Spencer and I want to be your voice in 5 00:00:26,910 --> 00:00:30,990 Congress now I've written something today as is my want 6 00:00:30,990 --> 00:00:37,150 to do and before I begin. I just want to say thank you for 7 00:00:37,150 --> 00:00:43,870 this event. Thank you for showing up and being present at 8 00:00:43,870 --> 00:00:50,270 something that is by and for women. Thank you and um thank 9 00:00:50,270 --> 00:00:54,570 you to the other women on this dias. I know what it takes. 10 00:00:54,570 --> 00:01:01,290 Stand up and speak and I know what it takes to do this work 11 00:01:01,290 --> 00:01:07,610 and do this work day in and day out and I know that standing 12 00:01:07,610 --> 00:01:14,090 and speaking is something that we all do so that others may 13 00:01:14,090 --> 00:01:17,930 have the opportunity to whisper. so I wanna thank the 14 00:01:17,930 --> 00:01:23,130 women here and I wanna take a second and answer a question so 15 00:01:23,130 --> 00:01:25,990 this question. Asked of me over and over and over and over 16 00:01:25,990 --> 00:01:29,830 again, it's that question right. It's the question that 17 00:01:29,830 --> 00:01:34,630 the West Wing dedicated a whole episode too. Why do you wanna 18 00:01:34,630 --> 00:01:38,470 run for Congress and I've answered this question and I've 19 00:01:38,470 --> 00:01:42,310 answered it well and I've answered it in very poor ways. 20 00:01:42,310 --> 00:01:46,790 And yet it has taken the primary. it has taken becoming 21 00:01:46,790 --> 00:01:54,070 your nominee. It has taken the toll of the work that this is 22 00:01:54,070 --> 00:02:00,110 and What it means to be your nominee to come to the 23 00:02:00,110 --> 00:02:08,190 understanding that the reason I'm doing this is that I want 24 00:02:08,190 --> 00:02:15,310 to ensure to the best of my ability that everyone is cared 25 00:02:15,310 --> 00:02:20,430 for. That's what it's about. It's about making sure everyone 26 00:02:20,430 --> 00:02:23,710 has health care. It's about making sure everyone has 27 00:02:23,710 --> 00:02:28,670 guaranteed housing. It is about making sure everyone can pay 28 00:02:28,670 --> 00:02:33,590 their rent this month feed their children. This month and 29 00:02:33,590 --> 00:02:38,630 care for their families and their environment. 30 00:02:42,310 --> 00:02:49,690 And so now the speeches. We have a cultural DNA as women in 31 00:02:49,690 --> 00:02:55,370 America and it's pervasive pervasive crosses the lines of 32 00:02:55,370 --> 00:03:01,210 heritage and digs down deep into what it is to be a woman 33 00:03:01,210 --> 00:03:06,490 and what it means to be a woman in America as American women. 34 00:03:06,490 --> 00:03:09,850 We have privilege that so many women around the world are 35 00:03:09,850 --> 00:03:15,370 missing and yet to be that beacon of hope we need more. We 36 00:03:15,370 --> 00:03:22,570 have asked for more. And now we demand more we as women in 37 00:03:22,570 --> 00:03:28,090 America demand the dignity of acceptance as equal in the 38 00:03:28,090 --> 00:03:32,170 bodies of the political world equal in the boardrooms of 39 00:03:32,170 --> 00:03:37,050 corporations with which have such strength and equal in our 40 00:03:37,050 --> 00:03:42,570 country, our neighborhoods and our households. We have a long 41 00:03:42,570 --> 00:03:48,730 way to go and we still have first to accomplish in 17 day. 42 00:03:48,730 --> 00:03:52,650 We have the opportunity to elect many first women in 43 00:03:52,650 --> 00:03:58,170 Oregon. They say it's an uphill battle. They say it is a place 44 00:03:58,170 --> 00:04:05,130 for another man that he should expect to win the privilege of 45 00:04:05,130 --> 00:04:12,650 the seat. We say it is time we say it is overtime. We say 46 00:04:12,650 --> 00:04:16,410 women deserve to sit in the rooms with men and we know the 47 00:04:16,410 --> 00:04:21,290 women will stay in the room, do the hard work and uphold our 48 00:04:21,290 --> 00:04:24,330 oaths of service. 49 00:04:26,650 --> 00:04:32,350 It is time we as women embrace our women womanhood our 50 00:04:32,350 --> 00:04:38,350 femininity, our strong vibrant voices and forge the path to 51 00:04:38,350 --> 00:04:43,390 unity that we know is possible that we know is enduring that 52 00:04:43,390 --> 00:04:48,670 we know will change the world for the better. 53 00:04:51,730 --> 00:04:59,670 Just Ginsburg, the notorious RBG left us and we are sad. We 54 00:04:59,670 --> 00:05:03,190 are wanting and we are deserving a new justice that 55 00:05:03,190 --> 00:05:07,270 will take up the mantle of the rights for women, the rights 56 00:05:07,270 --> 00:05:12,470 for the LGBTQ community and the rights for everyone that feels 57 00:05:12,470 --> 00:05:19,270 the collective weight of the knees on our necks. Because we 58 00:05:19,270 --> 00:05:26,230 know we all know Black lives matter and when it is and while 59 00:05:26,230 --> 00:05:31,110 it is about Brianna Taylor and while it is about a Aubrey and 60 00:05:31,110 --> 00:05:36,550 while it is about George Floyd, it is even more about that 61 00:05:36,550 --> 00:05:42,630 moment. The body cam failed that moment the witness with 62 00:05:42,630 --> 00:05:48,070 the cellphones were missing. It is about the lives the many. 63 00:05:48,070 --> 00:05:50,390 Lives that have been extinguished because of the 64 00:05:50,390 --> 00:05:55,990 hate fear and systematic racism. We all know thrives in 65 00:05:55,990 --> 00:06:02,790 America. Most of us here are women. We know we see we feel 66 00:06:02,790 --> 00:06:09,510 our strength because we love and it is our strength. We joy 67 00:06:09,510 --> 00:06:15,750 and it is our strength and we peace and it is our strength. 68 00:06:15,750 --> 00:06:20,730 We are women. We are strong. And we are ready to embrace the 69 00:06:20,730 --> 00:06:26,890 acceptance provided by the Era and the Equality Act. 70 00:06:28,230 --> 00:06:34,570 It is time women are equal cared for and accepted with 71 00:06:34,570 --> 00:06:41,530 strength love and equal pay in America. It is time we as 72 00:06:41,530 --> 00:06:46,890 American women we as the women of Oregon forged the path to 73 00:06:46,890 --> 00:06:53,370 unity. I'm Alex Spencer and I will be your voice in Congress.