Dr. Abdul El-Sayed

So at some point, I think there's an experience of being othered, being told you don't belong, being told you're not quite right, being told that you're weird or you're odd.

I mean, I spend a lot of my time apologizing for my name.

In politics, you just kind of have to do it.

You know what I mean?

I love my name, right?

My name means servant leader.

It's like a great name for politics.

Terrible name for politics, but great name for politics.

And you start to appreciate the fact that like...

The thing that people do when they feel down is to make somebody else feel worse so they feel at least better than somebody.

And when you recognize that evil thing that is unfortunately a part of human nature for what it is, then you start to realize the responsibility to reject it no matter who is being thrown under.

And it's a conversation I've had with a lot of folks in the Arab and Muslim community, which is to say, I don't need you to understand.

But I need you to understand that your rights to pray as you choose to pray, dear Muslim who put your face on the ground 34 times a day, which everybody else thinks is weird.

Your right to do that is deeply entwined with this person's right to be who they are, to love who they love.

And I need you to show up for them because in doing that, you're showing up for yourself.

And we're showing up for an America where we embody the idea of showing up for each other.

And so much of the challenge that we have when we talk about the good things government can offer is about practicing showing up for each other.

I hear all the time from folks who want to make bad faith arguments about Medicare for all.

They say, well,

I don't want my tax dollars to go to pay for healthcare for them.