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>> WHAT'S GOING ON WITH GARY SMITH?
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, AND I BET YOU HAVEN'T, THE RETIRED
ARMY SERGEANT IS NOW ACCUSED OF BEING A FELON.
ALBUQUERQUE POLICE HAVE CHARGED HIM WITH CRIMINAL
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, AND YOU KNOW WHY THAT IS.
THEY SAY HE SLASHED THE TIRES OF HIS ONE-TIME
OPPONENT JANICE ARNOLD-JONES -- IN HER
DRIVEWAY, I MIGHT ADD -- ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, AND HAS
BEEN ARRESTED AGAIN AFTER POLICE SAY HE VIOLATED THE
TERMS OF HIS ORIGINAL BOND AND DROVE PAST THE JONES
RESIDENCE AGAIN ON NEW YEAR'S DAY.
THAT IS SOMETHING OF A INFAMOUS THING, GUYS,
BECAUSE JOHN JONES POSTED ABOUT IT NEARLY IN REALTIME
ON HIS FACEBOOK PAGE, AND JUST TOOK THIS THING TO A
WHOLE OTHER LEVEL. NOW, THAT EARNED HIM AN
AGGRAVATED STALKING CHARGE, THERE IS SUCH A THING, AND
NOW MORE INVESTIGATIONS FOR TIRE SLASHING ARE UNDERWAY.
JOHN, THE POLICE HAVE ORDERED A PSYCHOLOGICAL
EVALUATION, AND I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK ABOUT HOW MANY
TIMES WE HAVE SAT AROUND THIS TABLE TALKING ABOUT
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT
ISSUES, AND THOUGHT, AND IT ALWAYS COMES UP, WHY CAN'T
WE GET PEOPLE EVALUATED EARLY ONCE THEY'RE SHOWING
CERTAIN KINDS OF BEHAVIORS? WELL, THERE ARE LAWS THAT
PREVENT CERTAIN THINGS FROM HAPPENING.
BUT WE'VE GOT A CLEAR CASE HERE, WHERE THIS IS
WARRANTED. WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT?
IF YOU WERE IN THE JONES' SHOES, WOULD THIS BE A
LOGICAL NEXT STEP FOR YOU? >> DEFINITELY.
FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S A HORRIBLE POSITION FOR JANICE
ARNOLD-JONES TO BE IN. IT'S SCARY.
THIS IS A REAL STALKER. I MEAN, THERE IS A TENDENCY
TO WANT TO LOOK AT IT AS A HUMOROUS SITUATION BECAUSE
IT'S SO BIZARRE, AND I THINK ALL OF US HAVE SUFFERED FROM
THAT A LITTLE BIT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S
DEADLY SERIOUS, AND WE'VE GOT TO REMEMBER THAT.
SO THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS THING.
I THINK IT IS MOST LIKELY. I MEAN, IT'S JUST NOT
RATIONAL BEHAVIOR. SO MY GUESS IS THAT ALTHOUGH
I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF HE IS CONVICTED OF SOME SORT
OF A CRIME, AS WELL, BUT THAT WON'T BE THE FIX.
THE FIX HERE WILL BE GETTING HIM SOME SERIOUS EVALUATION
OF WHAT WOULD DRIVE YOU TO SLASH SOMEBODY'S TIRES.
>> I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP AGAIN, BECAUSE
AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SITUATION IS WITH HIM.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S MENTAL ILLNESS INVOLVED, WE
DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, SO THE EVALUATION IS GOING TO BE
KEY. JAMIE, IT'S INTERESTING, I
FIRST LEARNED OF THIS THROUGH FACEBOOK, AND YOU
WERE A PART OF THAT ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND SOME OTHER
THINGS. I ALMOST DIDN'T WANT TO
BELIEVE IT AT FIRST, AND THEN I SAW THE VIDEO.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT CAUGHT MOST PEOPLE RIGHT THERE, WAS
THE VIDEO. >> I SAW THE SANTA FE
REPORTER ARTICLE, PULLED UP THAT YOUTUBE VIDEO, AND I
CALLED JANICE. I SAID, ARE YOU OKAY?
WHAT'S GOING ON? AND I COULD SENSE SHE WAS
VERY AFRAID. >> YES.
>> AND THAT WAS ON FRIDAY. NOW, WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN
ON NEW YEAR'S DAY, AFTER THE GUY HAD ALREADY BEEN
ARRESTED, I HAVEN'T TALKED TO HER, BUT I CAN ONLY
IMAGINE THEM BEING TERRIFIED, AND PERHAPS NOW
RELIEVED THAT HE'S ACTUALLY BEHIND BARS AS OF TODAY, AND
HOPEFULLY STAYING THERE LONG ENOUGH TO BE EVALUATED.
BUT I THINK SHE SAID IT WELL; THIS IS A CRY FOR HELP
AT SOME LEVEL. AND I THINK THAT ANYBODY
THAT DOES THIS KIND OF THING, YOU KNOW, AND
REPEATEDLY -- I MEAN, THERE'S ONE PERSON HERE WHO
SAYS HE HAS REPLACED 50 TIRES.
THAT'S REMARKABLE. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?
AND THIS IS A PERSON THAT DOESN'T HAVE -- YOU KNOW, IS
NOT MADE OF MONEY HERE. HE LIVES IN AN APARTMENT,
PROBABLY DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACTUALLY PARK IN
A PLACE WHERE HE CAN ACTUALLY --
>> THIS IS THE CAMPAIGN MANAGER.
>> HIS FORMER CAMPAIGN MANAGER, RIGHT.
THAT'S REMARKABLE, AND JUST SAD.
>> YOU WOULD THINK, ROB, 40, 50 TIRES DOWN THE ROAD,
THAT'S ONE THING. THE JONES SITUATION, THAT'S
ANOTHER THING, TOO. THEY'RE EQUALLY FRIGHTENING
IN A LOT OF WAYS. BUT THE VIDEO, I THINK WHAT
WAS SO POWERFUL TO ME WAS, YOU COULD ALMOST PUT
YOURSELF IN THE LIVING ROOM OF THE JONES HOUSEHOLD.
>> SURE. >> LOOKING OUT THAT WINDOW,
SEEING SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN, AND IT JUST CHILLED
ME WHEN I WATCHED THAT DARN THING.
SO TO GET TO JOHN'S POINT, IT ALLOWS A HUGE EMOTIONAL
RESPONSE. AT SOME POINT, WE HAVE TO
SETTLE DOWN AND REALLY SEE THIS A LITTLE MORE
CLEAR-EYED. AND THAT MEANS FOR ALL
SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, IT SEEMS TO ME.
>> THE WHOLE THING IS JUST SO BIZARRE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU
FIRST -- THIS THING HAS BEEN PICKED UP BY A COUPLE OF
NATIONAL OUTLETS. I'M SURE WHEN YOU FIRST SEE
THE HEADLINE, "POLITICIAN SLASHES OPPONENT'S TIRES,"
YOU'RE THINKING, OKAY, 25-YEAR-OLD GUY, YOU KNOW,
HE'S BEING IRRATIONAL OR RASH.
BUT THIS IS A 65-YEAR-OLD MAN.
AND THEN FOR HIM TO COME BACK, AND ADMIT TO COMING
BACK AND DRIVING VERY SLOWLY PAST THE JONES HOUSEHOLD, IT
GOES -- I THINK JOHN PUT IT VERY WELL.
IT GOES FROM THE REALM OF BEING SLIGHTLY FUNNY AND
WEIRD, TO SOMETHING THAT'S VERY, VERY SCARY.
AND I REALLY COMMEND THE JONES FAMILY FOR SHOWING
REMARKABLE RESTRAINT. I MEAN, IF THIS WAS MY
HOUSE -- >> I AGREE WITH YOU SAYING
THAT. >> THEY'VE GOT, I BELIEVE,
AN 18-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER. I'D BE ON THE WARPATH.
>> ABSOLUTELY. IT'S INTERESTING THINKING
ABOUT THIS, LAURA, WE ALL KNOW POLITICIANS HERE,
CLEARLY, AND NOT TO BE FLIP ABOUT THIS, BUT A LOT OF
THINGS HAPPEN THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLIC
PURVIEW THAT COMES THEIR WAY.
THERE'S JUST STUFF. PEOPLE GET ANGRY.
PEOPLE SAY THINGS. PEOPLE SHOW UP AT YOUR DOOR.
WE ALL KNOW STORIES ABOUT THIS HAPPENING TO ELECTED
OFFICIALS. THAT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE
THINGS THAT COMES WITH THE GAME.
BUT THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE IS ALWAYS THE PROBLEM;
RIGHT? IT'S ALWAYS A DIFFICULT
ISSUE. I'M ANNOYED THAT NO ONE GOT
ON THIS AFTER TIRE NO. 22, OR 41, OR WHATEVER THE CASE
MAY BE. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT LAW
ENFORCEMENT HAD EVERYTHING THEY NEEDED HERE TO STEP IN
AT SOME POINT. WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT?
OR DO YOU HAVE TO LET THESE THINGS PLAY OUT A LITTLE
BIT? >> WELL, I COMMEND THE
JONES FAMILY, ALSO, FOR TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO PUT
UP VIDEO CAMERAS TO ACTUALLY FIGURE OUT WHO WAS DOING
THIS, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT SIMPLE TO JUST
JUMP FROM SOMEONE YOU SUSPECT OF DOING IT, TO
ACTUALLY SOMEONE -- I MEAN, IT'S SO OUT THERE.
AND AS SOMEBODY WHO -- I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
POLITICIANS HAVING PEOPLE SHOW UP AND DO BIZARRE
THINGS. CANDIDATES, ALSO.
I MEAN, JUST BEING A CANDIDATE, HAVING BEEN A
CANDIDATE FOR HALF A SECOND IN THIS LAST, YOU KNOW,
THERE'S A DISAPPOINTMENT LEVEL THAT GOES ALONG WITH
IT WHEN YOU DON'T MAKE IT PAST A CERTAIN POINT, AND
YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH THAT AND HOW TO
GET BACK TO NORMAL. AND I THINK THERE WAS A
POINT BEFORE ALL THIS STARTED HAPPENING WHERE
CLEARLY THAT DID NOT HAPPEN APPROPRIATELY FOR MR. SMITH.
AND I THINK PEOPLE AROUND HIM NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT.
AND I THINK IN OTHER SITUATIONS, ALSO, YOU HAVE
TO RECOGNIZE WHERE WE HAVE TO INTERVENE AND PREVENT
THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR FROM HAPPENING.
CLEARLY THERE WAS A SNAP MOMENT, AND I THINK
THERE'S -- YOU KNOW, TO GO BACK AND TRY TO IDENTIFY IT
NOW IS POINTLESS. BUT I THINK IT'S A LESSON
FOR US MOVING FORWARD. IF SOMEONE IS SHOWING
INSTABILITY AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE KIND OF HELP OR
THE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, EVEN JUST BEING A FRIEND AND
LISTENING TO THEM, TO PREVENT THIS KIND OF THING,
I THINK WE ALL NEED TO BE MORE AWARE OF WHAT'S
HAPPENING WITH FOLKS. THERE IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT
OF DISAPPOINTMENT. BUT CLEARLY HE HAS FLIPPED
INTO SOME OTHER PLACE THAN JUST NORMAL, YOU KNOW,
DEALING WITH A LOSS AND YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
>> I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP, BECAUSE
YOU MADE ME THINK ABOUT SOMETHING.
AGAIN, WE'VE ALL SEEN THIS. WHEN A CANDIDATE LOSES A
RACE, JOHN, EVERYBODY DISAPPEARS.
EVERYONE'S GONE THE NEXT DAY.
YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN. GRANTED, IF YOU'RE A
HIGH-PROFILE CANDIDATE, IT'S NOT QUITE THAT WAY, BUT IF
YOU'RE NEW INTO POLITICS AND A NEW CHALLENGER, IT'S LIKE,
GOOD LUCK, KID, AND YOU'RE LEFT TO DEAL WITH THE
EMOTIONAL DEVICES OF THAT. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU?
>> I THINK IT'S KIND OF A BROTHERHOOD/SISTERHOOD OF
PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN A CANDIDATE.
IT IS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO
PROFESSIONALLY, I THINK, IS TO SUBJECT YOURSELF TO BEING
REJECTED BY THOUSANDS OR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE. IT IS A VERY DIFFICULT
THING. AND SO THAT'S WHY I ACTUALLY
THINK OUR CIVIC DISCOURSE, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S
A VERY BIPARTISAN ISSUE, THINGS LIKE MAKING A CALL TO
YOUR OPPONENTS WHEN THEY'VE LOST AN ELECTION, AND TRYING
TO BE FRIENDS WITH THE PEOPLE YOU'RE RUNNING
AGAINST, EVEN THOUGH THAT CAN BE VERY TOUGH, BECAUSE
THIS IS A REAL DEMOCRACY, WE MAKE REALLY IMPORTANT
DECISIONS, SO CAMPAIGNS ARE TOUGH, AND YOU'RE SAYING
TOUGH THINGS ABOUT PEOPLE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I
THINK WE HAVE MOVED IN OUR SOCIETY AWAY FROM THAT
COLLEGIAL, WHICH IS NOT TO SAY -- YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO
REMEMBER THAT THERE WAS VIOLENCE ON THE FLOOR OF THE
CONGRESS BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR, PEOPLE BEING BEATEN
DOWN. >> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> SO THERE WERE GUNS CARRIED INTO THE CAPITOL AND
LITERALLY DRAWN, AND DUALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE'VE MADE PROGRESS. BUT I THINK THAT WE CAN
RETURN TO AN EVEN MORE CIVIL TRADITION OF MAKING THOSE
CALLS, BEING FRIENDS WITH OUR OPPONENTS, AND THAT'S
PART OF THIS. >> GOOD FOR YOU.
I APPRECIATE THAT FOR SURE. JAMIE, THERE'S NO WAY TO DO
THIS, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THIS QUESTION, THERE'S NO
WAY TO DO THIS, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE TO VET CANDIDATES
SOMEHOW BEFORE FOLKS GET INTO SOMETHING AND THEN WE
GET THIS KIND OF A SITUATION?
IT'S A DEMOCRACY. >> RIGHT.
>> IF YOU WANT TO RUN, WE SHOULDN'T STOP YOU BECAUSE
YOU'RE UP STYLE POINTS OR SOMETHING.
BUT, HOWEVER, THERE'S A HOWEVER HERE, ISN'T THERE?
>> WELL, THERE ARE ALL LEVELS HERE.
YOU LOOK AT THIS, AND I MET HIM ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS
AT VARIOUS EVENTS WHERE CANDIDATES CIRCULATE DURING
THE PERIOD, AND YOU KNOW, HE DIDN'T STRIKE ME TO BE KIND
OF THE GUY THAT WAS CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE
MATERIAL, BUT YOU KNOW, CLEARLY HE WAS SOMEBODY WITH
A BACKGROUND IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
HE WAS AN ARMY ENLISTED PERSON, SERVED, AND WANTED
TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY AGAIN. THAT'S GREAT.
BUT THEN WHEN POLITICAL CONSULTANTS ALL SURROUND YOU
AND SAY, OKAY, MAYBE I CAN MAKE SOME MONEY OFF THIS
DEAL -- I MEAN, WE LOOKED AT THE FCC WEBSITE HERE, AND
$80,000 OF HIS MONEY WENT TO CONSULTANTS.
HE LOANED HIMSELF $250,000. THAT'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT
FOR SOMEONE OF HIS -- >> AND TO HAVE A NEGATIVE
RESULT. >> AND TO HAVE A NEGATIVE
RESULT. >> THAT COULD BE THE SNAP
THING. >> CONGRESS IS A BIG DEAL,
ESPECIALLY IN NEW MEXICO. SO MAYBE A STEPPING STONE
WOULD HAVE BEEN TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL, OR SOMETHING
LIKE THAT, AND GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE AND SERVE THE
PUBLIC, AND THEN MOVE FORWARD.
BUT AT SOME POINT PEOPLE AROUND HIM SHOULD HAVE
LOOKED AT THIS A LITTLE DEEPER.
>> YOU HAVE A POINT THERE. WE'RE BACK IN A MOMENT WITH
EDUCATION AND INNOVATION AS TEDxABQ DIGS INTO LIFELONG
LEARNING.