Courage Over Victimhood exposes how America’s compassion turned into control, feeding the Vanboolzalness Crisis. Through faith, work, and reform, this episode calls for moral courage, cultural renewal, and a return to personal responsibility as the antidote to decline.
America’s compassion has been replaced by control, trapping citizens in systems that measure dependency instead of progress. Rachel K. Barkley, political strategist and director of the Able Americans Program, shares how faith, work, and outcome-based reform can restore dignity and independence for people with disabilities while challenging policies that quietly destroy hope. Then A.K. Kamara, conservative commentator and entrepreneur, exposes media deception and the culture of victimhood, urging Americans to reclaim faith, family, and freedom through courage, accountability, and truth-driven leadership.
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Show Open
Peter Vazquez: This podcast is brought to you by Open Door Mission—restoring hope and changing lives. OpenDoorMission.com.
Welcome to The Next Steps Show. In a world that changes daily, what will you do next? America is drowning in what I call “vambuzines”—systems that count enrollment but not outcomes. Disability and mental health rules trap families and call it compassion. The way out is courage, design, faith, work, and reforms that turn benefits into a bridge to dignity, not a way of life.
Guest 1: Rachel K. Barkley
Peter: Today we explore policy with purpose. Our guest is Rachel K. Barkley—political strategist, advocate, reform leader, and Director of the Able Americans Program at the National Center for Public Policy Research.
Rachel K. Barkley: I worked in public policy in Washington, D.C. Two weeks after my first baby was born, I woke up unable to move my right leg. Doctors found a rare tumor in my spinal cord. Surgery left me a quadriplegic. Through daily hard work and prayer, I regained movement. Six and a half years later, I have two more children and lead Able Americans, focused on the challenges disabled people, families, and caregivers face: perverse incentives, bad outcomes, and frustrating systems.
Faith sustained me in the darkest moments. Miracles do not need to be instant; they can unfold millimeter by millimeter. A victim mentality is harmful. Even when I could not move a pinky toe, I knew my purpose as someone created in God’s image was not over. Interdependence through family, church, and community is good, but life is not over because of disability.
Environments often limit more than the wheelchair does. At home, ramps and design make life normal. Inaccessible parks or bathrooms create the real barriers. Simple choices—ramps, wider doors, accessible restrooms—change everything.
Programs report enrollments, not outcomes. In Able to Succeed, we show disability outcomes lag badly despite the spending. We need to measure flourishing: work, family formation, and health improvements.
Peter: Speak to assisted suicide and the dignity of disabled life.
Rachel: Physician-assisted suicide devalues disabled lives. A “terminal” label at diagnosis could have applied to me. In places that legalize it, people choose death because they cannot imagine a good life with disability. A hard life is not a bad life.
Peter: Explain ABLE accounts.
Rachel: The 2014 ABLE Act created a financial tool so disabled people can save above Medicaid’s outdated asset limits and work without hitting benefits cliffs. Awareness is low; only ~200,000 accounts exist though millions are eligible. We also advocate reforms: eliminating Medicaid clawbacks, raising SSI asset limits, and better compensation structures.
Peter: Where can people learn more?
Rachel: Visit AbleAmericans.us for policy and action. I share my story at @RKBarkley on Instagram and through RK Barkley Consulting.
Guest 2: A.K. Kamara
Peter: Our next guest is A.K. Kamara—Project 21 member, conservative commentator, entrepreneur, and co-host of Black Republican Black Democrat.
A.K. Kamara: America is a constitutional republic by design. Citizens must engage. Legacy media often pushes narratives that do not serve the people. I break down stories, build audiences, and encourage activation. Culture change is already happening. Look at shifts among Latino men and young Black men toward policies that prioritize faith, family, work, and accountability.
I grew up poor, dropped out of high school, and was told my future was limited. Pulling on the threads revealed the lie. Step by step over years, you move miles. Share counter-narratives consistently—shows like this and independent creators matter.
Peter: You went undercover at the U.N. Rio+20 environmental conference. Why?
A.K.: Stewardship is biblical. Real environmental solutions come from free markets, not centralized control. I witnessed how language shifted from “global warming” to “sustainability” to sell central planning. We should protect creation through innovation, not tyranny.
On George Floyd: truth matters. Lies inflame communities. Watch The Fall of Minneapolis and examine the evidence. We must defend systems that let faith, family, and the individual thrive.
Peter: Where can listeners find you?
A.K.: Facebook/Instagram @RealAKKamara, TikTok @AKKamara. Learn more at Project21.org and NationalCenter.org.
Peter (Close): Be a leader. Policy must serve people, not parties. God bless the United States of America. Be a voice for liberty. Hasta mañana.
