Bernie Sanders
Related: About this forumBernie speaking today on institutionalized racism, Black Lives Matter, and criminal justice reform
Here's Bernie speaking today on anti-black racism, law enforcement reform, and criminal justice reform. He explicitly expresses his views about structural racism, and acknowledges the harsh reality that economic reforms will not end all of the institutional factors perpetuating racism. Here, he highlights the destructive nature of mass incarceration, jailing people for non-violent crimes (such as drug use), addressing mandatory minimums, police militarization, and aggressive policing against people of color in which they are harassed or shot. He explicitly and bluntly states that he doubts that if a middle-class white women were pulled over for a minor traffic violation, she would be treated the same way as Sandra Bland.
I hope that this will dispel the unfounded critiques of Bernie Sanders that he is tone-deaf or has a blind-spot on race, and that he merely views racism as a symptom of broader economic inequality. He's not a class-reductionist. His progressivism is absolutely intersectional. He fully acknowledges that systemic, institutionalized racism is a huge problem in its own right, but further argues that racial justice must be melded with economic justice to truly uplift marginalized communities of color. Both are extremely important and relevant, and we can't have one without the other.
This should reveal to anyone who thinks Bernie's not listening that he is. And for those with any glimmer of a doubt they need to research his record. He may come from a largely white state, but his heart is with workers of every race and gender. He's been consistent in his views on Civil Rights for over 50 years.
Ed Suspicious
(8,879 posts)WDIM
(1,662 posts)Bernie rightfully calls it assault and the officer should be prosecuted for assualt and battery.
Comprehensive reform of police procedures and training is deeply needed. Plus more inclusion of multicultural and local citizen police is needed.
A reform of our laws is long overdue. Especially drug laws.
Go Bernie!
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)A local CBS affiliate just did an expose showing how cops are given "leave" instead of being fired. They are quickly hired by other police departments and the cycle continues.
Enough is enough.
tea and oranges
(396 posts)This has long bothered me as I've seen this over & again. It's the way pedophile priests would be/still are passed from parish to parish. Creepy deadly cultish stuff. Shudder!
The lynchings must stop!
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)When authority figures prey on the ones they're supposed to protect they shouldn't be shielded.
And anyone who enables such behaviour should also be prosecuted.
merrily
(45,251 posts)MerryBlooms
(11,771 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)By that I mean that it is local officials who hire the police, the prosecutor is elected locally and so are many of the other officials that can do something about this. Juries are selected from registered voters. I don't think the federal government can do much about that because it is the Constitution that determines the separation of powers - federal, state and local. T
he feds should undo much of what they have done to make this worse - harsh sentencing laws, drug war, militarization, end quota practicies.
The only way that I can see to change that is voting. Register black voters and GOTV. The federal government can do something about the issue of voter suppression. And they should.
What we need is a good list of what needs to be done and which branch of government should be doing it. Then we can plan how to implement the list.
WDIM
(1,662 posts)Police departments justify their budgets and staff based on their arrest records and ticketing. On top of that when you are arrested (from what i been told) they charge arrestees different kinds of fees. They charge other departments fees if they apprehend somebody on a warrant. Then we also have civil asset forfeiture the taking and selling of property.
Want to keep the budget up well you got to keep the arrest rate up. Whats the best way to keep the arrest rate up? profile and harass minorities and the poor because if you mess with the rich they got lawyers they will sue. But the poor nobody cares they cant afford to make a bunch of noise. This is their mindset and the reason why arrest of minorities and the poor are so much higher.
Off to the farm - hopefully I don't kill any of the animals.
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)It was really good.
historylovr
(1,557 posts)PatrickforO
(14,587 posts)Thanks Ed, for having him on and for asking him those questions.
PatrickforO
(14,587 posts)Go Bernie!
cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
Feeling the Bern
(3,839 posts)Feel the Bern! Damn, I love this man!
merrily
(45,251 posts)j/k
sort of.