The Revolution Continues blog is news, views, opinion and other expressions of hope from a leftist point-of-view. (We are not affiliated with any candidate, political party or organization. All are welcome.)
Another week--another half dozen or more local protests in support of Black Lives Matter and against police brutality and militarization. A local group of Muslim activists and allies stand on a busy street corner and receive many positive honks and waves from passers-by. It seems more and more ordinary Americans feel that we can no longer wait and simply hope things get better. Now is the time for change, and now is the time to take action!
Our special guest blogger has a lot to say to those who think little (or no) change to our current corrupt system is what Americans need to survive and thrive in 2020. He's not afraid to lay it out in no uncertain terms, either.
The
current protests are not only a condemnation of police brutality, but a
condemnation of everyone who has been in power who have opted to kick
the can down the road as opposed to truly reforming this entire system.An Open Letter to the DNC, Corporate Media and The People: Why Symbolism and Incrementalism Are No Longer Enough! By The Independent Reformist
To the Democratic Party:
Recently, the House Democrats (led by
House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi) unveiled their bill to address police
reform. According to Vox, the key details are as follows:
The Justice in Policing Act
of 2020 contains a number of measures that make it easier to prosecute
police misconduct and demilitarize police departments around the
country.
The bill’s biggest provision seeks to end
qualified immunity, a thorny legal issue that gives police officers and
other public officials broad immunity from civil lawsuits. The US
Supreme Court, which has upheld the qualified-immunity doctrine in past
rulings, is currently deciding whether to hear arguments next term in a
case challenging qualified immunity.
The legislation also
incorporates a proposal from Sen. Cory Booker that would create a new
national registry to track misconduct as a way to prevent repeat
offenders from being rehired at other police departments.
In
addition, the bill seeks to ban the use of chokeholds and certain
no-knock warrants at the federal level, as well as to incentivize state
and local governments to do the same. Both tactics have been factors in
police killings of unarmed black people: A no-knock warrant used by
police in Kentucky in March ended in the death of Breonna Taylor, a
26-year-old EMT who died after officers broke down her door without
warning and fatally shot her.--Vox: “Democrats' Sweeping New Police Reform Bill, Explained” by Ella Nilsen and Li Zhou
There
is some decent legislation in this bill, but before we get too excited,
let’s take a step back for a moment. This bill will likely never make
it into law as long as Mitch McConnell and the Republicans hold the
Senate, and Donald Trump is president. At present, Mitch McConnell and
other Republicans have avoided criticizing Barr’s authorization of force
used to peaceful protesters for Trump’s recent photo op in front of a
church.
If Republicans can’t criticize their leaders
when excessive force is used on non-violent protestors, how can we
expect that they will support a meaningful police reform bill?--MSNBC, MTP Daily: “GOP Senators Avoid Comments On Trump’s Photo-Op, Use Of Tear Gas On Protestors”
Assuming that this is the case, then the
question becomes, “What will happen if Democrats gain power?” It would be
their responsibility to push this and a couple of other tweaks and get
it done early into the new term. If history is a guide, the push for
reforms stop as soon as the cameras stop. This cannot happen.
Understand that if Democrats end up taking power it will be because a
lot of leftists and independents held their nose to get rid of Trump as
opposed to supporting Biden.
Part
of the disconnect with the left and left-leaning independents is that
the Democrats are as guilty of serving the wealthy and the powerful as
Republicans are. Also, Democrats sometimes act as though they are about
reform when they are out of power, but only do the smallest reforms (if
any) when they gain power. Years of this tired strategy has made people
less aligned with parties and helped to increase the percentage of
independent voters and non-voters.
After their announcement, Democrat took a
symbolic knee to show solidarity with protesters of the murder of George
Floyd. If there is anything that politicians are good at, it is using
symbolism to score political points and sometime hijack the purpose of a
movement. Symbolism is fine and dandy, but symbols aren’t the same as
real reform. The lack of real reform is the reason that people are out
in the streets in great numbers across the nation and around the world.
People are tired of seeing the same game
played. This is why you have the AOCs, Rashida Tlaibs and Ilhan Omars
winning elections. This is why insurgent candidates are mounting real
challenges to the seats of long entrenched power-brokers within the DNC.
People are done with symbols. It’s all about results and quality,
tangible reforms now. If you are not truly interested in fighting for
and bringing about the reforms that the people in the streets want, it
is time for you to step aside for someone who is willing to do so. If
that’s you, then you too are culpable for the police violence and the
protests in our streets right now. Do better, resign, or be ready to be
voted out of office.
To The Corporate Media:
Recently, you have been covering and
complaining rightfully about the abuse of fellow members covering
protests. Your journalists have been shot at and arrested live on TV and
on the internet. You have every right to be unhappy about the
injustices that your members have experienced.
Welcome to the rest of us. You have only
experienced a taste of what people of color have
experienced their entire lives. It is only recently that your employees
have had to look over their shoulders for police with their media
credentials in full display. You have been “safe” and “protected”.
Imagine
for a moment that you did not have your media credentials to protect
you. Imagine that you did not have a multi-million dollar corporation
and its multi-millionaire owner available to make a call to the police
and demand your release--and it actually worked. Think about that for a
moment. One phone call by a wealthy tycoon and press credentials were
the only things that separate you from being treated like the rest of
us.
Imagine it is you or someone you love who was going about their life and had the life choked out of them by police.
Imagine
it is you or someone you love who is shot in a car by police just
because you informed them you had a weapon in your glove box, and the
officer claimed you reached for it.
Imagine it is you or someone
you love who is going for a run and gets chased and gunned down by a
couple of people in pickup trucks who claim you were stealing.
Now
imagine that this happens (and many of these cases were recorded on
video) but the police are never charged and never convicted!
How
would you feel if this happened to you and your family repeatedly for
decades? Each time no substantive reforms are made to policing, and the
rest of society only cared for two or three weeks. How would that make
you feel about the people around you? What would you think about the
people who only paid lip service to your plight while continuing to arm
police with more military grade equipment? Would you not be angry?
Part of the problem is that media only
follows the flavor of the moment and quickly moves on. The families of
the victims don’t get to move on after two weeks. The people who
constantly have to live in fear of racists in society don’t get to move
on after two weeks. They don’t have that luxury.
Your job is to be the watchdog of
democracy and justice. This is the entire reason that you are protected
by The First Amendment. It is your job to hold all facets of government
accountable and keep the light shined on their wrong doing even after
the news cycle has ended. Now that you have had a taste of what a police
state could look like perhaps now you will pay closer attention to
what the police and the government are doing. That being said, I’m not holding
my breath.
This is why independent online media is
growing so quickly. No one, left or right, trusts you to actually do your
job. Being part of the DNC’s “McResistance” is not the same as accuracy
in reporting and being an advocate for justice. Take time to think on
this, and don't say you’ll do better but actually do better.
To The People:
First, thank you to the people who are
protesting the injustices that happen every day to people of color. It
can be difficult to understand what it is like to be in another persons
shoes until you have walked a mile in them. The fact that you have done
so is truly appreciated. Secondly, this solidarity that we see right now
is what needs to happen everyday. The conditions that brought this
about are entrenched and systemic. This is a long term fight, and we will
need every ally to overcome it.
For those who don’t understand what people
are calling for when they say “Defund the police,” let’s start by what
the majority are not calling for.
It is NOT having absolutely a lack of law enforcement in the community.
It is NOT throwing more money toward the police departments for “training.”
It is NOT leaving the structure in place as it is.
Here is what the idea is:
Completely rebuild the police department from the ground up. You
can’t expect to reform an institution that is corrupt all the way to
its foundation with the same foundation in place. It must be demolished
and rebuilt!
The new institution will allow for applications
from everyone and include former police officers, but there will be no
favoritism and past records of violent tendencies will disqualify
applicants.
The current system that protects police from being
prosecuted and convicted for unwarranted violent actions will be
abolished. Being a representative of the law does not exempt you from
the consequences of breaking those laws. We must have equal justice
under the law. Period.
The current amount of money spend on
policing will be reduced. The remained of what would be previously
budgeted would be allocated towards other programs for the city such as
education, job training, mental health and other social programs.
One of the many reasons offered to justify
increasing police funding is the argument “more police equals less
crime.” While there are some publications that support this argument,
there are others that indicate that it may not be accurate. According to
Statista:
Cities across the United States
have been setting larger amounts of money aside in recent years in order
to fund their police departments. Collectively, the country spends
approximately $100 billion on policing as well as a further $80 billion
on incarceration. Crime levels have dropped substantially over the past
three years, in tandem with larger police budgets. A report published
last month argues that the drop off in crime is not directly related to
the larger budgets, however. --Statista, “How Much Do U.S. Cities Spend On Policing?” by Niall McCarthy https://www.statista.com/chart/10593/how-much-do-us-cities-spend-on-policing/
If
the increase in police funding is not what is lowering overall crime,
what is? A link references a second article stating the following:
The analysis of crime in the
United States is generally split into two broad categories, violent
crime and property crime... A tracking of crime rates over the last 20 years shows that
violent crime in the United States has been on the decline. In 2018,
reported violent crime was down almost 50 percent from 1990. However
Americans still perceive a crime problem in their country, despite
evidence to the contrary. Some 60 percent of the population felt there
was more crime in 2018 than the year prior. --Statista, “Crime in the United States – statistics & facts” Published by Statista Research Department, Oct 29, 2019 https://www.statista.com/chart/10593/how-much-do-us-cities-spend-on-policing/
Brookings, which references a research
paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, suggest a different
idea. Providing health care may have a big impact on lowering both
violent and financial crime rates.
Most people who cycle through our
criminal justice system have serious health care needs. Three out of
every five state prisoners and sentenced jail inmates have a substance
abuse problem. Half of state and federal prisoners and two thirds of
jail inmates are in serious psychological distress or have a history of
mental illness. Substance abuse and mental illness surely contribute to
the difficulty many individuals have escaping the criminal justice
system: two-thirds of those released from prison will be rearrested
within three years. Jails and prisons provide some treatment services,
but what if we increased access to treatment in communities, so that
people could get help before they get into trouble? New research shows
that offering broad access to treatment for these problems is not only
compassionate, but also a cost-effective way to reduce crime rates. One
way to increase access to care is to open more treatment facilities
throughout the country. Existing facilities often operate at capacity
because of limited funding, so that those who want treatment cannot
always find help. Sam Bondurant, Jason Lindo, and Isaac Swensen studied
what happened to crime when local substance abuse treatment facilities
opened or closed. Because facilities are likely to be located in
communities where the need is greatest, a simple cross-sectional
analysis might show that the presence of a treatment facility is
correlated with higher crime rates. Instead, the authors looked at
within-county changes over time in the number of facilities and crime
rates. This allowed them to see whether a change in access to treatment
led to a change in crime, after controlling for a variety of other
factors that might independently affect crime (like unemployment rates
and the size of the police force).The authors found that an
increase in the number of treatment facilities causes a reduction in
both violent and financially-motivated crime. This is likely due to a combination of forces:
reducing drug abuse can reduce violent behavior that is caused by
particular drugs, as well as property crimes like theft committed to
fund an addiction. Reducing demand for illegal drugs might also reduce
violence associated with the illegal drug trade.
Brookings, “New evidence that access to health care reduces crime” by Jennifer L. Doleac, Wednesday, January 3, 2018
The
protests we see are the expected result of years upon years of making
marginal changes. People have tried have tried body cameras, lawsuits
and peaceful protests that only went on for a week. Still things have
not improved enough to where this isn’t a concern. They are tired of
being ignored. They demand that this be taken seriously.
Bear in mind that the cases that are most
covered on the big news networks are mostly the one caught on camera.
How many more cases are occurring without being caught on video? How
many more have been swept under the rug? How long can you expect people
to put up with it before they snap? Everyone has a breaking point.
Kimberly Jones expresses the frustration in the black community extremely well in the video below.
Black people, people of color and others who
are protesting have good reason to be angry. It’s time to actually fix
the numerous problems instead of deploying more rhetoric, symbolism and
half measures. Source: ThinkLogical, Author Kimberly Jones Explains Why People Protest, Riot & Loot During Racial Distress https://youtu.be/tuxukAH3lk8
If you still don’t understand how this
effects you, consider this. During this period, the police have beaten,
maced, arrested or shot with rubber bullets people who were:
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Male
Female
LGBTQ
Relgious
Non-religious
In
other words, it doesn’t matter what you look like or how you identify. The militarized police have shown that they are willing to crush
dissent, nonviolent or otherwise. If you turn a blind eye, you will
potentially empowered a police state. If at some point you decide to
protest something, you may very well be a victim of the same
treatment that you may be cheering on.
David Doel shows video from numerous times when police have escalated and attacked non-violent protests. Source: The Rational National, Watch Police Instigate & Escalate All Across The U.S. , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3DX3SLGB34If your solution to that issue is the gun,
then it will be costly in terms of lives lost on both sides. The least
costly option is to deal with the issue now and prevent a police state
from ever taking hold. You may think that not doing so is to your
benefit, but ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away--it only further
empowers potential dictators to crush all opposition. Eventually, it
will come to your doorstep.
I will close this with a famous quote, First They Came, by Pastor Martin Niemöller:
First they came for the Communists, And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist Then they came for the Socialists, And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist Then they came for the trade unionists, And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist Then they came for the Jews, And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew Then they came for me, And there was no one left To speak out for me
Video: WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel, 7 VIDEO
ARCHIVE: Malice Green dies at the hands of Detroit police officers Larry
Nevers and Walter Budzyn, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HMYEgrv-ho
It's been
pointed out how our office holders in Washington D.C. live in a
"bubble" and have little idea (or is it interest?) of what is
happening outside of the bubble. They exist inside the small and cozy world of
politics, busily wheeling and dealing with their peers. The struggles of
ordinary Americans couldn't be further from their minds. To live "inside
the beltway" is to ignore the rest of the country, its needs and desires. This disconnect
with the voters could very well lead to dire consequences, as recent
presidential election results demonstrate.
I caught a
glimpse into this inside-the-beltway mindset recently on an "unpaid
lobbying" trip to our nation's capital. I joined a citizens' activist
group from Ohio along with others from West Virginia, Indiana, and Kentucky. We
traveled to D.C. to meet with twenty-six congressional offices to help build
support for the Return to Prudent Banking Act introduced by Representative
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH, 9th District). Better known as the New Glass-Steagall, the
bill would return American banking practices to the tenor of the original 1933
act signed into law by Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Glass-Steagall Act, which was
repealed by Congress in 1999, made the big banks divest from the speculative,
risky side of commercial banking, protecting the ordinary people's savings and
home mortgages that had been lost in the devastating 1929 stock market crash,
resulting in the Great Depression.
Congresswoman
Kaptur at her press conference after the bill's introduction stated since the
2008 mortgage crisis the "mega-banks" (Citibank, Wells Fargo,
Goldman-Sachs, etc.) have only grown in size. Their net worth has gone from
being 17% of the gross domestic product to over 50%. All this wealth has been
siphoned from ordinary Americans who lost their homes, their pensions and their
401Ks in the banking crisis, a frightening parallel to the situation that faced
President Roosevelt.
Many
financial experts have stated a student loan debt crisis could dwarf the
negative effects of the 2008 mortgage crisis and could happen anytime now. We
must act quickly and decisively to prevent economic disaster by passing a New
Glass-Steagall Act.
The
heartening news is that both the Republican and Democratic Parties' Platforms
say they want to reinstate Glass-Steagall regulations. Along with Kaptur,
Representatives Walter Jones (R-NC), Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
are co-sponsoring the bill. Even Mr. Trump stated during his campaign that he
supported a return to the Glass-Steagall. White House Press Secretary Sean
Spicer reiterated that Trump supported reinstituting the Glass-Steagall--not
once, but twice at a press briefing.
The
citizen activists presented Congresswoman Kaptur with 637 signatures on letters
addressed to President Trump reminding him of his campaign promise. At least
three hundred more electronic signatures and comments were made online in the
short span of a month, and the activists asked that these signed letters and
electronic signatures be presented to Mr. Trump as a reminder of the thousands
of others who would gladly sign if given a chance. Fifteen state legislatures
have passed memorial resolutions supporting the tenets of the Return to Prudent
Banking Act as well.
Most Americans want real protections for consumers
by prohibiting the transaction of banking activities by securities firms. With
so much going for it, what could prevent the Return to Prudent Banking Act from
becoming law? The banking and financial industries could spell the end of
Kaptur's bill, as they have the greatest number of lobbyists on Capitol Hill
and give the most contributions to campaign war chests of both Democrats and
Republicans. Perhaps even more daunting is the inside-the-beltway mentality
that affects our elected representatives' outlook on the situation.
This was the
most enlightening aspect of the entire trip--talking to the congressional staffers,
the eyes, ears and brains of their bosses. I'm not kidding. Without these dedicated young people, our representatives
would get nothing done (even if that's their real intent). The staffers we conversed with stated
plainly that if they don't get a sense from their constituents that the New
Glass-Steagall is important, then they will simply
will advise their bosses not to waste time and energy supporting it, no matter how essential
it could be for the good of our economy and the betterment of ordinary
Americans.
This is true on any number of issues--fracking, health care, education, veteran's affairs, etc. If a congressperson or senator doesn't hear much on a particular topic, it doesn't register on their consciousness. They run (and I do mean run) in and out of the Capitol for votes and committee hearings all day long... They don't have time to waste on inconsequential things.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) isn't on board yet with the New Glass-Steagall. Why? He's too busy obstructing Trump's appointments at this time. Yes, that was his answer to our question if he would support a senate version of Rep. Kaptur's bill. It was disappointing, to say the least, but if that's the main topic he's heard from his staff...
So, what can we ordinary Americans do? If we can get
several thousands of our friends, family members, colleagues and neighbors to
write post cards and letters to their congressperson or senator, the staffers
will have to take notice of our concerns. They will be forced to bring
up the subject with their boss. We learned that congressional offices receive anywhere between
50,000 to 60,000 letters per year . You can see where things can get lost and
confused in the volume of correspondence, but a huge stack of letters on one subject--say, the
Return of the Prudent Banking Act--will catch their attention. These staffers
will then inform their boss how important this issue seems to be to potential voters. That
could make all the difference in a bill gaining a new sponsor and increase its
chance of becoming a law.
Showing up in person at your representative's D.C. or local office when he/she is home and asking questions at town halls
makes a big impression on them. Now is not the time to be shy. Now is the time
to concentrate on focusing your elected officials' attention on important issues.
Sen. Portman's Coffee Meet & Greet
But is there anything we can do to break the "bubble" that keeps our elected officials separate from the rest of us unwashed masses once and for all? It's a question that haunts me.
Everyone--and I do mean everyone--we met in D.C. was extremely polite and professional. Their manners, clothing, hairstyles, culture, the hallways... You name it and it's polite and professional. It is a cozy, little world where a representative or senator from a far distant state, homesick and lonely, has only his/her professional colleagues for companions in town. They hang out with their "co-workers" a lot after hours, you could say. (Congressional office suites are not separated by state or party affiliation, but by seniority and wherever they can squeeze you in. Literally. We met one staffer on the top floor that used to be used for storage until recent times. Their office suite is a renovated storage closet!)
The kindly Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) supports fracking.
Believe it or not, I didn't notice any animosities between staffers or representatives of the two establishment parties. It's all "one big happy family" in the Congressional offices in Washington D.C. They really do get along and treat each other with outward respect--no matter how tough they try to portray themselves standing against the opposition. This polite milieu is clearly evident and extends to
all visitors. I shook hands with Republicans who want to get rid of the A.C.A.--something that's been keeping me alive these past few years--and I felt nothing but respect and admiration for these kind and genteel individuals, even knowing their voting records.
It's a very nice feeling when everyone gets along and stays busy, but this is where the bubble or the inside-the-beltway mentality does its most damage, in my opinion. There's no need for our elected representatives to be accountable to us because they're accountable to their buddies on the Hill who they see daily and get along with so well. Yeah, that must be it. Why be worried or bothered about what people hundreds or thousands of miles away are thinking when your whole social world fits inside the tiny District of Columbia and its environs? (Surveys show that seven of the richest counties in the U.S. encircle our nation's capital. Rich and comfortable. What's not to love? Why ever go home and deal with those noisy constituents?)
Just as we voters need to make our physical presence known to our policy makers, they in turn need to get out of their gilded Congressional offices and see more of us in the flesh. They need to see the reality we deal with on a daily
basis. Senator Bernie Sanders stated he didn't know half as much about the suffering of his fellow Americans until he started touring some of the poorest and hardest-hit-in-the-recession areas of the country during his presidential campaign--and he is humble enough to admit it.
Think, what if we could make that mind-opening experience of touring the country's economically hardest hit places mandatory for all elected officials? The bubble would burst and never reform. One would hope the wake-up call would change their hearts at least.
***
Speaking of Bernie Sanders... Here's a funny story about my futile attempts to meet him in person.
Desperately Seeking Bernie
by C.A. Matthews
I've been trying to shake Sen. Bernie Sanders hand since May 2015. It's a mission of mine--sort of like seeking the Holy Grail was for King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. However, so far no success.
After attending three presidential campaign rallies (one where I worked as a volunteer), one health care rally, a trip to Philadelphia during the Democratic National Convention (didn't see him in the flesh there, alas), and a visit to the inner hallways of the senate office buildings, surely now was the time I'd have my chance to shake my progressive idol's hand and tell him how much I admired him and all he's done for America.
But it wasn't meant to be.
It's not that we didn't actually see Bernie--because we did. Yes, we saw him for a whole split second. We stopped by Sen. Sanders' senate office between our visits to see others in the same building to catch a glimpse of his name plaque and Vermont flag. Our group took numerous photos of his office--even posing with the large cardboard cut-out of a dairy cow courtesy of Ben and Jerry's. But our only glimpse of Bernie was when he darted into his "private entrance" door as we quickly waved at him in the hallway.
I shouted, "Hi! We're visiting from Ohio. We love you, Bernie!" And then he was gone.
We asked his office staffers if we could shake Bernie's hand quickly and snap a photo, but they said we'd have to make an appointment to do so since the senator was very busy. Next week sometime was the earliest opening. Since we were leaving the next day, we told them thanks, but no thanks.
I guess I should be happy. If I'd finally succeeded after so many attempts toshake Bernie's hand, the universe might have winked out of existence. So, my quest for the "Grail" will continue. Before we left the hallway, I lightly touched the door handle Bernie had last touched. Not quite a handshake, but it'll have to do for a Berner who'd traveled so far... Well that, and a snapshot of me beside a Ben and Jerry's cardboard cow.
***
Celebrating Diversity and Unity in Greater Toledo
The Islamic Center of Greater Toledo hosted the Unified Prayer for Peace event on a sunny Sunday afternoon, opening its doors to all to come and stand united in their commitment to peace and understanding in our country in the wake of the Trump administration's ban on those coming from primarily Muslim countries. Over five hundred were in attendance, including Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH, 9th District) and Toledo city council member Peter Ujvagi, a proud Hungarian immigrant.
A "Unified Prayer For Peace" was lead by Imam Talal Eid. Congregation president Nadia Ashraf-Moghul and Iman Eid both spoke about the support and love they've experienced from the surrounding community over the years. They felt recent actions by our government against immigrants and Green Card holders of Muslim descent did not reflect the true generosity of spirit most Americans demonstrate daily in the Greater Toledo area.
After the short program, the public was treated to a free dinner featuring ethnic foods as well as coffee and doughnuts. On their Facebook page, the ICGT stated: "The Islamic Center of Greater Toledo thanks you, our amazing Greater Toledo area friends who came out in great numbers to pray with us. We thank our gracious guests, our beloved Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Councilman Peter Ujvagi, Ms. Joan Schroeder and TK Barger for speaking wonderful words of wisdom. To our guests, you are always welcome to your mosque and your mosque is always open to friends and neighbors. May God Bless you all and Bless our country."
Perhaps the idea of diverse communities cooperating and growing in tolerance and compassion toward one another seems impossible to some, but the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo and the Northwest Ohio area have proven once again how wrong that cynical outlook can be.
