Show notes
Am I surprised? No. But am I disgusted down to my bones? Absolutely. After begging and pleading for Black votes... After wearing Kente cloth and taking a knee for injustice in America... After marching and protesting against injustice - the Democratic Party just spit in the face of Black leaders, Black voters, and Black people in general.
Let me explain. The Washington DC City Council voted 12-1, in a near unanimous vote, to pass important criminal justice reforms for the city. And I say this with all due respect to the City Council, but the reforms are moderate. They aren't revolutionary or radical. They are basic.DC is a majority Black city. The City Council is a majority-Black body. And suddenly after they passed these reforms, rich white people in the city flipped out. Then conservatives flipped out. And that's an important observation to make, because it was seeing this that caused the conservative media to flip out. Which in turn caused Republicans in Congress to say they were going to do something that has not been done since 1991. They were going to use their power in Congress to overturn the Washington DC City Council. Since DC is not a state, Congress has this weird power, but it's RARELY used.
The thing is, they would need Biden and some more Democrats to side with them - and after pressure, they've agreed to do just that.
And here's the rub. To get this support, conservatives AND Biden have flat out lied about these reforms - particularly around the issue of carjacking.
The reforms took the sentencing for carjacking down from 40 years, which is the highest and harshest in the nation, down to 24 years, which is still the highest and harshest in the nation. And Biden has been parroting Republican talking points saying this is going to make the city less safe.
But here's the thing - DC has the harshest sentencing on carjacking in America right now, and it's STILL a problem. Why? Because 40 years for carjacking doesn't solve the problem. I have a whole lot to say.
Let me unpack and explain it.
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Shaun
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