Will Dems ‘Resist’ Trump’s Push to End Racism in Justice System

President Donald J. Trump has taken a bold initiative to reach across the aisle and back a prison reform bill called the FIRST STEP Act that would curb the excessive prison sentences leveled against a disproportionate number of African-American that started during the Clinton Administration.

But the question on many Americans minds is whether the Nancy Pelosi-led “resist” and “obstruct” movement will somehow find a way to derail Pres. Trump’s effort to reform the system and end the racism embedded in the judicial system once and for all?

During the Clinton era, so-called “Three Strikes” laws were the flavor of the day and upwards of 28 states have some form of habitual-offender policy that can result in a lengthy or life sentence. Disgraced Pres. Bill Clinton signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 that seemed like a popular trend at the time. In the end, his misguided action resulted in numerous low-level, mostly Black offenders spending decades behind bars.

“I signed a bill that made the problem worse, and I want to admit it,” Clinton reportedly said after leaving office.

In Clinton’s defense, crime and gun violence associated with crack cocaine was ravaging many African-American communities. Even the Congressional Black Caucus supported stricter sentencing. But the long-term impact of the Clinton-era laws and policies extended well beyond crack dealers and gang members. Many Americans may recall Hillary later claiming she would bring Black offenders “to heel.”

To say today’s social justice organizations such as Black Lives Matter are outraged by Hillary’s remarks and the long-standing racially-biased incarceration rates would be something of an understatement.

During ex-Pres. Obama’s two terms, prison reform was a strategic talking point used to placate African-American organizations and activists.

“Mass incarceration makes our entire country worse off, and we need to do something about it,” Obama once reportedly told the NAACP.

But even with Democrat majorities in Congress and bipartisan support, Obama sat on his hands. The only substantial change during the Obama Administration came when U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder allowed judges to set aside mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenders. Although it sounded like reform at the time, it did nothing to end disproportionately applied three strikes policies. Nor did Obama or Holder move to reduce the sometimes egregious life sentences of African-Americans.

The FIRST STEP Act backed by Pres. Trump would end the practice of excessive sentences across the board. Many believe habitual offender laws disproportionately put African-American men behind bars for longer than fair amounts of time. The underlying causes of the offenses often included poverty and drug addiction. But with minority Americans enjoying historic low unemployment and wages on the rise, the president sees this as a pivotal time to reverse the inequitable distribution of justice.

“We’re all better off when former inmates can receive and re-enter society as law-abiding, productive citizens,” Pres. Trump reportedly said. “And thanks to our booming economy, they now have a chance at more opportunities than they’ve ever had before.”

Pres. Trump reportedly said that the FIRST STEP Act “rolls back some of the provisions of the “Clinton crime law” that disproportionately harmed the African-American community. And you all saw that, and you all know that. Everybody in this room knows that. It was very disproportionate and very unfair.”

In an odd twist of rhetoric, Pres. Trump appears to be in sync with Democrat talking points on prison and sentencing reform. The legislation would end three strikes life sentences and set a maximum of 25 years for only the worst offenders. Examples of wrong-headed application of the Clinton-era laws are surfacing in the media.

Fox News reported on the case of Leandro Andrade. The 9-year military service veteran and father was hit with a 50-year to life sentence in 1996 for stealing $150 worth of videotapes. It was his third offense, and his three children grew up without a father.

As fellow Republicans such as Sen. Lindsey Graham and members of the Congressional Black Caucus rally to Pres. Trump’s racial justice banner, many staunch resist Democrats are increasingly likely to find fault and upend a potential vote.

“Wouldn’t it be ironic if it was Donald Trump who fixed the problems created by the three strikes, you out rule passed by Bill Clinton?” Sen. Graham reportedly said. “Wouldn’t it be ironic it was Donald Trump and the Republican Congress working with Democrats that allowed just thousands of African-American and Hispanic males a second chance for nonviolent offenses? And create bed space for truly violent people.”

As a vote draws near to end racial injustice in the courts and prisons, everyday Americans may want to remember that Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer voted against the Dreamers getting a pathway to citizenship just to resist and obstruct Pres. Trump. Will Democrats now throw African-Americans under the bus?


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