Rep. Hank Johnson blasts Congress for its silence and inaction on police shootings

[babylonsister]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/04/14/1377640/-Representative-Hank-Johnson-blasts-Congress-for-its-silence-inaction-on-police-shootings?detail=facebook_sf#

Tue Apr 14, 2015 at 07:17 AM PDT
Rep. Hank Johnson blasts Congress for its silence and inaction on police shootings

by Shaun King


Via the video below the fold:

It feels like open season on black men in America and I'm outraged. In fact, all Americans are at risk when bad actors in law enforcement use their guns instead of their heads. Despite bipartisan nationwide calls for action and despite my bills to reform the broken grand jury process, hold police accountable, and end militarization—and despite my colleagues' bills to encourage body cameras—this Congress does nothing. No hearings, no blue ribbon commissions, no nothing.

These were the frustrated words of Rep. Hank Johnson yesterday on the floor of the House of Representatives. Johnson is right. How could it be that these constant deaths by American law enforcement grip the nation but fall on deaf ears in Congress?How could the names of our loved ones daily be the top trending topic in the world, but those who represent us act as if everything is just fine in America?

It isn't fine at all.

Johnson went on, as seen in the video below the fold, to list some of the names of men and women killed by police in the past year. While it may seem unimportant to some, this acknowledgment of the names of men and women killed by police on the floor of the House dignifies the lives and memories of and loss of the men, women, boys, and girls killed by those who should protect us.

“Mr. Speaker, here are just a few names of our colleagues and neighbors and relatives:

“Walter Scott from {South} Carolina; Michael Brown from Missouri; Anthony Hill from Georgia; Tony Robinson from Wisconsin; Kevin Davis – Georgia; Nicholas Thomas – Georgia; Daniel Elrod – Nebraska; Antonio Zambrano-Montes – Washington; David Kassick – Pennsylvania; Jessica Hernandez – Colorado; Kevin Davis – Georgia; Dennis Grigsby – Texas; Rumain Brisbon – Phoenix; Tamir Rice – Ohio; Akai Gurley – New York; Carlos Perez – Nevada; Kajieme Powell – Missouri; Ezell Ford – California; Dillon Taylor – Utah; John Crawford III – Ohio; Naeschylus Vinzant, of Colorado; Charly Leundeu Keunang, of California; and the list goes on.”

[sabrina 1]

1. I've wondered about that too 'how come these murders don't seem to capture the attention of

Congress'?

Just yesterday I asked who these cops are accountable to, who has the job of overseeing our Civilian Police forces?

OWS taught me that no matter how brutally they act towards civilians, mayors, governors, DAs all either are behind them or enable them, from BOTH PARTIES.

THIS should be a huge campaign issue. And everyone running for office should be pressed for what THEIR solutions are.

It seems like every day someone of color is mowed down in the streets of this country, yet there is a deafening silence from those in power about it.

Good for Hank Johnson, he is a good Representative, often raising issues that NEED attention, but he doesn't seem to get much traction from a majority of his colleagues for some reason.

Police Reform, this needs to be on the list of Campaign Issues. NYC Mayor, de Blasio ran on it and won. Naturally the NYPD hates him, but so what?

Are they just not interested in the people of this country, or are things the way they want them to be?

[rhett o rick]

4. Spot on sabrina.

[Dawgs]

2. Right wing talk radio was losing there shit about it this morning.

They played the clip while talking to a former police officer (admitted to killing multiple times while copping). Police officer was pissed at Hank Johnson, of course.

[spanone]

3. our current congress is a world wide joke.

i expect nothing from them and i'm sure they will deliver

[sabrina 1]

5. Police Unions are very powerful. If they want to get elected they better not upset the Police Unions

But that doesn't answer the question completely, who is in charge of the Police in this country? Internal investigations are a joke. Yet, that is the way things work, for the police.

So Johnson is correct, someone has to step up and start reigning in these terrorists. But if Congress won't do it, who will?

[ladjf]

6. Of course those men and women don't want to touch this

horrible situation with a ten foot pole.