Congressional Black Caucus Takes the Floor to Talk About Ferguson and Race in America

National Journal ^ | December 1, 2014 | Matt Berman

[2ndDivisionVet]

"We want a fair, impartial, and color-blind criminal justice system. But if we're honest with ourselves, that doesn't exist for all Americans today."

Late Monday night, after the House took its final votes, members of the Congressional Black Caucus took the floor to speak for about one hour about race in the wake of a grand jury's decision last week not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the August shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

"Hands up, don't shoot," Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York began.

Charles Rangel, the longtime New York Democrat, followed Jeffries and CBC Chairwoman Marcia Fudge of Ohio to deride America's "cancer" and those who don't acknowledge it. "Like anything else you love, if there's an illness, if there's a problem, you would want to know: What can you do to cure it? How can you make it all that our country can be?" Rangel said. "How can we say that we have a cancer until we recognize that we do, then we don't really love the country? How can we be able to say that white and black in this country are equal and that those who work hard and live by the rules have the same opportunities as each other, when we know that we have this cancer?"

Rangel went on to address the idea of reparations for slavery, suggesting that it goes beyond money. "Some people may talk about payment for restitution for past crimes committed against human beings," he said. "But that restitution could be the ability to say that we're going to make certain that people of color in this country would be able to have access to the same type of education, live where they want to live, compete against anybody for the job, and not feeling that they're inferior because people have been taught that just because they have a different complexion that they are superior."

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)

Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas said that the American jury system needs reform. "I would hope we would look to legislative fixes with our colleagues to make America better. The Congressional Black Caucus will not be silenced," she said. "America is better than this, a country that we love.... We must fix it, and we must fix it now."

[luvbach1]

The Black caucus won’t be satisfied until just as many whites are killed resisting arrest as blacks. Fair is fair.

[yoe]

All media have sensationalized these two events causing America's anarchists to whip Negro's and other misinformed citizens into nonsensical protests. The news just turn all in this house off when anchor after anchor "debates" the findings of the Grand Juries when the FACTS are not reported even Fox is over board on these events.

Michael Brown was not innocent...among actions the man took was to grapple with the policeman.

Garner had reason to resist...he was on parole for another crime.

Our law-enforcement are on the front lines 24/7 keeping the lawless under control. Are we going to let POLITICS tie their hands as we have with our Military Warriors? We're being bamboozled by the Politically Correct and outside anti-capitalists who are watching Barry H.O. create a racial divide unthinkable before he came into office, destroy America for them....and those who voted for B.H.O. because of his skin, not his character/background/experience have dealt our nation the meanest cut of all.