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Senator Kamala Harris: ‘We must fight domestic terrorists and white supremacy’

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Democratic presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris writes about domestic terrorism, white supremacy and the necessity for strict gun laws.

On a warm September morning in 1963, 4 little black girls arrived at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Dressed in probably the most beautiful white dresses, they got here – as they do every Sunday – to check the Holy Bible and study joy, faith and love. But that morning, 4 children were murdered by a bomb planted within the basement by the Klu Klux Klan.

Nearly fifty-six years later, we mourn the tragedies in Gilroy, California, and El Paso, Texas, where white supremacy and domestic terrorism once more claimed innocent lives and injured communities.

As black women, we understand full well that violence motivated by hate and bigotry has at all times been present in our history. From the burning of Black Wall Street in 1921, to the Birmingham church bombing in 1963, to the Charleston church shooting in 2015 to the current day, Americans have been killed due to color of their skin for a lot too long.

We must have the courage to call it what it’s: domestic terrorism and a threat to our national security. But we also know that a part of our strength as a nation is that in our darkest moments we fight for the very best. I consider we face one in every of those moments now, and I’m able to fight as your president to guard Americans from the specter of domestic terrorism.

That’s why I propose that we keep the weapons of war out of the hands of those domestic terrorists and order federal law enforcement to crack down on violent hate.

First, because I’m uninterested in waiting for Congress to get its act together while Americans are being murdered, I’ll take executive motion to require online gun sales platforms like ArmsList.com to run background checks. For any domestic terrorist with a laptop, a loaded gun mustn’t be just a number of clicks away.

Second, I’ll dedicate $2 billion in federal funds to analyze, disrupt, and prosecute domestic terrorists through the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. By prioritizing domestic terrorism in these bodies, we’ll give you the option to more vigilantly monitor violent right-wing sites and forums, fund programs to counter hate violence, and, if mandatory, hold accountable those that commit these terrible crimes.

Third, I’ll prioritize laws that permits law enforcement to temporarily seize the weapons of a terrorist who may soon commit a hate crime. It would allow law enforcement agencies to use to a federal court for a domestic terrorism prevention order, which might give them the ability to focus on people posting threats of violence, anti-immigrant manifestos and other warning signs online.

Fourth, I’ll revise the mission of the National Counterterrorism Center to incorporate domestic terrorism in its mission, which is able to enable the agency to cooperate with other law enforcement agencies on these matters. Terrorism is terrorism – let’s treat it that way. NCTC has unique expertise within the radicalization process and subsequently brings key knowledge that will help us on this fight.

We could make real progress on this issue by electing a president who understands the history and seriousness of the domestic terrorism threat and is committed to taking motion.

Yet today we’ve a president who does more to fire up racial resentment than to confront it. While Trump didn’t pull the trigger in El Paso or Gilroy, he definitely tweeted concerning the ammunition. And when he cozies as much as white supremacists and winks at suggestions of violence against Black and brown communities, he poses a really real risk to our national security.

This will end once I turn into president.

I’ll at all times tell the reality concerning the scale of the threat. I’ll devote the resources mandatory to disarm hatred. And together we’ll create the America we consider in, where families can go to churches, schools, movies and shopping malls without fear for his or her lives.

Fighting against the evil of white supremacy and violence is how we honor Denise, Addie, Carole and Cynthia of Birmingham – and all those that have lost their lives to domestic terrorism. And even though it might not be easy, I do know that we’ll win this fight.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Politics and Current

A fight broke out in Kansas College Town after a man wrote “Fuck you, bitch” on a receipt instead of leaving a tip.

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Brawl Erupts In Kansas College Town After Man Scrawls ‘F--k You Ni---r’ on Bar Receipt Instead of Leaving a Tip

Racial slurs scrawled on a bill at a Lawrence, Kansas, bar led to a drunken brawl that spilled into the road and ended with several people behind bars, in line with police.

The violent incident occurred Sept. 15 at Leroy’s Tavern on New Hampshire Street, where a customer wrote “F—k You Ni—r” on his receipt and left it with the bartender.

Authorities haven’t yet identified a man who wrote a hateful message after cashing a $39 bar tab and, worse, wrote “0.00” in the tip box.

A fight broke out in Kansas College Town after a man wrote “Fuck you, bitch” on a receipt instead of leaving a tip.
This receipt began a bar fight in Lawrence, Kansas, on September 14, 2024. (Photo: Facebook/Lawrence Kansas Police Department)

Police didn’t say what prompted the man to put in writing the “N” word, not once, but twice, on the banknote, whose time stamp showed 12:16 a.m. on September 15.

The card doesn’t indicate what number of drinks the man had.

He was still contained in the venue when the bartender finally noticed the offensive message and immediately called security to ask him to go away.

Instead of staying calm, the man became aggressive.

As he was being led out of the constructing, the attacker turned and punched the goalkeeper who caught him, According to Facebook post posted by Lawrence Kansas Police.

Then several bystanders stepped into motion.

Fists flew in the air before the normally quiet college town that was home to the University of Kansas erupted into a full-blown firestorm. Bars like Leroy’s lined the streets just off campus.

When officers arrived, several men were still involved in the fight they usually handcuffed them, restoring calm.

Three people were taken into custody, but police didn’t reveal the identities of the suspects.

The police didn’t say whether KU students were involved in the incident.

It is unclear whether the man who began the fight was amongst those arrested.

Multiple injuries were noted as evidence, but their extent was not immediately revealed.

The investigation remains to be ongoing, but police haven’t revealed what charges the man may face.

Authorities later released a photo of the receipt, which didn’t contain any offensive language or racial slurs.

Facebook commenters focused heavily on the race aspect of the problem, with many noting that closeted racists feel more empowered in today’s tense and divisive political climate.

“The fact that people are so comfortable being racist again is truly heartbreaking. Where has the shame gone? People are clearly starting to lose all sense of humanity,” one person wrote.

Facebook user Ben Porter reminded others in the thread that “this kind of thing didn’t just end and start again recently like people seem to think here. This kind of thing has always happened to some extent. We’re just looking at the past through rose-tinted glasses and acting like it’s gotten worse.”

Another person criticized Lawrence police for not taking a strong stance on racism in a Facebook post, arguing that a clearer condemnation was needed.

“I’m not sure what the point of showing this ignorance is, especially if you don’t condemn it in a post?” wrote Justin Adams. “As public officials, I think it’s reasonable to say that we will not tolerate hate in any form in our community.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mMFIOGsIdA

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Kamala Harris Recognized for Her Spotlight on Race and Reparations During NABJ-WHYY Interview

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Kamala Harris, theGriio.com

In a wide-ranging interview with the National Association of Black Journalists and public radio station WHYY, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke more broadly about race than at some other time since becoming a presidential candidate and then the Democratic Party nominee.

The historic presidential figure (Harris is the primary Black woman and Indian-American to be nominated by a significant party) made her first appearance as vice chairman on the difficulty of reparations and outlined the systemic harms inflicted on Black communities by U.S. history, including African-American slavery and racial oppression.

“We need to tell the truth in a way that leads to solutions,” said Harris, who co-sponsored HR40 when she was a U.S. senator.

While members of the Congressional Black Caucus and advocates have called on President Joe Biden to take executive motion within the absence of three many years of inaction on Capitol Hill, the presidential candidate has signaled she believes it should come through Congress. She cited Congress’s ability to carry hearings and “raise awareness” in regards to the history of slavery and racial discrimination.

However, the vice chairman added: “I am not downplaying the significance of any executive action.”

Referring to her economic plan if she wins the White House in November, Harris said her ideas for creating an “opportunity economy” would aim to “explicitly address the obstacles that exist historically and currently” in areas similar to student loan debt, health care debt, biased home valuations and black maternal mortality.

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris (left) is interviewed by National Association of Black Journalists members Gerren Keith Gaynor (far right), Eugene Daniels (second from right) and Tonya Mosley (third from right) on the WHYY studios in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“I am pleased that Vice President Harris has recognized the important role truth plays in our pursuit of racial healing and transformation,” said Lee. “My legislation to establish a Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation would usher in a moment of truth-telling by educating and informing the public about the historical context of the racial inequities we witness every day.”

But Hunter said that despite Harris’ clear preference for congressional motion on the commission’s creation, such a commission through executive motion “could be a source of legislative policy.” He continued,

Political pundit and radio host Reeta Colbert admitted that Harris “hung around” during her CNN interview and presidential debate with Trump to discuss her racial identity.

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Airlines forces 14-year-old girl off plane due to weight and balance issues, leaving her to fend for herself

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The mother of a teen who was banned from a plane in Canada due to a weight imbalance is outraged at how the incident has put her daughter’s safety in danger.

According to the CBC, 14-year-old Camryn Larkan boarded a Porter Airlines flight home from Toronto to Victoria, British Columbia, on August 30 after visiting family and friends. Once she was seated on the plane, a flight attendant approached her and told her she had to get off the plane.

14-year-old stuck at the airport
14-year-old forced to leave plane due to “weight and balance” issues. (Source: Pexels)

“I was a little disoriented… I thought I was going to go back to my seat. I thought they were just going to take my bags.” – Camryn he said CBC. “As soon as I got off the plane and saw the doors close, that’s when I started, you know, getting really concerned.”

Porter Airlines pulled Camryn from the flight due to a “weight and balance issue.” The airline said agents asked for volunteers, but when nobody got here forward, “passengers were selected based on ticket type.”

After Camryn and several other passengers were asked to leave the plane, a Porter Airlines agent arranged for Camryn to fly to Victoria the subsequent day. Camryn immediately called her father, who got here to pick her up on the airport.

Camryn’s mother expressed her frustration, saying the airline completely mishandled her daughter’s exit from the plane.

“They put my child in immediate danger,” Catherine Larkan said. “It was complete neglect and it shouldn’t happen to any other minor.”

The airline’s policy is that unaccompanied minors are exempt from involuntary disembarkation. The company offers a $100 service plan for children traveling alone. The plan is required for children ages 8 to 11 and optional for children ages 12 to 17.

Camryn’s family didn’t know the service existed, so the airline treated the 14-year-old as an adult.

“At the time, our team was unaware that Camryn was a minor,” a Porter Airlines spokesperson said. “Camryn left the airport quickly and our team had limited ability to discuss options with her.”

Children travelling without an unaccompanied minor plan are considered “independent adults” and are subject to “adult passenger considerations such as weight, balance and unloading situations.”

“They provide a service, saying we know these people are at risk, and they say if you don’t pay for the service, you’re going to be treated like any other adult passenger traveling,” Camryn’s mother said. “It’s just absolutely absurd.”

An airline representative told People magazine that its customer support department is in touch with Camryn’s family and that Porter Airlines is working on solutions to minimize the chance of an incident like this happening again.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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