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Harris is uniquely positioned to combat gun violence in black communities, advocates say

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Kamala Harris, theGrio.com

Gun violence is back in the national highlight following Wednesday’s events deadly shooting at highschool in Winder, GeorgiaThe tragedy that struck Apalachee High School in which 4 people were killed and nine injured has Democrats and gun safety advocates renewed calls for stricter gun laws.

“We need to end this epidemic of gun violence in our country once and for all,” Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, said hours after Wednesday’s shooting at a campaign event in New Hampshire. She added: “It doesn’t have to be this way. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

Supporters see Harris because the one and best candidate who can construct on progress in reducing gun violence, particularly in black communities. Addressing the difficulty is a top concern for black Americans, who’re nearly 3 times as likely to be more likely than white Americans are killed by firearms.

According to a survey by the gun safety group GIFFORDS, 74% of black voters want stronger gun laws. The survey, a part of a $15 million campaign to highlight gun violence ahead of the Nov. 5 general election, also found that half of all black voters are “very concerned” in regards to the prevalence of gun violence in their communities, compared with 24% of the general voting population.

GIFFORDS, founded by former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who survived a 2011 assassination attempt, has endorsed Harris for president in 2024. Giffords praised Harris’ “steadfast leadership” on the difficulty of gun violence, adding that the Democratic nominee “will save lives.”

McMillan says Harris has been a “key partner” and “gun safety champion,” each as a U.S. senator and now as vice chairman. Harris currently leads the historic White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which is tasked with implementing provisions of the Biden Safer Communities Act, which allocates $250 million for community violence intervention programs.

“We know this works in Black and brown communities,” McMillan said.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to attendees on the Everytown for Gun Safety conference on August 11, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. The conference brings together 1000’s of activists, volunteers and survivors of gun violence to advocate for gun law reform. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

“She’s not just a symbol of possibility — she’s a powerful force shaping policy to keep our families safe,” said Ferrell-Zabala, who noted that Harris tightened gun safety laws as California’s attorney general and, as a U.S. senator, co-sponsored laws to expand background checks and ban violators from possessing guns.

She added: “She truly understands the devastating reality of this uniquely American crisis that disproportionately affects communities of color, and that we must invest in holistic, local solutions that are created by the communities it impacts.”

In her New Hampshire speech, Harris noted that in her “Fight For Our Freedoms” college tour last fall, she asked students on each campus to raise their hand in the event that they “had to endure a shooting drill at any point between kindergarten and 12th grade.”

“I tell you, every time the room was full, and almost every hand went up,” said the vice chairman.

Harris, together with President Biden, Democrats and advocates, have called on Congress to go further than the Safer Communities Act, which expanded background check requirements and created latest crimes. Gun safety advocates also want to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and establish universal background checks.

According to the GIFFORDS poll, 50 percent of black voters attributed the issue to a scarcity of mental health services, while 49 percent blamed the nation’s gun violence epidemic on weak gun laws. Forty-seven percent of black voters cited quick access to guns, while 40 percent blamed loopholes in gun laws.

“If we have a strong economic program that actually lifts black people out of poverty, we will see gun violence in communities go down,” Powell said.

According to data from the Black Census Organization, black voters’ concerns about gun violence are threefold: community violence, white supremacist violence, and police violence.

Apalachee High School Shooting, theGrio.com
Students, faculty and community members gather for a vigil following the shooting at Apalachee High School on September 4, 2024 in Winder, Georgia. Four people were reported dead and injured, and a 14-year-old suspect is in custody, according to authorities. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

While gun violence continues to plague the country, there are signs that the Biden-Harris administration’s work is paying off. Data shows gun violence deaths are on the rise downward in 2024. But supporters say they’re fearful about the implications if former President and Republican Party candidate Donald Trump wins the November election.

“What happens to the (White House) Office of Gun Violence Prevention if, God forbid, Donald Trump is re-elected?” McMillan asked. “We know he will be proud not to address this issue or to try to undo the progress we have made through his alliances with the NRA (and) the gun lobbyists.”

On Thursday, Trump’s vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, faced criticism for saying school shootings are a “fact of life.” He also misleadingly claimed that Harris wants to “take guns away from law-abiding citizens.” He and Trump have also called for tighter school security as an answer, although the National Education Association notes that tightening school security doesn’t prevent shootings.

“Donald Trump and JD Vance believe school shootings are a ‘fact of life’ and ‘we have to get over it,’” Harris campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa said, echoing Trump’s earlier remarks after the Iowa school shooting in January.

“Vice President Harris and Governor Walz know that we can take action to keep our children safe and prevent criminals from getting access to guns,” Moussa said. “Donald Trump and JD Vance will always choose the NRA and the gun lobby over our children. That’s the choice in this election.”

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Politics and Current

A Washington police officer who shot a black man with his hands in the air over a stop sign, then dragged his body and slammed it into the ground, remains on the force despite an $8 million payout to his family

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The city of Lakewood, Washington, has reached an agreement with the family of a 26-year-old black man who was shot thrice by an officer who claimed he was acting in self-defense.

He said Joquin died on May 1, 2020, after Officer Michael Wiley stopped him for running a stop sign. The $8 million settlement announced last week is coming to an end federal civil rights lawsuit Joquin’s parents filed a criticism against the officer, who claimed their son had lunged for a gun lying on the floor of his vehicle.

According to the lawsuit, Wiley approached Joquin’s automobile with a gun drawn and told him, “Shut up or you’ll get shot.” The lawsuit states that Joquin, as Wiley requested, had his hands up when he was shot. After the shooting, Wiley allegedly pulled Joquin out of the automobile and “threw him to the ground.”

The police killing of Said Joquin led to protests in Lakewood, Washington. (Photos: YouTube screenshot/KING 5 Seattle)

Wiley was involved in one other expensive suit v. Lakewood in 2017. He was one in every of three officers found by a jury answerable for the death of one other young black man, Leonard Thomas, for a record $15.1 million. A post-trial settlement was reached in exchange for $13 million and a promise not to appeal.

Thomas was holding his 4-year-old son when he was shot in the stomach by a Lakewood SWAT sniper. Wiley reportedly announced “Jackpot!” Testimony shows he spoke on the police radio after Thomas was shot and later praised his colleague for taking the “million-dollar f–king shot,” according to trial testimony. Thomas bled to death, begging cops not to take his boy.

Evidence from Thomas’ trial “revealed that Wiley was an exceptionally aggressive officer who had an insufficient understanding of the use of force, was willing to use weapons, explosives and unnecessary force, and who demonstrated a striking lack of concern for life,” Joquin filed the family’s lawsuit.

Wiley remains in service. Joquin’s lawsuit alleged that Lakewood police were “unreasonable and reckless” in continuing to employ him regardless that a jury in Thomas found that he had violated the victim’s civil rights.

A previous attempt to dismiss Joquin’s lawsuit was blocked by the US District Judge David Estudillo. Wiley, the judge wrote in his August order, had a “documented history of using force against people he helped detain.”

He said there was enough evidence for the jury to find that “Joquin did not engage in furtive or threatening behavior during the encounter.”

Dawn Kortner, Joquin’s mother, he said in a 2021 interview, she never believed Wiley’s account.

“I feel like it’s overkill,” Kortner said. “He took steps he shouldn’t have taken. I believe he was too aggressive and I would like him to be held accountable for what he did. He shouldn’t receive a pension and sit at home and enjoy his children when we will not enjoy Said.

Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office Attorney Mary Robnett declined to press charges against Wiley for Joquin’s death.

In a letter to Lakewood Police Chief Mike Zaro, Robnett cited Joquin’s “unpredictable and dangerous behavior” in running a stop sign in front of police on a busy road. She also concluded that bullet trajectory evidence showed that Joquin didn’t raise his hands when Wiley shot him.

Wiley was also cleared for internal examination.

In a statement, Lakewood officials said: “Any life cut short is a tragedy and we can only imagine the suffering and pain they experience. The decision to reach an agreement was made with the best outcome for all parties involved in mind.”

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Without Kamala Harris in the White House, Democrats are turning to Hakeem Jeffries

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As Democrats proceed to lick their wounds following Kamala Harris’ stunning defeat to President-elect Donald Trump, all eyes are on Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), whose party in Congress has little likelihood of regaining the majority in the House of Representatives.

If Democrats manage to win the House, it’s going to give the party its only hope of slowing Trump’s agenda. Jeffries, a 54-year-old congressman from Brooklyn, New York, also became Speaker of the House, making history as the first African American to hold the position, just two steps of separation in the line of presidential succession.

As Donald Trump begins to appoint members of his second administration’s Cabinet to be tasked with implementing his agenda – which incorporates proposed mass deportations, the elimination of racial equity programs and big cuts in federal spending – Democrats’ ability to play defense will probably be crucial to mitigating this. , which they see as potentially critical blows to vulnerable communities.

Democrats view Jeffries, the current House minority leader, as a key leader of the party, especially if his caucus can gain a majority. This would involve the commission’s control – which incorporates significant subpoena power – and shaping the federal budget. At the very least, it might enable Democrats to force Republicans to make concessions where possible.

As a six-term congressman known for sticking to his word, Jeffries is a respected and admired politician in the Democratic Party.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 21: U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) departs after speaking on stage during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 21, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Payne said Jeffries, who represents a “generational turn” in the party, “has shown that he is a truly gifted communicator and communicator.” He added: “He has some different skill sets that other Democrats may not be able to. And I think that’s something that Democrats will really benefit from.

Payne continued if elected Speaker of the House, “(Jeffries) will become the most important Democrat in the country with any power. She is essentially taking over the mantle that Nancy Pelosi took on when she was re-elevated to speaker during Trump’s first presidency.”

But Payne cautioned that even when Democrats manage to amass a razor-thin majority in the House, it’s going to still be an uphill battle.

He noted that the caucus will include many Democrats “from districts where Donald Trump is popular.” “You still have to hold together a club that will come under cross-pressure from Donald Trump, who is more popular than he was four and eight years ago.”

At this point, Plaskett noted that Democrats would want to take a leaf out of her book as a member of Congress representing a U.S. territory.

“I have limited voting rights, so I understand what it means to punch above your weight,” said Plaskett, who said that being a political minority in Congress requires “cooperating with members of the Democratic caucus, as well as the Republican caucus when it is advantageous to do so for the interests of (our) voters.”

Policy

Democrats also see an incredible opportunity to strengthen Black political power in Washington with the elevation of Hakeem Jeffries.

“Him coming out as a black man from Brooklyn and being a major foil for Donald Trump — I think that’s important at a time like this,” Payne said.

But Congressman Clyburn cautions that Jeffries must overcome a few of the challenges Harris faced as the first woman and first person of color to function vice chairman.

“It’s a big burden that needs a lot of help to carry,” said the lawmaker who served as House majority whip and deputy Democratic leader.

“Kamala Harris suffered for this reason. I took it upon myself to check many individuals who kept telling me that she wasn’t this and he or she wasn’t that, she didn’t do that and he or she didn’t try this,” he recalled. “I’d ask them what number of women have been vice presidents before? She took office two months before you criticized her conduct.

As the first speaker of the Black House, Clyburn had doubts that Jeffries could be “allowed to get his sea legs… to master this job from day one.”

Seawright, the Democratic strategist, said Jeffries won’t only be speaker of the House but additionally leader of the entire national party, which he believes must “rebound, learn and grow as the next election cycles approach” in 2025 and 2026. The role Jeffries will play will probably be crucial “whether we win a majority or not.”

After the devastating defeat in the 2024 election, Seawright said Jeffries and other Democratic Party leaders need to rethink their message to voters.


Headshot by Gerren Keith Gaynor

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Donald Trump’s pick for deputy chief of staff sparks outrage from CNN guest and others who remember Stephen Miller’s white nationalist views

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President-elect Donald Trump has named longtime adviser and anti-immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff for policy in his recent administration.

Fresh off a tumultuous election cycle, the nation’s eyes now turn to who Trump appoints to his Cabinet and keeps in his inner circles. The announcement of Miller’s nomination comes days after Trump announced that his campaign manager, Susan Wiles, can be his chief of staff.

Deputy Chief of Staff of Donald Trump
Stephen Miller, former senior adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks during a campaign rally for Republican Party presidential candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump on October 18, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. There are 17 days left until the US presidential election, which is able to happen on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 (photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Miller is a longtime member of Trump’s camp, serving as an in depth aide within the president-elect’s first campaign and a senior adviser in his first White House administration.

He helped shape rigid immigration deterrence policies during Trump’s first term, equivalent to separating migrant children from their parents and implementing a highly controversial travel ban on majority-Muslim countries.

Miller continued to give attention to this issue throughout the ultimate weeks of Trump’s second presidential campaign, assuring Americans of this mass deportations will probably be a top priority once the president-elect returns to office.

Miller made headlines in 2019 after he was discovered sending white nationalist literature and propaganda to news editors on the far-right news organization Breitbart. A former Breitbart author leaked over 900 emails to the location Southern Poverty Law Center revealing that several of Miller’s immigration policy proposals were modeled on extremist source material.

After Trump was removed from office in 2020, Miller founded and led the conservative organization America First Legal, which formed the premise of a broad anti-DEI movement, filing quite a few discrimination lawsuits alleging that “anti-white racism” was rampant in corporations and colleges and universities .

America First Legal was behind the litigation that led last summer to the Supreme Court’s landmark 6-3 decision declaring race-based affirmative motion college admissions policies unconstitutional.

In 2021, the group also filed a successful lawsuit looking for to dam a $29 billion program for restaurants run by women and minorities from going into effect. The organization argued that this system discriminated against white-owned businesses.

Many Trump supporters reacted positively as news of Miller’s recent White House post began to spread. There are also opposing reactions. CNN political commentator Tara Setmayer bristled on the news of the nomination.

“Well, that is what people voted for. I suggest that many individuals who voted for Donald Trump return and watch Stephen Miller’s many interviews and media appearances. And you see who he’s. He is a vile man, a racist and a xenophobe, and his family has disowned him,” Setmayer said on CNN’s news program Monday.

Adding: “And that’s now who is near power within the White House, mainly number 2, next to Susie Wiles, within the ear of the president of the United States. Well, I suppose the upside is that no less than he won’t be DHS secretary or attorney general.

Miller’s role as deputy chief of staff for policy means he’ll work with Wiles and take responsibility for implementing Trump’s policy proposals.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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