President Elect Donald Trump has nominated Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions as his pick for Attorney General of the U.S. Sessions is a lightning bolt for anything related to civil rights and justice for people of color. Much of the progress seen in the Eric Holder era and now Loretta Lynch era may likely soon be erased with a much darker side taking its place. The prior history of Sessions speaking out in support of the Klu Klux Klan (“KKK”) in the past years, is troubling for civil rights advancement.
Some of the areas at risk are police consent decrees, federal police lawsuits for excessive force and death of unarmed individuals, immigration legislation deferring deportation of “Dreamers”, reduction of mandatory minimums, Voting Rights legislation, federal lawsuits opposing voter disenfranchisement and the Civil rights Division, itself. Sessions favors increasing the prison population. Former Attorney General Eric Holder favored decreasing the prison population by reducing non-violent drug sentences and reducing mandatory minimums. Sessions opposes reducing sentences, even if non-violent. Sessions is in favor of increased surveillance without the need for a search warrant. Former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover was notoriously known for wiring taping civil rights activists, Martin Luther King and anyone that deemed to speak out in favor of civil rights. And Donald Trump has previously stated he favors stop and frisk laws which were previously held unconstitutional.
Justice is at risk in the Trump era.
On the Bill Press show on December 1, I elaborate on the ways a Trump era Department of Justice may be a major setback for justice and civil rights for people of color.
Listen and Watch Here:
Washington, DC based Debbie Hines is a trial lawyer, legal analyst and former Baltimore prosecutor. She often appears on MSNBC, PBS, CBS, Al Jazeera, BET and Fox 5 DC.
Mike Sullivan says
Dear counselor…keep digging that hole.
From the very first escalator ride down to announce his run, everyone has tried to predict what President Elect Trump would/would not do. From he really will not run, he will not make it through the first primary, Bush will beat him, he cant get the GOP nod for the general, he won’t win women, he’ll get less black/Latino votes than Romney, his remarks about women will do him in, he won’t get any union support, it’ll be a Hillary landslide, he can’t save any Carrier jobs, he can’t get any investments from Japan…..Keep digging! Now you are predicting a virtual return to Jim Crow before he takes office?
Before you start referencing what Jeff Sessions said 30 years ago, look to the KKK he vigorously/successfully prosecuted. Then look at what Keith Ellison (who is in the running to head the DNC) has said about Jews as recent as 6 years ago, not to mention the several newspaper articles he has penned about the Jews, and his alliance with Louis Farrakhan (who the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as a anti-Semite, and a hater of the white race…do you hate Jews and whites also?) The Anti Defamation League has now “pooed” on Ellison. So “apples to apples” is Ellison disqualified from holding public office? Is Ellison going to lead the DNC to support the lack of justice for the Jews and whites?
Boy I could go on and on. I usually enjoy reading your posts for a difference of opinion, but I think you have headed off the deep end here. If you aim is to retake Congressional/Senate seats and eventually the Presidency you need to rethink your primary messages, or keep digging (your option)….See ya in China when the hole is complete. My father always told me that when you act out of anger you will usually lose (I didn’t know it as a young man, but he was introducing me to the Five Stages of Grief and Loss) Hillary Clinton lead a campaign focused on anger towards Trump, how is she doing right now?
I suggest a strong economic message, even if you want to apply it to blacks only. All this other stuff may make you feel better, but may lead to further defeats.
As always, I thank you for your time!