by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
The body of George Floyd, the black man who was murdered by Minneapolis police on May 25th, will finally be laid to rest tomorrow in Mr. Floyd's home town of Houston, Texas. During the time since Mr. Floyd's death there have been several large memorial services in places that he had once called home, and countless public protests over his tragic death - protests that extended literally around the globe.
Millions of people have taken to the streets to express their pain and anger over what they perceive to be a strong racial bias in our nation's system of policing. The list of victims of police violence - often racial and ethnic minorities - increases daily, yet not many officers seem to ever be called to account for their lethal practices.
But now with the death of Mr. Floyd, a national resolve seems to finally be taking shape to address the issue.
First in Minneapolis, where George Floyd died while a policeman kept a knee to his throat during a take-down arrest, nine members of the city's thirteen-member city council have announced that they intend to literally eliminate the city's police department through a series of new policies and budget cuts. Plans are still unclear as to what type of organization will take over responsibilities for public safety, but the group of city council members appear firm in their resolve that it won't be the same old police force that has long inflamed racial tensions in the Minneapolis area.
And Congress is also taking advantage of the current public anger over police practices - and creating its own plan for reform. Speaker Pelosi has given the green light to the Congressional Black Caucus to prepare a legislative package to address the issue. Black Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker have also been working with the House group. A package of proposals have been agreed upon and may be presented to the entire House as early as next week. According to unnamed congressional aides, the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 will include:
Citizen Journalist
The body of George Floyd, the black man who was murdered by Minneapolis police on May 25th, will finally be laid to rest tomorrow in Mr. Floyd's home town of Houston, Texas. During the time since Mr. Floyd's death there have been several large memorial services in places that he had once called home, and countless public protests over his tragic death - protests that extended literally around the globe.
Millions of people have taken to the streets to express their pain and anger over what they perceive to be a strong racial bias in our nation's system of policing. The list of victims of police violence - often racial and ethnic minorities - increases daily, yet not many officers seem to ever be called to account for their lethal practices.
But now with the death of Mr. Floyd, a national resolve seems to finally be taking shape to address the issue.
First in Minneapolis, where George Floyd died while a policeman kept a knee to his throat during a take-down arrest, nine members of the city's thirteen-member city council have announced that they intend to literally eliminate the city's police department through a series of new policies and budget cuts. Plans are still unclear as to what type of organization will take over responsibilities for public safety, but the group of city council members appear firm in their resolve that it won't be the same old police force that has long inflamed racial tensions in the Minneapolis area.
And Congress is also taking advantage of the current public anger over police practices - and creating its own plan for reform. Speaker Pelosi has given the green light to the Congressional Black Caucus to prepare a legislative package to address the issue. Black Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker have also been working with the House group. A package of proposals have been agreed upon and may be presented to the entire House as early as next week. According to unnamed congressional aides, the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 will include:
- creation of a National Police Misconduct Registry to track police misconduct and stop police officers from jumping from one jurisdiction to another to avoid accountability;
- mandating training on racial bias and the duty to intervene;
- placing limitations on the transfer of military-grade weapons to state and local law enforcement agencies;
- requiring the use of body cameras;
- requiring attorneys general and the Justice Department to play a larger role in the oversight of police agencies;
- banning the use of no-knock warrants in drug cases;
- requiring the reporting of use of force incidents;
- banning the use of choke-holds; and,
- tying federal funding to completion of training to combat racial bias and profiling.
Additionally, Speaker Pelosi is saying that the final bill will also contain an anti-lynching provision.
Anything passed by the House would still have to pass muster with the Republican Senate and be signed into law by a Republican president with a long history of racist statements and stances. So, while the process may not be completed this year, it has been started, and elections are pending - and the American electorate is showing clear signs of unrest with the status quo.
Change is in the wind, and that is a good thing - not just for Black America, but for all of us!
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