By Michael Hernandez
Democrat Senators proved Wednesday that they do not want police reform legislation. Instead they choose to keep racism as a politically charged 2020 election issue. Some 45 Senate Democrats voted against the Just and Unifying Solutions To Invigorate Communities Everywhere (JUSTICE) Act.
Democrats were against these measures that were in the legislation sponsored by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC):
- No racial profiling;
- Funding for police cameras;
- Banning or reducing chokeholds;
- Reduction of no-knock warrants;
- Making lynching a federal crime.
Also, voted down by the Democrats were the funds required by President Donald J. Trump’s Safe Policing for Safe Communities June 16th Executive Order for:
- Training officers to work with individuals who suffer from impaired Mental Health, Homelessness and Action;
- Legislation and grant programs assisting State and local law enforcement agencies.
“We lost a vote on a piece of legislation that would have led to systemic change between communities of color and the law enforcement community” said Senator Tim Scott who said that the Republicans lost the vote (which required 60 votes to begin the debate on the measure) because Democrats “cannot allow this party (Republicans) to be seen as the party that reaches out to all communities in this nation.” Earlier, Tim Scott had called the legislation “an important first step toward addressing the inequality that many black Americans encounter in law enforcement.”
Democrat opposition was so intense that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that Republicans are “trying to get away with murder, actually. The murder of George Floyd” in passing the JUSTICE Act. Earlier, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) had called the legislation a “token act” with Senator Tim Scott saying his comments had “hurt his soul.”
The Democrats chose to play racial politics instead of seek justice reform. Democrats seek to use labels in attacking Republicans instead of seeking to “heal the nation.” According to Senator Scott, “60 percent of the Republican bill was taken from the Democrats. They just didn’t want a Republican president to sign a major reform bill during an election year.”
The only exception was the vote made by three Democrats: Senators Joe Manchin (WVA), Doug Jones (AL), and Angus King (ME) who joined all 53 Republican Senators wishing to move forward on debating the JUSTICE Act.
Democrats continue to push for defunding police departments (Minneapolis, Minnesota did this June 25th) and also school police departments (Minneapolis, Oakland, Seattle, San Francisco and San Jose). A proposal to eliminate school police in Chicago was defeated 4-3 on June 24th and no decision was made for Los Angeles school police on June 23.
Democrats are not interested in protecting cities or citizens. They rather have chaos, burning, and looting on the streets of the nation. This is insanity!
Michael Hernandez, Co-Founder of the Citizens Journal—Ventura County’s online news service; editor of the History Makers Report and founder of History Makers International—a community nonprofit serving youth and families in Ventura County, is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor. He worked 25 years as a middle school teacher in Monrovia and Los Angeles Unified School Districts. Mr. Hernandez can be contacted by email at [email protected].
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