Before a few months ago, the Federal Death Penalty had not been used in YEARS....Since Barr and Trump reinstated the Federal Death Penalty, four people have been executed and the fifth is coming soon
Those are two easy examples because in neither case would a president require congressional action on those issues....But let's go farther...yesterday, this is what @Oslerguy had to say washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/…
And here is what Biden says on clemency in the joint Biden/Sanders Unity recommendations
And let's not forget that there are lots of reasons to believe, especially given that Biden has tied his political future to the black and brown community, that he will listen to political calls for change
It is pretty hard to believe someone is committed to criminal justice reform when they are making a campaign pledge to END BAIL for people who don't have MONEY.
That is beyond Kafkaesque, that is grotesque
Look, I worked with the WH along with a large coalition to pass the First Step Act...I wish he had stayed the course.
Last night he had Giuliani rip criminal justice reform, followed by Tom Cotton who was literally the biggest opponent of the First Step Act
His speech was full of more "American Carnage" and it seems pretty clear fear of crime is at the core of his 2020 campaign.
Not a good sign at all.
Okay, I will answer the Biden can't be trusted argument all at once here now:
1. Biden will NOT endorse or use the Federal Death Penalty...I bet you $$$'s on this right now....Trump has used it 4 times in a few months
2. Biden will NOT enforce NO CASHLESS BAIL w. Trump promised
So that is two easy comparisons but let's go farther
3. Biden has tied his entire political future to the black and brown communities, while he will never be a radical, he will be moveable on these issues for obvious political reasons (II even attached polling)
4. The whole argument that Biden is just being an opportunist proves he would stay the course...it is in his political interest (that is literally your argument).
5. Biden was no different than Trump (or anyone else) in the tough on crime 90's (see #ExoneratedFive)
In fact, read the Pulitzer-Prize winning book "Locking Up Our Own" by @jformanjr if you want a more nuanced look at the politics of enforcement in the 90's
6. Trump has based his entire campaign around tough on crime....regardless of what you think of Biden, that is a problem
The only argument that really matters is that Biden's political capital is entirely tied to the black and brown communities, he can push back against radical reform, but he cannot be hostile to reform in general
Be real, Trump has based his entire election on saving the suburbs
Last but not least, if nothing else, you KNOW Biden is not going to use the Federal Death Penalty....that is a pretty stark difference...even Texas has only executed two people in 2020, in just a few months the Trump administration has executed 4 people with a 5th on brink.
At the end of the day, you can't have it both ways...You can't both say Biden is a Trojan Horse who will "let all the prisoners out" and Biden will not do anything on criminal justice reform...Both literally cannot be true.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Let me explain our opposition to the use of "felon" language in six parts
1. People are more than their worst moments, and when you make someone who committed a felony into a felon... it is dehumanizing and suggests that we are FOREVER second-class citizens.
2. Your best chance at public safety is someone returning from incarceration invested in the body politic, with pro-social dreams of contributing to their community..foreclosing this is a terrible reintegration strategy
3. We believe our rights are non-negotiable. We served our sentences and paid our debt...our rights are not conditional and subject to whim... You don't have to agree... but we will oppose this every time we hear it
This afternoon I had the privilege of watching a close formerly incarcerated friend present his case to be pardoned
He stayed so calm and respectful, and gave thoughtful answers to every question the AG's office and Parole board asked while answering without sugar coating
I cannot tell you how much this wonderful man has changed since his days of addiction and crime....He helped found several organizations in Michigan, he helped pass legislation that made it possible for the MDOC to hire formerly incarcerated people.....
He got a degree as a social worker and became a respected addiction counselor and then he became the first person the MDOC hired under that new law he helped pass, he pioneered getting city ordinances changed to help formerly incarcerated people get housing in Michigan
Let's talk about the crisis in America's jails...a largely silent crisis b/c jails exist at the county level and people only see information about the county they live in.
Why a crisis?
People die every single day across our 2,850 US county jails
Still trying to understand this one....46 other states have the exact same level of discovery...their prosecutors don't quit b/c it is too hard to provide evidence to the defense?
Prosecutors get paid more than public defenders, they have an investigative arm paid for by tax payers (the police), they have plea bargaining and charge stacking...but copying discovery documents is a bridge too far?
Heck, they even had discovery in Alabama in My Cousin Vinny for God's sake....remember this guy and the hunting trip?
I wonder if the people tweeting out that "liberalism is a mental disease" realize that their overlords come up with things like that b/c they want to dehumanize the opposition
Why?
Because once you dehumanize someone it is easier to oppress and/or be actually violent to them
There are people, and a lot of "thought leaders" on the right, who are actually trying to prepare the ground for violence and state suppression of difference...that is what they are trying to do...they want you to hate the neighbors who see the world differently than you do
That is also why you see a lot more open militarism on the alt right...for many of us, what they are actually suggesting is ultimately being violent against family members, lifelong friends, and neighbors...why?
Because they want you to believe that they are not actually human
My first college roommate was a cowboy who loved George Strait and starched his jeans every day...I was a punk rock guy listening to Bad Brains and wearing ripped jeans and combat boots...we agreed about NOTHING..not about food, music, politics, anything..but we still b/c friends
When I was in prison, many years later, one of my bunkies had some serious racism and violence issues...he was nothing like me at all...he was inclined to want to kill me at first...over time I convinced him he was wrong (not kidding) and we b/c good friends
My whole family aside from me (and my Brother) are Republicans...despite all of our differences and everything I have put them through (and visa versa) I love them...they are my family...we get along great