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08-10-2015, 04:06 AM
WASHINGTON -- A day after being interrupted (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=entry/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter_55c68f14e4b0923c12bd197e) by Black Lives Matters protesters at a campaign event in Seattle, Washington, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released a detailed platform (https://berniesanders.com/issues/racial-justice/) on combating racial inequality.
Sanders' campaign posted the platform on his website on Sunday, and he addressed the issue of racial justice that evening in front of 20,000 supporters in Portland, drawing his largest crowd yet along the campaign trail. Nearly 12,000 people attended Saturday’s event in Seattle.
Portland cheers @BernieSanders (https://twitter.com/BernieSanders) "message to the billionaire class: Yes, we have the courage to take you on." pic.twitter.com/bXNEDeSAIm (http://t.co/bXNEDeSAIm)
— John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) August 10, 2015 (https://twitter.com/NicholsUprising/status/630575036835962880)
The platform delineates policy proposals pertaining to what Sanders calls (https://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/630413267542933504) “the four central types of violence waged against black and brown Americans: physical, political, legal and economic.”
Sanders proposes a series of police reforms, including the demilitarization of police forces, a federal program giving police body cameras, and increasing police transparency and accountability. He also calls for an end to mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenses and bemoans the disproportionate rate at which blacks are targeted by police.
“It is an obscenity that we stigmatize so many young Americans with a criminal record for smoking marijuana, but not one major Wall Street executive has been prosecuted for causing the near collapse of our entire economy. This must change,” he said. “We must address the lingering unjust stereotypes that lead to the labeling of black youths as ‘thugs.’ We know the truth that, like every community in this country, the vast majority of people of color are trying to work hard, play by the rules and raise their children. It’s time to stop demonizing minority communities.”
To combat what he calls political violence, Sanders stresses the expansion of the Voting Rights Act and restoring the Act’s “preclearance” provision, which was gutted by the Supreme Court last year. He also proposes ending laws that ban convicted felons from voting.
Sanders has come under fire for not prioritizing criminal justice reform as a campaign issue and addressing the concerns of the Black Lives Matter movement. Saturday was the second time protesters drowned him out -- last month (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=entry/martin-omalley-bernie-sanders-heckled_55aab696e4b065dfe89e8a90?kvcommref=mostpop ular), Black Lives Matter members interrupted both Sanders and fellow Democratic presidential contender Martin O’Malley at the Netroots Nation progressive conference.
Since the incident at Netroots Nation, both Sanders and O’Malley have become more outspoken about the need for criminal justice reform. Last week, O’Malley’s campaign released a comprehensive plan (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=entry/martin-omalley-criminal-justice_55bba105e4b0d4f33a02913e) regarding the issue.
Sanders has pledged to dedicate more outreach to the black community and merge his platform of fighting economic inequality with issues of racial inequality. He was quick to condemn the death of Sandra Bland (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=entry/bernie-sanders-criminal-justice_55b04b36e4b0a9b94853b3a4), a black woman found hanged in a Texas jail in July, and called for “a real hard look at the way police departments function in America.”
On Sunday, he also acknowledged the anniversary of Michael Brown (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=entry/ferguson-michael-brown-anniversary_55bacd18e4b06363d5a1a21d), an unarmed black man who was fatally shot by police last year in Ferguson, Missouri.
#BernieSanders (https://twitter.com/hashtag/BernieSanders?src=hash) campaign giving a tribute to Michael Brown on the one-year anniversary of his death.
— Oregonian Politics (@OregonianPol) August 10, 2015 (https://twitter.com/OregonianPol/status/630565259116281856)
Sanders’ campaign recently hired (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=entry/bernie-sanders-press-secretary_55c77941e4b0f1cbf1e54fec?ncid=fcbklnkush pmg00000013§ion=politics) Symone Sanders, a black criminal justice advocate, to serve as his national press secretary. Sanders, who is of no relation to the presidential candidate, introduced him at the Seattle event on Saturday.
The Vermont senator, running as a progressive alternative to frontrunner Hillary Clinton, continues to draw the largest crowds of any presidential candidate this year.
Bernie Sanders announces there are 20,000 people attending the rally in Portland tonight pic.twitter.com/fh5NFpMa8M (http://t.co/fh5NFpMa8M)
— Brandon Wall (@Walldo) August 10, 2015 (https://twitter.com/Walldo/status/630566964583227392)
So far #Portland (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Portland?src=hash) has the LARGEST crowd for the @BernieSanders (https://twitter.com/BernieSanders) campaign. 20,000 packed into Moda! pic.twitter.com/UznEQYkb4u (http://t.co/UznEQYkb4u)
— Rhoda Krause (@RhodaKrause) August 10, 2015 (https://twitter.com/RhodaKrause/status/630567885098713088)
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Sanders' campaign posted the platform on his website on Sunday, and he addressed the issue of racial justice that evening in front of 20,000 supporters in Portland, drawing his largest crowd yet along the campaign trail. Nearly 12,000 people attended Saturday’s event in Seattle.
Portland cheers @BernieSanders (https://twitter.com/BernieSanders) "message to the billionaire class: Yes, we have the courage to take you on." pic.twitter.com/bXNEDeSAIm (http://t.co/bXNEDeSAIm)
— John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) August 10, 2015 (https://twitter.com/NicholsUprising/status/630575036835962880)
The platform delineates policy proposals pertaining to what Sanders calls (https://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/630413267542933504) “the four central types of violence waged against black and brown Americans: physical, political, legal and economic.”
Sanders proposes a series of police reforms, including the demilitarization of police forces, a federal program giving police body cameras, and increasing police transparency and accountability. He also calls for an end to mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenses and bemoans the disproportionate rate at which blacks are targeted by police.
“It is an obscenity that we stigmatize so many young Americans with a criminal record for smoking marijuana, but not one major Wall Street executive has been prosecuted for causing the near collapse of our entire economy. This must change,” he said. “We must address the lingering unjust stereotypes that lead to the labeling of black youths as ‘thugs.’ We know the truth that, like every community in this country, the vast majority of people of color are trying to work hard, play by the rules and raise their children. It’s time to stop demonizing minority communities.”
To combat what he calls political violence, Sanders stresses the expansion of the Voting Rights Act and restoring the Act’s “preclearance” provision, which was gutted by the Supreme Court last year. He also proposes ending laws that ban convicted felons from voting.
Sanders has come under fire for not prioritizing criminal justice reform as a campaign issue and addressing the concerns of the Black Lives Matter movement. Saturday was the second time protesters drowned him out -- last month (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=entry/martin-omalley-bernie-sanders-heckled_55aab696e4b065dfe89e8a90?kvcommref=mostpop ular), Black Lives Matter members interrupted both Sanders and fellow Democratic presidential contender Martin O’Malley at the Netroots Nation progressive conference.
Since the incident at Netroots Nation, both Sanders and O’Malley have become more outspoken about the need for criminal justice reform. Last week, O’Malley’s campaign released a comprehensive plan (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=entry/martin-omalley-criminal-justice_55bba105e4b0d4f33a02913e) regarding the issue.
Sanders has pledged to dedicate more outreach to the black community and merge his platform of fighting economic inequality with issues of racial inequality. He was quick to condemn the death of Sandra Bland (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=entry/bernie-sanders-criminal-justice_55b04b36e4b0a9b94853b3a4), a black woman found hanged in a Texas jail in July, and called for “a real hard look at the way police departments function in America.”
On Sunday, he also acknowledged the anniversary of Michael Brown (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=entry/ferguson-michael-brown-anniversary_55bacd18e4b06363d5a1a21d), an unarmed black man who was fatally shot by police last year in Ferguson, Missouri.
#BernieSanders (https://twitter.com/hashtag/BernieSanders?src=hash) campaign giving a tribute to Michael Brown on the one-year anniversary of his death.
— Oregonian Politics (@OregonianPol) August 10, 2015 (https://twitter.com/OregonianPol/status/630565259116281856)
Sanders’ campaign recently hired (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=entry/bernie-sanders-press-secretary_55c77941e4b0f1cbf1e54fec?ncid=fcbklnkush pmg00000013§ion=politics) Symone Sanders, a black criminal justice advocate, to serve as his national press secretary. Sanders, who is of no relation to the presidential candidate, introduced him at the Seattle event on Saturday.
The Vermont senator, running as a progressive alternative to frontrunner Hillary Clinton, continues to draw the largest crowds of any presidential candidate this year.
Bernie Sanders announces there are 20,000 people attending the rally in Portland tonight pic.twitter.com/fh5NFpMa8M (http://t.co/fh5NFpMa8M)
— Brandon Wall (@Walldo) August 10, 2015 (https://twitter.com/Walldo/status/630566964583227392)
So far #Portland (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Portland?src=hash) has the LARGEST crowd for the @BernieSanders (https://twitter.com/BernieSanders) campaign. 20,000 packed into Moda! pic.twitter.com/UznEQYkb4u (http://t.co/UznEQYkb4u)
— Rhoda Krause (@RhodaKrause) August 10, 2015 (https://twitter.com/RhodaKrause/status/630567885098713088)
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=terms.html/) It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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