2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumBlack Lives Shattered: An African American's View of the Clinton Era
Black Lives Shattered: How the Clintons Built Their Legacy on White Supremacy
snip
In 1994, Bill Clinton passed the now-infamous crime bill, which even he has since admitted led to the mass incarceration problem we have today. The bill allocated an additional $30.2 billion for new state prisons, implemented harsher prison sentences, and created the three-strikes law, since adopted in 20 states, that mandates a life sentence after a third violent crime. Before the bill became law, Hillary Clinton was stumping ferociously for its passage:
We will finally be able to say, loudly and clearly, that for repeat, violent, criminal offenders: three strikes and youre out. We are tired of putting you back in through the revolving door, First Lady Clinton had said.
By the end of Clintons first term, the U.S. had added an additional 277,000 prisoners thats more than twice as many prisoners added during Republican hero Ronald Reagans first term (129,000). By January 2001, Clinton oversaw the addition of 673,000 new inmates to state and federal prisons. Reagan had only imprisoned 438,000. Nearly 60 percent of those imprisoned during Clintons first four years were behind bars for nonviolent drug offenses. The crime bill had a reverberating effect throughout black communities as prison spending went up, funding for programs meant to help the disadvantaged declined, according to Ohio State University law professor Michelle Alexander:
Federal funding for public housing fell by $17 billion (a 61 percent reduction) under Bill Clintons tenure; federal funding for corrections rose by $19 billion...
http://usuncut.com/politics/black-lives-shattered-how-the-clintons-built-their-empire-on-white-supremacy/
Metric System
(6,048 posts)dsc
(52,166 posts)the notion that whites and only whites were concerned about drugs and crime in the late 1980's and early 1990's is hogwash.
notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)nt
roguevalley
(40,656 posts)throw things. I hated it then and I hate it now. Barak Obama has that singular honor and always will.
notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.
U.S. Department of Justice
Fact Sheet
the bipartisan product of six years of hard work. It is the largest crime bill
in the history of the country and will provide for 100,000 new police
officers, $9.7 billion in funding for prisons and $6.1 billion in funding for
prevention programs which were designed with significant input from
experienced police officers. The Act also significantly expands the
government's ability to deal with problems caused by criminal aliens.
The Crime Bill provides $2.6 billion in additional funding for the FBI, DEA,
INS, United States Attorneys, and other Justice Department components,
as well as the Federal courts and the Treasury Department. Some of the
most significant provisions of the bill are summarized below:
Substantive Criminal Provisions
Assault Weapons
Bans the manufacture of 19 military-style assault weapons, assault
weapons with specific combat features, "copy-cat" models, and certain
high-capacity ammunition magazines of more than ten rounds.
Death Penalty
Expands the Federal death penalty to cover about 60 offenses, including
terrorist homicides, murder of a Federal law enforcement officer,
large-scale drug trafficking, drive-by-shootings resulting in death and
carjackings resulting in death.
Domestic Abusers and Firearms
Prohibits firearms sales to and possession by persons subject to family
violence restraining orders.
Firearms Licensing
Strengthens Federal licensing standards for firearms dealers.
More at link: https://www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles/billfs.txt
hootinholler
(26,449 posts)notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)hootinholler
(26,449 posts)Oh I hope someone will get to the bottom of it!
Metric System
(6,048 posts)the point that you'd think she was singularly responsible for the Iraq War (nevermind that our current VP and SOS also voted for it).
notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)why he ultimately did.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)It was also in the 1994 bill. And if he had voted against it, you'd be claiming that showed Sanders hated women.
Heck, you guys already ignore the assault weapons ban in the bill...
Uncle Joe
(58,417 posts)Thanks for that.
TYY
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)Thanks for posting!
ecstatic
(32,731 posts)The same hair, yelling, and hand movements (which I mistakenly attributed to age). Incredible!
uponit7771
(90,364 posts)... none for anyone else.
Betty Karlson
(7,231 posts)This bill, combined with their generous donors from the prison industry, spell trouble for too many people.
"But this year, just make the check out to Debbie. She'll be happy to take your tainted money for us."
Baitball Blogger
(46,757 posts)It's like the Clinton's inner circle is a white status quo. And where conservative white Democrats and Republicans meet, is not a healthy place for minorities.
But, those Clintons are charismatic, if nothing else.
notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)To me, she comes across as trying to hard to have swagger like she's some sort of hard ass braggart. She's not as careless as Donald Trump with her words but seems very similar in the attitude she projects.
Baitball Blogger
(46,757 posts)notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)I call it assholishness
A Simple Game
(9,214 posts)a hard ass braggart trying to hide her swagger. But you may be right, who knows?
On edit: But the laugh, she can't hide the evil behind that laugh when she is talking about death and destruction. And she always laughs when talking about death and destruction.
firebrand80
(2,760 posts)Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)firebrand80
(2,760 posts)Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)firebrand80
(2,760 posts)There was a national sentiment that state and local Governments needed to do something about the drug epidemic. Bill Clinton was certainly on board with it, but you can't just lay it all at his feet.
notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)For example some states have legalized marijuana. But Federal law still considers it illegal. The only thing keeping the feds away for the most part is the Presidents justice department has not been too keen on enforcing federal law.
Now, if another President who is against MJ takes office (such as HRC), they could decide to order their justice department to pursue all legal means necessary to put growers and sellers (in states that it is now legal in) in prison.
firebrand80
(2,760 posts)For example, the Feds passing a law making crack penalties harsher than powder cocaine penalties doesn't apply to people tried and convicted in state court
notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)If federal laws were broken, they could indeed prosecute. Your scenario is completely different than the example I gave. And yes, If the next administration decides to be tough on marijuana in states where it is legal, they can indeed go after growers and sellers for violating federal drug laws.
And yes, if States want federal dollars for prisons and law enforcement, they will adopt federal sentencing guidelines or they may be required to forfeit federal funding. It's how the federal government does business. So yeah, technically, you could be right but, most states choose to come into line.
And no, no new federal laws passed would apply to those already convicted and serving sentences. They would not be re-sentenced retroactively.
firebrand80
(2,760 posts)nor have they been asked to
notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)And yes, if States want federal dollars for prisons and law enforcement, they will enact similar federal laws or they may be required to forfeit federal funding. It's how the federal government does business. So yeah, technically, you could be right but, most states choose to come into line.
pinebox
(5,761 posts)Just a reminder XD http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511088990
firebrand80
(2,760 posts)There was plenty of "get tough on drug crime" sentiment going around, some of it coming from black political leaders and black communities that were being held hostage by the drug trade.
This is not to say everything that was done was right, but let's not pretend that this was entirely a creation of the Clinton administration.
4139
(1,893 posts)Stargleamer
(1,990 posts)that also hurt disproportionally people of color
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)There's no bio, and she doesn't google well..
And a cursory glance at her column seriously makes me wonder if she actually lived through the Clinton era...
Tanuki
(14,920 posts)"Hillary Clinton will receive the support of 50 black mayors on Tuesday, adding to her lead among minority voters.
Endorsements will come from Steve Benjamin, the president of the African American Mayors Association and the mayor of Columbia, S.C.; Kasim Reed of Atlanta, Ga.; and Michael Nutter of Philadelphia, among others.
"Hillary Clinton is the most experienced and most respected presidential candidate bar none," former Mayor James Perkins of Selma, Ala., said in a campaign statement prior to the endorsement. "In 2016, America has the chance to elect a candidate in Hillary Clinton who has been putting people over special interests throughout her entire career and I'm proud to throw my support behind her."
Many of the endorsements come from mayors in crucial primary voting states, such as South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio and Colorado. Numerous other endorsement come from southern states, such as Alabama and Georgia, where African-Americans make up a considerable portion of the population."
DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)That was Hillary Clinton's conclusion on how to deal with rising crime rates. I guess comparing young black men to dogs was good politics.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Congress writes bills, not the president.
Most of the opposition to the bill came from Republicans.
BeanMusical
(4,389 posts)AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)uponit7771
(90,364 posts)... savior (except for reparations) that didn't know you till I needed your votes" message PoC are getting from the usual.
Clinton polls better with poor people and PoC for a reason