NAACP Applauds Dept. of Justice Decision to Investigate the Ferguson Police Force

TBR Michelle J. Nealy Communications Associate, NAACP
BALTIMORE, MD – United States Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice will launch a broad civil rights investigation of the Ferguson, Missouri Police Department. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will conduct the investigation and follow a similar process which it uses to investigate police departments across the country. In light of this development, the NAACP has released the following statements.

From Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO:
“We at the NAACP applaud Attorney General Eric Holder for taking this important and necessary step of launching a new investigation into the Ferguson police department. The life of an unarmed 18-year-old teenager was cut short by an armed police officer whose job was to serve and protect. The NAACP Missouri State Conference filed five federal lawsuits over the last 5 years against St. Louis County police officers, claiming excessive force. Local NAACP leaders have been working closely with federal authorities and are heartened by this decision.”

From Mary Ratliff, NAACP Missouri State Conference President:                   
“The Missouri State Conference strongly supports the decision by the U.S. Department of Justice to launch a civil rights investigation of the Ferguson Police Department. A comprehensive review of policing practices across the greater St. Louis metropolitan area is sorely needed.”

From Adolphus Pruitt, President of the NAACP St. Louis City Branch/Vice President NAACP MO State Conference:
“I commend the Department of Justice for launching this investigation. We hope that it brings some resolution to the number of complaints the NAACP Missouri State Conference have in front of the Justice Department about various police departments in St. Louis County.”

###

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our five “Game Changer” issue areas here.

< View All Press Releases

Get Involved

• Donate Now
• Become a Member
• Find Your Local Unit

Stay Connected

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Flickr
• Youtube

 

Michelle J. Nealy

Communications Associate

NAACP

Office: (202) 292-3384

Cell:  (443) 562-4233

Twitter: @naacppress

www.naacp.org

 

The question is ... how badly do we want to avoid more war?

 

TBR-Jon Soltz Iraq War Veteran & Chairman/VoteVets.org 
Over the course of the past two weeks, Donald Trump has launched dozens of missiles into Syria and dropped something nicknamed the "Mother of All Bombs" on Afghanistan.

And in both instances, without much critical thought or discussion about the ramifications of those actions, the media cheered vociferously.

Brian Williams said he was "guided by the beauty of our weapons" as MSNBC showed video of Tomahawk missiles being launched from warships in the Mediterranean Sea. CNN host Fareed Zakaria said, "I think Donald Trump became President of the United States last night." And Fox News LITERALLY played a Toby Keith track over video of the M.O.A.B. detonating in Afghanistan while a host declared "that's what freedom looks like."

Here's the truth: Donald Trump thrives off that kind of praise on cable television. He will likely make decisions about war and peace based on the reaction of pundits to foreign policy. And if cable news keeps it up, their voices will help march us to more war. That's why it's important we all speak out.

Sign our petition calling on cable news executives to take a more sober and measured tone in their reactions when Donald Trump decides to launch military strikes in the future.

It wasn't all that long ago that media cheerleading helped stifle much-needed debate in the run-up to the Iraq War. We can't let that happen again. Not with a president as reckless as Donald Trump. That's why adding your name to our petition is so important.

All my best,

Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran and Chairman
VoteVets

 

######

 

TBR-Jon Soltz Iraq War Veteran & Chairman/VoteVets.org 

As President Obama addressed the graduating class of 2014 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he said "We must broaden our tools to include diplomacy and development." 

His words are something to consider as diplomats gather in Vienna, Austria to hammer out a long-term agreement to ensure Iran never has the ability to develop a nuclear weapon. 

They have until July 20th to work out a deal, or extend the process, but several Senators are already furiously working to derail the effort. 

They need to hear from us today: 

Join tens of thousands of veterans and military family members and sign our petition calling on the U.S. Senate to allow the diplomatic process to work with Iran. 

Sadly, it's many of the same discredited neoconservative voices pushing for harsher sanctions that will trigger a new arms race in the region. 

Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell, said "To a soldier, the phrase 'seeking a diplomatic solution' is sweet music." 

And if the diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran fall apart, we'll have the opportunity to talk about which sanctions to reinstate or intensity. 

But for now, we should all hope that those efforts succeed. 

Tell Congress: Give Diplomacy with Iran a Chance. 

http://action.votevets.org/iran-diplomacy 

The question is ... how badly do we want to avoid more war? 

Thanks for standing with VoteVets on this issue. 

Jon Soltz 

Iraq War Veteran & Chairman 

VoteVets.org 
  

Nearly 600,000 Americans Ask Senators to Support “21st Century Glass-Steagall Act”

TBR-Washington D.C., Public Citizen/Americans for Financial Reform


Senator Elizabeth Warren receives 21st century Glass-Steagall Act petition

At the Capitol this afternoon [July 9], Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) received petitions in which nearly 600,000 Americans call for action on the 21^st Century Glass-Steagall Act. This bipartisan bill, introduced by Senator Warren along with Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Angus King (I-Maine), would address the problem of Wall Street banks that have become too complicated, too conflicted and too powerful, as well as simply too big.
The petitions, gathered by Credo, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Public Citizen, Americans for Financial Reform, Dr. Mitchell Gershten (a private citizen), and MoveOn.org, were also delivered to the offices of all the other Senators, asking them to support the bill. The 21^st Century Glass-Steagall Act would reinstate the principle that used to separate commercial banks, which enjoy the benefits of deposit insurance and other forms of public support, from the high-risk world of investment banks and hedge funds.
“The original Glass-Steagall Act served our country well,” said Lisa Donner, Executive Director of Americans for Financial Reform. “It laid the foundation for an unprecedented half century without financial panics or crises. Just as important, it contributed to a more right-sized banking system and one more focused on serving the economy and the society as a whole, rather than on enriching itself at others’ expense.”
“When banks are allowed to continue gambling with our taxpayer-insured deposits, we are setting up our economy for another meltdown,” said Lisa Gilbert, director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division. “Real banking protections should not be a thing of the past.  Going back to a clear Glass-Steagall separation of commercial and investment banking is the easiest way to make sure greedy banksters don’t put our fragile, still recovering economy back on the rocks.”
“Not a single Wall Street banker has gone to jail for crimes that caused the financial crisis, the least Congress can do is make sure these bankers aren’t gambling with our money,” said Becky Bond, CREDO’s political director. “It’s long past time to reinstitute Glass-Steagall.”
“Across the nation, people of all ideological stripes want more Wall Street reform and accountability — not less,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “We were proud to start working with Elizabeth Warren while she was still a candidate on writing a 21st Century Glass Steagall Act. This bill is a huge down payment on the reform we need.”
“Reining in Wall Street’s recklessness and the threat it poses to the whole economy is a galvanizing cause for MoveOn members,” said Ilya Sheyman, executive director of MoveOn Political Action. “It’s an issue that has also fueled Sen. Warren’s meteoric rise as a champion of hard-working people under siege by powerful financial interests. We thank her for accepting the petitions of MoveOn members and allies, and for joining with Senators McCain, Cantwell, and King in sponsoring this bill. If lawmakers truly oppose Wall Street bailouts and ‘too big to fail’ banks, they need to walk the talk and join us to support this common sense legislation.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jim Lardner, Americans for Financial Reform, 202-466-1854 / jim@ourfinancialsecurity.org
Karilyn Gower, Public Citizen, 202-588-7779 / kgower@publicitizen.org
Tags: Glass-Steagall, press statement, TBTF

The Federalist papers and the election of 2000

TBR Leighton Bradford Editor-in-Chief
The Federalist Papers structured the discourse of a new republic. The idle rhetoric of political life haunts the corridors of true debate. Were these words reduced to parchment a precursor to the U.S. Constitution? An ideal form of government responds to the needs of the individual. The most recent Presidential election places implicit doubt, as to the parameters of appropriate checks and balances. Within Federalist paper No. 51, its continued theme, seems to focus on the powers afforded to "Supreme Executives".

The presidential election (2000) weakened the state, by allowing a branch of government, to exercise a mandate in strict violation of separating principles. Further; "In order to lay a due foundation for that separate and distinct exercise of the different powers of government". Expressed eloquently and clear as to the fundamental safeguard working towards a non-abuse of power. Each department should not only perform its obvious task, however, limit the powers of the other branches. Balance does not come with vague procedure and apathetic rhetoric.

Would the framers of the Federalist Papers identify with our current government? I was intrigued with the depth of understanding, as it related to the lower echelons of control. The discussion even dealt with the division of departments beneath the initial organizational hub. Describing plans of actions, involving scenarios within these entities. A sort of sub-routine of departmental precautions. The evolution of our government has been one of partisan agenda and set precedents. The Federalist paper No. 51 gives insight into this supposed evolution.

Vice-President Al Gore's honorable acquiescing may have prevented factional turmoil. James Madison predicted the counter productive nature of men.  The Federalist Papers were a highly refined draft. Vice-President Gore refused to litigate the nefarious precepts of the 2000 election. This act may have been just as crucial as President Lincoln's emancipation proclamation. 

 Perhaps it is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged against provisions against danger, real or pretended from abroad. – Letter to Thomas Jefferson (1798-05-13), James Madison.  

If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. – Federalist Paper No. 51 (1788-02-06), James Madison, photo courtesy federalist papers project.

The Ultimate Goal of Humanity

 

TBR Leighton Bradford Editor-in-Chief

Most agree civilization must embrace a collective initiative responding to socio-economic deprivation. Social deprivation or a system supporting poverty should not be embraced. Prosperity and parity should be the ultimate goal of humanity. Commerce and mercantilism must coincide with a healthy ecology. Human existence depends upon the maintenance of a healthy eco-system. We are, but an intricate part of the environment. The aforementioned statement will vindicate the oppressed and abused. A suggested expression to the powers that be, for many matters not. The anticipated counter is an identified Utopia! There is no such place on earth. “Am I my brothers’ keeper?” Ultimately YES!

            Free Enterprise becomes a guarded treasure when administered properly. I understand the burdens of men. There must be parity along all lines of human endeavor. An unrealistic assessment of economic globalization; embarks on economic nationalism and ethnocentrism. Excuse me for one moment scholars? War has been declared on the working man. Unless our nation's leaders adjust the financial bias within society, all else is trumped, and social degradation is accepted. Are we witnessing Pax Americana? The United States of America’s bottom line, must be the lack of jobs and opportunity? Bureaucracies of government should streamline collaborative functions.

Business owner’s world-wide; should create a trade and barter initiative! It must reflect the rights of labor. The resulting covenant would shore up a workers wage, and apply pressure, towards the Sino attack on the common man. The right to work laws should be rescinded. These laws undermine collective bargaining and the ability for the average worker to negotiate a livable wage. Labor must be realistic when negotiating contractual obligations. Labor should never price itself out of the market. The TPP trade iniative will do no more to open markets within the US, than the NAFTA measure.    

Power concedes nothing without demand. The leadership within grass roots organizations must perform an intricate part of balance and fairness.  America continues to accept the worlds humbled masses, but at what cost to the U.S. citizens already here? Outsourcing or flooding markets with cheap goods and service is an attack on our nation’s security. A bifurcated approach towards at-will employment and collective bargaining will assist all involved. Technology, efficient means of production, veteran skill set, and the multitude of displaced workers re-entry into the workforce, will promote economic growth. Purposeful lending to small business owners will stimulate the market. The WTO, the Federal Reserve, and IMF at times, supplant financial stability. Building wealth should not be for a contrived, well trained, manipulator of markets. There should be stiffer penalties associated with financial industry wrongdoing. The FTC has to fight to end the saturation of the aforementioned malice. Then ask the people to accept austerity measures. Power, wealth and opportunity, must not be concentrated within the hands of a few individuals. This effort will stave off the American bastille.



 

I'm a blind student, and I need your help

TBR-Jamie Principado, Special to TBR

As a blind high schooler, I couldn't just apply to my top colleges -- I had to make sure that classes were going to be made accessible for me, and I was excited to attend Florida State University because they had a great program for training teachers of the blind. 

But when I started classes at FSU, I quickly found out that the school didn't have the accessible tools I needed to learn and complete all my work. My online classes weren't compatible with my screen reader and I couldn't access materials in any of my math or biology classes. I struggled for three years, and eventually decided to change schools.

I sued FSU for failing to meet state and federal disability laws, but I don't want other blind students like me to experience what I had to go through. I started a petition on Change.org asking Congress to pass the TEACH Act to make sure that all students with disabilities have equal access to learning. Click here to sign my petition.

When I approached the administration at FSU about the inaccessible materials, they suggested I try an “easier” major instead of trying to help me and other students with disabilities. I felt like the school was punishing me instead of trying to help me learn. 

That's why I believe in the TEACH Act. While federal laws require colleges to only deploy accessible materials, they were written before technology became part of the classroom, so schools like FSU have no direction for how the laws apply to students like me. The TEACH Act creates much-needed guidelines illustrating how schools can provide instructional technology that is usable for students with disabilities.

I believe that public support of the TEACH Act through my petition will show members of Congress that constituents around the country believe there is an urgent need for this. But they won't do it without you. 

Sign my petition demanding that Congress pass the TEACH Act, creating guidelines for schools to protect equal access in the classroom for blind students.

Thank you for your support. 

Jamie Principado

Degrading black professors‏

TBR-special to TBR, Ron Hasson
Dr. Christian Head was a respected surgeon at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). But because he is black, Dr. Head was the target of blatant discrimination -- including a public presentation that featured an image depicting Dr. Head as a gorilla being sodomized by his white supervisor.

Dr. Head fought back. After more than 100,000 people signed a petition supporting him on Change.org, his lawyers were able to secure a landmark settlement from UCLA. But Dr. Head was far from the only faculty member to experience racism at UCLA.

In fact, a shocking new study reveals that the problem is extremely widespread. As a national board member of the NAACP who lives in Los Angeles, I am abhorred that a prestigious public university like UCLA would turn a blind eye to the systematic degradation of its non-white faculty members.

That's why I started a petition on Change.org calling on California's attorney general, Kamala Harris, to launch an investigation into racism at UCLA to determine if civil rights laws have been violated and to recommend solutions. Click here to sign my petition.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the recent campus-wide study of racism at UCLA -- led by former California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno -- said that UCLA regularly ignored complaints about discrimination and retaliation. One Latino professor reported being called a racial slur by a colleague in front of his students. He says he was told that reporting what happened to him would only "cause more trouble."

Since UCLA refuses to take action to address systemic racism on campus, it's time for Attorney General Harris to step in.

As a strong woman of color in California leadership, Attorney General Harris is uniquely positioned to take swift and decisive action to address UCLA's pernicious culture of discrimination. I know that if thousands of people sign my petition, Attorney General Harris will respond, just as a petition created key pressure to enable Dr. Head to win his settlement from UCLA.

Click here to sign my petition calling on Attorney General Harris to launch an investigation into systemic racism at UCLA.


Thank you,

Ron Hasson

Los Angeles, CA

Veterans jobs moving overseas‏

 





TBR-John Soltz, Iraq War Veteran, Chairman VoteVets.org
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that you've been reading about is a bad deal for veterans and military family members.

The United States Congress should vote it down.

The deal, negotiated in secret between the United States and eleven countries, expands upon the NAFTA model that has sent many good paying manufacturing jobs previously held by veterans overseas.

Our veterans should not have to participate in a race to the bottom for wages against countries that have non-existent minimum wage and worker safety laws. This trade agreement would exacerbate that problem and make it harder for veterans transitioning to the private sector to find jobs.

What's more, according to the nonpartisan organization, Public Citizen, the legislation threatens prescription drug prices for active duty personnel on TRICARE and veterans who use the VA.

Sign our petition to Congress: The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a bad deal for America's veterans, and they should vote it down.

We expect Congress could act on this legislation as soon as this week, so making your voice heard today is important.

Thank you for adding your name.

The stakes are high.

Jon Soltz
*******************

TBR-John Soltz, Iraq War Veteran, Chairman VoteVets.org
President Obama and the Congress have made tremendous progress reducing the unemployment rate for veterans since the start of the Great Recession.

It'd be a shame to reverse course now.

But that's just what Trans Pacific Partnership would do -- known as "NAFTA on Steroids" -- the trade agreement would hasten the departure of even more manufacturing and service sector jobs that the U.S. economy has already been hemorrhaging for decades.

If you or your family have been impacted by jobs being shipped overseas, we'd love to hear from you. Please let us know here:

http://action.votevets.org/manufacturing-jobs

There has always been a great relationship between veterans who return home and the manufacturing jobs that support their families when they leave the service.

Help us stand with them today.

All the best,

Jon Soltz @JonSoltz, Iraq War Veteran and Chairman VoteVets.org

Historic $17.5 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment to Build Intellectual Capacity at Tribal Colleges

TBR-Press Release courtesy Jamie Aguilar
The American Indian College Fund announced a historic grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. in February of 2007. The five-year, $17.5 million grant initiative, named Woksape Oyate, Lakota for "Wisdom of the People," aims to build the intellectual capital of tribal colleges. The initiative will allow tribal colleges to tailor their programs to address their individual needs, while strengthening the entire tribal college system.

Through a multifaceted approach, Woksape Oyate will dramatically enhance recruitment, retention, and development of tribal college faculty, staff, and students. Leadership development programs, increased fellowship, and sabbatical opportunities for staff and pipeline programs to bring the best and brightest students back to teach at their tribal college will be developed during this initiative. Institutional capacity will also be enhanced by creation of development offices and recruitment of highly qualified faculty.

Lilly Endowment is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family: J.K. Lilly-Sr. and sons J.K. Jr. and Eli, through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. The Endowment is a separate entity from the company and is devoted to education, religion and community development.


Select a school below to learn more ...

Aaniiih Nakota College

Bay Mills Community College

Blackfeet Community College

Cankdeska Cikana Community College

Chief Dull Knife College

College of Menominee Nation

Diné College

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

Fort Berthold Community College

Fort Peck Community College

Haskell Indian Nations University

Institute of American Indian Arts

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Community College

Leech Lake Tribal College

Little Big Horn College

Little Priest Tribal College

Navajo Technical College

Nebraska Indian College

Northwest Indian College

Oglala Lakota College

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College

Salish Kootenai College

Sinte Gleska University

Sisseton Wahpeton College

Sitting Bull College

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

Stone Child College

Tohono O'odham Community College

Turtle Mountain Community College

United Tribes Technical College

White Earth Tribal and Community College

Justice For Quinten

TBR-Special-to-TBR
My special needs brother, Quinten Douglas Wood, died after suffering from medical neglect and abuse -- even though I called child welfare services and asked his school to watch for signs of neglect. I'm calling for an investigation into Oklahoma’s Child Welfare Services and Midwest City Public Schools to hold neglectful parties responsible for my brother's death and ensure other children don't suffer the way he did.


I was living hours away when our brother, Cameron, told me about the severe neglect going on in their home. At the age of 14, Cameron was responsible for all of Quinten's daily care -- bathing, feeding, and diapering him, as well as taking care of the household chores while he was being severely physically abused as well.

Prior to the neglect, Quinten was a healthy child who enjoyed Star Wars, listening to music, and being loved and held. Though he couldn't talk, he would laugh and giggle at everything. He and Cameron were best buddies and went everywhere together. Cameron was Quinten's bodyguard, and Quinten was Cameron's best friend.

Three weeks before Quinten died, I alerted the Oklahoma Child Welfare Services to the abuse and neglect going on in their home. I called Child Welfare Services at least once a day, every single day for almost a month. The social worker assigned to the case visited Cameron at school, promising him that she would do a home visit the very next day. Cameron told me that every day he'd hold Quinten and say, "Just be patient Bubby, Sissy is sending someone to save us."

No one ever came.

The teachers at Quinten's school were notified to look for neglect months prior to his death, and they did not fulfill their obligations as mandatory reporters. If Oklahoma Child Welfare Services had done their job and followed through with a home visit, they would have found Quinten and Cameron's living conditions deplorable. Either of these agencies could have saved Quinten's life.

Please sign my petition calling on the Governor of Oklahoma to investigate the Oklahoma Child Welfare Services and Midwest City Public Schools to hold neglectful parties responsible for my brother's death and ensure other children don't suffer the way he did.

Sign Valerie's Petition