truthout--2020-06-15--Atlanta Organizer: Rayshard Brooks Killing Shows Urgent Need to Dismantle Police

Protests have erupted in Atlanta , where the police killing of unarmed African American man Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy ’ s parking lot has outraged residents .
The autopsy revealed that Brooks was shot in the back as he was running away , and the death has been ruled a homicide by the county medical examiner .
Brooks ’ s killing comes as protests against racism and police violence continue across the country .
The Atlanta police chief has already resigned , and the officer who shot Brooks has been fired .
“ What we saw happen to Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see repeated in our communities all across this country , ” says Mary Hooks , co-director of Southerners on New Ground , which is part of the National Bail Out collective and the Movement for Black Lives .
“ What we continue to see is police being called in as first responders to things that they should not be showing up for.
” AMY GOODMAN : Today marks the 20th straight day of nationwide uprising against police brutality and racism .
It was sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grow , another Black man was killed by a white police officer on Friday , this time in Atlanta .
Twenty-seven-year-old Rayshard Brooks was asleep in his car at a Wendy ’ s fast-food restaurant drive-thru when a police officer arrived on the scene to ask him to move his car .
The encounter was caught on surveillance camera and by a witness .
A warning to our listeners and viewers : We ’ re about to play graphic video of police violence .
The officer , Devin Brosnan , called for backup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rolfe , arrived .
The police questioned Brooks , patted him down , with his assent , and gave him a breathalyzer test , which he failed .
Rayshard Brooks asked the officers if he could lock his car and walk to his sister ’ s house a short distance away , saying to them , quote , “ I can just go home.
” Instead , the officers attempted to handcuff Brooks , at which point he began to resist and try to escape .
One of the officers , Garrett Rolfe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who then managed to take the other officer ’ s stun gun and run away .
Garrett Rolfe then fired three gunshots at Rayshard Brooks , who was pronounced dead at the hospital later that night .
The autopsy showed the officer shot Brooks twice in the back .
The Fulton County medical examiner has ruled Brooks ’ death a homicide .
Less than 24 hours after the shooting , Atlanta ’ s Police Chief Erika Shields resigned .
Garrett Rolfe , the officer who killed Brooks , has been fired , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave .
The Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard criticized the officer ’ s use of deadly force , saying , quote , “ [ Brooks ] did not seem to present any kind of threat to anyone , and so the fact that it would escalate to his death just seems unreasonable , ” he said .
The DA is expected to announce this week whether any charges will be filed , and is now considering murder charges .
Chris Stewart , a lawyer for the Brooks family , said the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadly weapon .
AMY GOODMAN : Atlanta erupted in mass protest over the weekend as demonstrators shut down the freeway to demand justice for Rayshard Brooks .
The Wendy ’ s where he was murdered was burned to the ground .
Rayshard Brooks was the father of three daughters and one stepson .
He was supposed to celebrate his 8-year-old daughter ’ s birthday with her on Saturday , the day after he was killed by the Atlanta police .
Well , for more , we go to Atlanta , where we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , welcome to Democracy Now !
Can you talk about what took place on Friday ?
Can you talk about the death of Rayshard Brooks and the response to it ?
This is a man who was asleep in his car in the parking lot of a Wendy ’ s .
Police were called .
Take it from there , Mary , co-director of Southerners on New Ground , part of the National Bail Out collective .
MARY HOOKS : Thank you so much for having me .
And yeah , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brooks is unfortunately something that we continue to see repeated in our communities all across this country .
What we saw , a gentleman sleeping in his car , and escalated to the point by which the police were called , ultimately turning out to be a scuffle that led to his death .
And I think that , again , what we continue to see is police being called in as first responders to things that they should not be showing up for .
And what we continue to see is people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupying force in our communities anymore .
And so , the response that we ’ re seeing , in terms of the protest , is certainly directed toward this particular incident , but the millions , the thousands of situations and incidences where police continue to show that the institution of policing is rotten to its core .
And so , of course , people are in their righteous anger , in their righteous anger when they respond to the police violence that , unfortunately , across this country many pretend as if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apple .
But we ’ re very clear that it is about a rotten system that needs to be dismantled , period .
AMY GOODMAN : I wanted to turn to Rayshard Brooks ’ wife , Tomika Miller , who spoke to CBS , saying the officers need to be put away .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s Rayshard Brooks ’ wife .
Now let ’ s go to Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms speaking at a news conference Saturday .
AMY GOODMAN : Mayor Bottoms also announced the resignation of Atlanta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : So , that ’ s Atlanta Mayor [ Bottoms ] , and she ’ s talking about also the resignation of the police chief of Atlanta , who not only was dealing with — was overseeing the department with the death of Rayshard Brooks , but also with the incredible scene of these two students from historically Black colleges , from Spelman and Morehouse , being tasered by the Atlanta police .
Immediately , two of them were charged — well , I think six , charges were brought against them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can talk about , first , Rayshard Brooks and the response with the police chief , and then what happened to these students ?
And put it in a bigger picture of police violence , Mary .
MARY HOOKS : Yeah , I think what we ’ re seeing with this case of Mr. Brooks and Shields resigning , I think we ’ re going to see a slew of police chiefs begin to leave their post , if you will , I think , because many of them know that transformation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inevitable , and many of them do not have what it takes to carry that water and to carry us into a different way of engaging with safety in this country .
And so , I think that it was right for her to do so .
And I think that we need to continue to look at who else needs to move from these seats of power , so that folks who have a different vision , have some political imagination and actually can see the possibilities of what happens when we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community , and can see the possibilities of that — and we know that defunding is not going to happen overnight .
We know that it ’ s not zero out the budget tomorrow .
But what we do know is that folks have to be committed to a long-term process of changing the way in which we rely and the way in which we depend on cops , cages , courts and all the systems and institutions that harm Black people and oppress people in this country .
AMY GOODMAN : Let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former leader of Georgia ’ s House of Representatives , speaking on ABC ’ s This Week on Sunday .
Her name , like Mayor Bottoms , is being floated as a possible VP pick for Joe Biden , who has stated his opposition to calls of defunding the police .
She was asked if defunding the police is necessary .
MARY HOOKS : Yeah , I think — you know , I agree , again , that the transformation is critical .
And I think that for folks who continue to propose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get there have either chosen to ignore what is happening in our reality , the history that also informs our rage and our righteous anger , and so I think that beyond the reform , we ’ re no longer buying that .
You know ?
We ’ re no longer buying that .
And I know that many folk go into political office well intended with a lot of great intentions .
However , officers , no matter their intention , no matter their motive , they are tied and bound to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , its orders , its beliefs , is inherently rotten .
And so , anything less than a conversation on how we shrink that institution until it is no longer legitimate — that is the conversation .
Anything else is an insult to our suffering .
AMY GOODMAN : Mary Hooks , a lot of the media , of course , has covered what happened to Rayshard Brooks , but what isn ’ t talked about as much — I mean , the video is actually long , the surveillance video .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers .
It goes on for well over half an hour .
And he ’ s talking to the police officers .
He was assenting to everything they asked , about the pat-down , the breathalyzer test .
Then they try to handcuff him , and that ’ s when he gets into a scuffle with them .
What isn ’ t talked about as much is , look at that time .
We ’ re talking about just this Friday , more than two weeks after the death of George Floyd , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towns across this country , certainly in Atlanta , as well — the terror that people feel around the police .
So , he lived through all of that , and then they are handcuffing him behind his back , after he ’ s spoken to them calmly , talked to them about his kids ’ birthdays and everything else , but he ’ s still being handcuffed behind his back — exactly what happened to George Floyd .
He also was handcuffed .
People don ’ t talk about the terror that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would up and run .
MARY HOOKS : And I think it ’ s — again , I think it ’ s the cognitive dissonance that oftentimes many people in this country fail to acknowledge , because , again , we know the history of policing , that comes out of slave patrols , and we understand the way in which they have been brought in as an occupied force in our communities , that we have seen decades and decades , generations , of the call for police violence to stop , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tactics , to not use lethal force , to not use excessive force , and none of that has gotten us anywhere .
And so , it behooves me when people can watch an incident like this and see where two police officers had complete autonomy to make a decision .
The gentleman asked for a ride home .
They could have called a Lyft .
So many options were available , but they chose not to step into a different level of humanity .
They chose not to see this person as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And they went from zero to 100 .
And so , again , that shows you that , of course , even on a simple call like that , where it should have clearly been , “ Hey , let ’ s just get you home so you ’ ll be OK , ” can escalate .
And so , I , too , as many of the folk I know , walk through our communities , engage and drive in community and down the street , and are afraid .
Afraid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police before .
I ’ m very clear of that feeling .
And so , it is no — you know , people want us to pretend as if the police aren ’ t who they are , that the G.I .
Joes aren ’ t coming up into our community the way in which they are .
And it ’ s a complete lie , and we refuse to give them the credit as if they have been the ones out here actually bringing about safety , because that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mary Hooks , finally , I wanted to ask you — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor , the Princeton professor , just wrote a piece for The New York Times headlined “ The End of Black Politics : Black leaders regularly fail to rise to the challenges that confront young people.
” And you are speaking to us from Atlanta , where Rayshard Brooks was just killed .
It ’ s often considered the Black Mecca , with a majority African American population , led by an African American mayor .
The police chief was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of politics and how you feel ?
MARY HOOKS : Well , you know , I think it is very specific to Atlanta .
I think it ’ s super interesting that Atlanta has not — in all of its desire to be the Black Mecca , Atlanta has not taken up the charge on what it means to address the systemic violence and oppression of Black people .
And I think a big part of that is because there is an elite class here , that class , I think , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevents Atlanta from being the Wakanda it wants to pretend to be .
Atlanta has one of the highest income gaps in this country .
And most people know that either you are very well-off here in Atlanta or you ’ re struggling , period .
And I think that to see mayors and city officials , who oftentimes will parade around talking about that they honor the legacy of Dr. King and they celebrate what happened 60 years ago , but they have no notches under their belt that shows that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure Black people get closer to our liberation .
And I think that — yeah , that that ’ s a big part of why we ’ re seeing Black mayors , even many of them who were on CNN last night , continue to show their inadequacy , because they have not been able to address what is happening and clean up the mess that the “ war on drugs ” has created .
Many of those Black mayors and those who they come out of a legacy of , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ’ 90s , in which many of us — and I ’ m speaking specifically to the crime bill , that has caused so much ravage and damage in community .
And so , I think that that ’ s why we need an intergenerational movement .
That is why we need elected officials to actually have a deep investment in hearing what young people and a younger generation are calling for , because we ’ re the spear of the movement , if you will .
And again , if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their interests with what ’ s being called for right now , then they actually have to move around , because they ’ re doing more damage than good right now .
AMY GOODMAN : Mary Hooks , I want to thank you for being with us , co-director of Southerners on New Ground , SONG , which is part of the National Bail Out collective and the Movement for Black Lives .
Mary is an organizer with National Black Mama ’ s Bail Out Day .
Well , we ’ ve just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escalation , of violence , after they came upon a man , Rayshard Brooks , who was asleep in his car in a parking lot .
Within an hour , they killed him .
When we come back , we ’ ll speak with a 27-year-old African American man , just like Rayshard Brooks , but he trained San Jose police about racial bias , but police shot him in the groin with a rubber bullet during a recent anti-police-brutality protest .
Stay with us .

Protests have erupted in Atlanta, where the police killing of unarmed African American man Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy’s parking lot has outraged residents. The autopsy revealed that Brooks was shot in the back as he was running away, and the death has been ruled a homicide by the county medical examiner. Brooks’s killing comes as protests against racism and police violence continue across the country. The Atlanta police chief has already resigned, and the officer who shot Brooks has been fired. “What we saw happen to Mr. Brooks is unfortunately something that we continue to see repeated in our communities all across this country,” says Mary Hooks, co-director of Southerners on New Ground, which is part of the National Bail Out collective and the Movement for Black Lives. “What we continue to see is police being called in as first responders to things that they should not be showing up for.”
AMY GOODMAN: Today marks the 20th straight day of nationwide uprising against police brutality and racism. It was sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. As calls to defund the police grow, another Black man was killed by a white police officer on Friday, this time in Atlanta. Twenty-seven-year-old Rayshard Brooks was asleep in his car at a Wendy’s fast-food restaurant drive-thru when a police officer arrived on the scene to ask him to move his car. The encounter was caught on surveillance camera and by a witness. A warning to our listeners and viewers: We’re about to play graphic video of police violence.
The officer, Devin Brosnan, called for backup, and a second officer, Garrett Rolfe, arrived. The police questioned Brooks, patted him down, with his assent, and gave him a breathalyzer test, which he failed. Rayshard Brooks asked the officers if he could lock his car and walk to his sister’s house a short distance away, saying to them, quote, “I can just go home.” Instead, the officers attempted to handcuff Brooks, at which point he began to resist and try to escape. One of the officers, Garrett Rolfe, fired a stun gun at Brooks, who then managed to take the other officer’s stun gun and run away. Garrett Rolfe then fired three gunshots at Rayshard Brooks, who was pronounced dead at the hospital later that night. The autopsy showed the officer shot Brooks twice in the back. The Fulton County medical examiner has ruled Brooks’ death a homicide.
Less than 24 hours after the shooting, Atlanta’s Police Chief Erika Shields resigned. Garrett Rolfe, the officer who killed Brooks, has been fired, and the second officer placed on administrative leave. The Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard criticized the officer’s use of deadly force, saying, quote, “[Brooks] did not seem to present any kind of threat to anyone, and so the fact that it would escalate to his death just seems unreasonable,” he said. The DA is expected to announce this week whether any charges will be filed, and is now considering murder charges.
Chris Stewart, a lawyer for the Brooks family, said the police cannot claim a Taser is a deadly weapon.
CHRIS STEWART: That’s the case law here, that Tasers are not deadly weapons. So, before we even hear from their lawyers, who are going to say the same old thing they always say, you cannot have it both ways. You can’t say he ran off with a weapon that could kill somebody, when you say it’s not deadly. … I can even say we want justice, but I don’t even — I don’t even care anymore. I don’t even know what that is. And I’ve been doing this for 15 years. I don’t know what justice is anymore. Is it getting him arrested? Is it getting somebody fired? Is it a chief stepping down? I know that this isn’t justice, what’s happening in society right now.
AMY GOODMAN: Atlanta erupted in mass protest over the weekend as demonstrators shut down the freeway to demand justice for Rayshard Brooks. The Wendy’s where he was murdered was burned to the ground.
Rayshard Brooks was the father of three daughters and one stepson. He was supposed to celebrate his 8-year-old daughter’s birthday with her on Saturday, the day after he was killed by the Atlanta police.
Well, for more, we go to Atlanta, where we’re joined by Mary Hooks.
Mary, welcome to Democracy Now! Can you talk about what took place on Friday? Can you talk about the death of Rayshard Brooks and the response to it? This is a man who was asleep in his car in the parking lot of a Wendy’s. Police were called. Take it from there, Mary, co-director of Southerners on New Ground, part of the National Bail Out collective.
MARY HOOKS: Thank you so much for having me. And yeah, you know, what we saw happen to Mr. Brooks is unfortunately something that we continue to see repeated in our communities all across this country. What we saw, a gentleman sleeping in his car, and escalated to the point by which the police were called, ultimately turning out to be a scuffle that led to his death. And I think that, again, what we continue to see is police being called in as first responders to things that they should not be showing up for. And what we continue to see is people demanding that the police not be an occupying force in our communities anymore.
And so, the response that we’re seeing, in terms of the protest, is certainly directed toward this particular incident, but the millions, the thousands of situations and incidences where police continue to show that the institution of policing is rotten to its core. And so, of course, people are in their righteous anger, in their righteous anger when they respond to the police violence that, unfortunately, across this country many pretend as if it’s just about one bad apple. But we’re very clear that it is about a rotten system that needs to be dismantled, period.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to turn to Rayshard Brooks’ wife, Tomika Miller, who spoke to CBS, saying the officers need to be put away.
TOMIKA MILLER: If it was my husband who shot them, he would be in jail. He would be doing a life sentence. They need to be put away. I feel like even though everything happened so fast, it didn’t take nothing but a split second for the other officer to say, “Hey, calm down.” He could have told his partner, “Calm down.” So, all of them need to be sentenced the same way.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s Rayshard Brooks’ wife. Now let’s go to Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms speaking at a news conference Saturday.
MAYOR KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS: While there may be debate as to whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force, and have called for the immediate termination of the officer.
AMY GOODMAN: Mayor Bottoms also announced the resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields.
MAYOR KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS: Chief Erika Shields has been a solid member of APD for over two decades and has a deep and abiding love for the people of Atlanta. And because of her desire that Atlanta be a model of what meaningful reform should look like across this country, Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move forward, with urgency, in rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our communities.
AMY GOODMAN: So, that’s Atlanta Mayor [Bottoms], and she’s talking about also the resignation of the police chief of Atlanta, who not only was dealing with — was overseeing the department with the death of Rayshard Brooks, but also with the incredible scene of these two students from historically Black colleges, from Spelman and Morehouse, being tasered by the Atlanta police. Immediately, two of them were charged — well, I think six, charges were brought against them, and two were fired. If you can talk about, first, Rayshard Brooks and the response with the police chief, and then what happened to these students? And put it in a bigger picture of police violence, Mary.
MARY HOOKS: Yeah, I think what we’re seeing with this case of Mr. Brooks and Shields resigning, I think we’re going to see a slew of police chiefs begin to leave their post, if you will, I think, because many of them know that transformation is on the rise, that transformation is inevitable, and many of them do not have what it takes to carry that water and to carry us into a different way of engaging with safety in this country. And so, I think that it was right for her to do so.
And I think that we need to continue to look at who else needs to move from these seats of power, so that folks who have a different vision, have some political imagination and actually can see the possibilities of what happens when we defund the police and invest resources in community, and can see the possibilities of that — and we know that defunding is not going to happen overnight. We know that it’s not zero out the budget tomorrow. But what we do know is that folks have to be committed to a long-term process of changing the way in which we rely and the way in which we depend on cops, cages, courts and all the systems and institutions that harm Black people and oppress people in this country.
AMY GOODMAN: Mary Hooks —
MARY HOOKS: And so, it’s a tipping point.
AMY GOODMAN: Let me go to Stacey Abrams, the former leader of Georgia’s House of Representatives, speaking on ABC’s This Week on Sunday. Her name, like Mayor Bottoms, is being floated as a possible VP pick for Joe Biden, who has stated his opposition to calls of defunding the police. She was asked if defunding the police is necessary.
STACEY ABRAMS: I think we’re being drawn into this false choice idea. The reality is we need two things. We need reformation of how police officers do their jobs, how law enforcement does its job. … I served in the state Legislature for 11 years, and I served on the Committee of Purview. I took action to increase police accountability. I took action to address the issues of criminal justice reform. But I also know that we have to have a transformation of how we view the role of law enforcement, how we view the construct of public safety and how we invest not only in the work that we need them to do to protect us, but the work we need to protect and build our communities.
AMY GOODMAN: Your response, Mary Hooks?
MARY HOOKS: Yeah, I think — you know, I agree, again, that the transformation is critical. And I think that for folks who continue to propose reform as the process by which we get there have either chosen to ignore what is happening in our reality, the history that also informs our rage and our righteous anger, and so I think that beyond the reform, we’re no longer buying that. You know? We’re no longer buying that.
And I know that many folk go into political office well intended with a lot of great intentions. However, officers, no matter their intention, no matter their motive, they are tied and bound to a system that, by its training, its orders, its beliefs, is inherently rotten. And so, anything less than a conversation on how we shrink that institution until it is no longer legitimate — that is the conversation. Anything else is an insult to our suffering.
AMY GOODMAN: Mary Hooks, a lot of the media, of course, has covered what happened to Rayshard Brooks, but what isn’t talked about as much — I mean, the video is actually long, the surveillance video. Now there’s videocam from the police officers. It goes on for well over half an hour. And he’s talking to the police officers. He was assenting to everything they asked, about the pat-down, the breathalyzer test. Then they try to handcuff him, and that’s when he gets into a scuffle with them. What isn’t talked about as much is, look at that time. We’re talking about just this Friday, more than two weeks after the death of George Floyd, massive protests in thousands of cities, towns across this country, certainly in Atlanta, as well — the terror that people feel around the police. So, he lived through all of that, and then they are handcuffing him behind his back, after he’s spoken to them calmly, talked to them about his kids’ birthdays and everything else, but he’s still being handcuffed behind his back — exactly what happened to George Floyd. He also was handcuffed. People don’t talk about the terror that people feel of police, why someone would up and run.
MARY HOOKS: And I think it’s — again, I think it’s the cognitive dissonance that oftentimes many people in this country fail to acknowledge, because, again, we know the history of policing, that comes out of slave patrols, and we understand the way in which they have been brought in as an occupied force in our communities, that we have seen decades and decades, generations, of the call for police violence to stop, the calls for police to change their tactics, to not use lethal force, to not use excessive force, and none of that has gotten us anywhere.
And so, it behooves me when people can watch an incident like this and see where two police officers had complete autonomy to make a decision. The gentleman asked for a ride home. They could have called a Lyft. So many options were available, but they chose not to step into a different level of humanity. They chose not to see this person as a person whose family and life mattered. And they went from zero to 100. And so, again, that shows you that, of course, even on a simple call like that, where it should have clearly been, “Hey, let’s just get you home so you’ll be OK,” can escalate.
And so, I, too, as many of the folk I know, walk through our communities, engage and drive in community and down the street, and are afraid. Afraid. I’ve been abused by the police before. I’m very clear of that feeling. And so, it is no — you know, people want us to pretend as if the police aren’t who they are, that the G.I. Joes aren’t coming up into our community the way in which they are. And it’s a complete lie, and we refuse to give them the credit as if they have been the ones out here actually bringing about safety, because that’s not the case.
AMY GOODMAN: Mary Hooks, finally, I wanted to ask you — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, the Princeton professor, just wrote a piece for The New York Times headlined “The End of Black Politics: Black leaders regularly fail to rise to the challenges that confront young people.” And you are speaking to us from Atlanta, where Rayshard Brooks was just killed. It’s often considered the Black Mecca, with a majority African American population, led by an African American mayor. The police chief was a woman. Can you talk about this kind of politics and how you feel?
MARY HOOKS: Well, you know, I think it is very specific to Atlanta. I think it’s super interesting that Atlanta has not — in all of its desire to be the Black Mecca, Atlanta has not taken up the charge on what it means to address the systemic violence and oppression of Black people. And I think a big part of that is because there is an elite class here, that class, I think, is one of the major issues that prevents Atlanta from being the Wakanda it wants to pretend to be. Atlanta has one of the highest income gaps in this country. And most people know that either you are very well-off here in Atlanta or you’re struggling, period.
And I think that to see mayors and city officials, who oftentimes will parade around talking about that they honor the legacy of Dr. King and they celebrate what happened 60 years ago, but they have no notches under their belt that shows that they actually have the same level of desire to ensure Black people get closer to our liberation. And I think that — yeah, that that’s a big part of why we’re seeing Black mayors, even many of them who were on CNN last night, continue to show their inadequacy, because they have not been able to address what is happening and clean up the mess that the “war on drugs” has created. Many of those Black mayors and those who they come out of a legacy of, they were responsible and made horrible decisions in the ’90s, in which many of us — and I’m speaking specifically to the crime bill, that has caused so much ravage and damage in community.
And so, I think that that’s why we need an intergenerational movement. That is why we need elected officials to actually have a deep investment in hearing what young people and a younger generation are calling for, because we’re the spear of the movement, if you will. And again, if they cannot align their power and align their interests with what’s being called for right now, then they actually have to move around, because they’re doing more damage than good right now.
AMY GOODMAN: Mary Hooks, I want to thank you for being with us, co-director of Southerners on New Ground, SONG, which is part of the National Bail Out collective and the Movement for Black Lives. Mary is an organizer with National Black Mama’s Bail Out Day. Well, we’ve just been talking about the escalation, police escalation, of violence, after they came upon a man, Rayshard Brooks, who was asleep in his car in a parking lot. Within an hour, they killed him.
When we come back, we’ll speak with a 27-year-old African American man, just like Rayshard Brooks, but he trained San Jose police about racial bias, but police shot him in the groin with a rubber bullet during a recent anti-police-brutality protest. Stay with us.


truthout--2020-06-15--Tulsa Officials Tell Trump to Rethink Planned Campaign Rally Over COVID-19 Fears

Local officials and media in Tulsa , Oklahoma , are asking President Donald Trump to reconsider plans to hold his first re-election campaign rally there since the coronavirus pandemic forced him to suspend traveling .
The editorial board for Tulsa World published an opinion piece on Monday , decrying Trump ’ s planned visit , calling it “ the wrong time ” to hold a rally there .
“ We don ’ t know why he chose Tulsa , but we can ’ t see any way that his visit will be good for the city , ” the board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still dealing with the challenges created by a pandemic.
” “ The city and state have authorized reopening , but that doesn ’ t make a mass indoor gathering of people pressed closely together and cheering a good idea , ” the board added .
Tulsa World ’ s editorial board also noted that Trump will be rallying in a city “ that 99 years ago was the site of a bloody race massacre ” during a time when uprisings are happening across the country in response to the police killing of George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tulsa may fan the flames of civil unrest , the board warned , as many may view the venue location and date , so close to the holiday of Juneteenth , as an insensitive and inflammatory choice .
“ When the president of the United States visits your city , it should be exciting .
We think a Trump visit will be , but for a lot of the wrong reasons , and we can ’ t welcome it , ” the board concluded .
Some officials in the city have expressed qualms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the director of Tulsa ’ s City-County Health Department .
“ I think it ’ s an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community , but not during a pandemic , ” Dart told Tulsa World .
“ I ’ m concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large , indoor event , and I ’ m also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well.
” There does not appear to be any strategic value for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ahead in the polls in Oklahoma , which means he will not further his re-election chances when it comes to the presidential race against Democratic candidate Joe Biden .
Republican Gov .
Kevin Stitt has previously claimed that Trump ’ s visit to Tulsa would demonstrate how Oklahoma has been a “ national example in responsibly and safely reopening ” during the pandemic .
But it ’ s precisely because of the coronavirus that some are speaking out against the president visiting the city this week .
The virus has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — in fact , Tulsa has seen a 7-day rolling average of new cases of coronavirus double over the past week , from 24.9 new cases per day on June 7 , to 51.4 new cases per day as of June 12 .
In spite of the Trump administration ’ s rosy projections for COVID-19 recovery , the president ’ s campaign seems to acknowledge that coronavirus remains a real problem .
Any person attending his rally will have to sign a waiver promising not to hold Trump or the campaign accountable if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asks all who participate to “ assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 ” before they attend on Saturday .

COVID-19 remains a pervasive problem in the city, which has seen its daily rates of new cases double in the past week.
Local officials and media in Tulsa, Oklahoma, are asking President Donald Trump to reconsider plans to hold his first re-election campaign rally there since the coronavirus pandemic forced him to suspend traveling.
The editorial board for Tulsa World published an opinion piece on Monday, decrying Trump’s planned visit, calling it “the wrong time” to hold a rally there.
“We don’t know why he chose Tulsa, but we can’t see any way that his visit will be good for the city,” the board wrote, adding that Tulsa “is still dealing with the challenges created by a pandemic.”
“The city and state have authorized reopening, but that doesn’t make a mass indoor gathering of people pressed closely together and cheering a good idea,” the board added.
Tulsa World’s editorial board also noted that Trump will be rallying in a city “that 99 years ago was the site of a bloody race massacre” during a time when uprisings are happening across the country in response to the police killing of George Floyd. Trump’s visit to Tulsa may fan the flames of civil unrest, the board warned, as many may view the venue location and date, so close to the holiday of Juneteenth, as an insensitive and inflammatory choice.
“When the president of the United States visits your city, it should be exciting. We think a Trump visit will be, but for a lot of the wrong reasons, and we can’t welcome it,” the board concluded.
Some officials in the city have expressed qualms over Trump visiting, including Bruce Dart, the director of Tulsa’s City-County Health Department.
“I think it’s an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community, but not during a pandemic,” Dart told Tulsa World. “I’m concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event, and I’m also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well.”
There does not appear to be any strategic value for Trump to go to Tulsa — he’s ahead in the polls in Oklahoma, which means he will not further his re-election chances when it comes to the presidential race against Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt has previously claimed that Trump’s visit to Tulsa would demonstrate how Oklahoma has been a “national example in responsibly and safely reopening” during the pandemic.
But it’s precisely because of the coronavirus that some are speaking out against the president visiting the city this week.
The virus has not diminished in the city in recent days — in fact, Tulsa has seen a 7-day rolling average of new cases of coronavirus double over the past week, from 24.9 new cases per day on June 7, to 51.4 new cases per day as of June 12.
In spite of the Trump administration’s rosy projections for COVID-19 recovery, the president’s campaign seems to acknowledge that coronavirus remains a real problem. Any person attending his rally will have to sign a waiver promising not to hold Trump or the campaign accountable if they contract the disease.
That waiver asks all who participate to “assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19” before they attend on Saturday.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-06-15--We Need a Green New Deal to Confront the Economic Crash and Climate Crisis

The tacit assumption of political leaders and the chattering class is that the economy will come back together in time , if not seamlessly , then at least without major political turmoil .
The anodyne meme of “ reopening the economy ” suggests that , although we may have a rough road ahead , the end result will be a functional equivalent of the economy that we remember from last year .
Financial analysts imagine this is like an ordinary downturn in the business cycle amenable to familiar cures of deficit spending , tax cuts and bailouts for the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not .
The proximate cause of the economy ’ s collapse is unprecedented state intervention in capitalist economies throughout the world .
The world economy has not just slowed down , but has suffered a disruption that has undermined whole industries and created a vast army of unemployed .
Capitalist economics vacillates between apologetics , obscurantist mathematical fantasies and nostrums that advance the interests of the power elite while purporting to serve the common good .
None of this will meet the challenge of rebuilding an economy that works for common folk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us from looming ecological collapse — the catastrophe that awaits on the other side of Arundhati Roy ’ s portal .
In late March , the St. Louis branch of the Federal Reserve estimated that 47 million workers might lose their jobs in the coronavirus shutdown .
Two months later , the official count of layoffs in the United States had already topped 40 million .
The unemployment rate may hit 32 percent , topping the level reached in the midst of the Great Depression .
The Crisis Will Be Protracted and Profound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrary , the economy was in precarious shape before the pandemic .
Many corporations depended on support from the Federal Reserve since the financial blowout of 2008 .
A dozen years later , the non-recovery recovery has come to an abrupt halt .
The economic carnage is already on a scale that has economists speaking : The sheer suddenness of the plunge feeds the fantasy that we might recover just as quickly , or at least without exacting an enormous toll on those of us who are not among the desperately poor or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jerk the economy back to prosperity , employers will recall their laid-off workers , football will return to packed stadiums , tourists will crisscross the globe and we ’ ll all get back to partying on Saturday nights .
There are many reasons to question this prognosis .
First , the pandemic and its disruptive challenges to profit-based decision-making are likely to be with us for a long time .
Laurie Garrett , the science writer who literally wrote the book on modern pandemics , warns that this pandemic will be with us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenario.
” Even the best-laid plans can not restore a market-based economy to a semblance of health while essential workers and their loved ones are getting picked off by a deadly virus .
Second , major parts of the economy are broken and will remain so for a long time no matter what we do .
More than 100,000 small businesses in the U.S. have already closed their doors for good .
Tourism accounts , directly or indirectly , for a total of 10 percent of the world ’ s economy .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are dependent on people packing into crowded airplanes and spending freely in distant places are not coming back any time soon .
Restaurants , bars , sports venues , retail stores , museums , movie theaters and gyms will be deserted or underpopulated for years to come .
A generalized economic stimulus will not repair the damage to these workplaces any more than a calcium-rich diet will fix a broken leg .
Third , as job losses from sectors that can not rebound depress demand for other goods , the economic slump will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is how a severe recession becomes a great depression .
Wall Street bankers and corporate CEOs who command our economy have no interest in making investments that will not return a profit .
As demand shrinks , outlets for profitable investment disappear .
Employers will be slow to rehire and many will find ways to operate with a leaner workforce .
Meanwhile , bailouts get swallowed up as fast as they can be paid out .
Raw stimulus drifts upwards into the pockets of the rich , inflating asset values but doing little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s why all the talk of a so-called v-shaped recession — you go down really fast and you bounce back really fast — is nonsense , ” says David McNally , author of Monsters of the Market : Zombies , Vampires and Global Capitalism .
McNally explains : Like the pandemic itself , the crisis of capitalism it has exposed crosses national borders and flies across oceans .
There is no such thing as containment in the globalized world .
As evolutionary epidemiologist Rob Wallace and his colleagues have argued in the Monthly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the circuits of pandemic disease have become inextricable .
Market fundamentalism , the neoliberal doctrine that the “ invisible hand ” of the market will produce optimal solutions for all the world ’ s problems , has been discredited in the eyes of all but those whose employment depends on their inability to grasp the obvious .
As fantasies of a quick recovery fade , perhaps many more people will be open to a deeper discussion of our future .
What a Real Recovery Might Look Like Arundhati Roy calls us to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rethink the doomsday machine we have built for ourselves.
” We need to solve multiple problems at once — the pandemic , the economic ruin and the ecological collapse that threatens the future of organized human society .
An economic recovery that re-energizes the fossil-fueled doomsday machine will ultimately lead to death and destruction far greater than that wrought by COVID-19 .
The right wing is on the march , ready to exploit the crash of 2020 as pretext to shrink what remains of the New Deal and Great Society ; expand police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools ; enhance mechanisms of surveillance and social control ; undermine freedom of the press , speech and assembly ; crush the nascent strikes among “ essential workers ” ; and accelerate the concentration of wealth and power .
Unable to deliver a V-shaped recovery from the pandemic or the recession , the right will whip up xenophobia and racism against Black , Latinx , Indigenous and immigrant communities , adding to their devastation from the virus and the crashing economy .
Fortunately , prior to the COVID-19 crisis , the left was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a comprehensive and realistic alternative to the dystopian nightmare that the right has on offer .
The radical Green New Deal espoused by democratic socialists and young activists has the potential to address the converging crises of pandemic , massive joblessness , extreme inequality and the climate emergency .
Its promise is to unify diverse movements for social , racial , economic , climate , environmental , and gender justice around a politics of care and repair and just transition .
The vast ambition of the Green New Deal suddenly seems like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a practical necessity .
Its massive guaranteed jobs program is precisely what it will take to build an ecological life-sustaining economy and to ensure that the millions of unemployed can get on with their lives .
Only an improved Medicare for All will address the impending loss of employment-based coverage by millions of workers as well as the tragic shortfall of medical coverage in the Black and Latinx communities hardest hit by the virus .
Free public education through college and cancellation of student debt can avert lifelong damage to an entire generation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ midst of a world depression .
While recognizing that the 1930s New Deal had many shortcomings ( for example , in its failure to protect agricultural and domestic workers ) and ultimately functioned to quell working-class rebellion , today ’ s radical Green New Dealers use the term “ New Deal ” to suggest that what is needed immediately to avoid catastrophe is a decade or more of societal transformation , not a single piece of legislation .
For them , the Green New Deal is not just a plan for a green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our society according to the vision of social , racial , environmental and climate justice .
When Bernie Sanders put forward his $ 16.3 trillion Green New Deal proposal , “ centrist ” candidates and the corporate media doyens who moderated the Democratic Party debates dutifully sought to discredit the plan with queries of “ How you gon na pay for it ?
” — the question they never ask when the military budget and other capitalist priorities are discussed .
Energy researchers and social scientists Ray Galvin and Noel Healy recently assessed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deal .
They decided to review Sanders ’ s plan because it was “ the most ambitious , full-fledged and financially detailed plan.
” Their conclusion : The Sanders proposal provides a viable roadmap for “ a broad spectrum of policies , programs and legislation.
” If the pandemic has driven one lesson home , it is that the ruling class can always find money when it comes time to save capital .
As in 2008 , budget hawks and their apologists and enablers welcome the flow of trillions of dollars from Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But so far , the Democratic Party leadership and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden have not embraced Sanders ’ s Green New Deal proposal , Medicare for All , or put forward an adequate proposal for recovery .
“ Is what Nancy Pelosi is proposing different than what Trump and the Republicans want or believe ?
” asks Jeremy Scahill .
“ Absolutely .
But it ’ s hardly a testament to big thinking or courageous and bold visions .
If anything , it reeks of milquetoast think-tankery and paltry means-tested economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flooding into organizations like the Sunrise Movement , Democratic Socialists of America , Fridays for Future and the myriad groups in the Climate Justice Alliance are fed up and ready for generational warfare .
They know that neoliberal economic shibboleths were quickly abandoned and suddenly trillions of dollars that were not available to assure them of a decent future are readily dispatched when the capitalist system is threatened by an imminent crisis .
The Green New Deal has become a demand with international dimensions .
The Global Green New Deal and the Green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiatives .
Left-leaning critics have critiqued the Green New Deal for insufficient recognition of the legacy of imperialist domination of the Global South and racial oppression and settler colonialism within the United States .
The Green New Deal is a work in progress and its advocates should improve their vision by taking these constructive criticisms to heart .
The bigger the lifeboat , the more we can save .

“Whatever it is, coronavirus has made the mighty kneel and brought the world to a halt like nothing else could. Our minds are still racing back and forth, longing for a return to ‘normality’, trying to stitch our future to our past and refusing to acknowledge the rupture. But the rupture exists. And in the midst of this terrible despair, it offers us a chance to rethink the doomsday machine we have built for ourselves. Nothing could be worse than a return to normality.” — Arundhati Roy, “The Pandemic Is a Portal.”
The tacit assumption of political leaders and the chattering class is that the economy will come back together in time, if not seamlessly, then at least without major political turmoil. The anodyne meme of “reopening the economy” suggests that, although we may have a rough road ahead, the end result will be a functional equivalent of the economy that we remember from last year.
Financial analysts imagine this is like an ordinary downturn in the business cycle amenable to familiar cures of deficit spending, tax cuts and bailouts for the “too big to fail.” It’s not. The proximate cause of the economy’s collapse is unprecedented state intervention in capitalist economies throughout the world. The world economy has not just slowed down, but has suffered a disruption that has undermined whole industries and created a vast army of unemployed.
Capitalist economics vacillates between apologetics, obscurantist mathematical fantasies and nostrums that advance the interests of the power elite while purporting to serve the common good. None of this will meet the challenge of rebuilding an economy that works for common folk, let alone one that can save us from looming ecological collapse — the catastrophe that awaits on the other side of Arundhati Roy’s portal.
In late March, the St. Louis branch of the Federal Reserve estimated that 47 million workers might lose their jobs in the coronavirus shutdown. Two months later, the official count of layoffs in the United States had already topped 40 million. The unemployment rate may hit 32 percent, topping the level reached in the midst of the Great Depression.
The Crisis Will Be Protracted and Profound
Trump’s risible claims to the contrary, the economy was in precarious shape before the pandemic. Many corporations depended on support from the Federal Reserve since the financial blowout of 2008. A dozen years later, the non-recovery recovery has come to an abrupt halt. The economic carnage is already on a scale that has economists speaking:
“I feel like the 2008 financial crisis was just a dry run for this,” said Kenneth S. Rogoff, a Harvard economist and co-author of a history of financial crises, “This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly.” “This is already shaping up as the deepest dive on record for the global economy for over 100 years,” he said. “Everything depends on how long it lasts, but if this goes on for a long time, it’s certainly going to be the mother of all financial crises.”
The sheer suddenness of the plunge feeds the fantasy that we might recover just as quickly, or at least without exacting an enormous toll on those of us who are not among the desperately poor or desperately sick. The right stimulus will jerk the economy back to prosperity, employers will recall their laid-off workers, football will return to packed stadiums, tourists will crisscross the globe and we’ll all get back to partying on Saturday nights.
More than 100,000 small businesses in the U.S. have already closed their doors for good.
There are many reasons to question this prognosis.
First, the pandemic and its disruptive challenges to profit-based decision-making are likely to be with us for a long time. Laurie Garrett, the science writer who literally wrote the book on modern pandemics, warns that this pandemic will be with us for three years under a “best-case scenario.” Even the best-laid plans cannot restore a market-based economy to a semblance of health while essential workers and their loved ones are getting picked off by a deadly virus.
Second, major parts of the economy are broken and will remain so for a long time no matter what we do. More than 100,000 small businesses in the U.S. have already closed their doors for good. Tourism accounts, directly or indirectly, for a total of 10 percent of the world’s economy. Here and abroad, millions of jobs that are dependent on people packing into crowded airplanes and spending freely in distant places are not coming back any time soon. Restaurants, bars, sports venues, retail stores, museums, movie theaters and gyms will be deserted or underpopulated for years to come. A generalized economic stimulus will not repair the damage to these workplaces any more than a calcium-rich diet will fix a broken leg.
Third, as job losses from sectors that cannot rebound depress demand for other goods, the economic slump will take on a self-reinforcing character. This is how a severe recession becomes a great depression. Wall Street bankers and corporate CEOs who command our economy have no interest in making investments that will not return a profit. As demand shrinks, outlets for profitable investment disappear. Employers will be slow to rehire and many will find ways to operate with a leaner workforce. Meanwhile, bailouts get swallowed up as fast as they can be paid out. Raw stimulus drifts upwards into the pockets of the rich, inflating asset values but doing little to promote employment.
“That’s why all the talk of a so-called v-shaped recession — you go down really fast and you bounce back really fast — is nonsense,” says David McNally, author of Monsters of the Market: Zombies, Vampires and Global Capitalism. McNally explains:
This is going to be deep and prolonged, even though it’s going to have waves and cycles within it — it’s going to look like the beginning of faltering recoveries, then they’re going to get short circuited, and so on. So, let me give you a few thoughts about where we go from here. It’s going to be a crisis across the board. The United States is getting hit harder, because the U.S. healthcare system and its government responded so ineffectively to the outbreak of the pandemic. But it’s a huge threat to China’s growth model, which is export driven. Who are they going to export to in a slump like this?
Like the pandemic itself, the crisis of capitalism it has exposed crosses national borders and flies across oceans. There is no such thing as containment in the globalized world. As evolutionary epidemiologist Rob Wallace and his colleagues have argued in the Monthly Review, the circuits of capital and the circuits of pandemic disease have become inextricable.
The vast ambition of the Green New Deal suddenly seems like less of a liability and more of a practical necessity.
Market fundamentalism, the neoliberal doctrine that the “invisible hand” of the market will produce optimal solutions for all the world’s problems, has been discredited in the eyes of all but those whose employment depends on their inability to grasp the obvious. As fantasies of a quick recovery fade, perhaps many more people will be open to a deeper discussion of our future.
What a Real Recovery Might Look Like
Arundhati Roy calls us to use this moment of pandemic shutdown to “rethink the doomsday machine we have built for ourselves.” We need to solve multiple problems at once — the pandemic, the economic ruin and the ecological collapse that threatens the future of organized human society. An economic recovery that re-energizes the fossil-fueled doomsday machine will ultimately lead to death and destruction far greater than that wrought by COVID-19.
The right wing is on the march, ready to exploit the crash of 2020 as pretext to shrink what remains of the New Deal and Great Society; expand police and military budgets; close libraries and schools; enhance mechanisms of surveillance and social control; undermine freedom of the press, speech and assembly; crush the nascent strikes among “essential workers”; and accelerate the concentration of wealth and power. Unable to deliver a V-shaped recovery from the pandemic or the recession, the right will whip up xenophobia and racism against Black, Latinx, Indigenous and immigrant communities, adding to their devastation from the virus and the crashing economy.
Fortunately, prior to the COVID-19 crisis, the left was already hard at work building a lifeboat — a comprehensive and realistic alternative to the dystopian nightmare that the right has on offer. The radical Green New Deal espoused by democratic socialists and young activists has the potential to address the converging crises of pandemic, massive joblessness, extreme inequality and the climate emergency. Its promise is to unify diverse movements for social, racial, economic, climate, environmental, and gender justice around a politics of care and repair and just transition.
The vast ambition of the Green New Deal suddenly seems like less of a liability and more of a practical necessity. Its massive guaranteed jobs program is precisely what it will take to build an ecological life-sustaining economy and to ensure that the millions of unemployed can get on with their lives. Only an improved Medicare for All will address the impending loss of employment-based coverage by millions of workers as well as the tragic shortfall of medical coverage in the Black and Latinx communities hardest hit by the virus. Free public education through college and cancellation of student debt can avert lifelong damage to an entire generation struggling to make their way in the midst of a world depression.
If the pandemic has driven one lesson home, it is that the ruling class can always find money when it comes time to save capital.
While recognizing that the 1930s New Deal had many shortcomings (for example, in its failure to protect agricultural and domestic workers) and ultimately functioned to quell working-class rebellion, today’s radical Green New Dealers use the term “New Deal” to suggest that what is needed immediately to avoid catastrophe is a decade or more of societal transformation, not a single piece of legislation. For them, the Green New Deal is not just a plan for a green economy, but a plan to rebuild our society according to the vision of social, racial, environmental and climate justice.
When Bernie Sanders put forward his $16.3 trillion Green New Deal proposal, “centrist” candidates and the corporate media doyens who moderated the Democratic Party debates dutifully sought to discredit the plan with queries of “How you gonna pay for it?” — the question they never ask when the military budget and other capitalist priorities are discussed.
Energy researchers and social scientists Ray Galvin and Noel Healy recently assessed the economic viability of the Green New Deal. They decided to review Sanders’s plan because it was “the most ambitious, full-fledged and financially detailed plan.” Their conclusion: The Sanders proposal provides a viable roadmap for “a broad spectrum of policies, programs and legislation.”
If the pandemic has driven one lesson home, it is that the ruling class can always find money when it comes time to save capital. As in 2008, budget hawks and their apologists and enablers welcome the flow of trillions of dollars from Congress and trillions more from the Federal Reserve. But so far, the Democratic Party leadership and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden have not embraced Sanders’s Green New Deal proposal, Medicare for All, or put forward an adequate proposal for recovery.
“Is what Nancy Pelosi is proposing different than what Trump and the Republicans want or believe?” asks Jeremy Scahill. “Absolutely. But it’s hardly a testament to big thinking or courageous and bold visions. If anything, it reeks of milquetoast think-tankery and paltry means-tested economic half-measures.”
The young people who are flooding into organizations like the Sunrise Movement, Democratic Socialists of America, Fridays for Future and the myriad groups in the Climate Justice Alliance are fed up and ready for generational warfare. They know that neoliberal economic shibboleths were quickly abandoned and suddenly trillions of dollars that were not available to assure them of a decent future are readily dispatched when the capitalist system is threatened by an imminent crisis.
The Green New Deal has become a demand with international dimensions. The Global Green New Deal and the Green New Deal for Europe are two such initiatives. Left-leaning critics have critiqued the Green New Deal for insufficient recognition of the legacy of imperialist domination of the Global South and racial oppression and settler colonialism within the United States. The Green New Deal is a work in progress and its advocates should improve their vision by taking these constructive criticisms to heart.
The bigger the lifeboat, the more we can save.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-06-15--When White People Call the Cops on Black People, They Lay Bare Classic US Racism

By now , everyone should be familiar with the incident in Central Park , when a white woman named Amy Cooper confronted a Black man named Christian Cooper ( no relation ) and called the police on him , claiming that he was threatening her .
The incident was captured on a video that went viral , and the retribution to Amy Cooper was swift .
She was excoriated on social media , fired from her job , temporarily had her dog taken from her ( the same dog she refused to put on a leash ) , and now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the enactment of a bill popularly known as the “ Amy Cooper ” bill , first introduced in 2018 by Assemblyman Felix Ortiz , which could deem a false 911 call based on race a hate crime .
Although public attention has turned to the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota , what transpired in Central Park deserves analysis , because racism in the U.S. manifests itself in instances like the one in Central Park far more frequently than it does in police killings of unarmed Black people .
Amy Cooper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s racial history on classic display .
When Christian Cooper refused to stop recording her , Amy Cooper threatened to call the police and tell them “ There ’ s an African American man threatening my life.
” These were not “ just words , ” as she tried to claim later ; this was an acknowledgment of a history that has deemed Black males to be threats .
From slavery to the present day , Black males in the U.S. are wholly considered dangerous and criminally minded .
It is this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the horrors that Black men have endured for centuries , and it is used to excuse police brutality today .
Every time police have gotten away with killing an unarmed Black person , the reason was always the same : that the Black person made the officers fear for their safety and mandated that they extinguish the threat by lethal force .
History also tells a horrific tale when Black men have stood accused of offending white women .
From slavery on down , white men have had a morbid fear of Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and have acted violently if they even think their fears might be realized .
Many of the Black men who were lynched after slavery were murdered because of allegations that they improperly approached white women .
Emmett Till , a 14-year-old Chicago teenager visiting relatives in Mississippi , was kidnapped , mutilated and shot in the head .
His crime ?
Allegedly whistling at a white woman ; and it turns out , that allegation was as false as Amy Cooper ’ s claims .
Amy Cooper undoubtedly had a passing awareness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cooper , and then followed through on her threats .
Also at play is the role of police in maintaining the racial hierarchy of this country .
White Americans know that a de facto function of the police is to keep Black people in check ; and when they have called the police , it was a given that the officers would side with them against Black people .
This is exactly what happened to Christopher and Jerry Tate , two African American brothers who were falsely arrested in St. Louis , Missouri @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man named Patrick John Owens attempted to rob them at gunpoint , shooting one of them in the act , and then ran to the police and claimed that the brothers tried to rob him .
The Tates tried to explain to the police that the man had tried to rob them , but the police ignored them and believed Owens — until video surveillance surfaced in February 2018 that validated the brothers ’ account of what transpired .
Hallway Harrys , Barbecue Beckys and Permit Pattys have always existed in U.S. history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
Social media is also exposing perhaps the most basic power of all , articulated by Ta-Nehisi Coates in his groundbreaking work , Between the World and Me : the power of white people over the bodies of Black people .
In the first half of the 20th century , white civilians could kill Black people without fear of a trial , and sometimes they still can , absent video .
Ahmaud Arbery showed us that ; the two white vigilantes who killed him in February were not even arrested until video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequently , however , they exercise that power through the police force .
It is no coincidence that white support for police has consistently remained high , despite times when the media was saturated with story after story of unarmed Black people being slain by law enforcement .
The police have true power over the bodies of Black people .
This is evidenced by stop-and-frisk , gang policing , contempt of cop charges and , of course , assaults and murders .
In times past , Christian Cooper would have been jailed or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone on with her life as if nothing happened .
But social media has allowed for something uncommon in U.S. history : white people being held accountable for their racism .
And in a society where white comfort has been prioritized over Black life itself , accountability is unfamiliar territory for people like Amy Cooper .
It shows in her insincere apology , which was more of a lament of the consequences of her actions than an authentic admission of wrongdoing .
Certainly , it could not be her fault why her life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behavior went viral .
And so , even when confronted with clear evidence of racism , Amy Cooper , like white America , persists in denial .
In slavery , white people argued that Black people were “ savages ” that needed Eurocentric “ civilizing ” and bondage ; now , white people fault the contemporary conditions of Black people on the degeneracy of their “ culture ” and a lack of personal responsibility .
In her “ apology , ” Amy Cooper minimized her actions while blaming the victim , alleging that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a threat .
Of course , this does not explain why she angrily approached him , threatened him and stood within feet of him while calling the cops — all of which occurred after she heard something that scared her .
Amy Cooper is the American next door .
There are lots of Amy Coopers in the U.S .
They are in the Democratic and Republican parties ; they are in liberal and conservative institutions ; they are everyday people who walk their dogs , go grocery shopping , take yoga class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They work in schools , in hospitals , in the courts , on the police force .
And their privilege and sense of entitlement makes life in the U.S. hell for Black people .

By now, everyone should be familiar with the incident in Central Park, when a white woman named Amy Cooper confronted a Black man named Christian Cooper (no relation) and called the police on him, claiming that he was threatening her. The incident was captured on a video that went viral, and the retribution to Amy Cooper was swift. She was excoriated on social media, fired from her job, temporarily had her dog taken from her (the same dog she refused to put on a leash), and now, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is pushing for the enactment of a bill popularly known as the “Amy Cooper” bill, first introduced in 2018 by Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, which could deem a false 911 call based on race a hate crime.
Although public attention has turned to the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, what transpired in Central Park deserves analysis, because racism in the U.S. manifests itself in instances like the one in Central Park far more frequently than it does in police killings of unarmed Black people. Amy Cooper effectively put the intricacies of the country’s racial history on classic display.
When Christian Cooper refused to stop recording her, Amy Cooper threatened to call the police and tell them “There’s an African American man threatening my life.” These were not “just words,” as she tried to claim later; this was an acknowledgment of a history that has deemed Black males to be threats. From slavery to the present day, Black males in the U.S. are wholly considered dangerous and criminally minded. It is this lingering and persistent imaging that has justified the horrors that Black men have endured for centuries, and it is used to excuse police brutality today. Every time police have gotten away with killing an unarmed Black person, the reason was always the same: that the Black person made the officers fear for their safety and mandated that they extinguish the threat by lethal force.
History also tells a horrific tale when Black men have stood accused of offending white women. From slavery on down, white men have had a morbid fear of Black men being romantically involved with white women, and have acted violently if they even think their fears might be realized. Many of the Black men who were lynched after slavery were murdered because of allegations that they improperly approached white women. Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Chicago teenager visiting relatives in Mississippi, was kidnapped, mutilated and shot in the head. His crime? Allegedly whistling at a white woman; and it turns out, that allegation was as false as Amy Cooper’s claims. Amy Cooper undoubtedly had a passing awareness of this history when she threatened Mr. Cooper, and then followed through on her threats.
Also at play is the role of police in maintaining the racial hierarchy of this country. White Americans know that a de facto function of the police is to keep Black people in check; and when they have called the police, it was a given that the officers would side with them against Black people. This is exactly what happened to Christopher and Jerry Tate, two African American brothers who were falsely arrested in St. Louis, Missouri, in August 2017. A white man named Patrick John Owens attempted to rob them at gunpoint, shooting one of them in the act, and then ran to the police and claimed that the brothers tried to rob him. The Tates tried to explain to the police that the man had tried to rob them, but the police ignored them and believed Owens — until video surveillance surfaced in February 2018 that validated the brothers’ account of what transpired. Hallway Harrys, Barbecue Beckys and Permit Pattys have always existed in U.S. history; social media is merely exposing them now.
Social media is also exposing perhaps the most basic power of all, articulated by Ta-Nehisi Coates in his groundbreaking work, Between the World and Me: the power of white people over the bodies of Black people. In the first half of the 20th century, white civilians could kill Black people without fear of a trial, and sometimes they still can, absent video. Ahmaud Arbery showed us that; the two white vigilantes who killed him in February were not even arrested until video evidence came out in May. More frequently, however, they exercise that power through the police force. It is no coincidence that white support for police has consistently remained high, despite times when the media was saturated with story after story of unarmed Black people being slain by law enforcement. The police have true power over the bodies of Black people. This is evidenced by stop-and-frisk, gang policing, contempt of cop charges and, of course, assaults and murders.
White Americans know that a de facto function of the police is to keep Black people in check.
In times past, Christian Cooper would have been jailed or worse, and Amy Cooper would have gone on with her life as if nothing happened. But social media has allowed for something uncommon in U.S. history: white people being held accountable for their racism. And in a society where white comfort has been prioritized over Black life itself, accountability is unfamiliar territory for people like Amy Cooper. It shows in her insincere apology, which was more of a lament of the consequences of her actions than an authentic admission of wrongdoing. Certainly, it could not be her fault why her life was ruined when the video of her behavior went viral.
And so, even when confronted with clear evidence of racism, Amy Cooper, like white America, persists in denial. In slavery, white people argued that Black people were “savages” that needed Eurocentric “civilizing” and bondage; now, white people fault the contemporary conditions of Black people on the degeneracy of their “culture” and a lack of personal responsibility. In her “apology,” Amy Cooper minimized her actions while blaming the victim, alleging that Christian Cooper said something she reasonably perceived as a threat. Of course, this does not explain why she angrily approached him, threatened him and stood within feet of him while calling the cops — all of which occurred after she heard something that scared her.
Amy Cooper is the American next door. There are lots of Amy Coopers in the U.S. They are in the Democratic and Republican parties; they are in liberal and conservative institutions; they are everyday people who walk their dogs, go grocery shopping, take yoga class, live in apartments in gentrifying neighborhoods. They work in schools, in hospitals, in the courts, on the police force. And their privilege and sense of entitlement makes life in the U.S. hell for Black people.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
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truthout--2020-06-16--Pence Falsely Claims COVID Rates in Oklahoma Are Declining Ahead of Trump Rally

Vice President Mike Pence is wrongly asserting that the spread of coronavirus in Tulsa , Oklahoma , isn ’ t something to worry about , days before President Donald Trump ’ s first campaign rally since March is set to take place there .
Pence believes that such fears are misplaced because , according to him , the state where the rally is going to happen has seen cases go down .
“ The number of cases in Oklahoma has declined precipitously and we feel very confident going forward with the rally this coming weekend , ” Pence recently said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president is demonstratively false : cases are going up , not down , in both Oklahoma and in Tulsa itself , making it more likely that Trump ’ s campaign rally will boost the spread of the coronavirus .
According to numbers obtained earlier on Tuesday afternoon from The New York Times ’ s coronavirus tracking website , the seven-day average of new cases being observed across the state currently sits at 173.0 new cases per day .
The previous seven-day average was 90.4 new cases per day .
The seven-day average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally will take place on Saturday , is currently at 56.0 new cases per day .
Two weeks ago , that average was at just 18.4 new cases per day — a 304 percent increase in numbers during that time .
The increase in new cases is evident in a visual way as well , as shown by a tweet from CNN ’ s Daniel Dale , demonstrating that the number of cases isn ’ t declining , but increasing across the state .
Many in Tulsa do not want the president to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city , with The Tulsa World editorial board opining on Monday against doing so .
Tulsa is “ still dealing with the challenges created by a pandemic , ” the paper noted .
Bruce Dart , the director of Tulsa ’ s City-County Health Department , also weighed in , telling The Tulsa World in a separate news article he felt that Trump should reconsider , too .
“ I think it ’ s an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community , but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump frequently denounced warnings about COVID-19 in the run-up to the pandemic , particularly in late February and early March , when he assured Americans it was nothing to worry over .
After he relented and issued social distancing guidelines for states to employ , he soon demanded that the nation “ reopen , ” perhaps doing so in order to help his reelection chances for this year ’ s presidential race .
Trump ’ s recent statements on the virus ’ s spread don ’ t inspire much confidence in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease , either .
“ If we stop testing right now , we ’ d have very few cases , if any , ” the president suggested on Monday .
As of Tuesday , more than 118,000 Americans have died of coronavirus , with nearly 2.2 million having contracted the disease since March 1 .

In Tulsa, and Oklahoma in general, coronavirus cases are increasing, not decreasing as the vice president suggests.
Vice President Mike Pence is wrongly asserting that the spread of coronavirus in Tulsa, Oklahoma, isn’t something to worry about, days before President Donald Trump’s first campaign rally since March is set to take place there.
Pence believes that such fears are misplaced because, according to him, the state where the rally is going to happen has seen cases go down.
“The number of cases in Oklahoma has declined precipitously and we feel very confident going forward with the rally this coming weekend,” Pence recently said.
However, that statement from the vice president is demonstratively false: cases are going up, not down, in both Oklahoma and in Tulsa itself, making it more likely that Trump’s campaign rally will boost the spread of the coronavirus.
According to numbers obtained earlier on Tuesday afternoon from The New York Times’s coronavirus tracking website, the seven-day average of new cases being observed across the state currently sits at 173.0 new cases per day. The previous seven-day average was 90.4 new cases per day.
The seven-day average in Tulsa County, where the campaign rally will take place on Saturday, is currently at 56.0 new cases per day. Two weeks ago, that average was at just 18.4 new cases per day — a 304 percent increase in numbers during that time.
The increase in new cases is evident in a visual way as well, as shown by a tweet from CNN’s Daniel Dale, demonstrating that the number of cases isn’t declining, but increasing across the state.
Pence says Oklahoma has flattened the curve and that the number of cases in the state has "declined precipitously." https://t.co/ewI8rrLwsf pic.twitter.com/UfFjUywC0x — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 15, 2020
Many in Tulsa do not want the president to make his first campaign stop in their city, with The Tulsa World editorial board opining on Monday against doing so. Tulsa is “still dealing with the challenges created by a pandemic,” the paper noted.
Bruce Dart, the director of Tulsa’s City-County Health Department, also weighed in, telling The Tulsa World in a separate news article he felt that Trump should reconsider, too.
“I think it’s an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community, but not during a pandemic,” Dart explained.
Trump frequently denounced warnings about COVID-19 in the run-up to the pandemic, particularly in late February and early March, when he assured Americans it was nothing to worry over. After he relented and issued social distancing guidelines for states to employ, he soon demanded that the nation “reopen,” perhaps doing so in order to help his reelection chances for this year’s presidential race.
Trump’s recent statements on the virus’s spread don’t inspire much confidence in his understanding of properly containing the spread of the disease, either. “If we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any,” the president suggested on Monday.
As of Tuesday, more than 118,000 Americans have died of coronavirus, with nearly 2.2 million having contracted the disease since March 1.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-06-16--NYPD Wrongly Claims Shake Shack Employees “Intentionally Poisoned” Officers

After three police officers in New York City had consumed milkshakes that made them ill , police unions in the city alleged the incident was a purposeful “ attack ” on cops .
But an investigation of the matter later found that it was accidental , not criminal .
Three officers on protest detail in New York City had visited a Shake Shack location and purchased milkshakes , later becoming sick and requiring visits to the hospital .
The officers were released shortly after , but the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York ( NYC PBA ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York , slammed the company for purportedly hurting the officers on purpose .
“ When NYC police officers can not even take [ a ] meal without coming under attack , it is clear that environment in which we work has deteriorated to a critical level , ” NYC PBA said in a tweet on the matter .
“ We can not afford to let our guard down for even a moment.
” Another New York police union , the Detectives ’ Endowment Association , released a similar statement , claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after initial reports of the incident came out .
Neither police union had evidence to back up their claims .
Indeed , after NYPD conducted an investigation into the milkshake incident , it was determined on Tuesday morning that no criminal action had taken place .
Instead , it appeared that a cleaning solution for the milkshake machine hadn ’ t been properly cleared out before the milkshakes began being served .
Both police unions have since issued retractions of their initial remarks , with NYC PBA recognizing that “ no criminality ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as though the backlash against Shake Shack had already begun , regardless of those retractions , due to the initial outrage over accusations levied onto the company .
Although Shake Shack — a $ 450 million corporation that was recently embroiled in a controversy over its acquisition of PPP loans — announced on Monday evening , before the investigation was concluded , that it was cooperating with police and “ horrified ” by the events , several users on social media accused the business of “ attempted murder ” and targeting of police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also created in response to the allegations by the police unions .
Even after news came out that it was an honest mistake , some users refused to believe it , continuing their crusade against the company even after the findings of the investigation were made public .
The initial statements from police unions in New York City over the accidental contamination of milkshakes are indicative of a regular practice by police officers across the country to perpetually play the role of victim .
As Max Felker-Kantor , assistant professor of history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University , pointed out in a Truthout article last week , most calls to reform or change the way police protection works are met with fierce opposition , often coupled with baseless attacks from the police toward critics or the community at large .
The police response to recent calls to defund police departments have been no different .
“ Defunding the police is a critical step , but it will not be enough without recognizing how the police will use demands for systemic reform to frame themselves as the ‘ victims ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to maintain so-called law and order , ” Felker-Kantor wrote .

After three police officers in New York City had consumed milkshakes that made them ill, police unions in the city alleged the incident was a purposeful “attack” on cops. But an investigation of the matter later found that it was accidental, not criminal.
Three officers on protest detail in New York City had visited a Shake Shack location and purchased milkshakes, later becoming sick and requiring visits to the hospital. The officers were released shortly after, but the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York (NYC PBA), the largest union of police officers in New York, slammed the company for purportedly hurting the officers on purpose.
“When NYC police officers cannot even take [a] meal without coming under attack, it is clear that environment in which we work has deteriorated to a critical level,” NYC PBA said in a tweet on the matter. “We cannot afford to let our guard down for even a moment.”
Another New York police union, the Detectives’ Endowment Association, released a similar statement, claiming the officers were “intentionally poisoned” after initial reports of the incident came out.
Neither police union had evidence to back up their claims. Indeed, after NYPD conducted an investigation into the milkshake incident, it was determined on Tuesday morning that no criminal action had taken place. Instead, it appeared that a cleaning solution for the milkshake machine hadn’t been properly cleared out before the milkshakes began being served.
Both police unions have since issued retractions of their initial remarks, with NYC PBA recognizing that “no criminality” was evident. However, it appeared as though the backlash against Shake Shack had already begun, regardless of those retractions, due to the initial outrage over accusations levied onto the company.
Although Shake Shack — a $450 million corporation that was recently embroiled in a controversy over its acquisition of PPP loans — announced on Monday evening, before the investigation was concluded, that it was cooperating with police and “horrified” by the events, several users on social media accused the business of “attempted murder” and targeting of police in general. A #BoycottShakeShack hashtag was also created in response to the allegations by the police unions.
Even after news came out that it was an honest mistake, some users refused to believe it, continuing their crusade against the company even after the findings of the investigation were made public.
The initial statements from police unions in New York City over the accidental contamination of milkshakes are indicative of a regular practice by police officers across the country to perpetually play the role of victim. As Max Felker-Kantor, assistant professor of history and African American studies at Ball State University, pointed out in a Truthout article last week, most calls to reform or change the way police protection works are met with fierce opposition, often coupled with baseless attacks from the police toward critics or the community at large.
The police response to recent calls to defund police departments have been no different.
“Defunding the police is a critical step, but it will not be enough without recognizing how the police will use demands for systemic reform to frame themselves as the ‘victims’ in need of more support and power to maintain so-called law and order,” Felker-Kantor wrote.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.