Politics. On Point.

The evil wheels of America's so-called justice system just keep turning.   Nowhere in any civilized nation should the life of anyone be reduced to serving 23 hours of solitary confinement a day  - while awaiting trial for two years to determine if one actually stole a backpack . Did the backpack contain Top Secret information?  Or is it just another example of the unjust treatment of African Americans by law enforcement that stops at nothing to ensure that Black folk in America are jailed (or worse) for every so-called infraction. As we've seen recently, every so-called infraction may resemble:  breathing, walking , driving , barbequing , standing in front of one's own residence, traveling, riding the train , pumping gas, playing music , standing on the street (which citizen's taxes pay for), making eye contact with a cop, reaching for a driver's license, walking along the highway While not every instance mentioned above resulted in being subjected to solitar...

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 25, 2016 FACT SHEET: Department of Justice Review of Solitary Confinement In July 2015, the President announced that he had asked the Attorney General to review “the overuse of solitary confinement across American prisons.”  Since that time, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has undertaken a thorough review to determine how, when, and why correctional facilities isolate certain prisoners from the general inmate population, and has now developed concrete strategies for safely reducing the use of this practice, also known as “restrictive housing,” throughout our criminal justice system.  That review led to a Report to the President setting out Guiding Principles that would responsibly limit the use of restrictive housing at the federal, state, and local level, as well as specific recommendations for policies that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) can implement for federal prisons.  The Report identifies ways...

SOTU graphic credit: WhiteHouse.gov From the White House... Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 10, 2016 White House Announces Guests in First Lady’s Box – State of the Union Address WASHINGTON, DC – The following individuals will be seated in the box with the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden and Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, at the State of the Union Address  on Tuesday . For the President’s final State of the Union address, the individuals who will be seated in the guest box of First Lady Michelle Obama represent the progress we have made since the President first delivered this speech seven years ago – from the brink of a second Great Depression and two costly wars to an economy that is growing and renewed American leadership abroad. Their stories – of struggle and success – highlight where we have been and where America is going in the future, building on the best of what our country has to offer. The guests pe...

President Obama, today, gave remarks on the steps his administration is planning to take to make it harder for Americans to gain access to guns. In a tearful demonstration the president recalled several incidents of gun violence during his tenure and became emotional, yet again, while mentioning the Sandy Hook massacre. "Everytime I think about those kids it gets me mad", he said. The president's Executive Order, which will include mandatory background checks, will be 21st century proof, according to President Obama. "We're going to bring an outdated background check system in to the 21st century", he said. The president's Executive Order, which bypassed Congress, have people talking --   including Congress . The owner of a Colonial Heights, Virginia gun shop, Dance's Sporting Goods, said his business has been very good since the president's action.   His customers, who fear they will not be able to own guns and fear the Second Ame...

We all are aware of the grim gun statistics that face our communities, seemingly on a daily basis. Everyday the news reports that someone has been murdered or wounded by a gun. The administration is taking steps to ensure gun safety and to keep guns out of the wrong hands. Today, the president issued a memorandum titled 'Promoting Smart Gun Technology'. He also plans to hold a Town Hall later this week at George Mason University with CNN's Anderson Cooper where the president will take audience questions, live. The president's Smart Gun Technology memo is below. --- For Immediate Release January 4, 2016 January 4, 2016 MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY SUBJECT: Promoting Smart Gun Technology For more than 20 years, the Federal Government has worked to keep guns out of the wrong hands through background checks. This critical effort in addressing gun violence has prevented more than two mill...