By CHARLES BROOKS
President Trump has again raised concerns with his tough on
crime message when he publicly endorsed the use of police violence. On
July 28th, the president visited Suffolk County Community
College to
talk about the federal plans for the MS-13 gang: “…Right now, we have less than
6,000 Enforcement and Removal Officers in ICE. This is not enough to
protect a nation of more than 320 million people. It's essential that
Congress fund another 10,000 ICE officers…” But then the president went
on to say: “And
when you see these towns and when you see these thugs being thrown into the
back of a paddy wagon -- you just see them thrown in, rough -- I said, please
don’t be too nice. Like when you guys put somebody in the car and you're
protecting their head, you know, the way you put their hand over? Like,
don’t hit their head and they've just killed somebody -- don't hit their
head. I said, you can take the hand away, okay?”
While the White House dismissed the
reckless remarks as a joke, widespread criticism
and condemnation has been nevertheless unleashed from both law
enforcement and civil
liberties groups. Described as “unconscionable”, “irresponsible” and
“unprofessional”, the president remarks underline the deep concerns that range
from blatant violation of constitutional rights to the negative impact on
police-community relations. What is equally disturbing is that in the
past his inflammatory comments not only
sparked several incidents of physical violence at his campaign
events but his election victory triggered a nationwide
outbreak of racial attacks.
This latest controversy should serve as a reminder of the
2016 campaign and primary season when Trump would often refer to himself as
the law
and order president; voiced his support for stop
and frisk tactics and federal intervention as a way to deal with
the gun
violence in Chicago; while delivering his get tough message via
social media: “This election is a choice between law, order & safety
- or chaos, crime & violence. I will make America safe again for
everyone. Crime is out of control, and rapidly getting worse. Look what
is going on in Chicago and our inner cities.”
White House website was redesigned to include issues deemed important to the new president such as Standing Up for our Law Enforcement Community. The new president escalated concerns with his appointment of Senator Jeff Sessions as Attorney General. In his opening statement during his confirmation hearings, Sessions declared: “If we are to be more effective in dealing with rising crime, we will have to rely heavily on local law enforcement to lead the way. To do that, they must know that they are supported. If I am so fortunate as to be confirmed as Attorney General, they can be assured that they will have my support. In his six months as Attorney General, we’ve witnessed Sessions announcing his intention to resume the drug war, forfeit property and undo medical marijuana protections.
In addition to Trump’s controversial picks for Attorney
General and the Supreme Court, he also signed three “law and order” executive
orders that would; create a task
force that would propose new legislation to reduce crime by highlighting drug trafficking, illegal immigration and violent crime; increase
penalties for crimes committed against officers, and strengthen
federal law to combat transnational criminal organizations and prevent international trafficking.
Discussion Question:
Do you think the president was ‘joking’ when he made the
remarks? Do you have any concerns about the possible implications of Trumps
remarks? How much confidence do you have in the Congressional Black Caucus to
impede the progress of the president’s plan for law and order? What about the
larger civil rights/civil liberties community? What do you think is the best
way to pressure Congress, and legislators at the state and local level?
Further Reading
