National
WASHINGTON, DC— Three months after the tragic shooting in Newtown, Conn., President Barack Obama said that the Senate has taken important steps forward to help protect our kids by reducing gun violence. The American people made their voices heard, and the Senate made progress to make it harder for criminals and people with serious mental illnesses to get guns, to crack down on anyone trying to funnel guns to criminals, and to reinstate and strengthen a ban on the sale of military-style assault weapons. Each of these ideas deserves a vote. President Obama urges Congress to pass these commonsense measures while affirming our Nation's tradition of responsible gun ownership.
In his weekly address on March 23 from the White House, Obama stated:
"It has now been three months since the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut. Three months since we lost 20 innocent children and six dedicated adults who had so much left to give. Three months since we, as Americans, began asking ourselves if we're really doing enough to protect our communities and keep our children safe.
"For the families who lost a loved one on that terrible day, three months doesn't even begin to ease the pain they're feeling right now. It doesn't come close to mending the wounds that may never fully heal.
"But as a nation, the last three months have changed us. They've forced us to answer some difficult questions about what we can do – what we must do – to prevent the kinds of massacres we've seen in Newtown and Aurora and Oak Creek, as well as the everyday tragedies that happen far too often in big cities and small towns all across America.
"Today there is still genuine disagreement among well-meaning people about what steps we should take to reduce the epidemic of gun violence in this country. But you – the American people – have spoken. You've made it clear that it's time to do something. And over the last few weeks, Senators here in Washington have listened and taken some big steps forward.
"Two weeks ago, the Senate advanced a bill that would make it harder for criminals and people with a severe mental illness from getting their hands on a gun – an idea supported by nine out of ten Americans, including a majority of gun owners.
"The Senate also made progress on a bill that would crack down on anyone who buys a gun as part of a scheme to funnel it to criminals – reducing violent crime and protecting our law enforcement officers.
"Finally, the Senate took steps to reinstate and strengthen a ban on the sale of military-style assault weapons, set a 10-round limit for magazines, and make our schools safer places for kids to learn and grow.
"These ideas shouldn't be controversial – they're common sense. They're supported by a majority of the American people. And I urge the Senate and the House to give each of them a vote.
"As I've said before, we may not be able to prevent every act of violence in this country. But together, we have an obligation to try. We have an obligation to do what we can.
"Right now, we have a real chance to reduce gun violence in America, and prevent the very worst violence. We have a unique opportunity to reaffirm our tradition of responsible gun ownership, and also do more to keep guns out of the hands of criminals or people with a severe mental illness.
"We've made progress over the last three months, but we're not there yet. And in the weeks ahead, I hope Members of Congress will join me in finishing the job – for our communities and, most importantly, for our kids. "
Organization Contends Their Version is a Sharp Contrast to Ryan's
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) presented an alternative budget for the 2013 fiscal year that they said slashes deficits, eliminates the sequester and protects those programs which are safety nets for the most vulnerable.
"Since 1981, the CBC has presented alternate budgets which lowers deficits and alleviates harm in a fiscally sound manner," said CBC Chairman Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio). "I do not believe we should sacrifice the community to balance the budget."
"I'm extremely proud of this budget. I think it's the best one offered so far."
Fudge was joined by Reps. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) in a media conference call on Friday, March 15. Each criticized the budget released recently by Wisconsin Republican Rep. Paul Ryan because of its over-reliance on savaging Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, while calling for even greater cuts to taxes for the richest Americans.
"There are different priorities between us and the Republicans," said Scott. "I wouldn't call what the Republicans produced a budget. It's a document. We use a pre-sequester baseline and parts of our budget eliminates the sequester ... there is $500 billion invested to accelerate the nation's economic recovery, we restore cuts to education, there's 10 years of deficit reduction of $1.2 trillion. We spent money in different ways and exceeded Simpson-Bowles by $400 million."
Simpson-Bowles refers to a commission brought together by President Barack Obama to find a recipe of spending cuts and revenue to balance the budget.
Scott explained that Congress has already implemented $2.4 trillion in tax cuts, adding that $1.6 trillion in cuts is needed to put the country on a sustainable path. He said the CBC taskforce found $4 trillion in cuts by focusing on closing corporate loopholes and special interest benefits, noting that "a lot more could have been found."
This is budget season in the nation's capital with both political parties, as well as Obama, the CBC, the Progressive Caucus and a range of other entities and groups putting forward their version of what the budget should look like. Ryan put forward one blueprint, as did Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). And if the elements of the debate seem familiar, it is because Democrats and Republicans have been fighting this battle for a while now. At issue is what constitutes the government's responsibilities to its people as far as the budget goes, the scope of government and curbing spending and reducing deficits.
The budget debate is occurring against the backdrop of the debt ceiling, the sequester which is $85 billion in arbitrary across-the-board cuts to defense and domestic programs and other budget issues. Both Democrats and Republicans are entangled in often rancorous debates about the appropriate way forward.
"It's a fascinating document ... and it's a formula we've worked on for years," said Clyburn, about one section of the budget that calls for a national strategy to eliminate poverty by 50 percent in the next 10 years. "This budget will go into effect on Oct. 1. The budget will go into effect when the sequester ends."
Clyburn, the Assistant Democratic Leader, said his 10-20-30 amendment in Obama's Recovery Act directs 10 percent of the budget to 20 percent of the nation's population that has been living below the poverty line for the past 30 years.
Lee and her colleagues criticized Ryan's budget proposal which is reportedly seeking $4.6 trillion in cuts and seeks to eliminate deficits over 10 years without any tax increases; which counts $2.5 trillion in health care savings by repealing Obamacare; has $1 trillion in unspecified, mandatory cuts and $3.5 trillion in reductions to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without any tax loopholes being closed.
"Our budget exposes the Republican budget for what it is," Lee said. "That's $2.5 trillion in health care cuts that would be shifted to citizens. We have a responsible budget with credible numbers, job packages and we restore funds to programs. We have maintained fiscal responsibility and [will] create jobs, which is a priority."
She said the CBC budget includes $230 billion for the maintenance and repair of airports, bridges, roads and other infrastructure upgrades and renovations. In addition, $13 billion would be allocated to pay for the Workforce Investment Act and dislocation training; $50 billion would provide relief to states and municipalities and pay for salaries for teachers and law enforcement among other things; and $50 billion would be directed to finance a housing stabilization plan. The budget also sets aside $50 billion for veterans of the Iraq and Afghani wars.
"This budget creates a sharp contrast to the Ryan budget," said Lee. "It's critical because it maintains the safety net and invests in job creation. It also provides opportunities for all. I look forward to a good vote on this."
The lawmakers said that party members are negotiating and they are working to have many of the elements in their budget version incorporated into the Democratic budget.
Moore spoke of the importance of maintaining the safety net by preserving programs that Republicans have labeled entitlements: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
"There's lots of subterfuge on whether to make these cuts," she said. "We did not include these cuts to Social Security and Medicaid but many people have been itching to make these changes, literally throwing seniors and young people under the bus. We enjoyed dealing with this affirmatively."
"We think it's possible to strengthen Social Security and Medicare by getting more rebates from pharmaceutical companies, negotiating Part B to produce billions of dollars in savings, and also changing the cost of living adjustment of Social Security ..."
Scott said it is estimated that the sequester will cause between 750,000 and two million Americans to lose their jobs. However, the CBC budget through its jobs plan will lead to an increase of between 2.5 and 5 million jobs.
"To the extent that we allow the Ryan budget to take effect, to bring block grants and voucherize programs will cause deep problems. We're fighting for low-income people in this budget ... and you're beginning to hear the message of fighting for the middle class," said Clyburn.
Across the Catholic world, the new pope has excited the faithful and triggered an outpouring of love and affection for the man who was chosen on March 12, the second day of the papal conclave.
Sister Priscilla Busingye crystallizes the euphoria that has enveloped Catholics at the elevation of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to become the church's 266th pontiff.
The Ugandan native broke out into a broad smile.
"Oh, it was great news, my heart felt ... it was like a big celebration in my heart," said Busingye, a doctor who was in Washington to attend a health conference. "God inspired [Pope] Benedict to resign so that Francis could become pope. I really feel great."
"I was welcomed here by this news," said Busingye, who is a member of the order of the Daughters of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Uganda. "God has spoken so loudly. He wants the nations to focus on Christian values."
Bergoglio took the name of Francis, in homage to St. Francis of Assisi, as well as to St. Francis Xavier, himself a Jesuit and servant of the poor.
While serving in Argentina, the 76-year-old pope gained a reputation as an austere man who lived in a modest apartment, cooked his own food, used public transportation routinely and kissed and washed the feet of AIDS patients and drug addicts. And in the week since his selection, he, by his actions, has the laity enthralled with his humility, his simplicity and a message that suggests a new focus. The pope is the first Jesuit and the first pope chosen from the Americas, although his father was an Italian who emigrated to Buenos Aires in the 1930s.
While standing on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the pope greeted the crowd in a soft-spoken voice, asked them to pray for his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, led them in prayer and then asked them to pray for him.
"Now let us begin the journey," he said after a moment of silent prayer.
In his first full day as pontiff, the pope began with prayer at St. Mary Major Church before traveling personally to the clergy hotel to pay his bill.
Already, he has eschewed the trappings of office by wearing a simple white cassock without the red papal cape and a pectoral cross he wore while he was a bishop and the archbishop of Buenos Aires. And on Sunday after delivering his first Angelus – the noon blessing – he stunned onlookers by stepping outside Sant'Anna Gate onto the street to greet the faithful and other well-wishers.
Pope Francis was formally installed in a ceremony at the Vatican Tuesday morning.
Pope Francis inherits a church of 1.2 billion followers mired in scandal after more than a decade of revelations of priests' molesting children and young people and a cover-up by the church hierarchy that has infuriated parishioners and other critics. He faces a fractious, deeply divided congregation; an entrenched, anachronistic bureaucracy; Machiavellian political intrigue; and an institution with entangled finances and reputed financial ties to the Mafia. He must find a bridge between conservative elements and more liberal factions of the hierarchy and the church, work to attract new adherents, but more importantly he has to figure out how to help the church find its way back to skeptical and turned-off Catholics who are no longer part of the church.
Emily Smith, a 21-year-old senior at the Catholic University of America in Northeast, said she watched television keeping a close eye on the conclave while in class.
"It was a really exciting day on campus," the New York native said of Francis' selection. "Everyone was buzzing. It was a wise choice. I hope he renews the world's sense of faith. I hope he is welcoming to everyone and is open-minded as we move forward."
The Rev. Phillip J. Brown, Rector of the Theological College at Catholic University said the cardinals' selection caught him off-guard.
"I was not familiar with Cardinal Bergoglio. He was not mentioned prominently. It was a surprise and a wonder. I had to find out more about him," he said. "I'm delighted to have an American chosen. It expressed the global nature of the church and embraced the family."
Brown, 61, noted that the pope as a Jesuit represents the intellectuals in the church.
"He's a very simple man who's lived his life for the poor and disadvantaged," said Brown, who hails from Bismarck, N.D. "The church has given us a humble man who has lived an impoverished existence. The spirit has given us the man we need. There has been a very enthusiastic reaction from the laity."
"I was picking up groceries at Whole Foods and someone came out of the blue and said 'Congrats,'" said Brown.
Brown said the pope's interest in ecumenicalism is a hopeful sign.
"It's a big deal because he's the first Jesuit. By that very fact it's a big deal," said Brown, during an interview on Friday, March 15. "The Jesuits have a long, powerful tradition in the church. It's not like he's any Jesuit."
"Where this is significant and with his choice is not with [the Jesuit's] intellectual tradition but it's terribly significant because of their commitment to social justice, catering to the poor and distributing resources in ways that are equitable and fair."
Brown joked about a conversation he had with a Jesuit visitor earlier last week.
"I told him he should be celebrating and he said 'if a Jesuit ever becomes pope, that means the end is near.'"
At St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Southeast, the pride with which congregants carried themselves was apparent. The fact that Bergoglio chose the name Francis was not lost on them either.
"We're thrilled. Anytime the See of St. Peter is vacant, it's very disconcerting," said Father Jim Boccabella. "Now that the pope is chosen, it's a powerful thing."
Boccabella said he is impressed with the pope's humility that he brings to his office, "and he may bring some new things to the church."
Willis C. Daniels, an ordained minister in the Catholic Church since 1995 and a co-celebrant with Boccabella, beamed.
"I'm happy, jubilant," he said. "I give thanks to God. I really believe this is the Holy Spirit's choice."
Marie Cunningham-Brown, a retired federal government employee, looked beatific.
"It's just exciting. The whole process is just so spiritual," said Cunningham-Brown, who has been a Catholic since age 12. "We truly believe in his infallibility and the leadership he shows. Despite some of the things we've seen such as wars and the slavery of people of color, I've found that because of the church's spirit and attitude, I've gained spiritual grounding and an excellent education."
"I'm hoping for great things. My bucket list was to see a black president and I hope to see a black pope."
Tripling the minimum wage to $22 an hour from its current $7.25 an hour has been suggested by Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who until now had seemed to be keeping a low profile after defeating Republican Scott Brown in November for the Massachusetts seat.
In his State of the Union address on Feb. 13, President Barack Obama proposed increasing the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour.
"If we started in 1960, and we said [that] as productivity goes up, that is as workers are producing more. Then the minimum wage was going to go up the same. And if that were the case, then the minimum wage today would be about $22 an hour," said Warren, the administration's former Special Advisor for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Warren was speaking at last week's Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on "Keeping up with a Changing Economy: Indexing the Minimum Wage." Warren added: "So my question is . . . What happened to the other $14.75? It sure didn't go to the worker."
Panelist Arindrajit Dube, an assistant professor at the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, responded to Warren's inquiry by drawing another comparison that appeared to suggest that the approximately $14 difference between today's actual minimum wage and Warren's hypothetical minimum wage was going to the nation's top one percent of earners.
"The answer to your question, 'who got the other $14' we can answer with the following comparison. Had the minimum wage grown at the same pace [of] incomes going to the top one percent of the taxpayers the minimum wage would have stood at $33 an hour before the recession in 2007."
Warren went on to suggest that such an increase in minimum wage would not lead to fewer jobs, as argued by many economists, but rather that raising the minimum wage by several dollars an hour was in fact doable.
"During my Senate campaign, I ate a Number 11 at McDonald's many, many times a week and I know the price on that one, $7.19," she said. "According to the data on the analysis of what would happen if we raised the minimum wage to $10.10 over three years, the price increase on that item would be about four cents, so instead of being $7.19 it would be $7.23. Are you telling me that's unsustainable?"
Warren's $10.10 minimum wage option has been floated recently by other Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi who earlier this month proposed to her colleagues on the hill that the nation's minimum wage should be raised to $10.
Opponents to a minimum wage increase argue that such a raise in hourly pay would have a negative effect on overall employment, preventing employers from hiring new entry-level workers and keeping the unemployment rate at or around 8 percent for years to come.
The joy of Easter for hundreds of children could be diminished this year if the annual White House Easter Egg Roll is cancelled.
The event is scheduled for Monday, April 1 -- and, it appears that if it doesn't go on as planned, the sequestration could be at fault.
A White House official was quoted as saying that "because we distribute tickets for the Easter Egg Hunt far in advance, we alerted all ticket holders that this event is subject to cancellation due to funding uncertainty, including the possibility of a government shutdown. However, we're currently proceeding as planned with the Easter Egg Roll." If the Roll is cancelled this time, it won't be rescheduled, according to a White House statement.
But CNN reported that Republicans are doubtful the event will be held, adding that Newt Gingrich shared his outrage on Twitter:
"Shameless. How else would they describe the threat to cancel the White House Easter Egg Hunt? It may be pathetic, demagogic . . . I'm trying to find the right words."
(Sources: CNN, WJLA)
The nation's oldest civil rights organization is celebrating the recent repeal of the state of Maryland's death penalty.
In a statement released late last week, Ben Jealous, NAACP president and CEO, said a major milestone for which the Maryland NAACP had worked toward for more than a century, had been accomplished.
"Thank you Gov. [Martin] O'Malley, Lt. Governor [Anthony] Brown, and the bill sponsors and supporters in the House and Senate that showed the backbone and moral clarity to end this injustice,' Jealous said of the March 15 bill passage. "Tomorrow we will wake up in a state where we will never again have to worry if someone is put to death because of their color, class or in spite of their innocence."
Gerald Stansbury, president of the Maryland State Conference NAACP, added that the state had joined 17 other states and most of the Western world in banning the death penalty.
"Thanks to the hard work of the Maryland CASE, Family Victims, and all the other organizations that joined the NAACP in making this historic day possible," Stansbury said. "This decision will make our justice system fairer and more effective. I hope it will inspire leaders in other states to follow suit."
The repeal bill passed by a vote of 82 to 56. The Maryland Senate has already passed the bill. With Maryland, six states have repealed the death penalty in the last six years and Maryland becomes the first state under the Mason-Dixon line to repeal the death penalty.
The NAACP is also working in Colorado and Delaware where legislation to repeal the death penalty was introduced a week ago.
(Source: NAACP.org)
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus has in his possession, a report that he believes will change the fluctuating fortunes of the GOP.
On Monday, March 18, he will share some of the findings of a months-long study called The Growth and Opportunity Project which he said will be the blueprint that will make the Grand Old Party [GOP] a much more attractive place for people of color.
In an exclusive interview with The Washington Informer, he said the release of the 60-page report during a press conference at the Capitol Hill Press Club in Southeast, will signal an all-out push by the GOP to extend its grassroots reach among minorities while building an infrastructure to beat the Democrats at their own game.
The project reflects Priebus' concerns about the state of the GOP and a desire to bring increasing numbers of blacks, Latinos, Asians, young people and women under the party's umbrella. The report is said to contain about 100 recommendations covering a range of issues, including demographic participation and related concerns and developing a friendlier debate calendar.
"We're in a world of permanent politics and we have a lot of work to build relations in the African- American community," said Priebus during a March 17 interview. "For generations, it was the Republican Party that was the home for the majority of African Americans," he said. "Our party's leaders – from Lincoln to Eisenhower – have been the true champions of civil rights. We must earn back that place. I think we have to earn their trust."
"This is the party that should be the natural home for African Americans," he asserted. "It won't happen overnight, but hopefully our actions will match our resolve. We have to grow our party and welcome them in a way that we haven't before. We can go to people who are moderates or those to the right of us."
Priebus, 40, said the Republican National Committee [RNC] will immediately begin hiring hundreds of new outreach employees, including political directors, communications experts and strategists, and community and state leaders who'll be responsible for reaching out to the voting blocs the GOP seeks to attract and retain: Hispanics, Asians and African Americans.
"I'm not interested in hiring two people down the hall. I want to hire hundreds and hundreds and have them out in the community," he said.
In addition, the chairman said, the effort will update its marketing and communications model, while stepping up marketing campaigns on college campuses, including historically black colleges and universities.
Of equal concern to Priebus was the poor showing of his party in 2012. The report offers reasons why Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney was trounced by President Barack Obama and it offers a prescription to make the GOP a formidable foe on the national stage.
"We have to do everything we can to compete with the Obama Machine," Priebus said during an earlier interview. "I believe that the other side has created a community-based, granular campaign coast-to-coast. We have to improve our chances in 2014. We didn't just get here overnight."
On Face the Nation Sunday morning, Priebus said it's essential that the GOP inject itself into communities nationwide. At the same time, the party has to change the way it presents and sells itself and allow people to see the true face of the party. All too often, he said, Democrats do a much better job connecting with voters on issues that resonate with them. He elaborated on that point during the exclusive interview.
"We must communicate a more positive, broader message that voters can connect with emotionally," he said. "In order to start winning presidential elections, I think we have to start winning over people's hearts," Priebus said. "It's an emotional vote and it's a cultural vote. I think at times we divorce ourselves from the culture. We shouldn't."
"I think we have to do a better job relating issues to people's lives. When you're talking about the debt, for example, it's not just a matter of mathematics. It's what happens in your life," Priebus said. "We have to relate things in people's lives and we have to win the math war. We're going to have to learn how to win the heart war and that's what is plaguing our party in presidential elections."
The chairman acknowledged that Republicans have been known to execute "get out the vote efforts four months before an election", while Democrats can draw on the long-term relationships they've cultivated over time in local communities to carry them to victory.
"It's a granular approach to what we need to be doing as a party," he said. "We must organize voter registration, go to swearing-in ceremonies and always be promoting others to help us as well. This is multifaceted. And again, you've never seen this level of commitment from the RNC. It's a huge deal."
Priebus said it makes sense to be operating at the grassroots level if only to avoid some of the problems that plagued Romney and other Republican candidates like Missouri's Todd Akin.
"If you're not interacting with people and there isn't a level of comfort or familiarity, then ... the caricature becomes true if you're not there."
Republicans are still feeling the sting because of the recent presidential election loss. Victory seemed assured due to an anemic economy, high unemployment figures, a vulnerable incumbent and historic Republican gains in 2010. But the victory that Fox News commentators and GOP analysts predicted melted away fairly early on the evening of Nov. 6.
To that end, Priebus said two proposals the RNC plans to implement are to shorten the primary process and move up the convention.
"Our candidates are killing each other because our primary process is way too long," he said, while the other side is consolidating its position "by spending potentially hundreds of millions of dollars on data, technology, voter outreach ... actually getting the job done."
Party leaders will look at the political calendar, consider reducing the debate calendar and putting in mechanisms that ensure that the GOP nominee goes into the general election much stronger and with more time and a better chance to attempt to succeed in the general elections.
Priebus promised to continue working until the goals identified by the report and party members are attained.
"We want to be big and bold," he said. "Our legacy will be that as the RNC chairman, I turned talk into action and made lasting changes to people and the party. This is not a short-term view, this is not a short-term job. I promise you I don't have a short view on this. I don't believe that there's some magic pixie dust that's going to change everything overnight.
"But I do believe that if we work hard, tell our story, get community-based, finance something that's big and bold, that we can move the numbers in a significant way for us in the future. And it's not just to move the numbers – it's the right thing to do."
The mayor of the District lamented the recent death of a woman who battled an insidious disease, yet fought on behalf of others, who neither had the strength nor the stamina to fight for themselves.
Zora Brown, a three-time cancer survivor and District resident, died on Sunday, March 3 of complications due to ovarian cancer. Brown was 63. She was renowned for her tireless advocacy on behalf of minorities, particularly black women.
D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (D) remembered Brown as being "a pioneer in advocating for breast-cancer awareness, research, treatment and support within communities in the District and nationwide."
"I personally understand her journey with this disease that also has touched my family, and I applaud Zora for her more than 25 years of tireless advocacy in the face of her own battle with the disease," said Gray, 70. "Her outreach through churches in the District helped to educate residents about the need for regular medical care and let them know that a cancer diagnosis was not an automatic death sentence," he said.
A November 2012 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta stated that black women have a disproportionately higher breast cancer rate – 41 percent – which surpasses white women. However, the report also indicated that black women have a lower rate of incidences of breast cancer.
Brown, born in Holdenville, Okla., was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1981, at the age of 32, and again in 1997.
Previously published reports said that Brown was predisposed to breast and ovarian cancer because of a gene, BRCA1, which affected multiple generations of her family. When she died, she was living with Stage III ovarian cancer.
Brown had a mastectomy after her first diagnosis in 1981. She immediately set out to inform women about breast cancer, noting at that time, that the rates for white women were declining while black women's rates were increasing.
In 1989, Brown formed the Breast Cancer Resource Committee, in an effort to reduce breast cancer mortality rates among minorities, especially black women. Her work earned her an appointment by President George H.W. Bush to the National Cancer Advisory Board in 1991. She served on the board until 1998. Brown also formed the Cancer Awareness Program Services in 1992 and Rise Sister Rise, a breast-cancer survivor support group for black women in the District.
A 1969 graduate of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla., and a confidant of former first lady Betty Ford, who also had breast cancer, Brown spoke about the disease in the 1980s and 1990s in black churches at a time when addressing chronic illnesses in churches wasn't commonplace.
Dr. Margaret Foti, the chief executive officer of the American Association for Cancer Research in Philadelphia, said that Brown was a fighter and her work will not be forgotten.
"There is a hole in our hearts as we mourn the loss of Zora Brown, who despite her many years of dealing with two cancers and multiple relapses, maintained an amazing and courageous spirit that inspired everyone around her," Foti said. "Her life's work as a cancer advocate has been extremely important in increasing public awareness about cancer, especially among women. Our lives have been enriched by knowing her."
School Officials Blamed for not Taking Truancy More Seriously
Truancy in the District of Columbia Public School (DCPS) system is a serious issue that has spiraled out of control – particularly when it comes to the end results for many black male students.
Their truancy numbers are significantly higher in comparison to other student populations, and instead of schools officials insisting upon counseling or detention to deter their behavior, they're relying on suspensions, expulsions, and law enforcement to deal with the problem. Those actions, in effect, often put young black males on the school-to-prison pipeline.
"The challenge of going to school is two-fold," Umar Abdullah Johnson, Ph.D., said during a recent appearance on "UDC Forum," a locally-televised outreach project of the University of the District of Columbia. "The first aspect of the problem relates to the school itself. Public education was not designed to successfully prepare African-American boys for a life of success," said Johnson, a certified school psychologist and author of Psycho-Academic Holocaust: The Special Education and ADHD Wars against Black Boys. "Public education, as it is today, largely functions to prepare our boys for a life of prison and incarceration."
Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson, 43, said in November during an anti-truancy hearing with members of the D.C.Council, that chronic-absenteeism has reached the crisis point, with more than 40 percent of students at Anacostia, Roosevelt, Ballou and Spingarn high schools having missed at least 30 days from classes in 2011 due to unexcused absences.
Students are generally classified as truant after missing 15 days of unexcused absences.
Since truancy rates impact graduation rates, Henderson has been under increasing pressure to develop initiatives that counter truancy in order to ensure that three-fourths of all District students graduate on time by 2017.
"A lot of people speak of the problem as being the parents, [students'] disinterest in [school] and the influence of hip-hop. The primary reason our young men are not learning is because the schools aren't designed to teach them, and the personnel necessary to reach them are simply not being hired," Johnson said. "Our boys not only need men in the classroom, they need black men in the classroom."
Employing black male teachers has always resonated with Steve Jackson, principal at Dunbar Senior High School in Northwest.
"It's important to have the presence of black male teachers because of the immediate bonding factor," Jackson said, adding that "there are a lot of black male teachers" in our building. "In many instances, these teachers come from the same community as the students, so they're more able to relate," he said. "They're able to speak a language to students that they can relate to, and in effect help close the achievement gap."
One of his teachers is 23-year-old Leland Kent, a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta.
Kent, a native of Philadelphia, said he's well aware of the needs of young African-American boys growing up in inner cities where in many cases, school attendance takes a back seat.
"I became a teacher because I felt I could reach these kids," said Kent, who launched his career at Dunbar two years ago. "I had instructors who took me under their wing, mentoring and nurturing me, so I [understand] that if the students can't relate to their teachers, the system [can lose them]." Kent, who teaches math, said he makes it a point to know all of his students' names, where they sit in class and to acquaint himself with family members. "And, I've seen where [my concern] has made a difference reducing truancy at Dunbar," he said.
Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry said however, that there's also the need for additional programs like Spingarn STAY and Ballou STAY "that really work," reducing truancy and dropout rates.
"When it comes to our black boys, truancy is a very serious, cultural and historical problem," said Barry, 76. "A lot of them are truant because their fathers were truant."
Barry said he often sees young black males "hanging out" during classroom hours and urges them to go to school.
"Some of them have given up hope . . . but the bottom line is that there are no real consequences if these kids don't show up for school," Barry said. "City officials, including the chancellor, are just not that serious about combatting truancy."
During a Feb. 23 forum at Anne Beers Elementary School in the Hillcrest community in Southeast, Judge Zoe Bush, who presides over family matters at the D.C. Superior Court in Northwest, said truancy is a "complicated social problem." However, eradicating truancy takes a collaborative effort, she said.
"Truancy is connected to collaborative services, and then you can improve that child's attendance. But, you can't wait to cure poverty in order to cure truancy," said Bush, 58.
She stressed that a majority of young black incarcerated males read on a 4th-grade level, and that if the issue of truancy isn't taken more seriously, "society will pay the cost."
Meanwhile, a coordinator for the community advocacy group, Black is Back, said truancy is a symptom of what's wrong with the educational system.
Freedom Koofshaw said that the 15 school closings mandated in January by Henderson, serves as a prime example of how easy it is to manipulate impoverished pockets in various communities, where most of the closings are slated to take place by the end of 2013.
"Attacking the school system is one way of opening the pipeline that leads our boys to prison," said Koofshaw, 41. "The other is the dollar signs that large corporations see whenever there's a charter school takeover . . . This combination of charter schools that are for profit, and the prison system which is for profit, is a dangerous mix that is a direct attack on our little black boys."
Koofshaw added that even if the young men return to school, there are no "real" programs to get them back on track and to keep them there.
"That's why they put resource officers in the schools who have arresting powers – because that's a sure way of getting our young boys on the road to prison."
More than 200 moms from more than 30 states traveled to the District on Wednesday to participate in "Moms Take the Hill," a grassroots event organized by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
Carol Starr, a 67-year-old retired educator from Rockville, Md., Karen Katz, 56, a nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and Suzie Gerakines, 51, of Crofton, Md., with a master's degree in education, will join other moms from the area to demand action on common-sense gun laws.
"In a country where eight children are shot and killed every day, it is imperative that Congressional representatives hear directly and frequently from American mothers," said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. "As moms, we will remain focused on the safety of our children rather than be influenced or even intimidated by powerful gun industry lobby groups. We will not wait for one more horrific mass shooting of our children for legislators to wake up and finally pass needed laws that we know will make a difference."
Moms Demand Action members will meet throughout the day with their congressional representatives and participate in an afternoon press event.
Moms Demand Action is specifically asking moms to appeal to their congressional representatives to act on common-sense solutions to address the escalating problem of gun violence in the United States:
• Ban assault weapons and ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
• Require background checks for all gun and ammunition purchases.
• Report the sale of large quantities of ammunition to the ATF, and ban online sales of ammunition.
(Source: Moms Demand Action)
On March 7, President Barack Obama signed a bill that both strengthened and reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act.
The new law will provide resources for thousands of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking -- and better equip law enforcement officials to stop violence before it starts. After a great deal of effort and backing from citizens across the country, the bill passed with bipartisan support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
It builds on a law that Vice President Joe Biden first wrote 18 years ago -- which has helped to decrease the rates of domestic violence across the country. It includes provisions aimed at reducing dating violence among teams and strengthening protections for lesbian gay, bisexual, and transgender victims. It also seeks to bring justice to Native American communities -- where rates of domestic violence are among the highest in the country.
President Barack Obama signed a bill that both strengthened and reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Thanks to this bipartisan agreement, thousands of women and men across the country who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking will be able to access resources they need in their communities to help heal from their trauma. In addition, thousands of law enforcement officers will be better equipped to stop violence before it starts, and respond to calls of help when they are needed.
President Obama and Vice President Biden have steadfastly supported reauthorization—it's what's right for our country. We thank Senators Patrick Leahy, Mike Crapo, and Patty Murray and Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Gwen Moore for guiding this legislation to passage.
For the past 18 years, since Vice President Biden initially wrote the Act in 1994, VAWA has helped to decrease the rates of domestic violence across the country. Three years ago, our federal interagency group on violence against women began meeting to consider gaps in our country's response to this violence and make recommendations to Congress to fill those gaps. We are proud that many of these recommendations were included in the final bill. Now, we will be better equipped to recognize violence in its early stages, and help to reduce the number of domestic violence homicides.
The reauthorization also makes a strong effort to address the extraordinarily high rates of violence among our young people. Last week, in honor of Teen Dating Violence Awareness month, I had the opportunity to speak, along with Vice President Biden, at an event with families of victims of dating violence, and youth and organizations. It was incredibly encouraging to see people of all ages united in the fight against teen dating violence.
I am proud to say that now, teens and young adults will have better access to prevention and intervention programs to help break the cycle of violence around the country. Studies have shown that one in five women will be the victim of an attempted or completed sexual assault while they are in college. We need to find a way to help these young scholars be able to focus on growing and learning, instead of being fearful of being assaulted on campus.
This Act will help by requiring colleges and universities to provide information to students about dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and improve data collection about these crimes. We call on all of our colleges and universities to make ending sexual assault a top priority.
In addition, the bill removes barriers faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) victims, whose needs are often overlooked by law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and victim service providers.
We are also thrilled that Congress held the line and maintained protections for battered immigrants and took the important step of also reauthorizing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in this same legislation.
Finally and very importantly, VAWA will bring justice for Native American victims. Rates of domestic violence perpetrated on Native American women are among the highest in the country. VAWA will help to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the tribal justice system and bring perpetrators of violence to justice.
No one should have to live in fear of violence, especially in her home, and VAWA affirms that belief. Today's signing ensures that victims and survivors can continue to be provided the vital resources they deserve. Our country is better off for it.
(Editor's Note: This article was first published on the Huffington Post)
The NAACP has expressed optimism over repeal of Maryland's death penalty, after the Senate took a stand this week for a more effective criminal justice system.
In a vote of 27 to 20, the Senate on March 6 passed legislation in Maryland to repeal its death penalty. Having won bipartisan support, the bill now moves to the House of Delegates in anticipation of approval.
"Today's Senate vote brings Maryland one step closer to fixing a broken justice system," Benjamin Todd Jealous, NAACP president and CEO said on Wednesday. "We are optimistic that the House of Delegates will also vote to repeal and that capital punishment will be relegated to the history books of this state."
Abolition of Maryland's death penalty is part of a larger campaign led by the NAACP and other civil rights organizations. If the legislation gets the House's nod -- according to the Associated Press -- Maryland would become the sixth state in six years to abolish the death penalty, and the 18th to ban it. While the death penalty was banned in Connecticut last year, in recent years it has also been banned in New Mexico, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey.
Overall, 17 states, plus the District of Columbia, do not have the death penalty.
Jealous added that with abolition of the "immoral, ineffective, racially biased and fiscally wasteful practice," Maryland's repeal should be replaced with life without the possibility of parole.
"With the passage of the Death Penalty Repeal, the Maryland State Senate continues to demonstrate the leadership that citizens expect when we vote," said Gerald Stansbury, Maryland NAACP president. "While the African-American community has been disproportionately affected by the death penalty, families of all races are affected and believe the death penalty has no place in our society. Today, they can be hopeful that the great state of Maryland, once again, will be on the right side of equality and justice, and history."
The Senate's vote was the first on whether Maryland should continue death sentences since 1978.
Jane Henderson, executive director of Maryland Citizens Against State Executions, said the vote marks a major milestone for the state of Maryland.
"I'm proud of the Senate for recognizing that the only way to strengthen our criminal justice system is to eliminate this ineffective death penalty," she said, adding that "this is not a moral issue of whether or not the worst criminals deserve capital punishment. This is about an arbitrary practice that is racially biased, costly and has a detrimental impact on murder victims' families."
The legislation has received the strong support of Gov. Martin O'Malley, who has made its passage a priority this session. The governor and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown both testified in favor of repeal during recent committee hearings.
(Sources: NAACP.org, Newsone)
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