If “Our Lives really Matter” Let’s Get Ready to Hit the Polls

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The general election is here, and again, the American masses have a chance to use their votes as the tool to bargain

By Anthony Obi Ogbo
By Dr. Anthony Obi Ogbo

their communal interests. The process of democracy rightly accords power to the electorates in choosing leaders who represent their interests. Unfortunately, anytime this opportunity comes, my community, the African American community will blow away their own chances, either through a lack of participation or confusion over choice of priorities on sociopolitical matters.

Amidst surmounting societal concerns, it is undeniable that the criminal justice system is still hostile to this community. The recent squabble between the law enforcement community and the people of color, AKA, Black Lives Matter (BLM) is enough to provoke a collective involvement of Blacks in America in the ongoing campaign process.

Prevalently, the US locks up more of its citizens than any other country, and this has highlighted mass incarceration and criminal-justice reform as prominent issues on the presidential campaign trail. The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School – a nonpartisan, law and public policy establishment, revealed that the U.S. has less than five percent of the world’s population, yet incarcerates nearly a quarter of the world’s prisoners.

With these startling revelation, it remains a habitual blunder, that communities would overlook the election seasons, then flock out to the streets to protest anytime they are violated by the justice system. This election is roughly two week away, and it would be crucial not just to look at  candidates; who they allegedly slept with, or how many emails they supposedly deleted, but also assess them by who they really are; their party affiliations, and what they represent.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the forerunning candidates whose party-political attachments, principles, and idiosyncrasies emit significant contrasts in most issues, but more especially the criminal justice system. For instance, Clinton believes that ex-felons should be allowed to vote, and advocates limited use of death penalty for heinous crimes. These are fundamentally a reflection of the liberal governance ideology. Trump in a contrast believes that restoring voting rights to ex-felons is bizarre; and advocates death penalty for convicted cop killers. Another terribly contrasting proposal by Trump is his support for privatization of the prison system. Clinton wants to end the use of private prisons for federal inmates.

Specifically for African Americans, this election is a lifetime opportunity to embrace the policies that would further create a platform in the judicial process and pave way for social transformation. If Blacks in America are really serious about how “Black Lives Matter”, they must all hit the polls to validate that liberty.

Besides the prisons system, one of the most fundamental legacies of the next president would be the constitutional power to nominate justices to the Supreme Court. The court is still undermanned after the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, and with two of its sitting justices older than 80, America now has an opportunity to elect a president who would shape the its ideological bearings. A Trump presidency would restore the status quo, and in fact move it further right; whereas Clinton would move it toward the left to benefit those voters disenfranchised by the justice system who would likely march the streets  to agitate inequality or injustice.

Currently, the Obama administration has advanced criminal justice reform in crucial areas, including; commuting sentences of individuals still locked up under severe penalties and obsolete guidelines;  a creation of  presidential commission to study mass incarceration;  elimination of federal financial subsidization of mass incarceration; and most importantly, proposing a  ban on “the box” — the question that asks applicants to disclose whether they’ve been convicted of a crime — on applications for federal employment.

So, how would a Trump presidency consolidate these reforms? Just last week, President Barack Obama fired a warning that a Trump presidency would be a threat to democracy and undo eight years of progress; further he cautioned that “democracy itself” was on the ballot, not just the candidates. Obama may be right based on electioneering proposals being touted by Trump from the very beging of his campaign.

With less than three weeks left for this election, it is a choice, whether to embrace the Republican Party and dwell on the status quo or vote the Democratic Party where transformation possibilities are limitless. This election is not necessarily about Trump and Hillary, but about what they represent. The former represents sociopolitical doom through the most repressive approach, whereas the later represents a brighter future through economic opportunities and social fairness.

Specifically for African Americans, this election is a lifetime opportunity to embrace the policies that would further create a platform in the judicial process and pave way for social transformation. If Blacks in America are really serious about how “Black Lives Matter”, they must all hit the polls to validate that liberty.

♦ Anthony Obi Ogbo, Ph.D. is the editor of International Guardian, and the author of The Influence of Leadership.

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