Subject: Re: HRC remarks on race and justice
From: Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]>
To: Nick Merrill <[email-masked]>, Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>, Cheryl Mills <[email-masked]>, Huma Abedin <[email-masked]>, Philippe Reines <[email-masked]>, John Podesta <[email-masked]>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]>, Ethan Gelber <[email-masked]>, Brynne Craig <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2014 20:38:06 +0000

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/hillary-clinton-praises-doj-probes-of-police-shootings-113329.html?hp=l3_4

Hillary Clinton praises DOJ probes of police shootings

By MAGGIE HABERMAN<http://www.politico.com/reporters/MaggieHaberman.html>

12/4/14 3:32 PM EST

Hillary Clinton on Thursday praised the Department of Justice for probing the cases of two black men who died during encounters with the police in Missouri and New York, saying there are “hard truths” about how African Americans are treated by police.

The likely 2016 presidential candidate called for criminal justice reform and commended President Barack Obama for forming a task force on policing, but the Democrat, a favorite of police unions in New York State when she served as a senator, also praised “decent, honorable, brave” police officers throughout the country.

Clinton made the comments at the 2014 Massachusetts Conference for Women in Boston, where she delivered a keynote address before a crowd of several thousand women. They were her first remarks on the issue since grand juries declined to indict the white police officers accused in the two deaths.

The Boston event came the day after a grand jury in Staten Island, New York, chose not to indict a police officer in the death of Eric Garner, who was placed in a choke-hold during his encounter with the police. The decision sparking a series of protests throughout New York City and headlines questioning the judicial process just days after a grand jury last week refused to indict a police officer accused of shooting 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Clinton’s comments on the DOJ probes echo calls from a number of civil rights leaders, such as the Rev. Al Sharpton, and her former New York congressional colleagues, who have urged the feds to take a close look at both cases.

“I know that a lot of hearts are breaking and we are asking ourselves aren’t these our sons aren’t these our brothers,” Clinton said. “I’m very pleased that the Department of Justice will be investigating what happened in Ferguson or Staten Island. Those families and those communities and our country deserve a fair and full accounting as well as whatever substantive reforms are necessary to assure quality justice and respect for every citizen.”

“More broadly,” Clinton went on, “each of us has to grapple with some hard truths about race and justice in America. Because, despite all the progress we’ve made together, African-Americans — most particularly African-American men — are still more likely to be stopped and searched by police, charged with crimes and sentenced to longer prison terms.”

She added that “a third of all black men face the prospect of prison in their lifetimes — what devastating (consequences) that has for their families.”

“The United States has less than 5 percent of the world’s population, yet we have almost 25 percent of the world’s total prison population,” said Clinton, a former secretary of state. “Now, that is not because Americans are more violent or criminal than other (people) around the world, but it is because we have allowed our criminal justice system to get out of balance, and I personally hope that these tragedies give us the opportunity to come together as a nation to find our balance again.”

She praised the “creative and effective police departments” around the nation that demonstrate “that it is possible to keep us safe and reduce crime and violence.”

“There are decent, honorable brave police officers out in our communities every single day, inspiring trust and confidence rather than fear and frustration,” she said. “So let’s learn from the best examples.”

Clinton also tackled an issue that’s risen in the wake of the Ferguson shooting: whether to demilitarize police forces. She called for keeping the good and getting rid of “weapons of war that have no place on our streets and contribute to unnecessary force or arrest.”

As for the president’s task force and proposals for new funding streams for training and technology, Clinton called those “important steps.”

But going forward, she said, will require understanding other people’s struggles.

“The most important thing that each of us can do is to try even harder to see the world through our neighbor’s eyes, to imagine what it is like to walk in their shoes, to share their pain and their hopes and their dreams,” she said. “These tragedies did not happen in some far away place. They didn’t happen to some other people. These are our streets, our children, our fellow Americans and our grief.”

And she quoted Brown’s father in saying, “We are stronger united.”

Clinton gave extensive remarks about Brown’s death and the days of rolling protests a few weeks after he was shot to death by a police officer who claimed he was attacked by the 18-year-old. At that time, in a paid speech, Clinton urged people in the crowd to try to imagine what they would feel like if they faced the same statistics of being stopped by police as black people face.

It was not immediately clear if Clinton’s appearance at the Boston conference was a paid speech.

From: Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Date: Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 10:37 AM
To: Dan <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Cc: Cheryl Mills <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Huma Abedin <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Philippe Reines <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Nick Merrill <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, John Podesta <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Brynne Craig <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Ethan Gelber <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Subject: Re: HRC remarks on race and justice

I don't love the "how could this happen in America" line.  The ferguson case is highly complex.   And this has been happening in America since the beginning.  I think earlier on you should make the point about how these men are someone's sons, someone's friends, someone's neighbors.   They are part of our community.

On Dec 4, 2014, at 10:16 AM, Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

Revised below, with some trims and adds:

Before I begin today, I would like to say a few words about the pain and frustration that many Americans are feeling today about our criminal justice system.  Our hearts are breaking -- and we’re asking: how could these things happen in America?

I’m glad that the Department of Justice is investigating what happened in Ferguson and Staten Island.  These communities – and our country -- deserve a full and fair accounting and substantive reforms that ensure equality, justice and respect for every citizen.

More broadly, each of us has to grapple with some hard truths about race and justice in America.  Despite all the progress we’ve made together, African Americans are still more likely to be stopped and searched by police, charged with crimes, and sentenced to longer prison terms.

A third of all black men face the prospect of prison during their lifetimes, which has devastating consequences for families and communities across our country.

The United States has less than five percent of the world’s population, yet we have almost 25 percent of the world’s total prison population.  That’s not because Americans are more violent or criminal than others around the world – far from it.  It’s because we have allowed our criminal justice system to get out of balance.

I hope that out of these tragedies, we can come together as a nation to find our balance again.

All over the country there are creative and effective police departments demonstrating that it is possible to keep us safe and reduce crime and violence without relying on unnecessary force or excessive incarceration.  There are officers out there every day inspiring trust and confidence rather than fear and frustration.

We can learn from these examples, invest in what works, and make sure that federal funds to state and local law enforcement are used to bolster best practices rather than buy weapons of war that have no place on our streets or contribute to unnecessary force or arrests. The President has announced a task force on policing that will make recommendations in about 90 days.  He’s proposed funding for police body cameras and training.  These are important steps.

And as we move forward, perhaps the most important thing each of us can do is to try even harder to see the world through our neighbors’ eyes.  Imagine what it’s like to walk in their shoes.  Share their pain – their hopes and dreams – make them our own.

These tragedies did not happen in some far-away place.  They didn’t happen to some other people.  These are our streets.  Our children.  Our grief.

Here in Massachusetts you’ve always called yourself a “commonwealth,” rather than a state.  Because we’re all in it together.  And that’s true for America as well.  As Michael Brown’s father said, we are strongest when we’re united.

So it’s in that spirit that I’m pleased to be with you here today in Boston, where our American experiment began and where you are doing so much to showcase the best of what makes us who we are as a people…

From: Cheryl Mills <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Date: Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 9:29 AM
To: Dan <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Cc: Huma Abedin <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Philippe Reines <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Nick Merrill <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, John Podesta <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Brynne Craig <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Ethan Gelber <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Subject: Re: HRC remarks on race and justice

My suggested edits in text.

i would really want more personal in this but can't do it b/c in a meeting.

it goes to my point re the larger context and not just walking in other's shoes - it's understanding that they are not "other" but ourselves.

cdm

On Thu, Dec 4, 2014 at 9:09 AM, Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:
HRC wants to begin her remarks today at the Massachusetts Conference for Women with a few comments on the Ferguson-Staten Island situation.  I’ve adapted what we worked on last week for use here.  Attached is the full speech and below are the new lines.

Before I begin today, I would like to say a few words about the pain and frustration that [so] many Americans are feeling today about our criminal justice system.

First of all, I’m glad that the Department of Justice is investigating what happened in [both] Ferguson and Staten Island.  These communities – and our country -- deserve a full and fair accounting and substantive reforms that ensure equality, justice and respect for every citizen.

[President Obama and Attorney General Holder are right that these events should force us] Each one of us must [all to] grapple with hard truths about race and justice in America.

Despite all the progress we’ve made together, African Americans are still more likely to be stopped and searched by police, charged with crimes, and sentenced to longer prison terms. A third of all black men face the prospect of prison during their lifetimes, which has devastating consequences for families and communities across our country.

The United States has less than five percent of the world’s population, yet we have almost 25 percent of the world’s total prison population.  That’s not because Americans are more violent or criminal than others around the world – far from it.  It’s because we have allowed our criminal justice system to get out of balance.

I hope that out of these tragedies, we can come together as a nation to begin a serious and substantive [debate about how we] undertaking find our balance again.

There’s encouraging progress to build on.  Since 2008, both crime and incarceration have actually fallen together for the first time in 40 years.  All over the country there are creative and effective police departments demonstrating that it is possible to keep us safe and reduce crime and violence without relying on unnecessary force or excessive incarceration.  There are officers out there every day inspiring trust and confidence rather than fear and frustration.

We can learn from these examples, invest in what works, and make sure that federal funds to state and local law enforcement are used to bolster best practices rather than buy weapons of war that have no place on our streets or contribute to unnecessary force or arrests.  The President has announced a task force on policing that will make recommendations in about 90 days.  He’s proposed funding for police body cameras and training.  These are important steps.

And as we move forward, perhaps the most important thing each of us can do is to try even harder to see the world through our neighbors’ eyes.  Imagine what it’s like to walk in their shoes.  To feel their pain and also their hopes and dreams.  As Michael Brown’s father said, we are strongest when we’re united, working together for lasting positive change.

So it’s in that spirit that I’m delighted to be with you here today in Boston, where our American experiment began and where you are doing so much to showcase the best of what makes us who we are as a people…