President Obama to Appear on NBC’s ‘Running Wild with Bear Grylls’

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September 1, 2015

The campaign trails probably never got as rough as this.

President Barack Obama will trek through the Alaskan wilderness with survival expert Bear Grylls for a special edition of NBC’s “Running Wild with Bear Grylls,” it was announced Monday by NBC and producer Electus.

The episode, which will be taped and air later this year, is meant to call attention to the effects of climate change on that area.

Grylls recently shared a tweet from Obama that quoted from one of the Commander in Chief’s weekly addresses that said, “As long as I’m president, America will lead the world to meet the threat of climate change.”

The second season of “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” is currently airing and has paired the survivalist with Kate Winslet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and other famous names determined to test their physical limits. The season finale, which airs Sept. 7, will feature New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Needless to say, Obama will become the first U.S. president to receive a crash course in survival techniques from Grylls.

This is the latest attempt by Obama to use the entertainment world to promote his missions. In July, he became the first sitting U.S. president to visit a federal prison — an event that was part of a Vice documentary scheduled to air in September. Other examples include an appearance on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast, where he famously used the “n-word” in a harsh conversation about race in this country, and an interview with naturalist David Attenborough that aired on BBC America. On the lighter side, he’s also sharing his musical tastes via Spotify.

This event was not meat with complete support. Hours after the announcement of the special, PETA released a statement that highlighted past criticism of Grylls’ programs.

“Bear Grylls’ shows are known as the bottom of the barrel in demeaning sexist, speciesist, and who knows what other “-ist” TV reality shows—and that’s certainly saying something,” said PETA president Ingrid Newkirk. “These internationally condemned programs, on which women have been bullied into slitting a baby pig’s throat and eating a mouse soaked in urine, are the last place for the 44th president to be seen. There are far better ways to get the message about global climate change out than by appearing on this disgusting show.”

Along with Grylls, Obama’s “Running Wild” journey will be produced by Delbert Shoopman and Dave Pearce of Bear Grylls Ventures, and Chris Grant, Viki Cacciatore and Liz Schulze of Electus.

(credit: variety.com )

Black Lives Matter Movement Experiencing Growing Pains

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Birmingham Times

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September 1, 2015

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of Black Lives Matter activists, black and white, marched outside the Minnesota State Fair this weekend, hoping to bring attention to the deaths of African-Americans at the hands of police.

Inside the fair, a booth also represented the group, with T-shirts bearing the slogans “Black Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter” for sale. Todd Gramenz, who reserved the booth, chatted with fairgoers while the other protesters were kept outside.

The competing activities in Minnesota underscore the challenge that Black Lives Matter faces as it evolves from social media hashtag to full-blown movement. Its fluid, organic nature and loosely organized structure generate confusion about exactly who is in charge, who can legitimately speak for the group and its long-term goals.

Tracing its roots back to the fatal 2012 shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida, the Black Lives Matter movement gained national ground after 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.

Since then, deaths of other unarmed black men at the hands of law enforcement officers have inspired protests under the “Black Lives Matter” moniker.

Some are affiliated with the original Black Lives Matter network founded by Opal Tometi, Patrisse Cullors and Alicia Garza and their allies. But some are not, even though they use the slogan.

Garza said in an email interview that her organization — which has 26 chapters, stretching to Ghana and Canada — doesn’t try to control who uses the name.

“Anytime someone identifies with a movement to make black lives matter in this country and around the world, that’s a good thing,” she said.

Said Tamika Mallory, part of the allied-Justice League NYC: “There is no way to lead the entire Black Lives Matter movement because it is multifaceted.”

Some similarly loosely organized social movements, like Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party, evolved beyond their grassroots beginnings, while some died on the vine.

Others followed the lead of the 1960s civil rights movement, which caught on and organized, birthing groups like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

Having small nebulous groups linked through social media and a shared cause may be enough for now, but odds are against such groups surviving for the long haul and enacting national change, said Deana A. Rohlinger, a Florida State University sociology professor who studies social movements and collective behavior.

“What remains to be seen is if Black Lives Matter can make that transition,” she said. “Activists do really good work locally. But if you want to affect politics and politicians, then you really do have to move up your organization to a more structured format that can engage politicians and lobbyists on their turf.”

The Black Lives Movement gained fresh attention lately as activists claiming to represent the group interrupted a speech about to be delivered by Bernie Sanders, a Democratic presidential candidate.

Another set of activists, also saying they spoke for the movement, met with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush.

And a Texas sheriff criticized the movement after one of his white deputies was killed Friday at a Houston gas station; a black man has been charged with murder, accused of firing at the uniformed deputy 15 times, including shooting him in the head.

Police have provided no motive for the shooting, but Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman questioned whether it was spurred by anger over the killings of black men by police. He added that a “dangerous national rhetoric that is out there today … has gotten out of control.”

Garza called any attempt to link the Black Lives Matter with the killing “racist and ridiculous.”

“Our hearts go out to anyone who loses a loved one on the wrong side of a gun. Black families know that pain all too well,” she said.

Garza said it’s the news media that equates every black protest with the movement and the network.

“We are an organization that contributes to building the movement,” she said. “So while you don’t have to be a member of BLM to be a part of the movement, you do need to be a member of BLM to speak for BLM.”

In Minneapolis, the lead organizer of the Black Lives Matter protest, Rashad Turner, said the man who told fair organizers he represented Black Lives Matter when he reserved the booth inside the fair had nothing to do with the movement.

“He’s probably just in it for the money,” said Turner, who is organizing a Black Lives Matter march on Democratic Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton’s mansion on Tuesday to protest him labeling their march outside the fair inappropriate.

Calls to numbers for Gramenz, who reserved the booth, were not returned.

The Rev. Charles Williams II of the National Action Network said “folks with their own agendas … are going around and trying to coin their movement or hashtag” under the Black Lives Matter banner.

“I feel like the individuals that are trying to hide under the banner, they need to be out called,” said Williams, president of the civil rights group’s Detroit chapter.

Detective Victoria Oliver, a Denver Police Protective Association board member, said she feels the same way.

“A lot of people are taking this platform of ‘Black Lives Matter’ and getting a little abusive with it. This is being used as a platform to be more rebellious,” said Oliver, who says she understands the movement’s goals as both a black woman and an officer.

Garza said the Black Lives Matters network sees itself as evolving.

“BLM is already a national group, and we are increasingly becoming international,” she said. But “we’re less concerned with the structure of BLM as we are with the function and our impact.”

(Photo Source: Associated Press)

Suspect in Officer Attack Had History of Mental Illness

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Birmingham Times

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September 1, 2015

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HOUSTON (AP) — A man charged with murder in the ambush of a suburban Houston sheriff’s deputy had a history of mental illness and was once declared mentally incompetent, according to authorities and his former attorney.

Shannon J. Miles, 30, was being held without bond after an initial court hearing Monday. Prosecutors accuse him of opening fire from behind on Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Darren Goforth on Friday night in what the sheriff called a “cold-blooded assassination.”

Goforth was shot 15 times, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said in court.

Anderson would not comment on a motive, saying investigators were still trying to figure that out. When asked if it might be connected to heightened tensions around the country between law enforcement and civilians, Anderson said, “I have no idea whether it does or not.” This weekend, Sheriff Ron Hickman said the attack was “clearly unprovoked,” that authorities believe the 47-year-old deputy was targeted because he was in uniform and there is no evidence Goforth knew Miles.

Anthony Osso, one of Miles’ two court-appointed attorneys, told The Associated Press that his client intends to plead not guilty.

Miles’ criminal history dates back to 2005 and includes an arrest in Austin in 2012 that led to Miles being sent to a state mental hospital for several months.

In 2012, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office charged Miles with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he got into a fight at a homeless shelter over a remote control, prosecutor Joe Frederick said. Miles was found to be mentally incompetent in October 2012 and he was sent to North Texas State Hospital in Vernon, Texas.

“From this case, you could never tell what would happen” in the future, Frederick said, adding prosecutors treated the case as a “very serious offense” and had offered Miles a plea agreement of seven years in prison. Miles was declared mentally competent in February 2013, but the charge was dropped after the victim could not be located, Frederick said.

Jon Evans, Miles’ attorney in the Austin case, said medical privacy laws prevent him from offering any details about Miles’ mental illness history. But he was told by Miles’ mother that her son had a lifelong history of mental illness.

At the time of the case in 2012, Miles “suffered from severe mental illness,” Evans said.

Miles also has three convictions for resisting or evading arrest, as well as convictions for disorderly conduct with a firearm, criminal mischief and giving false information to police. Records show he was sentenced to several short stints in jail, anywhere from six to 10 days.

From fall 2003 to spring 2004, Miles attended Prairie View A&M University. He also attended the University of Houston for a time.

President Barack Obama on Monday said Goforth’s killing was contemptible and “an affront to civilized society.” Obama spoke with Goforth’s wife, Kathleen, conveying his condolences and telling her he will keep highlighting the uncommon bravery of police officers.

Goforth’s funeral is scheduled for Friday.

blackamericaweb.com

Ohio officer in video says ‘direct eye contact’ one reason he pulled over driver

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Birmingham Times

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August 31, 2015

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John Felton click the photo to see the video.

(CNN)When a police officer in Dayton, Ohio, handed John Felton a warning for a traffic signal violation, Felton asked whether he was stopped for something besides having out-of-state plates, according to a video of the conversation posted on Facebook.

“Because you made direct eye contact with me and held onto it when I was passing you,” the officer replied in the video.

Felton posted the video on Facebook. It’s another example of how the national conversation about police-community interaction, especially with minorities, is being scrutinized. Technology makes the interactions easy to record and to share via social media.

On Monday, Felton’s lawyer, Byron Potts, said he thought the officer’s actions were discriminatory. Potts said he plans to lodge an internal affairs complaint against the officer and may file a lawsuit.

Potts said he doesn’t have confidence the police will properly investigate themselves. “That’s like the fox guarding the hen house,” he said.

Dayton police didn’t reply to CNN’s request for comment on Sunday but tweeted, “We are aware of the video and are reviewing it.”

The city of Dayton issued a statement saying, “A Dayton police officer pulled John Felton over on August 15 for not signaling within 100 feet of a turn. During the stop the officer additionally acknowledged that Mr. Felton made sustained direct eye contact prior to being stopped. The traffic infraction was verified by the video; however making direct eye contact with an officer is not a basis for a traffic stop.”

Felton has agreed to have a conversation with the officer, facilitated by the Dayton Mediation Center, the statement said.

“The Dayton Police Department is a true partner in the community and enjoys a positive community-police relationship,” the statement said.

The officer’s race and identity are not known. He said his name at the start of the conversation, but it doesn’t come through clearly on the recording.

CNN affiliate WKEF in Dayton reported that Felton grew up in Ohio but now lives in Michigan. His car has a Michigan license plate.

He told WKEF the officer followed his car about two miles and originally said he had committed a minor traffic offense: not signaling more than 100 feet before making a turn.

“I got a nice car,” Felton said to WKEF. “I don’t know if he seen I was a black male. I feel like I was targeted, the Michigan car and it was about 11 o’clock at night.”

Felton let the officer know he was recording the conversation and complained about being followed.

When the officer stepped away from his car, Felton said on the recording, “He followed me for about 2 miles and when I got to my mom’s house he wants to pull on his lights. … He ain’t about to Sandra Bland me.”

Felton was referencing Sandra Bland, who was found dead on July 13 in a cell at the Waller County Jail in Texas. She was incarcerated after allegedly assaulting an officer during a July 10 traffic stop. Her death was ruled a suicide.

In the video Felton recorded, the officer gives Felton a warning. Felton then asks why he was stopped.

“I’m not doing nothing, because I have a Michigan plate, other than that why are you trailing me?” Felton said on the recording.

“You made direct eye contact with me and held onto it when I was passing you,” the officer said.

“What! I didn’t even see you,” Felton said.

“I am not going to argue about it anymore with you, sir,” the officer said. “I’ll just scan your license and give you a citation for the violation, and you could take it to court.”

“OK, sir,” Felton says. He and the officer then drove away.

Rare Photos of 19th-Century Blacks Speak to Modern Americans

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Birmingham Times

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August 31, 2015

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Some faces are pensive; others are proud. Some are known; others are obscure. All are black.

Rare, striking and never-before-seen portraits of black citizens in Victorian-era England are going on display for the first time in the U.S., and organizers say the photographs have a powerful message for contemporary Americans riven by racism.

“There’s a healing aspect to seeing these exquisite images,” said Vera Ingrid Grant, director of the Cooper Gallery of African & African-American Art at Harvard University. The show, “Black Chronicles II,” opens there Wednesday and runs through Dec. 11.

“It changes our perceptions of the past, and can reverberate and change how we view the present,” she said.

Researchers found the trove of glass plates wrapped in brown paper and tied with string in storage at London’s Hulton Archive. Originally snapped well over a century ago and an ocean away, they debunk any notion that Britons of African heritage were all but invisible in 19th-century society.

Life-size black-and-white prints are interspersed with small snapshots, some culled from privately owned collections. They show ordinary people and a few minor celebrities posing for portraits in their Sunday best. Sequential shots capture a few playfully mugging for the box cameras that made the images, just as today’s wedding guests might goof around in a festive photo booth.

Together, they help write what Grant calls “a missing chapter” — that blacks of the era not only were very present in daily public life, but also prospered and enjoyed a certain dignity and social status.

Many of the more than 100 photographs on display were taken for “cartes de visite,” or calling cards: small, wildly popular postcards with an emblematic image and a splash of text. Much like a modern Facebook profile, they were designed to sum up the essence of a person.

“How many of these stories were hidden in the attic and never saw the light of day? Look what was covered up,” said Grant.

The show, curated by London-based arts agency Autograph ABP, depicts both ordinary and prominent citizens: artists, dignitaries, military personnel, missionaries, students, businessmen and international royalty.

Among the better-known subjects are Sarah Forbes Bonetta, born in Sierra Leone and a goddaughter to Queen Victoria; Prince Alemayehu of Ethiopia, who was taken to Britain as a young boy after his father killed himself following defeat by the British; and heavyweight boxing champion Peter Jackson of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which belonged to Denmark at the time.

“At the heart of the exhibition is the desire to resurrect black figures from oblivion and reintroduce them into contemporary consciousness,” said Renee Mussai, curator and head of archives at Autograph ABP.

Grant believes the British photographs have more to say to Americans battling a resurgence of racism, racial profiling and white-on-black police brutality.

She also hopes the show will inspire researchers to dig deeper into the role of blacks in U.S. photographic history.

“The full narrative of Africans in the world is an untold story,” she said. “There are similar excavations to be done here. The archive in America has not been fully delved into. The presence of these photographs says, ‘What’s waiting for us here?’”

(Photo Source: AP) blackamericaweb.com

Bad Blood & Bieber Tears: The 2015 VMAs’ Most Memorable Moments

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Birmingham Times

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August 31, 2015

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If there were an award for Segue of the Year, it would surely have to go to Nicki Minaj, who without blinking went right from “You know who I want to thank tonight? My pastor” to “And now, back to this bitch…” — the latter party being Miley Cyrus, standing right across the stage at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. Other beefs were being gloriously snuffed out on a night full of superstar reconciliation, but Minaj instinctively knew the celebrity circle of life demands fresh bad blood.

Photos: 2015 MTV Music Video Awards Performances

Meanwhile, the true star of the night: weed… thanks to Cyrus, as host invoking her favorite substance at every opportunity — in dope-themed patter, sketches, and a bizarre closing song — plus Video Vanguard Award honoree Kanye West admitting his rambling, 11-minute acceptance speech was fueled by something other than Hennessy this time.

Photos: Behind the Scenes at the 2015 VMAs

Even without being under the influence, this was the best MTV Awards telecast in years, thanks to an emphasis on colorful fun that replaced the last few shows’ race to the bottom. The dozen most memorable moments, ranked:

12. Rebel Wilson saluted N.W.A, sort of. Nice going, Rebel, beating those censors who only thought they’d have to bleep, not pixilate T-shirts. The “F— Tha Stripper Police” gag was an amusing one, though probably not a good enough one to belabor at length till everybody got it.

11. Demi Lovato and Iggy Azalea: almost cool. Like any ex-Disney starlet worth her salt, Lovato is trying to sex it up these days, but something about the dominatrix look felt a little forced. Azalea — who, remarkably, has never appeared on the main part of the MTV Awards before — came out and played second banana to Lovato, awkwardly. Together, they indulged in a bit of bumping and grinding that probably wasn’t purposely intended as an homage to Cyrus and Robin Thicke’s 2013 appearance, even though it came off as a pale reenactment. In the end, even with these duet partners trying a little too hard, “Cool for the Summer” still fit in fine with the show’s less prurient, more breezy tone. Click the photo below to watch. (source: MTV)

10. Miley’s drag show didn’t completely drag. The show needed to go out with a bang, and it did — with the Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne reaching between Cyrus’s legs, no, not with a foam finger, but with a steam cannon. If only the new song Cyrus and Coyne collaborated on, “Dooo It!,” deserved this climactic spot, but it was hard to make the cast for a chorus that mostly consisted of “Yeah, I smoke pot, yeah, I love peace,” even if she did announce that she was giving it and the rest of their brand-new album away for free. When in doubt? Bring on cast members from RuPaul’s Drag Race, whose visual flair made up for the lack of songwriting pizzazz. Click the photo to watch. (Source MTV).

9. Pharrell fell victim to bad timing. His “Freedom” was also a burst of good fun… for the dozen or so people who were actually watching, as opposed to still busy tweeting about Kanye’s appearance minutes before (more on that in a bit).

Prosecutors: No Retrial For White Officer Who Shot Black Man

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Birmingham Times

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August 28, 2015

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina state attorneys have decided against retrying a white police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black man after his trial ended last week in a deadlock.

Senior Deputy Attorney General Robert Montgomery told the Mecklenburg County district attorney Friday of the state’s decision in the case of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officer Randall Kerrick. He had been accused of voluntary manslaughter in the September 2013 death of Jonathan Ferrell, a former college football player.

The jury in the case deadlocked with an 8-4 vote in favor of acquittal, leading the judge to declare a mistrial.

Montgomery wrote to District Attorney Andrew Murray that state attorneys will submit dismissal papers to end the case. Montgomery says it’s the prosecutors’ “unanimous belief a retrial will not yield a different result.”

(Photo Source: AP)

AG STRANGE, MORGAN COUNTY DA ANNOUNCE CONVICTIONS FOR MULTIPLE SEX CRIMES, BURGLARIES IN COLD CASES FROM 1985, 1986

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Birmingham Times

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August 28, 2015

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(MONTGOMERY)–Attorney General Luther Strange and Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson today announced convictions against a man currently incarcerated in state prison for multiple sex crimes and burglaries in cold cases dating back to 1985 and 1986. David Leon Garth, 46, was found guilty by a jury in Morgan County Circuit Court following a trial that began on Monday. Sentencing is set for October 27, when he faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment for each of the class A felonies for which he was convicted.

Specifically, Garth was convicted of three counts of first-degree rape and three counts of first-degree burglary for crimes that occurred between November 1985 and May 1986, two at West Court apartments and one at an apartment on Canal Street in Decatur.

The cases involved three victims who were raped in a violent assault during a burglary while Garth was armed with a knife. In two of the cases, the rapes occurred at the victims’ homes, and therefore the rape victims were also the victims of the burglaries for which Garth was convicted. In another case, the rape occurred at a home where the victim was babysitting, and so the burglary victim in that case was the resident of that home.

When the crimes were committed nearly 30 years ago, DNA technology did not exist to match evidence from the rape kits to an offender. The Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit was able to use modern DNA technology in its new investigation, leading to Garth’s indictment on August 3, 2012.

“I am pleased that, with these convictions, we deliver a measure of justice for the victims of these horrendous crimes,” said Attorney General Strange. “I am proud of what our Cold Case Unit has been able to achieve, working with local law enforcement and prosecutors.”

The case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jerry Knight of the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office. Attorney General Strange and District Attorney Anderson thanked the Decatur Police Department for its valuable assistance. The Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit is a project conducted in partnership with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, to investigate violent crimes that previously had been closed due to lack of investigative leads. This program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Statement by the President on the Passing of Amelia Boynton Robinson

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Birmingham Times

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August 27, 2015

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Amelia Boynton Robinson was a dedicated and courageous leader in the fight for civil rights. For most of her 104 years, Amelia committed herself to a simple, American principle: that everybody deserves the right to vote. Fifty years ago, she marched in Selma, and the quiet heroism of those marchers helped pave the way for the landmark Voting Rights Act. But for the rest of her life, she kept marching – to make sure the law was upheld, and barriers to the polls torn down. And America is so fortunate she did. To honor the legacy of an American hero like Amelia Boynton requires only that we follow her example – that all of us fight to protect everyone’s right to vote. Earlier this year, in Selma, Michelle and I had the honor to walk with Amelia and other foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement. She was as strong, as hopeful, and as indomitable of spirit – as quintessentially American – as I’m sure she was that day 50 years ago. And we offer our thoughts, our prayers, and our enduring gratitude to everyone who loved her.

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Judge Withdraws All Arrest Warrants Before 2015 in Ferguson

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Birmingham Times

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August 27, 2015

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By Krystal Franklin, BlackAmericaWeb.com

An order to withdraw all arrest warrants issued in Ferguson, Missouri before December 31, 2014 was announced today.
CNN reports:
Municipal Court Judge Donald McCullin, who was appointed in June, also changed the conditions for pretrial release. According to a press release put out by Ferguson, all defendants will be given new court dates with alternative penalties like payment plans or community service.
Those caught for minor traffic violations should be less likely to end up behind bars because of McCullin. Under the new policy, they won’t be arrested but instead will be released on their own recognizance and given another court date.
These moves come after a year of often emotional protests and an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department after racial tensions exploded over the August 2014 shooting of unarmed Black teenager Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson, who is white.
A grand jury declined to charge Wilson in that case, determining that the shooting was justified. A Justice Department investigation further concluded the shooting did not violate Brown’s civil rights.
Those decisions did little to quell anger on the St. Louis suburb’s streets tied to that incident and others over the years in which some felt police unfairly singled out African-Americans. A separate Justice Department report found many such examples. The report was soon followed by the resignation of Ferguson’s then-embattled police Chief Thomas Jackson.
One woman active in the protest movement said she thinks Monday’s actions by McCullin show the demonstrations made a difference.
“As an activist you are going to stay mad because you are not going to always get all that you want,” said Patricia Bynes, the Ferguson Township Democratic committeewoman.
“But because of the pushing and the pressure that protesters put on Ferguson, I am considering it a win and a very big win. It’s an olive branch.”
The ticketing and arrest warrant issue didn’t necessarily go away with the Justice Department report’s release or the new order. An exclusive CNNMoney analysis earlier this month found the city was still pumping out thousands of new arrest warrants and jailing people over minor offenses.
By that point in 2015, the city had already issued more than 2,300 new arrest warrants for the year and thousands of older warrants continued to haunt people — even as neighboring municipalities are wiping out old tickets or warrants entirely.
Brendan Roediger, a Saint Louis University law professor and attorney who has represented some defending themselves against the tickets and warrants, called the new moves a good start but not the endgame many want and deserve.
“It’s real and it’s important,” Roediger said. “They deserve to be given credit for it. I applaud Judge McCullin. It’s meaningful. It’s significant.
“But ultimately, it is not the solution. (City officials) may do some good things out of pressure, but without a system that creates full-time professional courts, there isn’t a system that is sustainable and fair across the board.”
Ferguson’s Municipal Court is one of 83 part-time courts across St. Louis County. Too many of those courts, Roediger said, have engaged in similar practices that have disproportionately and unfairly affected the poor and people of color.
Do you think tossing the arrest warrants are a move in the right direction?