DO YOU KNOW THE PERSON THAT REPRESENT YOU IN WASHINGTON D.C.
On Friday March 10, 2006 me and several other women were given the opportunity of meeting with Congressman Donald Manzullo. I was in shock and disbelief by the time this meeting ended.
For those that don't know I'm the Regional Volunteer for the November Coalition-The November Coalition is working to end the war on drugs injustice.
With that said on June 27th 2005 a bill was introduced into Congress to revive parole and good time for non violent offenders. Up until I met with Congressman Manzullo I and others had been gathering signatures asking him to support this bill. The first thing that he told us was that he hadn't heard anything about this bill until that day. With the help of a hard working individual she had submitted 800 letters asking him to support this bill. I had submitted about 200. We know that we weren't the only ones submitting letters.
So that told us that he doesn't know what is going on and the response that we received wasn't from him.
If that wasn't enough he said that he doesn't support parole. I asked him has he gone in the African American community and spoke with mothers that has children that has used drugs and other children that has sold drugs? He didn't answer he just looked. He could only respond by speaking on violent crimes that people have committed. I would have to constantly remind him that we were discussing non violent offenders. The question was asked had he sat down with the judge that does the sentencing and his opinion on sentencing this non violent offenders.
He didn't say anything.
He also told us that selling drugs in his opinion was a violent crime. I asked him why when it is a non violent crime according to the law. He then asked me the definition of violent and non violent.
By the end of this meeting he told us that he would contact Congressman Danny Davis's office to find out about the bill and maybe he might sponsor it if they hold some hearings on it.
He tried to tell us that you can't co sponsor a bill unless they hold hearings on it and you can hear both sides. I asked why can't you look into it. You heard our side know look into the side that is against it. He said he can't do that-that you have to have hearings. Well everyone who knows about the bill knows that it is stuck in the House judiciary Committee. The committee chair doesn't believe in the bill and he supports minimum mandatory sentences and people have been trying to get hearings for months now yet it isn't considered an issue of importance. However he can co sponsor a bill without a hearing.
Needless to say he didn't know much about bill H.R. 3072. If you know you are having a meeting with people to discuss it you would research it. In this case that didn't happen. He also tried to say that racial disparity doesn't exist in the war on drugs.
If your state representing isn't working for you then why should you vote for them?
Know the person that gets your vote and if they will support the issues that effect the poor.
Support Bill H.R. 3072 To Revive Parole and Good time to Non Violent Offenders
On Friday March 10, 2006 me and several other women were given the opportunity of meeting with Congressman Donald Manzullo. I was in shock and disbelief by the time this meeting ended.
For those that don't know I'm the Regional Volunteer for the November Coalition-The November Coalition is working to end the war on drugs injustice.
With that said on June 27th 2005 a bill was introduced into Congress to revive parole and good time for non violent offenders. Up until I met with Congressman Manzullo I and others had been gathering signatures asking him to support this bill. The first thing that he told us was that he hadn't heard anything about this bill until that day. With the help of a hard working individual she had submitted 800 letters asking him to support this bill. I had submitted about 200. We know that we weren't the only ones submitting letters.
So that told us that he doesn't know what is going on and the response that we received wasn't from him.
If that wasn't enough he said that he doesn't support parole. I asked him has he gone in the African American community and spoke with mothers that has children that has used drugs and other children that has sold drugs? He didn't answer he just looked. He could only respond by speaking on violent crimes that people have committed. I would have to constantly remind him that we were discussing non violent offenders. The question was asked had he sat down with the judge that does the sentencing and his opinion on sentencing this non violent offenders.
He didn't say anything.
He also told us that selling drugs in his opinion was a violent crime. I asked him why when it is a non violent crime according to the law. He then asked me the definition of violent and non violent.
By the end of this meeting he told us that he would contact Congressman Danny Davis's office to find out about the bill and maybe he might sponsor it if they hold some hearings on it.
He tried to tell us that you can't co sponsor a bill unless they hold hearings on it and you can hear both sides. I asked why can't you look into it. You heard our side know look into the side that is against it. He said he can't do that-that you have to have hearings. Well everyone who knows about the bill knows that it is stuck in the House judiciary Committee. The committee chair doesn't believe in the bill and he supports minimum mandatory sentences and people have been trying to get hearings for months now yet it isn't considered an issue of importance. However he can co sponsor a bill without a hearing.
Needless to say he didn't know much about bill H.R. 3072. If you know you are having a meeting with people to discuss it you would research it. In this case that didn't happen. He also tried to say that racial disparity doesn't exist in the war on drugs.
If your state representing isn't working for you then why should you vote for them?
Know the person that gets your vote and if they will support the issues that effect the poor.
Support Bill H.R. 3072 To Revive Parole and Good time to Non Violent Offenders
posted by Toni Thomas at
11:19 AM
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