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sheshe2

(83,337 posts)
Thu Mar 26, 2015, 06:54 PM Mar 2015

The Two Men I Admire Most...In Conversation (updated)

As soon as I saw this, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven

Barack Obama and David Simon talked about The Wire and our failed war on drugs.





I also have to note that, in the midst of this conversation, President Obama points out something that I wrote about a few weeks ago:

How much does having a criminal record affect employment prospects? It outright blocks people from being hired for many government jobs.

In the private sector the question is blurrier. An outright ban on hiring people with criminal records is considered to be a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act,
according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Some states are banning asking about a criminal record on an initial employment application. But in practice, there are plenty of ways around that. Employers are allowed to consider a criminal record as part of a larger application.

That increase from 13% of the population in the early 90's to 20-22% more recently is a direct result of our war on drugs and "get tough on crime" policies that disproportionately affect people of color. And it is likely a huge factor in explaining why the unemployment rate for African Americans has typically been double the rate for whites. From a systemic standpoint, this is where we find the intersection between anti-racism efforts, criminal justice reform and policies to address wage stagnation. What affects one affects all.

http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2015/01/unpacking-last-stage-of-economic.html


the fact that one of the reasons why the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) remains low is that our over-incarceration during the war on drugs has produced a record number of Americans with felony records (mostly brown and black men).

UPDATE: Question: Why would President Obama do this interview now? He's laying the groundwork and setting the stage. Somethin's up.




http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-two-men-i-admire-mostin-conversation.html
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The Two Men I Admire Most...In Conversation (updated) (Original Post) sheshe2 Mar 2015 OP
The prospects for any meaningful employment brer cat Mar 2015 #1
A great conversation- digonswine Mar 2015 #2

brer cat

(24,401 posts)
1. The prospects for any meaningful employment
Thu Mar 26, 2015, 07:23 PM
Mar 2015

for those with a criminal record are dismal, and many are young. Nothing destroys hope for a future like having a door slammed in the face. It is also one reason so many black women are raising their children alone. Prospective husbands with no job prospects are not exactly appealing. It is a very sad situation. Yet to hear republicans explain it, the young men are too lazy to work and the women too promiscuous to settle down with one man. sigh.

Thank you sheshe for a very important post.

digonswine

(1,485 posts)
2. A great conversation-
Thu Mar 26, 2015, 07:54 PM
Mar 2015

I can't imagine any modern president(other than BHO) allowing such a thing to be recorded for us. I hope this could become a trend.

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