Sanders Statement on Seattle Protesters

[askew]

50. I still think it is too much about him and is a bit tone deaf.

I think the best avenue for Bernie is for him to release a detailed criminal justice reform bill and tell us exactly where he stands. I'd like the same from Hillary, but that isn't going to happen.

O'Malley released his detailed, progressive criminal justice reform plan that addressed CJ reform, economic reforms and immigration reform that really impressed #BLM and DREAM Coalition activists. He previewed the plan in a speech to the Urban League and then a sit-down interview with Ebony. Today, he met with the National Association of Black Journalists. All candidates were invited and he was the only one to attend. Earlier this week, he met with the new 20/20 group in South Carolina which is a group of AA leaders and with some HBCU leaders. He's gotten a lot of respect for the work he has put in on these issues and with outreach.

I think it would help Sanders immensely to do the same type of outreach along with maybe giving a speech at an HBCU and presenting his detailed criminal justice reform plan. I have no doubts it will be progressive and warmly received and the outreach will be appreciated.

Right now, I feel like Sanders treats BLM and any issue outside of economic issues as an annoyance he has to deal with. I don't feel like he gets it and I think doing the steps outlined above would go a long way towards changing my opinion of that.