Topic: The Obama administration and the Department of Justice will not do anything about police brutality.
Anonymous A started this discussion 12 years ago#38,464
Not "can not" but will not. The argument that they can't do anything cause it's a state affair, not a federal one is completely bullshit. They could, if they wanted, use the commerce clause (which effectively invalidates all limits on Federal power). I mean, it works for when the DEA raids medical marijuana operations which are complying with state law (incidentally, something Obama or Eric Holder could, with "the phone and the pen" put a stop to literally overnight).
No, it would start a dangerous precedent of holding police accountable for their actions, and possibly even cause the public to question the idea of militarized police. So Obama and Holder and the rest in Washington will just wring their hands and say "aw, shucks, this is most unfortunate, but we can't fight city hall!"
HaikerensGuide !dBGi/iH4eY joined in and replied with this 12 years ago, 11 minutes later[^][v]#514,047
Welcome back, mountainman!
Syntax joined in and replied with this 12 years ago, 25 minutes later, 37 minutes after the original post[^][v]#514,048
> No, it would start a dangerous precedent of holding police accountable for their actions, and possibly even cause the public to question the idea of militarized police. So Obama and Holder and the rest in Washington will just wring their hands and say "aw, shucks, this is most unfortunate, but we can't fight city hall!"
So like its your fault. You could be out and about organizing people to vote for someone who will make it more better. Yet you are here, crying in your beer. You can be part of the change or part of the blame.
> They could, if they wanted, use the commerce clause (which effectively invalidates all limits on Federal power). I mean, it works for when the DEA raids medical marijuana operations which are complying with state law (incidentally, something Obama or Eric Holder could, with "the phone and the pen" put a stop to literally overnight).
Yes they could do that. Two prior Presidents with a stroke of the pen, ignored the US constitution and got away with it. Short term solution wood work. Long term it wood alienate the Red states and the blow back wood set back Liberal rights for a long time. USA red states are filled with Republican retards. Reality bites.
Anonymous D joined in and replied with this 12 years ago, 25 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^][v]#514,052
Obama not sticking up fo his fella bruddas? what da fuck nigga?
Fake anon !ZkUt8arUCU joined in and replied with this 12 years ago, 40 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^][v]#514,062
This is some really bad analysis IMO. The Commerce Clause is in Article 1 which covers enumerated and implied Congressional powers so it isn't really relevant to what Obama chooses to do or not do. The DEA raids medical marijuana facilities because marijuana is federally illegal and the supremacy clause gives him the authority to do so. Could Obama and Holder choose to stop enforcing laws enacted by the Legislature? Yes, and all Presidents do that to some extent, but I don't see the value of electing someone to the highest office in the executive branch in the hopes that they will not perform their duties. If you have a problem with the law, tell Congress to repeal it, or challenge its constitutionality in the courts. I think making the executive branch responsible for this is not helpful and contributes to executive overreach.
Obama doesn't control the hiring and firing of state or country employees because has no constitutional authority to do so. That isn't his job. He can control what materials and funding the federal government chooses to dole out, but he can't go around telling police officers to "be nice, or else". I dislike police brutality and I think that cops get an obscene amount of deference in courts, not to mention their tendency of some to needlessly escalate situations, but I don't think you can point to the federal government as the source of this. In fact I don't even think police brutality is getting worse. I think it has always been at least this shitty, but now that everyone has cameras, the scope of it is just beginning to be understood.