OPEN AND HONEST DISCUSSION BUT
IF WE FEEL LIKE YOU'RE TAKING
TOO LONG OR NOT ANSWERING THE
QUESTION, WE WILL JUMP IN.
MR. MARKEY,
AS AMERICA CONTINUES
TO SEE PROTESTS IN THE WAKE OF
THE KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD,
SHINES A LIGHT ON DISPARITIES IN
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
AS A CONGRESSMAN IN 1990 FOUR,
YOU VOTED FOR A GET TOUGH ON
CRIME BILL THAT CREATED A MORE
PUNITIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM.
A DISPARATE NUMBER OF BLACK
AMERICANS TAKE UP THE
PRISON
POPULATION.
DO YOU REGRET SUPPORTING THAT
BILL?
MR. MARKEY: THANK YOU FOR
HOSTING THAT DEBATE THIS
EVENING.
EVERY MEMBER OF THE
MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATION VOTED
FOR THAT.
EVERYONE.
THAT INCLUDED A BAN ON ASSAULT
WEAPONS.
IT INCLUDED THE INSTITUTION
OF
THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN'S
ACT.
A VERY IMPORTANT CASE.
IT ALSO HAD SENTENCING
GUIDELINES THAT WERE TOTALLY
WRONG AND HAVE TO BE CHANGED.
FROM MY
PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE CORRECT THAT.
LET ME ALSO SAY THIS.
WHEN CONGRESSMAN KENNEDY DECIDED
TO BECOME A LAWYER, HE DECIDED
TO GO TO WORK FOR THE MOST
CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN RIGHT
WING DISTRICT ATTORNEY IN
MASSACHUSETTS IN A GENERATION.
THE PROSECUTOR THAT JOE KENNEDY
WORKED FOR WAS SOMEONE WHO DID
NOT BELIEVE THAT THREE STRIKES
AND YOU'RE OUT A STRONG ENOUGH,
DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE
LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA.
CONSTANTLY PROSECUTED THE MOST
MINOR OF DRUG OFFENSES.
AND CONGRESSMAN KENNEDY HAD TO
DECIDE WHERE HE WAS GOING TO
WORK AS A LAWYER.
AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS GOOD
JUDGMENT.
WE CAN SEE THESE VOICES BEING
RAISED UP AGAINST THE STATUS
QUO.
I DON'T THINK IT WAS GOOD
JUDGMENT FOR CONGRESSMAN KENNEDY
TO GO TO WORK.
HE IS TALKING ABOUT CAPE AND
ISLANDS DISTRICT ATTORNEY
MICHAEL O'KEEFE.
HE HAS BEEN AN OUTSPOKEN CRITIC
OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.
AS HE POINTS OUT, YOU COULD'VE
WORKED FOR ANYBODY BUT YOU CHOSE
REPUBLICAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
I'M NOT SURE I COULD HAVE
WORKED FOR ANYBODY, BUT I
APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
HAVE THIS DEBATE.
I SPEND MY DAYS
AS A PROSECUTOR
LEARNING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM.
AND WHEN I WENT TO WORK WITH
MICHAEL O'KEEFE, WE HAD BIG
DIFFERENCES IN OPINION.
HE WAS A REPUBLICAN DISTRICT
ATTORNEY THAT HIRED A GUY NAMED
KENNEDY TO GO IN AS AN
ENTRY-LEVEL PROSECUTOR.
WE OF COURSE HAD DISAGREEMENTS.
I FIND IT SURPRISING GIVEN WHAT
SENATOR MARKEY STAND HAS BEEN ON
THE NEED FOR WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM THAT HE
IS ADVOCATING TO SAY THAT YOU
SHOULDN'T HAVE PROGRESSIVE
PROSECUTORS WORK IN OFFICES.
OF COURSE THAT'S A CHANGE WE
WANT TO SEE.
WE CELEBRATE PROGRESSIVE
PROSECUTORS USING --
TO HELP CAMPAIGN AGAINST A
PROGRESSIVE PROSECUTOR WITH DA
ROLLINS WHO IS NOW THE SUFFOLK
COUNTY GA -- DA?
SHE WON OUT.
AT WHAT POINT DO YOUR ACTIONS
AND YOUR WORDS CONFLICT.
MR. KENNEDY: THANK YOU FOR
LETTING ME CLARIFY.
I DIDN'T ENDORSE IN THAT RACE.
I GO BACK WITH ONE OF THE
INDIVIDUALS A LONG WAY, BUT
SENATOR MARKEY DIDN'T ENDORSE
EITHER.
WHAT IS
CRITICAL TO UNDERSTAND
AT THIS MOMENT IS WHERE NATION
HAS BEEN WRESTLING WITH WOUNDS
THAT GO BACK DECADES IF NOT
CENTURIES, WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO
TRY TO ADDRESS IT.
LET ME BE CLEAR.
MY OWN RECORD, NO ONE HAS DONE
ENOUGH.
NO ONE HAS DONE ENOUGH.
BUT I HAVE BEEN DELIBERATE ABOUT
TRYING TO TACKLE THOSE
CHALLENGES.
TRYING TO ADDRESS THE WAY IN
WHICH WRONGFUL DEATH CASES ARE
CALCULATED.
AND WHETHER IT
GETS ACCESS TO A
LAWYER.
THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT IT'S NOT
JUST A QUESTION OF SENATOR
MARKEY'S VOTE FOR THE 1994 CRIME
BILL, BUT THE LONG-STANDING
RECORD OF JUDGMENT HE HAS SHOWN.
AND HE CAME INTO OFFICE, HE
OPPOSED THE INTEGRATION OF THE
BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
IT'S THE FACT THAT THERE HASN'T
BEEN A DELIBERATE EFFORT TO
ADDRESS THOSE STRUCTURAL
CHALLENGES THAT HE HELPED
CODIFY.
I WILL GIVE YOU 30 SECONDS TO
RESPOND.
MR. MARKEY: IT GOES BACK TO
CONGRESSMAN KENNEDY'S JUDGMENT.
HIS CHOICE.
HE COULD HAVE WORKED FOR ANYONE.
HE COULD'VE WORKED FOR THE
INNOCENCE PROJECT.
BUT INSTEAD, HE DECIDED TO
GO
AND WORK FOR A RIGHT WING
REPUBLICAN WHO OPPOSES THE KINDS
OF PROGRESSIVE CHANGES.
THAT WAS A CHOICE CONGRESSMAN
KENNEDY MADE WITH HIS LEGAL
CAREER.
THAT WAS NOT THE RIGHT PLACE FOR
A PROGRESSIVE TO BE WORKING.
AND HIS CHARGE FROM THE
1970'S.
MR. MARKEY: AND RACHAEL
ROLLINS IS ENDORSING ME BECAUSE
I PARTNERED WITH HER.
WE ADVOCATE FOR THE KIND OF
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM OUR
COUNTRY NEEDS.
AND I'M VERY PROUD OF HAVING HER
SUPPORT BECAUSE SHE IS THE
EMBODIMENT OF THIS KIND OF
CHANGE THAT WE NEED, THE
PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP WE NEED.
AND TODAY, WE ARE PARTNERING
TOGETHER.
THAT IS THE KIND OF FUTURE WE
NEED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM AND I'M VERY PROUD OF HER
SUPPORT IN THIS RACE.
I AM GLAD TO SEE YOU ARE
PAYING ATTENTION TO THESE ISSUES
NOW.
YOU HAVE BEEN IN OFFICE FOR 47
YEARS.
YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE SENATE FOR
SEVEN YEARS.
THE IMAGES THAT WE SEE ACROSS
OUR TELEVISION SCREEN, THOSE
PROTESTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS, I
WAS IN CHELSEA YESTERDAY.
WE MARCHED THROUGH THE STREETS
WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND
HELD A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR
EIGHT MINUTES AND 46 SECONDS.
AND I NEVER KNEW
EIGHT MINUTES
AND 46 SECONDS COULD LAST SO
LONG.
THINK OF A MAN GASPING FOR HIS
BREATH AND CALLING FOR HIS
MOTHER.
WHAT WE SEE PLAYING OUT ON THE
STREETS TODAY IS WE ARE RIGHT
HERE WHERE WE WERE, NOT ALL THAT
DIFFERENT FROM 50 YEARS AGO IN
1968.
AND WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY
PROGRESS.
THE LAWS AND THE STRUCTURES THAT
HAVE COME DOWN ON THE BOOT OF
THE NECK OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
, THOSE ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT.
THEY WERE DELIBERATE,
INTENTIONAL, AND CAME IN BY
CHOICE.
YOU ARE KNOWN FROM SOME THINGS
IN YOUR TIME IN OFFICE.
RACIAL JUSTICE AND CRIMINAL
JUSTICE IS NOT ONE OF THEM.
MR. MARKEY: I HAVE TO ANSWER
THAT.
LOOK, CONGRESSMAN KENNEDY HAD
A
CHANCE TO SIGN ONTO MEDICARE FOR
ALL WHEN IT WAS INTRODUCED.
I STOOD WITH BERNIE SANDERS TO
FIGHT FOR HEALTH CARE FOR
EVERYONE.
IT TOOK CONGRESSMAN KENNEDY TWO
YEARS TO SIGN ON.
THAT IS NOT PROGRESSIVE
LEADERSHIP.
CONGRESSMAN KENNEDY DECIDED HE
WAS GOING TO WORK FOR A RIGHT
WING REPUBLICAN DISTRICT
ATTORNEY.
THAT IS NOT PROGRESSIVE
LEADERSHIP.
CONGRESSMAN KENNEDY DECIDED HE
WAS GOING TO VOTE TO SEND
MILITARY WEAPONS TO THE LOCAL
POLICE IN OUR COUNTRY.
THAT IS NOT PROGRESSIVE
LEADERSHIP.
CONGRESSMAN KENNEDY HAD A CHANCE
WHEN HE GAVE THE STATE OF THE
UNION RESPONSE TO DONALD TRUMP
TO TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.
CONGRESSMAN KENNEDY DID NOT
MENTION THE WORD CLIMATE CHANGE
IN HIS RESPONSE.
CONGRESSMAN KENNEDY IS A
PROGRESSIVE IN NAME ONLY.
WHEN HE GETS A CHANCE TO LEAD ON
MEDICARE FOR ALL, CLIMATE
CHANGE, THE MILITARIZATION IN
THE STREETS OF THIS COUNTRY, HE
WAS NOT A PROGRESSIVE LEADER.
AND WHEN HE HAD A MAKE A
DECISION FOR WHO HE WAS GOING TO
WORK FOR, HE DECIDED TO WORK FOR
A RIGHT WING REPUBLICAN.
THAT IS NOT THE KIND OF
PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP OUR
COUNTRY NEEDS RIGHT NOW.
LET ME WRAP UP THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SECTION OF THIS
CONVERSATION WITH THE FINAL
QUESTION AND LOOKING FOR A QUICK
ANSWER ON THIS.
CONGRESSWOMAN
ALEXANDRIA A KAZI
OF CORTEZ SUPPORTED THE DEFUND
THE POLICE MOVEMENT.
DO YOU AGREE WITH HER?
WE HAVE TO RESTRUCTURE
BETWEEN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM AND THE FUNDING FOR
EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, AND
JOB
OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR SOCIETY.
YES, IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE STOP
THIS SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE
THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COUNTRY AND
WE FUND THE KINDS OF PROGRAMS
THAT YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR NEED
IN OUR COUNTRY SO THAT THEY CAN
MAXIMIZE THEIR GOD-GIVEN --
DO YOU FUND THOSE BY PULLING
MONEY FROM POLICE DEPARTMENTS?
WE NEED TO ALLOCATE --
REALLOCATE THE BUDGET BETWEEN
POLICING AND HEALTH CARE,
EDUCATION, AND OPPORTUNITIES.
IT IS TIME TO EFFECTUATE THOSE
CHANGES IN OUR SOCIETY.
THAT IS WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING
TO US.
MR. KENNEDY: I THINK WE HAVE TO
TOTALLY REFORM THE WAY WE POLICE
IN THIS COUNTRY AND THAT MEANS
GOING TO THE BUDGETS AND
REALLOCATING BUDGETS.
MAKING SURE THAT WE FUND
--
MAKING SURE THAT YOU'VE GOT
FOLKS THAT ARE TRAINED TO
ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF THIS.
