Black caucus demands gun control vote after shootings…(Right On Time!)
By HEATHER CAYGLE
Politico.com
07/08/16
The Congressional Black Caucus is calling for an immediate vote on a gun control bill following a wave of violence this week that left two black civilians and five police officers dead in three separate incidents.
“Republicans, what on earth — why are you recoiling and not giving us a debate on gun violence?” CBC Chairman G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) said at a Friday morning press conference in the Capitol. “We need legislative action now.”
The CBC push comes after a string of shootings this week, including the deaths of two men, Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in Minnesota, who were killed by police on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Then on Thursday night, five Dallas police officers were gunned down, reportedly by sniper fire, during what was supposed to be a peaceful protest.
The CBC members took care to equally condemn all three incidents, calling the police deaths a travesty. At the same time, they said the Black Lives Matter protesters should not be blamed for what happened in Dallas.
“People cannot use Black Lives Matter as a scapegoat. Those young kids came together to protest,” said Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.). “You can’t blame them for these incidents happening. And as much as people would like to call them thugs and other things, they do that for their comfort.”
The Rest…HERE
