(Applause)
>>
Hi.
>> Thank you all
for being here.
I want to remind
everyone this event has
been set up to adhere
to social distancing
guidelines.
Accordingly please
keep your mask on in
accordance with the
governors mandate and
thank you again
for being here.
At the end of the
program we will give you
guidance to take a
socially distance photo.
>> If you want one.
(Laughs).
I am sorry Father I
thought it was supposed
to come up this way.
>> That's OK.
>> You have some guns.
>>
Good afternoon,
everyone.
Good afternoon,
I cannot hear you.
Let's get some energy
and love in the room.
My name is Tim Mahon.
I appreciate everyone
being here.
I want to thank
Reverend Parker
for your hospitality.
an convening what we
know is a very important
discussion in
our community.
Vice President Joe Biden
, Doctor Joe Biden is
in the house I believe
somewhere.
I would like to welcome
you both here
for what you know is a
town of love, unity and
compassion.
As you know, you spent
most of your career
unifying people,
bringing people together.
And much like in your
hometown, Scranton,
we have often
talked about
family values
, working class families
.
Kenosha is the
kind of town.
Where we come together
as people
and what unites us
in our inner soul
is love, compassion
and in this time
of healing
and hurt and pain
we need that love
and compassion.
We know your leadership
is all about unity,
not division.
It is about healing.
We thank you for
being here today
because we know
your leadership
is important
in Kenosha
and in our country.
We also know, and
let's be clear
, black Americans
face systemic racism
in a variety of areas.
Let's be real
about that.
Much like many
marginalized communities
far too long
and we know with
your vision
and your leadership
in your sense of urgency
to dismantle
systemic racism
in healthcare,
workforce development,
education
, affordable housing
.
We know your vision will
heal this country.
We know your vision
will bring
neighborhoods back
together
and we thank
you for that.
Now, gives me
great pleasure
to introduce you
are host Reverend Barker
please, give us (.
>> Welcome everybody.
It is a real privilege
to look out on my
neighbors here in Kenosha
and I can see
so many people
who have had at the
Core of their life
seeking welfare and
praying for the welfare
of our city.
It is a privilege to
have all of you here
today.
It is a real privilege
to have Vice President
Joe Biden here today to
listen and seek healing
and justice for us in
Kenosha so taking --
thank you all for taking
time to come here.
Please rise as you are
able as I offer a
prayer.
Let us pray.
Oh healing God we
continue to lift up
Jacob like Blake.
Lord continue to bring
healing to his grievous
wounds.
Lord miraculously
enable him to walk
again.
Lift up his family
bring them comfort
during this tumultuous
challenging time.
Oh God of justice
we ask
for justice for
Jacob Blake.
We ask for justice for
our community here in
Kenosha.
Oh God who anoints
leaders
to guide us
we ask that you anoint
the leader of
our country
in November who
will at their Core
seek justice
, love mercy humbly
walk with you
and love their neighbor
as themselves.
And God I have
great confidence
you will make that
happen for us in
November.
I pray all of these
things in the name of
the Father, The suno
mn
and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
You may be seated.
>>
Thank you Reverend
Barker for those
inspiring words.
Also I want to thank
you for the great work
you do in the
neighborhood.
As you know, not far
from here we have
devastation and
disruption and we know
your Church has had a
leadership role in the
recovery.
Thank you for that
and many blessings.
Here we are ladies and
gentlemen we are here to
have a community
conversation.
There is a few ground
rules in the interest of
safety health
and wellness.
Social distancing rules
are important and will
be applied.
We have four selected
speakers
we are going
to start with.
We will ask them to
speak and speak to the
Mike that is closest
to you.
After they are finish we
will call up folks as
you choose to speak.
We will give about five
minutes per person.
I have been told I have
the right to put the
mask over your mask
mouth and shut it
down a little bit.
As you know Vice
President Joe Biden is
here to listen, learn
and help us heal.
There enough?
First with us is
Tim Thompkins.
Community resident
and former Marine.
Him?
Tim?
>>
What I would like to
talk about what is
occurring in Wisconsin
is really something that
is an American issue.
That is about race
and equality.
We talk about race
inequality in America
we need to move beyond
the conversation
of programs.
We need to start
putting money behind the
programs
and putting things
into action.
Several years ago
Ben Gordon who
is with the NAACP
said we know what
the problems are.
We need to start putting
money behind
the solutions.
We know what the
problems are
in the African-American
community.
We know what the
problems are and the
Hispanic community.
But when you're looking
at Wisconsin which is
considered the worst
place in the United
States for people
of color, 34% of
African-Americans
live in poverty.
24% of Hispanics,
28% of Native
American Indians
and 18% of people who
are of Asian descent
.
So when you talk
about that race
inequality it also
means about inclusion
and taking those steps
that we need to address
those issues.
We need to address the
issues of employment.
We have all of these
jobs around here but we
do not have the median
income and the
difference between
white families and
African-Americans in the
state of Wisconsin is
50%.
We are earning 50% of
what those family
incomes are.
If we are not paying
people living wages
, the automotive
industry that was here
, American brass
we are community
that built things.
We have a lot of
intelligent people, a
lot of skills that
are still here.
It is tapping into those
resources and creating
those opportunities
in employment.
When I was in HR
director in a
municipality one of the
things we did was we
banned the box.
We don't need to look
for new employees to
look for a workforce.
We are pushing them out
of the prison system
each and every day.
When those individuals
come back to our
communities what we need
to do is start providing
second chances for them.
We also need to address
the gaps within our
education system.
Not that we don't have a
public education system,
but we have a public
education system that is
not equitable.
We need to make sure
that each program and
every school is the same.
We need to make sure
that black sports
programs and white
sports programs are
funded the same.
We need to make sure
that science programs
and art programs are
funded the same.
Not that they just exist
but that they have the
same quality and they
are of the same quilt
because you cannot build
programs that do not
have the same resources
and economic ability to
push those forward
to be successful.
The biggest thing I see
going on right now and
it just breaks my heart
when we talk about race
inequality we have
to look at housing.
Right now we look at
what is going on during
COVID.
We have so many people
right now because of not
having economics and not
being in work at this
time, they are losing
their housing.
View looked over Texas
over the last couple of
days it's heartbreaking
to see all these people
in the middle of the
pandemic, in the middle
of having hurricane come
to this area and now
they are being placed on
the streets with their
belongings.
We have to move
beyond that.
The other thing that
is still out there.
We have to create jobs.
We have to create living
wages and opportunities
for people so they can
be a part of that
American dream.
I was going to talk
about the criminal
justice system but we
have such a wonderful
person here who will be
able to follow up on
that.
We have to realize we
have to stop pushing
people into jail.
We have to start giving
solutions such as
rehabilitation.
When the epidemic in
America it was in the
black community America
solution was in jail.
Now that we have opioids
in the white community
the solution is to
provide police forces
with Narcan and send
them back home to their
families to make sure
they have rehabilitation
services.
We have to look at our
criminal justice system
because we do not have
the mental health
services in the drug
addiction services and
other services needed
to prevent people from
getting caught up in a
cycle that takes away
from that American dream
and takes away the
opportunity for equity.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you, Tim.
30 years of great
service as a
firefighter.
Wonderful unmanned.
Thank you, Jeff.
>> Thanks for coming.
Thanks for listening.
Our members are tired
after this past week.
Some of them are beat
up pretty good.
But their spirits are
high and the reason
their spirits are high
is because of the
appreciation and love
our community has shown
us after the buyers.
Everything that has
been dropped off at the
firehouses to people
stopping us on the street
and telling us things.
It made me think
about appreciation.
I think a lot of people
at a lot of different
levels
need to start showing
appreciation for one
another
and letting people know
that everybody matters.
I know I feel good when
I feel appreciated.
I think it is a
basic human thing
that everybody
else does too.
One of the interesting
things in the fire
department
is that we have an
opportunity to see so
many social and economic
problems in people's
homes before there
is a program,
before there is access
to healthcare,
before there is
an actual problem.
I have seen it
for 30 years.
I would like to tell
you that it is getting
better every day,
but it's not.
One of the things we see
particularly in the
areas of people of color
is their ability to
access healthcare at a
time when it has a
chance to be
preventative, to be
healing.
So many of the things
that we see are a result
of chronic ability
not to get at healthcare
.
Those small things
turning to chronic
things.
Those chronic things
turn into emergencies.
That is when we
get called.
As a result of that,
our systems
are being taxed
and in many cases and
we have even asked
people why did you not
seek help from your
doctor?
I don't have a doctor.
Why did you not take
this heart medication?
I can't afford it.
OK, well, now we
are at a point
where you are taking a
trip to the emergency
room.
At times we are the
only healthcare
that some folks have
had access to.
We never failed
to show up.
We show up damn fast
and sometimes even
that's not enough.
So those are some of
the things that we see
with regard to a problem
in the community
that needs attention.
If there were clinics
where there were
availability for low
level healthcare access
we wouldn't see
quite so much
of what we have
to deal with
from an emergent
standpoint.
And again,
pride, dedication
and courage
that's what we all
signed up for.
Are thumbs are all up
and we are forging
forward
and we would like a
whole bunch of other
people to be able to
feel the same kind of
appreciation we do.
So thanks for
being here.
Appreciate it.
>> Would you like to
say something now?
Jeff, thank you for
saying that and thank
you for continuing to
keep Kenosha safe.
>> Cannot touch this?
Thank you, Joe
for being here.
It is a great honor
are being asked
to be here.
My sister and I have a
framing and art gallery
two blocks down
the road.
Our great-grandfather
started our business
and our business has
succeeded through
recessions, depressions
and all the difficulties
that happen.
But we have never, ever
seen anything
as devastating
as what is going on
in our community.
We are very fortunate
because they did not
start our building on
fire like so many of
them in the uptown area
have been burned
to the ground.
They did breaker
windows, get into our
store.
They looted
and they try
to start a fire
but a good Samaritan
came by
and took this rock of
our beautiful scarves
out into the sidewalk
and put it out otherwise
our store would have
been up in flames.
I look at the buildings
in our community that
are gone
and I just .
I don't think
, I don't think
I've really grieved
as much as I
feel I should
because just being
a business owner
I have to keep going
and I have to keep
working.
The day after this
happened at our store.
Sunday they went
downtown and did their
devastation.
And then on Monday night
they came in our area.
So Tuesday morning
we had a group
of fellows come
in board of our building
and we were open
for business.
And we have been
continuing to be open
for business even though
it is boarded up.
The love and compassion
in this community has
been overwhelming not
only to us but the whole
community.
People are coming out
and coming together
and showing respect and
love towards each other.
It makes me
so very proud
to be in this community.
That is what we do when
we have difficulties.
We support and help
and love.
So thank you so much
for allowing me
to come here
and give you a
business perspective.
We are lucky.
We are still standing.
Thank you.
>>
Thank you Barbara.
You know the community
lecture store very much
and anything we can can
you to do to help
rebuild you we will.
Thank you very much.
You're about to hear
from one of the sharpest
youngest legal minds
in Kenosha.
Angela Cunningham
please come up.
>>
Thank you, Tim.
Good afternoon
Vice President
and thank you for
joining us here today.
You know the reason
Kenosha is in the
spotlight right now
is because of the
shooting of Jacob like.
I will never forget
that Sunday afternoon.
I was watching
a live video
of someone on the scene
and trying to figure out
what was going on.
I was reading the
comments and I saw
people commenting about
the fact that he had
been shot by officers.
And I saw the video of
the actual incident.
I don't even think I
have the words to
describe how I felt when
I saw that video.
I do remember texting
my group of friends
and saying this
is really bad.
This is really bad.
There's going to
be protests.
There's going
to be riding.
I knew that right away
after watching that
video.
My mom
called me.
I have a 20-year-old
black man for us on.
My mom called me
shortly after the news
got out about what
happened because she
knows we live in Kenosha.
Her first thought was
is Shawn OK, is he all
right?
I knew he was OK because
he was at work.
Mr.
Vice President
, I am speaking
into the Mr.
President part
, Mr.
Vice President
as an attorney
I know legally
why a lot of officers
who kill
Black
men and women are not
held legally responsible
, criminally legally
responsible for their
actions,
because the law
protects them.
I recognize that
and I know that.
I don't agree that
-- with it but I
recognize that and I
know that.
I hope that if and when
you are elected president
that that is something
that your administration
chooses to try to
address because I feel
that the law protects a
lot of police officers.
I know a lot of those
laws are at the state
level but if at the
federal level something
can be done to
incentivize states
do not give so much
legal protection to
police officers who kill
black men and women
.
I also want to talk, as
an attorney I have my
own law firm here.
Part of my practice is
doing criminal defense
work.
I am also a former
prosecutor out of
Milwaukee.
I have been on both
sides of the aisle.
What I have seen in the
criminal courts is
unfair treatment between
white defendants versus
black and brown
defendants.
There is over policing
in our communities.
So you have black
and brown people
who are picked up for
a lot of times will
could be minor things
.
Then they have a
criminal record.
Then that criminal
records mean they have a
stamp on the back that
makes it difficult for
them to get jobs and
more likely to stay
involved in the criminal
justice system and you
get a resume that
gets built.
I would love to see
legislation put in place
to try to address some
of the over policing in
communities.
I would also like to see
some transparency in
policing and prosecution
and sentencing's..
Because I sit in court,
well, I used to be for
COVID,
sitting in court all
day and I listen to
cases and I can see
what's going on
and I'm able to see the
differential treatment
and charging and offers
that are given by the
prosecution and in
sentencing given by
judges.
Anybody who is not in
court every day will not
see that.
And that data is not
readily available.
I would love to see a
nationwide effort put in
place that requires
police departments
, district attorneys
offices and also courts
to collect the data
about arrests
'
,
charges, sentencings
and offers given.
So the light
can be shown
for those who do not
sit in court all day.
I think that's the
first step that needs to
be taken
in order to make
a difference.
Then when we know the
actual numbers are
start putting
legislation in place to
address some of those
discrepancies.
Thank you for listening
today.
>> Thank you to our
four speakers.
Mr.
President
-- Mr.
Vice President would you
like to take a few
moments and chat with
the community?
>>
First of all, thank
you for giving me the
opportunity.
I hope I don't know how
much time you have after
I say a few words maybe
I could hear for more of
you as well.
Let me respond to a
little bit of what I
heard so far.
First of all, if I can
make a generic point.
The words of a president
matter.
No matter if they are
good, bad or
indifferent.
They matter.
No matter how competent
or incompetent a
president is they could
send a nation to war,
they can bring peace,
they can make markets
rise or fall.
They can do things that
I have observed can make
a difference just
by what they say.
You know, I got out of
law school and I moved
back to Delaware
, I had a partial
scholarship to go away
we did not have a law
school at the time in
Delaware.
I went to Syracuse
law school.
And I came home from law
school what happened was
my last semester the
only two political
heroes I ever had both
were assassinated.
Dr.
King and Bobby Kennedy.
As a matter of fact,
Kennedy was assassinated
the day I graduated.
I came home in my city
was the only city in the
United States of America
occupied by the military
for reconstruction
for 10 months.
Every single corner was
a military person
standing with the drawn
bayonet, not a joke, 10
months.
I had a job with a good
law firm, a well-known
law firm one of the
oldest in the state and
after a while I
concluded that I was in
the wrong place.
They were good people
but I became a public
defender.
I used to have
. interview my clients
and what they call the
Northeast quarter where
Amtrak runs from
Washington
to New York, the area
goes right through my
city.
I use to interview
clients down in the
basement of that train
station before they were
arraigned.
And here I was
, and we had the eighth
largest black population
of any state in the
nation as a percent of
population, we were to
our great shame a slave
state
although we were one
of those border states
that fought on the side
of the north, thank God.
Anyway to make a long
story short what
happened was I thought
black and whites would
never be in my city
talking to each other
again.
Here I was then
literally 40 years later
to the month
on January 17 standing
on the platform and that
very same train station
and looking at what we
call the east side which
had been burned to the
ground literally.
It had been completely
level.
Across the Christine
River they called the
third street bridge.
Was overwhelmingly
hundred percent in
African-American
community.
I was standing on that
platform on January 17
waiting for a black man
to come 26 miles from
Philadelphia to pick me
up.
And take me on
a train ride
to Washington DC.
with 10,000 people
standing down below
cheering.
And my son
, Beau was alive then
was the Attorney
General of the state of
Delaware at the time.
..
.
My middle son
who was in the
world food program USA
the largest program
in the world.
I called them up and
all of a sudden hit me.
Here I was in that
whole area has been
rebuilt
and the third street
bridge is still in a
little bit of trouble
but things have moved.
I said don't tell me
things can't change.
I told him about the
story, am I violating
social distancing here
walking and, I guess I
am.
Sorry.
And I said don't tell
me things can change.
I told the story and
pointed and reminded him
what it was when I
was a young attorney.
But I made a mistake
about something.
I thought you could
defeat hate.
Hate only hides
, it only hides.
And when someone
in authority
breathes oxygen under
that rock it legitimizes
those folks to come
out from under the rocks
.
And I had not planned on
running for anything
again after my son had
died and I was
a professor
at college and running
another program
at another college.
Until I saw those people
coming out of
Charlottesville
carrying torches,
literally torches coming
out of the fields.
Close your eyes and
remember the soul and
television.
There veins bulging,
their hate filled speech
chanting the anti-Semitic
file that was Janet in
the streets of Germany
in the 30s.
On top of that
accompanied by white
supremacist Ku Klux Klan
a young woman was killed
protesting those folks.
The president of the
United States was asked
, he was asked what
do you think
.
And he said quote,
something no president
has ever said
"he said there are very
fine people on both
sides."
No president has ever
said anything like that.
The generic point
I'm making is
not all his fault.
But it legitimizes
, it legitimizes
the dark side
of human nature.
And what it did though
, it also exposed
what had not been paid
enough attention to
the underlying racism
that is
institutionalized in the
United States still
exists and has existed
for 400 years.
And so what is
happening is
we end up in
a circumstance
like you had
here in Kenosha
and have here in Kenosha
but, you know,
I had a serious
operation
years ago by
a neurosurgeon
and he gave me a
relatively small chance
of making it.
After was all over I
said I will be fine.
He said you know what
your problem is Senator,
you are a congenital
optimist.
I think we have reached
a deflection point in
American history.
I honest to God believe
we have an enormous
opportunity now that the
curtain has been pulled
back.
And just what is going
on in the country to do
a lot of really
positive things.
You know, as much as
they say that Black
Lives Matter
has lost some standing
since the president has
gone on this rant
about, you know,
law and order etc.
You still have over 50%
of the American people
supporting it.
It was up to 78, that
has never happened
before.
People are beginning to
see because of COVID
with the people around
breaking their necks and
risking their lives to
keep them safe in their
homes.
You know that old
definition of a
firefighter, God made
man and then he made a
couple firefighters.
You are all crazy
thanks God.
I grew up in a
neighborhood where you
either became a
firefighter or priest
and I was not qualified
for either so here I am.
But all kidding aside.
Think of what
is happening.
Think of all the people.
You have over 6000 young
dreamers quote unquote
dreamers and Hispanic
community who in fact
are on the frontlines
dealing with COVID.
You have all those
folks working in a
supermarket
stacking shelves making
five, six, seven bucks
an hour and in fact
they are mostly
African-Americans,
Latinos.
Minorities.
People are beginning
to figure out
who we are as a country.
This is not who we are.
This is not who we are.
The first point I want
to make to you all is
I'm not pessimistic.
I am optimistic about
the opportunity if we
sees it.
I'm going to respond to
each of you had to say.
Him, you talked about
this a lot more about
putting money China
solutions.
The country is ready to
put that money behind
the solutions now.
Here's what I propose.
You point out a 30%
poverty rate among
African-Americans.
You have living wages
that do not exist.
We are going to
nationalize $15 an hour.
No one should have to
work two jobs just to
make it.
That is not right
in America.
Two jobs just to be
above the poverty rate?
About the poverty level?
Prison reform, there's a
whole lot of reforms it
takes but my view is we
should take prison
reform and have been
preaching this for the
last five years from
prison punishment to
reform.
So, for example, anybody
serves their time in
prison and they get out
they should be entitled
under -- to every single
program that exist under
the federal government.
Why don't we want them
getting a Pell grant and
going to school?
Why don't we want them
qualifying for what used
to be called
food stamps?
But right now I wrote
years ago a guy name
Spector, a senator from
Pennsylvania the second
chance act.
Right now we are in a
situation where you get
out of prison and I
think you all know this
you get a bus ticket
in 25 bucks.
By the way 93% of
everybody are behind a
city jail, County jail,
a state jail, not a
federal prison.
Barack and I were able
to reduce the prison
population by
38,000 folks.
Anybody who gets
convicted of a drug crime
, not want that is in
terms of massive
selling, but consumption
they should not
go to prison.
They should go to
mandatory rehabilitation.
Instead of building
more prisons I have been
proposing for some time
we build rehabilitation
centers, mandatory.
They have to go to
mandatory rehab.
It is not part of the
record when they get out
if they finish it
because the point you
made you get a record
and it stays with you.
Sorry, you cannot get
the job because you did
the following.
Even if it is
a misdemeanor.
We should not be putting
anybody in jail for
that.
We should find ourselves
in a situation where
housing, right now in
the United States of
America we do not have
the kind of housing
funding we had back in
our administration or
even before that in
Republican
administrations.
No one should have to
pay more than 30% of
their income to be able
to live and have
housing.
Including people
on the street.
That is why I proposed a
$400 billion program to
vastly increase
available housing in
America.
And by the way, it's
not a waste of money.
Even the folks on Wall
Street point out that
will increase the GDP
and make it grow, and
people do better.
Hard as a double for any
of your clients who are
black to get an
entrepreneurial business
loan.
All the studies show
they are just as
qualified to be able to
succeed as anyone
else's.
Rock and I put a program
together that is 1.5
billion dollars that
brought it off the
sidelines and we provide
that for the local small
business associations.
If you get a loan and
the private sector says
hey we have the
government backing him
we are going to join
them and we are going to
get in with him or her.
We are going to you move
that $250 billion.
I'm giving you too much.
I can see your about
to stand up.
Mental health.
It is a badly needed
commodity right now.
That is why with the
Affordable Care Act we
are insisted on being
treated equally.
There's no difference
between a mental health
problem in a physical
health problem.
They are both related
to your health.
They should both
be covered.
You talked about the
whole idea of federal
support.
You know, clinics, we
need community clinics.
You guys are expected to
do everything right now.
And, Barb, you talked
about rebuilding.
You know what, let's
get something straight
here.
Protesting is
protesting.
My buddy John Lewis used
to say but none of it
justifies looting,
burning or anything else.
Regardless how angry
you are if you boot and
you burn you
should be held
as accountable as
somebody who'd done
anything else, period.
It just cannot be
tolerated across the
board.
And Angela, you know,
you talk about
the whole issue
of sentencing.
One of the things
that I proposed is
we make sure that
prosecutors
are able to have
to list what the
option charges were
given to a person.
For example, if you the
white guy who can afford
a lawyer
and you are charged
with the crime.
You are not charged with
nine crimes and giving
nine alternatives and
say if you plead to the
least one we are going
to put you on probation.
And you have no lawyer.
Or you have a public
defender who is getting
paid half the federal
prosecutor is getting
paid.
Public defenders,
federal public defenders
are going to get paid
the same amount as
prosecutors are going to
get paid so you have
representation.
Once you get that on
your record you have a
real problem.
Well, two people show up
for a job you have that
thing you pledged to
and you are guilty of
anything but rather than
run the risk of going to
jail for five years you
pledge to get out from
under anything but
you get probation.
That happens
all the time.
That is why we have
to have the federal
Department of Justice
which is not much of the
department of justice
right now have the
ability to go and look
at the methods that are
used by the prosecutors
and their offices and
how they impact deal
with sentencing and what
they do.
There's a lot more to
say but I probably
already said too much.
Except that there's a
lot we are able to do.
The public is ready
to do these things.
I promise you.
I promise you.
Last piece, education.
The idea in the United
States of America your
education is determined
by your ZIP Code.
Title I schools, you'll
know what that is.
Mostly in black and
Hispanic neighborhoods
but also poor white
neighborhoods with they
can afford the tax base.
Title I schools are able
to get $15 billion a
year to make up for the
$200 billion gap that
exists between them and
other school districts.
White school districts.
Guess what?
We moved that to
45 billion a year.
It means I can put
every three, four,
five-year-old in school.
We have learned a lot
in the last eight years.
Every major university
and procedures
University in the
country pointed out
that it increases by
15% that no matter what
home
the child came from
they will get through
all 12 years of school.
And also insist that we
provide for, right now
we have one school sky
-- psychologist for every
--
we know now that about
60% of a child's brain
is developed by the time
they reach that age.
Anxieties exist with
children that can be
identified early and is
able to be dealt with.
Anxiety.
But they don't do it now
because they cannot pick
it up.
And their situation
again where when you do
that
we know that the most
at risk generation for
the first time in
American history is the Z
generation.
They have the greatest
history of anxiety all
the way up the scale the
matter where they are.
I know you are getting
to ANSI, sit down, man.
It's important.
Here's the deal.
If you think about it
drug abuse does not
cause mental health
problems.
Mental health problems
cause drug abuse.
If you do not detect
anxiety in children early
and deal with it and
treated you increase
exponentially the
prospect they are going
to be, in fact, find
themselves susceptible
to what is happening
in the community.
The generic point I am
making is there so much
we can do.
So much we can do.
And we can do it just by
eliminating the tax cut
the top 1/10 of 1% which
is $1,350,000,000,000
that is done nothing
to help anybody.
19 corporations making
$1 billion apiece
do not pay a
single penny
in taxes.
I don't want to
punish anybody
but everybody should
pay a fair share.
Here's the deal
, I would pay
for every single thing
I'm proposing without
raising your taxes
one penny.
If you make less than
400 grand you will not
get a penny tax and you
will get a tax cut if
you make under $125,000.
It's not that we can't
do this, we have not
been willing to do this.
I think the public
is ready.
I will do whatever
you tell me Boss.
>> You are the boss.
I know when my dad would
tell me to sit down, I
sat down.
I think what you heard
here is strength,
experience and empathy.
What we do know is that
VP Biden you and Kamala
Harris have the
leadership and strength
to restore faith in
healing in this country.
We appreciate
you very much.
We are going to continue
the community
conversations because
I'm sure you have more
to hear from our
community.
Would you like to come
forward and lead us in
the next round of
conversation please?
>>
My name is Portia
Bennett.
I'm going to be
honest Mr.
Biden I was told to go
off this paper but I
can't.
You need the truth and
I am part of the truth.
I was born here,
raised here
.
First eighth grade
class of the school
that was named after
his mother so I have to
give you the truth
of the people.
The truth of
the matter is
we are heavily angry.
Not angry
as to where people say
they are protesting.
There is a difference
between a protester and
a rider.
A very big difference.
We protest to get
our voices heard.
We protest to show not
just Blacks are tired of
what is going on.
You can see there's
Blacks, whites, Muslims,
Chinese, Hispanic
out there.
We came together to help
get this community
together as well because
we live here and we
wanted to stay the way
we always had it but the
changes that we want
has to be more
in effect.
We hear so many people
saying we are going to
give you this and we are
going to give you that
but we have yet
to see action.
I was always raised to
go off action and not
words.
Because you will be let
down every single time.
In the action we want
our hold these officers
accountable to the same
crimes we get held
accountable to.
If I was that officer I
would be under Kenosha
County jail right now.
If I was these officers
who commit these crimes
because if a medical
examiner
. if a medical examiner
does their job and says
I'm really in homicide,
that's murder.
Why are not
-- why are they not
being done the same
exact way that me or my
brothers and sisters
out in this role
not being treated.
Why are there more
police officers in the
black neighborhoods than
other neighborhoods.
Why are we more targeted
than anybody else?
We walk somewhere in
its automatically you
fit the description.
We wear something
automatically it's your
a bad person.
I'm only 31.
And I have seen enough
within these last two
years to say I am tired.
I am a mother.
My oldest is 13 and
my twins are nine.
I do this because
I want their future
to be better than
what I have
now because my present
is not good but I speak
because I want the truth
heard and I speak for
the people in this city
because I live in the
city and I'm out here
with these people.
A lot of people won't
tell the truth but I am
telling the truth.
It's not what a lot of
people think it is for
us.
We mark the same exact
rights as others.
We want to be treated
just like everyone else.
A lot of us get denied
jobs because we marked
that box is
African-American
even though we are
overly qualified for
that position.
People come in and tear
down houses in our
neighborhoods instead
of fixing them up
and making them better.
And now we are all
pushed to one side of
town.
Gentrification has
to stop as well.
We can't get that if
someone with that voice
can't put that
into effect.
That's all we
are asking.
We want the same
treatment
.
We are not asking put us
above anybody we are not
saying we matter
more than anybody
, none of that.
But for so many decades
we have been shown we
don't matter and right
now we just want someone
who is actually going to
show and put that action
in.
It's a lot of stuff we
want done and being
someone who is out here,
I literally lived
directly behind this
Church, I know the
pastor.
I come over and help
with the food pantry
some days.
I know it, I see
it, I live it.
Others who do not see
it and live it can't
tell you the truth.
They cannot give you the
in-depth things we are
going throughout here as
black and brown people,
so I am telling you.
There is way more we
went on and it did not
start with Jacob.
But we want change.
We want change.
I thank you for coming
to hear me.
(Applause)
>>
Someone else
would like to
come up and provide
insights on Kenosha?
>>
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President
for being here
and listening.
The spotlight has
been on our town
.
We talked about Sunday,
what happened Sunday
and I feel like
that was years ago.
And when I'm walking
out there
and talking to
my constituents
and I'm talking
to my neighbors
and I'm talking to
my friends and family
I hear their pain
.
The 10th district
the city of Kenosha
did not suffer the
same destruction
that other parts
of the city
experienced.
But like I spoke
to Senator Baldwin
, there is a hurt
in my section of town.
There is a pain in
my section of town.
Mr.
Blake
was shot two blocks
from my house.
But we speak about
how we feel then, the
despair and anger
and all of those things
but I also want
to tell you
about the humanity
that is coming out
of these things.
We know that someone
came here
to take a victory lap.
We know that someone
came here
to show the vision.
We know that someone
came here not to help us
but the people
surrounding
the family decided
we are not going to
show that picture to the
world.
We are going to show
them different.
You saw a block party
happen right there
where Mr.
Blake was shot.
You saw people
celebrating life.
You saw kids playing
in bounce houses.
You saw services being
provided to the community
and this was put
together in about a 24
hour period.
I would love to sit
here and tell you I took
credit for it.
I didn't.
It just happen
organically with the
people around them.
The spirit, that's the
spirit in Kenosha and
that is the thing that
gives me hope.
Will gives me hope about
your presidency as we
can stop talking the
cynicism will have . we
go out there in that
marketplace of voting we
will have a real idea.
We will give people
(Laughs) I don't want to
give -- use the other
guys brace but we will
give them hope and that
is so important.
The things I'm going to
need in my district in
particular
it's going to be more
of those soft skills.
There is definitely
the jobs and economic
development
and all the other
things the other
speakers have spoke on
that will help in my
district immensely
but to restore faith
in the system, that is
going to be very hard,
very difficult.
To restore the
in the process that's
going to be
really difficult.
When we know the man
at the top, yourself,
is speaking the truth
in an honest truth
you're going to make
our work here in Kenosha
a lot better and I'm
looking forward to that
day.
I, again, want
to thank you.
>>
Sir would you like to
provide any closing
remarks for good?
>>
First of all, I'm going
to stay seated and make
it informal.
Porsche
t
ia
,
you know the things
I talked about here
that we have to do
didn't start
, even back to Eric
Garner I can't breathe.
We have been proposing
this for a long time.
Literally for years.
The one thing I
think we have to
acknowledge my mom used
to have an expression
that said if you want
to know me come walk in
my shoes and I'll.
mile.
Even though I have been
involved with the
African-American
community and civil
rights movement since I
have been a junior in
high school with
disaggregating movie
theaters and the like, I
cannot understand what
it's like to walk
out the door
or send my son out the
door are my daughter and
worry about just because
they are black they may
not come back.
I can't really,
I can intellectually
understand it
but I can't feel it.
I just spent
an hour or more
with a family
as I got off
the airplane.
Had an opportunity
to spend some time
with Jacob on the phone.
He is out of ICU.
We spoke for about
15 minutes.
His brother and two
sisters, his dad
and his mom on
the telephone.
I spoke with them
before but we spent some
time together
with my wife.
He talked about
how nothing was going
to defeat him.
How whether he walked
again or not he was not
going to give up.
We talked about...
Based on the 23rd Psalm
and he raise you up
on Eagles wings and
beer you on the breath
of Don dawn
and hold you in the
palm of his hand until
we meet again.
I think ultimately what
has been unleashed
with a lot of people
as they understand
fear does not solve
problems, only hope does.
If you give up hope,
you might as well
surrender.
There is no real option.
And as we talked
and listened to his mom
.
She was on the phone
.
She was not with Jacob,
she was in the same
location.
And, as I said, his dad
, his son, his brother
, two sisters
and the family lawyer,
to family lawyers with
their.re
.
What I came away with
was the overwhelming
sense of resilience
and optimism
that they have about
the kind of response
they are getting.
His mom talked about .
my wife asked to say a
prayer and his mom
said a prayer.
She said I am praying
for Jacob but I am
praying for the
policeman as well.
I am praying that
things change.
If you think a
little bit about
where we are right now
it has been a terrible,
terrible
wake-up call
that is gotten
the rest of the
nation to realize
it's a confluence
of three things.
One, the COVID crisis.
Two,
and we did not have to
have over 6 million
people contract COVID
over 186,000 dead
and climbing.
If we had just acted.
It has been pointed out
by the University of
Columbia Law school
that
if we had acted
one week earlier
37,000 more people
would be alive.
Two weeks earlier 51,000
maybe 31 and 57, but the
point is over 80,000
people would still be
alive.
You have to take
responsibility
if you are a leader,
a president.
Instead of saying I'm
not responsible it did
not happen on my watch,
I take no responsibility.
I think the country is
much more primed to take
responsibility because
they now have seen what
you see but you do not
experience the same
way you do Porsche
because they are not a
bright young black woman
with two kids, two
or three children
that you have
to worry about.
There are changes that
are taking place.
in the country.
One of the problems is
. look, this is
not about me.
.
..
The exact same thing
only it's going to
impact us for a couple
of generations.
The public kind of
understands that now.
And I think they
are so ready
to do so many things
.
They are really
either fully unaware of
or aware of but never
registered with them
before or they just have
seen things that they
have not seen before.
You know, when Doctor
King when he said and I
know it's ancient
history and you were
even born, but I was in
grade school
and bull Connor
took those
fire hoses and
dogs on those black
women going to Church in
their Sunday best and
little skin having their
skin ripped off them by
the high-power fire hoses
he thought he was
putting a wooden stake
in the heart of the
civil rights movement.
Other parts of the
country they heard about
this
but didn't happen
everyone turned on a
black and white TV and I
saw it and I said oh my
God Doctor King said
it was a second
emancipation.
They got the voting
rights act, they got the
civil rights act.
Didn't get us all the
way there but made
progress.
When that young man
stood there for eight
minutes and I think it
was 43 seconds watching
Floyd die having his
face pressed up against
that curb people not
only in the United States
but all around the
world said oh my God.
It really, really
happens.
We had a man his size
and physicality
calling for his mom.
It struck a nerve
that had not been
struck before.
It's awful it
has to happen.
But I think we are one
of those moments.
We have this opportunity
if we don't let up.
We don't let up.
There's a reason why
this administration does
not
want to talk about .
wants to only talk about
dividing the country and
about law and order.
They don't want to talk
about all those people
who have died
from COVID.
They don't want to talk
about the fact that
almost 1 million people
again filed for
unemployment and
do not have jobs.
They don't want to talk
about the fact that
you have tens of
thousands of businesses
closing and maybe
for good.
They don't want to talk
about the fact that
the Congress passed
legislation
, the Heroes Act
to provide money for
states to be able to
keep firefighters on the
job, teachers on the
job, first responders
on the job etc.
They don't want to talk
about that because they
don't want to do it.
They do not feel it is
their obligation so they
are trying to divert
us in the attention.
If I get elected
president I promise you
there will be a
national commission on
policing out of the
White House where I will
bring everyone
to the table
including police
chiefs, including civil
rights activists,
including the NAACP,
including the Latino
community
.
We are going to sit down
there and we are going
to work it out.
Because a significant
portion of the police
are decent people
but no one, there's a
lot of bad folks in
every organization.
There is not a whole lot
of people that want to
speak up and be the odd
man out or odd woman out
no matter what outfit
you work with.
So we have to get a
chance to change things
and we can.
There is not a single
solitary reason in the
world why, why as I said
we should not
be in a position
that everybody,
and that's my
wife Jill.
I am Jill's husband
actually.
(Applause)
But I guess I should
cut to the chase here.
We are in a
situation now
where we cannot let up.
We cannot let up.
Violence in any
form is wrong.
The idea
and that this president
continues
to try and divide us
gifts the Core to the
white supremacist.
Talk about ways
that absolutely
.
..
That are not only
incorrect but immoral
and just simply wrong.
Simply wrong.
The one concern I have
and I understand it is
people are going to be
so frustrated
particularly in the
communities that
need help the most
in need to be treated
most clearly equal it's
not worth it at all I'm
not going to vote is
what they will say.
The guy that was a very
good friend of mine, I
talked to him two days
before he died, John
Lewis.
As John said, the only
answer is the boat vote.
It is the only answer.
Otherwise nothing else
works in a democracy.
It doesn't work.
The not so good
guys win.
when we don't vote.
.
I understand.
I really do not
-- do have a sense
of the frustration.
So where I am
I absolutely believe,
you know,
when the United States
when America sets its
mind to something
it's never, never,
never failed
when we put our minds
and we do it together.
Never.
We have gone
through wars
and pestilence, plague.
We have gone
through a lot
and we are finally now
getting to the point
we are going to
readjust the original
sin of this country.
400 years old
, it is the original
sin.
Slavery.
And all the vestiges
of it.
I'm not saying
in four years
and this is not
about a campaign
.
I can't say if tomorrow
God made me President I
can't guarantee
everything gets solved
in four years but I
guarantee you one thing
it will be a whole heck
of a lot better.
We will move a lot
further down the road.
People fear that which
is different.
We have to, for example,
why in God's name
don't we teach
history and history
classes
?
A black man invented
the light bulb, not a
white guy named Edison.
There is so much did
anybody know before
what is recently happen
that black Wall Street
in Oklahoma was burned
to the ground?
Anybody know
these things?
Because we don't
teach them.
We have to give
people facts.
Teach them what
is out there.
The idea
, I just spent time with
the number of NFL
players and, excuse me,
basketball players
including Stephanie Curry
.
You know, these folks
are making a difference
now.
It's not about
fame or glory.
Because they have
brothers themselves,
bothers
who have been beat up
and brutalized just
because they are
African-Americans.
They are standing up
and saying enough is
enough.
I think there is a chance
for real awakening here.
The point is
I don't think we have
any alternative but to
fight.
I don't think we have
any alternative but to
fight back.
I don't think we have
any alternative
to just go tell the
truth, tell the truth.
In the concluding
comment I will make is,
you know, there are a
lot of folks who thought
the president has
made great strides
with his, you know, Law
& Order strides here
that after his
convention we really
made inroads.
He hasn't.
Not at all.
I am being . it should
give you a little bit of
confidence in the
American people
.
They ain't buying it.
Of all the millions and
millions and millions of
dollars being spent they
are not buying it.
But we have to do more
than them not by it.
We have to be honest
with them and say you
have to step up.
You have to step up.
We have to do
a lot more.
A lot more than
we have done.
Because this is the
first chance we have had
in a generation
in my view to
do and cut another
slice of institutional
racism
toward getting to the
place where change is.
And, by the way,
the main reason why
I am optimistic because
your generation of
black, white, Hispanic
and Asian American did
you ever think you would
turn out on TV, turn on
the TV in roughly 2/3
ads would be biracial
couples selling
a product?
That never would
have happened.
in the 50s, 60s,
70s, 80s, 90s.
This generation is a
different generation.
The most
optimistic, least
prejudice, the best
educated, the most, most
desirable of change
of any generation.
We cannot let them down.
We have to join.
We have to join
them do it now.
Again, I thank you.
As I said
, I really am optimistic.
I promise you
win or lose
I am going to
go down fighting
.
I'm going to go down
fighting for racial
equality, equity
across the board.
We hold these truths to
be self-evident that all
men and women are
created equal and
endowed by their
Creator.
That may be what your
birthright was
but it's very different
than actually being
treated equally.
Being treated the same.
Everything from black
mortality rates in
pregnancy
straight through to
educational opportunities
and everything
in between.
But the country
is ready.
And if they are not,
it doesn't matter.
Because there are
certain things I'm not
going to change.
There are certain
things worth losing
over.
This is something worth
losing over if you have
to but we are not
going to lose.
>> Thank you very
much, sir.
(Applause) Those words
truly truly unifying
words in a community
that needs healing
and unification.
We will go down
fighting with you.
>> We are not going
to go down.
>> We are definitely
not going down.
Let me say one thing if
I could before bring up
Pastor Monroe Mitchell.
The gentleman in the
would be remiss if I did
not welcome the Dr.
Jill Biden.
(Applause)
Welcome to Kenosha.
Thank you very much.
Pastor Monroe Mitchell
please come forward.
>>
Thank you, Tim.
Thank you Mr.
Biden for coming out.
Thank you Pastor Parker
for holding this
great community event,
Townhall meeting.
Thank you to all the
speakers that came forth.
There was so much said.
I want to thank
you too Mr.
Biden for reminding us
how important optimism
is.
We deal with so much
negativity and problems.
We need to focus on
being positive being an
optimist in dealing
with the solutions.
Like I said so much
as been said and I'm
thankful, grateful to
even be invited to this.
So anyway let us stand
as we get ready to
dismiss in prayer.
Father, we thank
you once again
I thank you for your
grace and your mercy,
your goodness and
your kindness.
Thank you dear God for
allowing us to come
together in the spirit
of oneness.
Thank you for
allowing Mr.
Biden to take time out
of his busy schedule and
thank you dear God for
allowing us to bring
some issues to the table.
And, father, I pray
right now dear God that
you take out hatred, you
move our hatred from our
community and replace
it with love.
Father I
pray sincerely and
seriously dear God that
remind us each and every
day that we can too be
resilient and have
tenacity and move
forward away from
this destruction.
And Lord God I pray
that you allow this
community to
heal, Kenosha
.
I pray dear God that
you bless Kenosha.
That you bring us back
together, that you tear
down the walls that
separate us because of
race and other issues.
And I pray dear God that
you open up the channels
of communication that
much more between your
people.
And, father, this is not
something that started
recently.
This is something that
has been going on for a
while.
We pray dear God
you once again
continue to protect
Kenosha, continue to
protect Wisconsin and
continue to protect this
country.
And also continue to
protect this world.
We lift up the Blake
family today.
Jacob like we pray and
ask that you touch him
miraculously and
triumphantly with this
illness and pain
and suffering.
We pray dear God
for his family as they
go through this process
as they deal with the
media and the police
department and so forth.
Father I will not stop
there I will pray and
ask that you touch the
Kenosha Police
Department for those who
are doing the great job
that needs to be done in
the community and I pray
you touch the hearts of
those that are not.
The hearts of those
that may allow
racism to come in and
bigotry to come in and
hatred to come in for we
know that some of it is
learned behavior and
it's unfortunate.
We pray father that you
allow this community to
work together as so many
have said today.
We need to rebuild, we
need to reconstruct.
I pray father we will
rely on you is our
ultimate source.
I pray God as we get
ready to leave this
place and only dismiss
us from this place but
never from your
presence.
From the grace of God
minute rest rule and
reside in each and every
one of our hearts today
and forever more.
As we give you all the
praise, honor and glory
you so rightfully
deserve and much much
more.
Father I pray is none
other than a servant who
stands behind the cross
and I pray dear God in
the name of Jesus
Christ, my Lord and my
Savior and let everyone
say amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Thank you.
>> This concludes
the program.
We will ask that
everyone stay where you
are.
State staff will
take over.
