Wednesday [January 13, 2016], Jeb Bush sat down with the Des Moines Registrar Editorial board to discuss a number of topics, including the strained relationship between the police and Black communities following high-profile police shootings of unarmed Black men.
When asked about the role of the government in cases such as these, the Republican presidential candidate responded by saying he supported government intervention when there is “overt discrimination.”
“Putting aside a police officer shooting a Black man, most of the crimes are Black-on-Black in the communities. Most by far,” Bush stated. “The police shooting of unarmed Black males, which is what the conversation is about as I understand it, is very small.”
Bush also added that Justice Department investigation can go on to deepen mistrust between law enforcement and minority communities.
“Police need to be community policing. They need to be engaged in the community, and if they feel that the risk is too high to do it…that people don’t have their back, then you’re gonna have serious problems.”
Jeb Bush isn’t the only Republican candidate to refrain from criticizing law enforcement when faced with questions such as this. Competitor Marco Rubio has stated that the debate over federal intervention shouldn’t demonize law enforcement, while Donald Trump and Governor Chris Christie have gone so far as to criticize the Black Lives Matter movement.
However, on the other side of things, Democratic candidates have taken a more adverse stance against law enforcement with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders advocating for criminal justice reform.
“For a start it means that police officers should not be shooting unarmed people, predominantly African-Americans.”
While data shows that Jeb Bush’s focus may be warranted, it’s important to realize the reason most Blacks are killed by other Blacks are because, just like other racial groups, African-Americans tend to live in the same communities with people of the same race, which is also the reason that most Whites are killed by other Whites.
