William Barber Prays For Steve Scalise, Asks GOP Not To ‘Prey’ On Poor | AM Joy

>>> WE ARE UNITED. WE ARE UNITED IN OUR SHOCK.
WE ARE UNITED IN OUR ANGUISH. AN ATTACK ON ONE OF US IS AN
ATTACK ON ALL OF US. >> CONGRESSMAN SCALISE IS A
FRIEND AND A VERY GOOD FRIEND. HE'S A PATRIOT.
AND HE'S A FIGHTER. >> TONIGHT, WE'REE ALL TEAM
SCALISE. >> THIS WEEK'S SHOOTING IN A GOP
CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL PRACTICE LEFT DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS
CALLING FOR UNITY, RALLYING AROUND CONGRESSMAN STEVE
SCALISE, WHO STILL REMAINS IN THE HOSPITAL, IN CRITICAL
CONDITION. BUT DESPITE THE CURRENT COUPLE

COUPLE BAYAYA, THE POLITICAL DIVISIONS ARE STILL VERY REAL
AND HAVE MORAL IMPLICATIONS. WHO BETTER TO DISCUSS THAN DR.
WILLIAM BARBER. IF EVER I NEEDED A PASTOR,
REVEREND, TODAY IS THE DAY. SO LET'S START, YOU KNOW, YOU
AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS AND I WANTED TO TRY TO GIVE
EVERYONE ELSE THE BENEFIT OF YOUR WISDOM ON THIS.
THIS IDEA THAT REPUBLICANS NOW HAVE, THEY'RE SAYING THAT WE ALL
HAVE TO COME TOGETHER. WE HAVE TO RALLY TOGETHER.
WHEN YOU HEARD THEM SAYING THAT, WHAT DID YOU HEAR?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE SHOULD BE IN PRAYER.
WE SHOULD BE UNIFIED IN OUR CONCERN FOR THE CONGRESSMAN AND
THE TWO OFFICERS THAT WERE WOUNDED.
BUT FIRST, WE SHOULD ALSO BE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE THREE
PEOPLE WHO WERE KILLED ON THE SAME DAY.
RYAN, REPRESENTATIVE RYAN SAID, WHEN YOU ATTACK ONE OF US, YOU
ATTACK ALL OF US. WELL, THIS CAN'T JUST BE A MORAL
ETHIC THAT YOU APPLY TO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
THAT'S WHY THE REAL QUESTION IS, WILL ONE OR TWO DAYS OF CHANGES
IN PERSONALITY MEAN A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN PUBLIC
POLICY? THAT'S THE MORAL QUESTION.
I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS, JOY.
ALL OF THOSE THAT WERE INJURED NEEDED HEALTH CARE.
SO NOW WILL THEY GO BACK TO WORK AND SAY, EVERY AMERICAN DESERVES
HEALTH CARE, DESERVE WHAT WE RECEIVED, AND WE WILL PRESERVE
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND MAKE SURE PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS ARE
PROTECTED? SINCE THEY COULD HAVE DIED, WILL
THEY REPENT OF EFFORTS TO TAKE MONEY FROM MEDICAID THAT WILL
HELP POOR PEOPLE AND DISABLED, MANY OF WHOM HAVE DIED WITHOUT
THAT. A BLACK MAN FROM MY ALMA MATER
SAVED THEIR LIVES. WILL THEY GO BACK TO WORK AND
RESTORE THE VOTING RIGHS ACT AND STOP SYSTEMIC RACISM AGAINST
BLACK PEOPLE. A LESBIAN BLACK WOMAN SAVED
THEM. WILL THEY GO BACK TO WORK AND NO
LONGER PROMOTE LAWS THAT ATTACK THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF LBGT
COMMUNITIES? THEY WERE SHOT BY GUNS ALLOWED
TO BE CARRIED OPENLY. WILL THEY GO BACK AND CHALLENGE
LAWS THAT ALLOW PEOPLE TO GET EASILY SO THEY CAN VOTE?
THEY WERE SHOT BY A WHITE MIDDLE-AGED MAN FOR POLITICAL
REASONS. WILL THEY CHANGE THE PRACTICE OF
PROFILING TERRORISM AS A FEAR OF MUSLIMS AND VIOLENCE THAT'S
MAINLY ROOTED IN THE URBAN BLACK AREA.
TONE IS FINE, BUT IF THE POLICIES ARE TERRIBLE, WE DON'T
HAVE CIVILITY. THEY WERE SAVED BY GOOD POLICE,
SO WILL THEY THEREFORE CHALLENGE BAD POLICE LIKE THE GUY IN THE
CASTILE CASE. THESE ARE THE SERIOUS MORAL
QUESTIONS THAT HAVE TO BE ANSWERED MORE THAN JUST ONE OR
TWO DAYS OF SHAKING HANDS AND PLAYING A GAME.
BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY NOT A GAME.
>> AND I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
BECAUSE IT IS ONE THING TO SORT OF WANT CIVILITY AND TO BE --
AND TO TAKE UMBRAGE WHEN IT'S ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS, WHEN IT'S
ONE OF YOUR OWN COLLEAGUES, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, THERE'S A WHOLE
COUNTRY OUT THERE. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, AT LEAST IN
MY TWITTER TIMELINE, AND IT'S A DELICATE THING, BECAUSE
EVERYBODY IS WISHING THE CONGRESSMAN WELL AND HOPING THAT
HE RECOVERS, BUT STEVE SCALISE HAS A HISTORY THAT WE'VE ALL
BEEN FORCED TO SORT OF IGNORE ON RACE.
HE DID COME TO LEADERSHIP AFTER SOME CONTROVERSY OVER ATTENDING
A WHITE NATIONALIST EVENT, WHICH HE SAYS HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT
WAS. HE ALSO COSPONSORED A BILL TO
AMEND THE CONSTITUTION TO DEFINE MARRIAGE AS BETWEEN A MAN AND A
WOMAN. HE CO-SPONSORED THE AMERICAN
HEALTH CARE BILL, AND COSPONSORED A BILL TO REPEAL THE
BAN ON SEMIAUTOMATIC WEAPONS. BECAUSE HE IS IN JEOPARDY AND
EVERYBODY IS PULLING FOR HIM, ARE WE REQUIRED IN A MORAL SENSE
TO PUT THAT ASIDE IN THE MOMENT? >> WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO SAY IS
WE HOPE HE RECOVERS AND WHEN HE RECOVERS, HE'S A NEW MIND-SET.
IF A LESBIAN PERSON SAVED YOUR LIFE, YOU SHOULD NOT GO FORWARD
BEING HOMOPHOBIC. YOU SHOULDN'T BE, ANYWAY.
IF YOU ALMOST DIED, BUT YOUR LIFE WAS SAVED BECAUSE YOU GOT
HEALTH CARE, YOU SHOULD APPLY THAT ETHIC AND WANT EVERYBODY
ELSE TO HAVE THE SAME HEALTH CARE YOU HAVE.
THE BIBLE, ONE OF THE GUYS THAT
PRAYED, WALKER FROM NORTH CAROLINA, HE WAS SAYING HOW HE
PRAYED FOR EVERYBODY. THE BIBLE SAYS IN ISAIAH 10, WAR
ON TO THOSE THAT LEGISLATE EVIL AND ROB THE POOR OF THEIR RIGHTS
AND MAKE WOMEN AND CHILDREN THEIR PREY.
THE BIBLE CALLS, WHEREVER YOU JUST PUT ON A FACE IN A TIME OF
CRISIS, BUT CONTINUE TO DO THE SAME THING, IT'S CALLED MAKING
GRAVES LOOK GOOD THAT ARE STILL FULL OF DEAD MEN'S BONES.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S HYPOCRISY. IF CONGRESSPEOPLE PRAY FOR ONE
ANOTHER, AND THEY SHOULD, P-R-A-Y, BUT THEN IF THEY PASS
POLICIES THAT PREY, P-R-E-Y, ON THE POOR AND THE MINORITIES AND
THE SICK, THEN WE HAVE A SERIOUS MORAL PROBLEM.
AND EVEN OUR CONSTITUTION, JOY, SAYS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET TO
DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET TO CIVILITY, IS
YOU MUST START WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF JUSTICE.
YOU MUST PROVIDE FOR THE COMMON GOOD AND YOU MUST PROVIDE THE
GENERAL WELFARE. CHANGING THE TONE OF WORDS IS
NOT STUFF. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CHANGE IN THE
TRAJECTORY OF POLICY. PRAYER IS NOT ENOUGH.
FAITH MUST HAVE WORDS. SO I'M PRAYING THAT THE BROTHER
GIVES UP AND LIVES AND THEN COMES BACK AND SAYS, THIS
EXPERIENCE HAS CHANGED MY THINKING FUNDAMENTALLY, NOT JUST
ABOUT MYSELF, BUT ABOUT THE POLICIES I SUPPORT.
AND LASTLY, JOY, THEY TALKED ABOUT RAISING $1 MILLION FOR
CHARITY. THAT IS GOOD.
BUT IF YOU TURN AROUND AND TAKE $600 BILLION FROM THE POOR AND
THE LEAST OF THESE, AND YOU DON'T PAY A VOTE TO GIVE PEOPLE
A LIVING WAGE, PERSONAL PRIVATIZED CHARITY IS NOT GOING
TO SOLVE OUR SOCIAL PROBLEMS WHEN IT COMES TO THE POOR AND
THE UPLIFT OF THE LEAST OF THESE.
>> I THINK WE CAN GET A LOT OF AMENS ON THAT.
I HAVE TO ASK YOU WHILE WE HAVE YOU HERE.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT PHILANDO CASTILE.
I KNOW HIS FAMILY IS ON THE MINDS OF A LOT OF PEOPLE.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IN RESPONSE TO THE SORT OF FEELING OF FEW
TILT AND HOPELESSNESS THAT I THINK A LOT OF US FEEL, A LOT OF
PEOPLE FEEL, WHEN YOU HAVE AN INSTANCE OF POLICE-INVOLVED
VIOLENCE, THAT THERE'S REALLY ACTUALLY NO HOPE OF JUSTICE FOR
THE FAMILY. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE THAT
FEEL THAT WAY? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE
OUR MOMENTS OF DESPAIR, BUT IN THOSE MOMENTS, WHAT I DO IS I GO
BACK AND READ AND STUDY PEOPLE WHO FACE SIMILAR MOMENTS.
YOU KNOW, FREDERICK DOUGLAS COULD HAVE QUIT WHEN THE DREAD
SCOTT DECISION WAS SIGNED AND PASSED, BUT THEY DIDN'T.
MANY OF OUR SLAVE FOREMOTHERS AND FATHERS SAW GREAT VIOLENCE
AND HURT, BUT THEY DIDN' DIDN'T. THEY DIDN'T GIVE UP.
AND WHEN THE NAACP WAS FOUNDED IN THE EARLY 1900s, ONE OF THE
REASONS WAS BLACK MEN WERE BEING HUNG ON AN AVERAGE OF ONE PER
DAY. AND WE DID NOT HAVE AN
ANTI-LYNCHING LAW. YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING THAT
THE MAN THAT HELPED PUSH THE ANTI-LYNCHING LAW IN THE 1920s
ACTUALLY CAME OUT OF FERGUSON. HE WAS A WHITE REPUBLICAN.
HE LATER ON GOT PUT OUT OF OFFICE FOR THAT STANCE.
BUT HE TOOK THAT STANCE AT THAT TIME.
YOU KNOW, IT TOOK US OVER 50 YEARS TO OVERTURN PLESSEY VERSUS
FERGUSON. NOW, I WISH THAT THE MORAL
UNIVERSE ARGUMENT BENT QUICKER AND I WISH WE DIDN'T HAVE TO
HAVE THE SUFFERING. BUT WHAT WE CAN'T DO IS EVER
GIVE UP. ON OUR OWN HUMANITY.
ON OUR OWN STANDING FOR WHAT'S RIGHT, EVEN IF RIGHT DOES NOT
COME FAST, QUICK, AND IN A HURRY.
AND THERE IS A LEGACY OF DOING THAT.
YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER, JOY, WHEN I WAS READING THE OTHER DAY, I
WENT TO THE STORE THE OTHER DAY, AND CHENEY'S NEPHEW WORKED ON MY
CELL PHONE. AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT.
WHEN THEY WERE KILLED, THE YOUNG PEOPLE DIDN'T COME OUT OF
MISSISSIPPI, THEY WENT TO MISSISSIPPI.
AND SO I BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO NEED CONTINUED SEASON OF
NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE. DON'T QUIT, DON'T GIVE UP,
CONTINUE TO STAND, BECAUSE WE MUST HONOR THE LIVES OF THOSE
THAT HAVE BEEN SLAIN VIOLENTLY BY BAD POLICE FOR STANDING UP BY
WHAT'S RIGHT UNTIL CHANGE COMES. >> REVEREND DR. WILLIAM BARBER,
IT'S SO GOOD TO TALK TO YOU. WE ARE GOING TO DO THIS ON A
REGULAR BASIS.
WE'LL HAVE YOU COME IN ON A REGULAR BASIS TO GIVE US SOME OF
THIS INSPIRATION AND SOME OF THESE POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS OF
WHAT WE CAN DO TO CHANGE THINGS. WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALWAYS YOUR
TIME, SIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOY. >> THANK YOU.
>>> UP NEXT, THE EYES OF THE POLITICAL WORLD WILL BE ON
GEORGIA'S SIXTH DISTRICT ON TUESDAY NIGHT.
THE DEMOCRAT WHO COULD TAKE BACK THE SEAT FOR THE

William Barber Prays For Steve Scalise, Asks GOP Not To ‘Prey’ On Poor | AM Joy | MSNBC

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