yet, we no longer require it in detroit. as i was challenging residency and the elimination of it in the chief of police and saying this is bad policy, how is it that a person could live 100 miles away from the city that is 90% african-american in a community that does not look like the community they want to police and visited only 10 times in their life and the become a police officer in it. there is something wrong with that policy. education is key. we are in turbulent times. it is worse than it was in the 60's. the sad part is, there are people who think that everything is ok. you heard some leadership say that what you saw is all right. policy was followed.

i can tell you, as i go to my seat, and i want to be brief because i respect the attorney general, that there is not one person sitting on this podium who believes that selling cigarettes on the streets of this nation should warrant a death sentence. there is not one person on this dais who believes that running from police in this country warrants a death sentence. there is not one person sitting here who believes that surrendering with your hands up deserves a death sentence. we want to change things. thank you. [applause] >> i was given the high side -- hi sign that her approach was imminent.

you will forgive us if we are eager for her arrival. with that, it is my pleasure, while i watch the door to make sure i get the take this pleasure right now. those of us who grew up in communities where there were church elders, mosque elders, community elders who had, not just wisdom but a genius that went untapped. because of the ways in which the eyes of this country avoided the reality in our community. and florence or uncle willie. not related to anybody in the community but they are your at florists or uncle willie -- your aunt florence or uncle willie. i want to introduce these geniuses.

ron scott has more than 40 years of experience in activism, radio and television and recently won the unsung heroes award. not just for cofounding the local chapter of the black panther party, but for having genius that can translate the experiences of communities and make it legible for people who are aliens to it. talking about many hats, he just issued a blogging pamphlet on what to do about abuse of force.

i highly recommend that you talk about that. i have a list here. everybody's bio is incredibly impressive. this list is double-sided. i want you to understand that we have an icon who, as we continue to re-explorer and re-understand our own history, we will continue to grow in our appreciation for this man. please join me in welcoming ron scott to the stage. [applause] ron scott: thank you very much. i would like to august -- obviously think the congressman for being on the front lines. i think we met the congressman shortly after he went to congress and we have both been fighting several battles. i am glad to be here every year to do this. a few years ago i mentioned police militarization. people looked at it and thought about it and said -- militarization. i said, i guarantee in the next

few years you will be talking about and you will experience it. it happened. not just because it was seen on television or because somebody caught it on video, but we were experiencing it at the time. when you deal with these things, listen to the people in your community fighting these battles every day and every night, all the time. i think about those dark alleys i go into and i think about the mothers of the children when i see the brains of people on the floor. it is not a television scenario. it is what we do every day. make your life committed to fighting for justice, safety and

the end of violence. the end of violence on both ends. not just the police. we have another primary entity where we intervene in resolving conflict before the police get there. 80% of the calls that they have our domestic violence and we found it. we had a guy who was shot by the police. it was because of a domestic violence situation. we did not have what we used to call the big mama factor. because she could quell that. she did not intervene so dennis crawford died. the baby mama and her family and the family of dennis crawford wanted to shoot each other. we had two funerals. that helped us develop peace zones for rife -- for life. we do economic development so we can resolve some of our issues before the police get there.

how is it that some people can resolve conflict before it happens and we turn around and say well, we have to call the police. i know that sheriff napoleon would rather get there and resolve it and have it be resolved. i will be very short. we had an incident on the east side of detroit where two were going to shoot each other. we started resolving the conflict and by the time the police got there, they said they were called for a fight between 40 people. by this time, the people in the neighborhood who stand at the liquor store said no, we intervened. we resolved it. we stopped the fight it was between the neighborhood underground pharmaceutical operator. he had to keep his street cred and this 16-year-old stole a bike.

now the neighborhood underground pharmaceutical operator is working on what we have as a peace park and he is running a barbecue outfit. [applause] and he joined the coalition against police brutality. the other thing is, as the secretary comes, i want to say this loud and clear. we had a federal consent decree that sheriff napoleon will recall. it is coming along to some degree. police departments that do not comply, on a daily level, they get a lot of money from the justice department. that money from the justice department from jackets to whatever else, that money should not go to them when there is a problem. i don't mean after a consent decree, i mean when they apply

for it. when they apply for the multi-just -- multijurisdictional task force. we had a guy killed by ice. they spent 113 days before the information was released. no transparency. ice, many of the other agencies said this young man had a weapon to i don't know whether he did or not. the prosecutor did not go forward with it, but 113 days, family members who saw the shooting had to wait before they could get information. essentially, that money -- i know some of them are decent and some are not, but the money should be withheld until such time as there is some clarity about shooting confrontations.

i will close with this. what is policing? in detroit we have an entity that is not police. it is called -- we have it is like a public safety entity that you can establish police authorities. they are sometimes run by security guards. we have a guy named dan gilbert buying up the property in detroit, he has police authority. in the future you will see it more. more of that. more diminishment of what we call public safety and law enforcement and more of the police authorities. as we look at policing, we ought to expand our framework in terms of how we deal with this matter. i want to say frankly that i do

not use the term police that much more. i use public safety. if you haven't read it, sir robert keele, officers know what i am talking about, the nine principles of policing. it started in what became the london metropolitan police department and said, the people are the police and the police are the people. you have to put big mama back in the equation. you have to make sure that we resolve these things ourselves and we have to make sure we're strong in resolving our conflicts as we are talking about the police shooting us. taser international, we had a case with a kid that was killed,

taser international does virtually all of the video in relationship to the weapons and they are getting rich in their major bobby's. when we talk about body cams, think about you dealing with a multibillion-dollar industry. let's see some folks that do the same thing that have a more progressive agenda. i say to you goodbye and good luck in your communities with oversight because you must have oversight. if you don't have that -- more than a review board, coleman alexander, the late mayor of detroit started the police commission. it has subpoena power and deals

with hiring. it deals with the fact that we are underdeveloped economically, so therefore, when john jones, like in bloomfield hills, a kid walks on the street with a gun, because he has open carry rights they don't shoot the kids, they don't taken to jail, he wins. why? because john jones's parents live on lone pine road and they have money. if that cop does anything he will not have a job. we need to get to that economic point that booker t. washington said, the bottom of everything is economics. if we control economics, we control our community. [applause] >> we have some questions --

>> the title of the book is "how to and police brutality." >> we have some questions for our distinguished brain trust and panel. i will start with this one and then i would like for hillary and dr. davis to respond as well. if we imagine that there is racism in policing and i think we do not have to imagine, why would we also imagine there isn't racism in housing, education, health care and employment. if there is racism in all of these things upstream before contact with law enforcement, how is it that they have avoided the spotlight yucca -- spotlight? i ask this first array, then hillary -- first to ray, then hillary then dr. davis. how do we include this the broader history of racial

oppression and racial accountability? >> and ferguson, it was mike's body in the street that got people in the street. it was something about the physical presence of the oppression of the police. the issue of police violence is often a proxy for the other ways that the state is violent to people and it is a visceral reminder to education is -- it is a visceral reminder. education is amorphous. housing is amorphous. i don't think people are ignoring it, but do think this is a place to start. i am mindful of the fact that it was the terror of police that got people into the streets. it is important that we use this to talk about broader understandings of violence.

it is about more than broken bodies, it is about broken futures and broken homes. we have to talk about that and the conversation is not as complex as it could be when we talk about the range of violence but the police are like an entrance because they are the visceral reminders of how the state oppresses people. >> let me begin by saying a number of things, the issue of racial profiling has been going on for some time. first the clinton ministration was extremely helpful in bringing together major conference with law enforcement and community organizations and others. it was under that emphasis that i spoke to janet reno. she made it very loud and clear that if we talk about policing, we have to address this issue of racial bias and policing.

that was the 90's and she said it cannot be effective if we do not have the establishment of the trust and integrity by law enforcement officials. these men and women we were seeing before you, personified that trust and integrity necessary. but to go one, it does expand to other areas. it is not extraordinary that secretary caster was at the end of the lacey p convention this summer. -- was at the end of the lacey p -- naacp convention this summer. what this means is if you cannot show intent to discriminate, if you cannot read someone's mind, it is not discrimination. that is the argument that they make. because of the work that was done by the previous secretary of housing and the present secretary of housing, the issue of the effect carries the day. matter what your intent was, if

it was discriminatory, it has to stop and people have to be held accountable. those so-called resource officers are put in local schools. the challenge in the african-american community is not a columbine problem. our children get shot to and from school. the issues in school have to happen as well. when we talk about education as we move with depreciating budgets, that assistant principal for discipline was taken out of the occasion -- equation. now they can do with the principal used to do except, they are not trained for that kind of counseling.

when we talk about issues of criminality now, we ask the group reforms is officers, what was the number one reason you would arrest a kid or taken to jail? they say the number one reason is crimes of defiance. crimes of defiance. that a kid going through puberty decides they would open their mouth and say the wrong thing at the wrong time and now it is a criminal offense. those issues are still very much with us and we are very delighted that the assistant secretary for education, did one of the consummate reports utilized. employment plays a major role in this as well. it is no surprise to us as we talk about employment discrimination that we do have as long as this administration is in power.

tom perez sat down with us time and time again to talk about being able to more forcefully enforce antidiscrimination policies. it is a comprehensive issue. they are all tied together with racial and ethnic discrimination that is still unfortunately alive and well and causing havoc. [applause] >> i agree. i don't think it is forgotten. when we look at fighting crime and crime reduction what you are talking about is the -- if we try to arrest our way out of crime you are responding to the symptoms versus the root causes. we know that if a child does not read by third grade that the likelihood of incarceration goes exponentially. we know that once a child is suspended, the likelihood of incarceration gross.

-- grows. when you look at crime reduction you cannot take people to jail to disrupt those causes. a job for a person out of prison will reduce recidivism more than anything else. when we look at the system, we have to make sure. too often we focus on individual officers. they need to be held accountable at a higher standard. we have systems in place because the system was designed to have the outcome anyway. this system is on education. quite frankly, the chief of police of today can be the loudest voice on public safety issues. advocating for education, advocating for jobs and social justice and making sure the

community has the resources needed. if we are going to hotspot policing it should not be the cops or the crime but the resources. what about hundred jobs are hundred new teachers. that is community policing and if we do that, i would say that community policing cannot be done in isolation. it must be a subset of community-based governance. from the council to the mayor and public works, everyone has something to do with public safety. if we do that than we realize that police reform really is about promote justice reform. we have to look at how we are putting people in jail, for how long and why. we have to look at what happens when we take a young person to jail. there is a lot of devastation

that comes with existing policies and practices. we sometimes get a narrow focus of a much larger challenge although the police are the most visible form of government. so the greatest use of power is the use of force so it must be held accountable. [applause] >> the next question is for sure if napoleon -- is for sheriff napoleon. you have been integral in getting the police department to shift its culture to look at the importance of human dignity. can you talk about concrete things that police departments can do and that community activists will demand that will incentivize the right kind of behavior and the right kind of mindsets. >> one of the first things that i talked about early on is, we

have to focus on who we bring into law enforcement. that has to be the fundamental first focus. we have to have solid recruiting efforts recruiting people into agencies that have the right temperament and tone and to understand the kind of commitment they need to the community. if you bring bad people into the agency you will have bad people in the agency. recruiting is where we need to focus and the training and the mindset of the people who train. if you are rewarding and advocating a certain type of conduct -- i can tell you, any of us who have led a police agency, i had 5200 people. now i have over 1000. as dollars become scarce, they cut back on the most fundamental things we try to do.

don't give you the time of need you need to make sure you are recruiting or training the right people. not giving proper supervision and unfortunately, i have had people who control my budget say things like community outreach is not important. i'm not talking about 10 years ago, i'm talking about in light of what is going on in the country today, commissioners have said, outreach, we don't have the money for that. you have to focus on those things and i will leave the chief to talk more. >> i could say ditto. it starts in training and it starts with understanding that we have a responsibility to talk about the training. how many of you are part of the training echo -- training? we made it very clear that we

need you to help teach the police officer's how to police. the other three quarters were learned working with you to we have close to 200 now. we have conversations about policing in neighborhoods. we have distinct policing methods. the nomenclature is different in every community. our population has changed. we have an inter-land policing style and a suburban style and boutique policing. which is the specialization from those downtown who pay higher rent and expect police to be there at the drop of a dime. the question becomes, what do you want in terms of accountability? can we bring children home? we created juvenile detention facilities. is it ok to put a young person in the car and bring them home.

can i talk to your children without appearing you saying don't talk to them, we don't snitch or talk to them about i want you to the a good man in the neighborhood. i don't want you to be afraid of me so i will face you as a 12-year-old with a gun in your hand. i want you to understand that i care about you and i want to nurture you and make sure that you understand that i care. lastly, at the end are you there to make sure the process is completed. we started in the 60's and we saw bad policing. we have to have accountability and people like hillary and others making sure we do it. >> if i could just amplify -- i don't believe that a person who is willing to come into a

community and police it should be unwilling to live in that same community. [applause] >> too many cop shows show the spirit of adventure. that is not reality. most of it is mundane. we have to talk about service. >> it is now my distinct pleasure to introduce the 83rd attorney general of the united states. for those of you who watched the nomination process, it seems like she was nominated april 27, 1915. she is a former u.s. attorney and a twice over harvard graduate and for me, i feel a special kinship.

she has inherited a department of justice that has done historic things and is in position to take this country in brand-new directions that will heal centuries-old damages. please welcome loretta lynch. [applause] any second now. [laughter] i know she felt that in spirit. [inaudible]

[applause] >> the fellow daughter of a north carolina library and. -- librarian.

ag lynch: well, thank you all so much. thank you so much for that warm welcome, thank you for your patience. i'm not usually running this late. but i understand that you have had some excellent presentations before me. i see a number of old friends, and hopefully new friends on this panel. great voices all, in our common struggle. and so i think you have had excellent presentations and i'm just sorry that i had to miss so many of them. i am so looking forward to hearing the recap of this because there are so many important issues here. dr. gough, such a pleasure to meet you. your leadership at ucla on the center for policing equity is something that is not only vital, in terms of what we need today, it really is the key to a lot of the issues that we face.

when i'm looking at the agenda for the entire cbc foundation events, i see so many different panels on so many different issues, but they all come together in regards to the central issue of our community's relationships with law enforcement and with our government writ large. i view it as one of my main priorities as attorney general of united states. i know that the congressman had .o go and vote he's been in this fight for a .ong time

justve many of you, not here on the panel, but out here in the audience, i see a lot of fighters. a lot of people who have walked a lot of lines and walked across a lot of bridges. i thank you for that as well. whether you have been in the struggle for years or whether you are new to an part of the new and exciting and dynamic young voices that we need to tell us the truth, i commend you and i'm so glad to here from you. ideas, yourent and energy and passion are important and now is the time that we have aroundcome together these important issues. while we have made extraordinary wasress since the cbc founded over 40 years ago, it's

clear we have so much more work to do. in the recent weeks and months we have seen these reminders. we have seen it. we have seen it laid out in very realityd painful captured for the world to see. tragedies thatd make it clear that this fight for our common welfare goes on. what hurts me so much in my current role is we have seen the mistrust between our law-enforcement officers and community also deepen. at a time when our communities need perhaps the more than any other time the protection and resources that law enforcement is committed and sworn to bring to the protection and resources law enforcement is committed and sworn to bring to bear. has always been my view that the essential role not just of government, but law enforcement

in general, is the protection of people who don't have anyone else to call on. those times in the middle of the night when people are cold and know someone is out there who means them harm, we have to have someone on whom to call and we have to be able to trust and rely upon those individuals to come when we call and look out for us when they do arrive. we have beensue talking about today. you have the voices to do it. you have the experience and the people who provide the perspective of what it feels like to be left out of that dynamic of protection and that circle of guardianship every american is in titled to. not a new issue, but an issue that is deep and personal to me -- some of you

may know, i am fortunate enough to have my father with me this week. [applause] generations old and when i was a young girl, ira member my father telling me and thatgrandparents is what makes you who you are. know what the harrises and lynches are like. ira member my father telling me about my grandfather, a minister with a third grade education, no money come eight children, dirt poor, living in rural north carolina in the 1930's. thingsth all of those stacked against him, he built his own church. chapel.d it lynches

that's what you can do when you build a church. there were times when he was a young boy when people in the community were in trouble. say, grandfather used to caught up in the clutches of the law. they would come to my grandfather and he would help hide them until they could lead the community. he would ask have you seen so and so? my grandfather would say not lately. so and so is hiding in the floorboards will stop in those days, there was no justice in the dark of night on a rural road. no miranda warning, no procedural protection, none of the things we take for granted today. despite when it happened with

these individuals, my grandfather knew that in order to preserve the fight for justice into the future, you had to take action in the moment. [applause] now of course, things are much better now, and we all get reminded of that whenever we bring up these issues, you notice that when you talk about these issues, whether they are of race in general or police issues in particular, when you talk about the current pain that the minority community is feeling and it is, we are feeling it very, very deeply, people say, "well you know things are actually much better now." and they are. they are. you know, in addition for giving you my apologies for being late today, i can tell you that i was late today because i had a meeting with the president that ran over. i would never have been able to say that even five years ago. the fact that my grandfather who fought so hard for justice in his own way would never have conceived. that his granddaughter, the little girl he used to take out in the fields and you know, show what tobacco looked like, you

know would actually be sitting in a meeting with the president of the united states. we have come so far, but we still have so far to go and these issues of fundamental fairness and the relationship that the minority community has with government writ large, and with those of us in law enforcement in particular are still with us. they are still important today. and we all understand on a personal level the frustration that comes up when we are treated unfairly because of race. but this is really about more than just that. this is really about being treated unfairly because of race by those who are sworn to protect you. by those who wear the uniform of protection. this is really a deeper issue than just the individual discrimination many of us have seen in whether or not we didn't get the job, or get an opportunity or someone didn't speak to us. we are talking about the pain

that comes up when these deeply rooted injustices get shrugged off, and they get ignored. now we are in a different time and things are much better, even if they may not seem that way. even if this seems like a very painful time because we are seeing these issues so much more clearly, i have to tell you that this takes me back to the early days of the civil rights movement. and you all remember those days when people were marching and protesting and talking about conditions. you couldn't vote, couldn't get a job, couldn't sit into a store and just have a break and have a cup of coffee. and no one wanted to believe that that was the case until the advent of television. remember the televise marches -- televised marches and the protests, and when the world saw what was happening, that police dogs were put on little children, that fire hoses were used against young men and women, that galvanized the conscience of the world and gave

the movement a momentum to make changes. to give us a civil rights act, to give us a voting rights act, to give us desegregation, to help us craft those strategies that our lawyers use before the supreme court. and now we are in a similar moment, when so many of the images that we see are so painful. but they are being used to show the world what people in the minority community have known for years about the different levels of interaction and the different levels of both respect and participation in the system that african-americans have and that african-americans feel. and as painful as it is to watch someone suffering or possibly even dying, the result has been an opening of the discussion in ways that we have not had in significant years. and so the onus is on us to seize this moment.

the onus is on us to continue this discussion, to continue this debate. because now the world knows what we always knew. that people in ferguson were being taxed for walking down the street and being the wrong color. the world knows what we always knew, that young men of color's interactions with the police are fundamentally different than other children's. and that as parents, and as siblings, and as family members that we have a responsibility to point this out and talk about it as well as educate our children. but we also have to acknowledge more than just the actions, because there's something that goes on as well, something that's deeper when we have these situations. we have to acknowledge the anger and the despair, the feelings that develop. you know people they always talk about wanting us to handle things in a certain way, and that's true and and this country was built on peaceful protest.

it is a fundamental right of ours and it can achieve a great deal of change. -- it has achieved a great deal of change. but we also have to acknowledge the anger and the despair that develops when these concerns that we now see on tape are still pushed aside by so many people as if they don't exist. you have to acknowledge the kind of pain that develops. you have to acknowledge that feeling -- and you know that people say, "well i don't think it was that bad." "well i don't think they meant it that way." or even, "that just didn't happen." you know, it just didn't even happen. and so when that happens to people, to a people, to our people time and time again, you have to have within our community a sense of disconnection and despair that is as dangerous as any bullet or any billy club. it absolutely is. [applause]

but of course i'm not the first to note that, and honestly i would refer you back to that work of art by ralph ellison, invisible man. invisible man. and you will see all of that there. and you will see the consequences of it as well. and of course the reason why we have to face this and deal with these issues is of course because as always, as with the movement 50 years ago and the issues now, it's our children who are bearing the brunt of these issues. it's our children who are growing up without that sense of connection, without the sense of protection and security that they are entitled to have. and that we want them to have. now one of the things i am doing is i'm doing a six-city community policing tour. i'm going to jurisdictions that have had very very troubled and very challenging relationships between the police and the community between five and 10 years ago. either a lawsuit, a shooting

incident, a consent decree, where the department of justice has had to come in and concert a certain amount of either actual persuasion or actual litigation in order to manage unconstitutional policing practices. but there are jurisdictions that have turned that corner, and i'm talking to people about how and why that is the case. and of course things are still not perfect, there are still people who feel on the fringes of what we are trying to achieve for them, and those are the voices that i want to hear the most, because those are the voices i have to address. and when i was in pittsburgh i was talking to a group of young people, high school students, because they will tell you what is happening in their daily lives and they'll tell you what they see, and they'll tell you, more importantly, how it makes them feel. and i was talking with a young man who told me he was afraid to walk in this particular pittsburgh neighborhood, he described it as a fairly rough neighborhood. and so he felt threatened by forces around him who had other

agendas, who were trying to draw him into gang life or try to draw him into violence or possibly put him in the way of being accidentally caught in crossfire. but what he told me that was the most painful thing was that it wasn't just the other residents who frightened him who clearly were not on the past that he was -- path that he was on. he was excelling in school and moving ahead with a bright future, he was also afraid to call the police when he felt that way. because he didn't know if he could tell the difference between him and the people who were trying to do him harm. and what i say is, what we have to acknowledge is is that no one should feel that way. not in america. not today. not our children. and for those of us who've spent a career in law enforcement and the people i know on this panel and the people in this room, anyone in law enforcement who hears that should say "i do not want that feeling in a child of mine."

because they're all our children. they all have to be. and this has to be the starting point for our work. do our children feel safe? and if they do not, what are we doing to change that dynamic for them? what are we doing, not only to make them safe, but to make them feel that there are people and forces that look out for them, that are supporting them, and that are coming into the community to protect them. now, not only does the department of justice recognize this issue, we are determined to do our part to prevent the unequal application of the law and to end violence and conflict and to heal these divisions in our neighborhood that have resulted in stolen lives and broken communities. i very much view our role as working to invite the voices that are here in this room. -- working to amplify the voices that are here in this room. we are working to cultivate the

opportunity to let people come together. to do the real work, the hard work that results in safer communities anymore just society. -communities- and a more just society. we have to do more. one thing that i mentioned we are working on -- one of my top priorities as attorney general is dealing with the breakdown in trust between law enforcement and the communities we are sworn to serve. i spend a lot of time talking to both sides. i spent time talking to people who have had these experiences with law enforcement, who share them with me. it's a gift when some one shares their pain with you. you have to understand that it is a gift they are giving you, the ability to understand what has happened to them. i've also talked to a lot of force with officers who say to me, what i want to do is protect people. i became a cop because someone helped me.

or i saw people in my community going the wrong way, and i want to prevent that. increasingly, i became a cop because i see the way things are going and i want to make it better. bringing those voices together, letting them find a place in which to talk and to interact is a key part of what the doj is looking to do. at the end of the day, we are all part of the community. our responsibility to it grows, and should blossom. there are things we are doing by way of initiative. just last year, we launched the national initiative for building community trust and justice. this is a country has of approach to training and policy and research, intended to advance procedural justice and to promote racial conciliation and eliminate complicit biases.

our civil rights division continues to work with police departments across the country to ensure constitutional policing in their jurisdictions. i have been so heartened by the fact that none of the police department's have told us they are making the ferguson report required reading for the retirement -- that they are making it required reading for the entire department. because they know that in order to prevent the problems of ferguson, you have to not only acknowledge them, but look at the root causes of them. our office of justice programs is partnering with law-enforcement a brief -- at the state and local level. through them and training and technical assistance, through our office of media oriented policing services, ron davis, the outstanding director of that office is here. we are hoping to hire and train

officers to promote officer safety and wellness and to support state and local and tribal law enforcement agencies as they implement recommendations of the president obama's task force on 20th-century policing. they carried the maxims of community policing that we have seen been effective over the years. those of us who are from new york know about noble organizations, the president is here as well. but also the impact of a country of devoted -- of a cadre of dedicated officers. providing real service and real protection. through this task force, we are seeking to extend these

principles across the country. we have been hearing from extraordinary individuals and exceptional organizations like the ones presented on this panel. the key, the biggest leeson i have seen in my impunity -- in my own community policing tour, is that the real solutions come from the places that are seeing the problem. it's not a problem that will be solved by washington imposing some policy from on high. it will be solved by us empowering people living in these areas to work through these issues. by us providing resources and assistance for people to come to the solution that leads to better days. will i was talking with my father this morning, i was us again how the conference was going, how the panels were going. and what was the best part. and what he said to me did not surprise me.

he said, the best part is that on every panel he had seen -- and i'm sure it was true of today's -- people are talking about their real lives and the real issues. not just a study being brought to bear. the real problems and finding real solutions for them. that's why our community policing roundtables are so important. i've been to a number of cities already. i'm looking forward to going out to the west coast next week, and also extending this tour to look at the best practices, the ways people have found a way out of these challenging situations. not to a perfect solution, but to a working solution. we look forward to being able to share with all communities. we do more than that the justice department. we also have to bolster trust in

the institutions that make up our criminal justice system. we are doing that in part under the "smart on crime" initiative. it was launched to a years ago -- two years ago by attorney general eric holder. [applause] he took a visionary approach across the kernel justice system and looked at ways -- the criminal justice system and look at ways in which we had a well-meaning program 20 years ago, but looked at the consequences on our communities then and now. i talk about over incarceration of mostly minority young men of color for nonviolent drug offenses. that has so decimated our communities. not just the problems of the drugs themselves, but the removal of these young men communities and from families. this has been a hole that is created. the issue for the the departed

of justice under eric holder, under myself, how can we go about feeling that hole? frankly, we feel that we do that in a way that protects public safety, but also takes into account these important issues. the "smart on crime" initiative has been one of those rare points of bipartisan accord. as you talk about over incarceration rates, whether from my financial perspective or a human capital and cost perspective. federal prosecutors are using resources to bring the most serious wrongdoers to justice, but using their discretion to find more effective ways -- drug courts, focusing on incarceration. for those for whom other methods will provide personal accountability without the devastating consequences we have seen in the past. of course the benefit has been,

as the overall crime rate has declined for the first time in four decades, this policy continues forward and will continue. we are focusing on reentry. as we work out ways-- [applause] as we work out ways for the zone people to return home -- for these young people to return home, and some may not be so young when they get out -- we also have to work out ways for them to rebuild a home. we have to work out ways for them to return to not just their families and communities, but to society. whether that is to education programs in prison. just a month ago i stood with secretary of education arne duncan as he announced the pilot program to allow colleges to use programs for those currently incarcerated. -- to use pell grants for those currently incarcerated.

we have to provide them with a education while incarcerated and opportunities once they are released. [applause] but of course, it's not just purchase a beating in your family -- not just participating in your family, community, or society, the ultimate participation in the american spirit called democracy is the right to vote. that is why the department of justice continues-- [applause] --continues to call for all states to revisit the issue of felon disenfranchisement. let them vote. let them vote. [applause] we are talking about our country's most sacred right. the protection of the voting rights calls for most sacred engagement. in voting cases in particular, the justice department has

participated in more than 100 voting cases over the course of the obama administration. we are all aware of the supreme court's 20 cute teen decision in shelby county that took away -- key decision in shelby county that took away a key part that allowed organizations to determine their impact on minority's voting rights, whether it is a dilution or demolition therof. we were able to vent of the rollback of this important right. this court has spoken. we lost part, but only part, of the voting rights act. we have kept up the charge. and we have not been idle. just recently, we successfully challenged texas'strict voter id law. [applause]

in a separate action, we sued to block two of texas' redistricting plans. and in my home state of north carolina, we are challenging several provisions of a state law that curves early voting and restricts same-day registration. as the president has said, why do we want to restrict the right to vote? the right that makes us free and independent? it gives us the envy of other countries. when they talk about the benefits and the values of a america, one of the things you will hear it when you travel outside this country, is franky their awe at the fact that we can have a peaceful transition of power that we have every 4-8 years. that is because we invest in this democracy. why do we want to do anything to curtail anyone's participation in what has been an example to

the world, and has to be the beacon that we use to ensure freedom in this country? the message from the department of justice is clear. we will not stop in these efforts. we will not be deterred. we will not rest until we have secured the right to vote for every eligible american. [applause] and of course, that extends beyond the courtroom and the actions that we bring. working with many of the members who are sponsoring this wonderful weekend, and other members of congress as well. we have promoted legislative proposals to restore the voting rights act to its full and proper and intended purpose. [applause] we have also proposed legislation that would expand access to polling places for those living on indian reservations. and alaska native villages and other tribal lands. we cannot have a situation in this country where the original americans are kept out of the

participation in the bounty of this land. [applause] we cannot have that. we do this also through our monitoring program, monitoring federal elections, and have actively enforced the national voter registration act to protect those registering to vote. as well as the rights of our uniformed members of the military and overseas citizens who seek to vote as well. keeping on to what makes them essentially american. we will always protect their rights as well. of course, the right to vote follows from one of our nation's most fundamental promises, that no one should have to endure this creation or unfair treatment -- injure discrimination based on unfair treatment on what they look like. the justice department is practicing on the frontlines against hatred and intolerance and are fighting back by his motivated violence. -- bias motivated violence.

signed into law by president obama in 2009. [applause] this law will enhance our ability to hold accountable those who victimized their fellow americans because of who they are. we have worked with our state and local partners to make sure that hate crimes are identified and investigated. and we have continued to bring, and will continue to bring, federal hate crime charges. including our current prosecution of dylann roof for the murders of 9 people of fa ith. 9 people who died at mother emanuel church in south carolina just a few months ago. for many of us, as we sat and watched that event, that took us back to a time that we thought

was over. this is a new day. look who is in the white house. look who is in the department of justice. we thought we passed those stark reminders that we live in a world of hate. we thought we moved past this history of bigotry and brutality. we thought we had left behind the pure intimidation and cruelty of the night writers. those who come in the night and try and keep you. we thought we had moved away from that. for many of us, it took us back to another time when we thought we had erased away forever. a time, when just 52 years ago this week, four little girls went to church one morning. they went to sunday school one weekend.

and they were there attending a sermon called "the love that forgives." they didn't come home that day. four families live on with the loss of their children who suffered the bomb in the baptist church in birmingham. in the days after the bombing, 52 years ago -- i was four years old -- and my father, michael parents, looked at me and my two -- my father looked at me and my two brothers, how can i keep my children safe from the world that wants to tell them that they are different and less than, that they don't matter? and that they are simply canada fodder? -- cannon fodder? he decided he had to keep working, keep marching, keep pushing, keep advancing. there are no guarantees, 52 years ago, when four little bodies do not come home.

we did not know that we would get a voting rights act. did not know we would get the civil rights act. nothing was guaranteed. but with a deep faith and commitment, people pushed forward. we are at that same again. in the days just after that bombing, more than 8000 people, people of all colors and creeds and backgrounds, races and religions, attended a memorial service for those young victims. one of those individuals who gave many stirring eulogies was the reverend dr. martin luther king jr. of course, he was familiar not just with the town, but with the church, not just with the church, but with the families, not just the families, but the four little girls themselves. in his address, at a time of great tragedy and great challenge, he urged his fellow citizens to channel their grief, to harness their energy. he said "we have to work passionately and on relentlessly for the realization of the american dream." the people sitting in the pews

of that dark day 52 years ago, as my father looked at his children and wondered how he would keep us safe, could hardly have imagined the progress we have made thanks to their efforts. they could hardly have imagined this group, the congressional like caucus it self -- black caucus itself gaining strength. they could not have imagined the philosophy and teaching. they could not have seen who would be sitting in the white house today, sitting in a meeting with then attorney general, who was that little girl whose father said i have to protect. they knew there were better days coming. they knew that if they pushed forward, they could move past the pain of a bomb that were a part of church. they knew that their work was over, just as ours is not also.

we have more work to do. we are here today to get started. by that, many people here working or going to continue. those people who are younger, new to the cause, will join in. we will keep pushing ahead. every american has the right to grow up in a community and world that offers not just responsibility to uphold, but also opportunities to succeed. because every american has the right to live in a country that will support them and that will protect them, no matter where they live, what they look like, or who they are. every american, every american has the right to a justice system that gives them a fair opportunity to grow, to learn, to improve. [applause] and to contribute. and every american has the right to make his or her voice heard.

this is just what i believe, or what you believe, it is what this country believes. it is what this country needs. it is what this society believes. it is what america has always promised to every man, woman, and child in every community across this nation. i'm here to pledge to you today that neither i nor the department that i am so proud to lead will ever abandon our work to make that promise real. but we need your help and your partnership. just as we have in decades past to bring our country closer to its highest ideals. and we do look out and we see dark days of the times. as people did 52 years ago. but just as they did then, they looked around and saw strength. support, they saw fellowship, commitment. they saw what i see when i look out over this extraordinary gathering today. and they saw what i see, which is a people that will not be stopped. a people that will not be silenced.

[applause] a people that will not be held back. and a people that will always, always reach back and lend a hand and pull someone alone with them. that is what we do. that is how we have made america great today. that is how we make america look to these promises to all of us. and that is how we will go forward in all the challenges that we have to face. thank you for your time, thank you for your attention, thank you for your commitment to this important work. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> there is nothing that should

follow that on this panel. [laughter] i'm glad we had a woman to lead us out and i'm glad to make the introductory transition. will leadrris-perry to the next session. thank you very much. >> on behalf of congressman conyers, we think all of our panelists, and we want to transition to a next panel on protecting the right to vote. >> breaking news from the 2016 -- wisconsinrace governor scott walker is expected to end his presidential campaign. "the new york times" reports

that walker concluded he no longer had the path to the nomination. supporter of governor walker's who was briefed on the decision said "the shorter answer is money. he made the decision not to limp iowa." he is holding a news conference in madison, wisconsin at 6:00 p.m. eastern. we will have that and have your comments on c-span. >> tonight on "the two major issues before the commission, protection of personal data and personal privacy. >> when the ftc steps in, all the unregulated space that is evolving very rapidly, where huge innovation is occurring, that impact directly consumers on privacy and information. that is where we use our unfairness and deception authority to make sure consumers are getting accurate information about how their data is being handled. has reclassifyc

broadband internet service as title ii service, i am personally very concerned that we may not be able to continue drop consumers as well online because of the reclassification. >> tonight at 8:00 eastern and pacific on "the communicators" on c-span2. pope's visit to the u.s. c-span has live coverage from washington, d.c. the first stop on the u.s. tour. we are live with the president and mrs. obama to greet the pontiff on his arrival. wednesday morning on c-span, c-span radio, and cspan.org, the welcoming ceremony for the pope as the obamas officially welcome him to the white house. live coverage at it: 45 eastern.

later, a canonization at the basilica of the national shrine of the immaculate conception pit thursday morning at 8:30, pope byncis makes history becoming the first pontiff to address a joint meeting of congress. live coverage from new york as the pope speaks to the united nations general sally on c-span3, c-span radio, and cspan.org. later, the pontiff will hold a multireligious service at the 9/11 memorial and world trade center. follow the coverage live on tv or online at cspan.org. and when pope francis comes to the u.s. capitol to give his speech to congress, members are being advised to look but don't touch. "the hill" has a story about it. each party is a something teams -- assembling teams of lawmakers to act as blocking tackles, willing to restrain colleagues reaching out for a papal touch

as he walks onto the floor of the house. the doors of the classrooms and hallways will be blocked and in some cases locked to prevent lawmakers from leaving the chamber for perhaps half an hour until francis appears in the balcony to greedy to get it from and apart by motorcade. you can read the rest of the story on thehill.com. all campaign long, c-span takes you on the road to the white house. unfiltered access to the end of its, town hall meetings, his conferences, and speeches. we are taking your comments on twitter, facebook, and by phone. isalways, every campaign that we cover is available on our website at cspan.org. more from the road to the white house now with martin o'malley could the former maryland governors seeking the democratic presidential nomination. he was in new hampshire to talk about that at the state democratic party convention.

his comments are about 25 minutes. [applause] mr. o'malley: thank you very, very much. "o'malley"]ing mr. o'malley: hey, thank you. thank you very, very much. this great to be with you once again in new hampshire, where democracy is still alive and well, and every person matters. [applause] now, knowing that new hampshire has the third largest legislature in the world , i would like to see a show of hands -- how many of you who are currently serving in the legislature or have served in the legislature, and let us all salute your service in the mosh pit of democracy. [applause] acknowledge like to

a couple of other people. i would like to acknowledge asce craig on recent success well and wish success in the fall. i also want to acknowledge to supporters of my campaign, alderman dan o'neill and commissioner paul martin know on their success on tuesday. [applause] my fellowey: americans in the granite state, my name is martin o'malley. i am a lifelong democrat. i'm running for president of the united states. and i'm running for one reason, to rebuild the truth of the american dream that we share and i intend to win. [applause] now, over the last four weeks, but 2e witnessed not one,

unanswered rounds of nationally televised republican presidential debates, led by that racist, anti-immigrant carnival barker donald trump. [applause] now, their party once had leaders and visionaries could lincoln asserted our liberty and common humanity. eisenhower liberated the world and build our nation's highway system to better connect us. now republicans create traffic jams, they denigrate new american immigrants, shut down our federal government, unfund planned parenthood, say awful things about women, and dismiss everything from climate science to vaccines. i say they can have their anger and their fear but they cannot go unanswered. anger and fear never built a great country. [applause]

what our nation needs is new leadership, not new divisions. when our country needs is new consensus, not new hates. today for the progress of our nation and the dream we share, that leadership must come from the democratic party. [applause] you see, you and i are part of a self creating mistry called the united states of america. but the promise that is at the heart of that mystery is no abstraction, not some vague idea floating out there somewhere. promise, very real covenant, if you will, between us, as a people, that wherever you start, whatever your background or zip

code, you start where your start, but through your own hard work, grit, determination, you can get ahead. call it an economy that works for all of us. call it a country that works for all of us. call it the american dream. whatever you call it, the truth of the matter is that it worked very well, did it, for 240 years as a country, and it can work again. [applause] country,enius of our as plainly as i can state it, is this, that we take action in every generation to include more of our people more fully in the economic, the social, and the political life of our nation. this is the genius of american capitalism as well when it is not rigged, manipulated by the powerful, wealthy interests, , or economic royalists at the expense of small and family-owned businesses.

it is about four participation, fuller and higher education, the dignity of every person, opportunity for all. this is who we are when we are truly ourselves. now let me ask all of you a question. show of hands, how many of you firmly believe that you have enjoyed a better quality of life than your parents and grandparents enjoyed? raise your hand if that is true for you. almost every hand. let me ask you a second and tougher question. how many of you believe just as firmly that your children and grandchildren will enjoy a better quality of life? .ome and that, my friends, is the central question on this table of democracy that we share, and we must answer that question, with hope, with optimism, yes, but most importantly, with action and not words. my campaign -- my campaign is

not about digging trenches around those who are already entrenched. it is about us. it is about we do people, progressive champions like john and mary rowe, well-respected pamvists like don and jorgenson and new leaders like dave allen. i am not the only candidate for president who will come before you who holds progressive the onlyut i am candidate for president with 15 years of executive experience, as a big-city mayor and as a governor, actually turning this progressive values into actions, real results. leadership, getting things with solving problems actions, not words. as mayor and as governor, i forged a new consensus for progress that would boost a violent crime to 30-year lows

while also reducing our incarceration rate to 20-year lows and repealing the death penalty. those were actions, not words. while other states tried to cut their way to prosperity in maryland, instead i formed a new consensus to increase funding for public education by 37%, making our schools the best in america five years in a row. [applause] forroze college tuition four years in a row to make college more affordable for more families, became the first state in the nation to pass a living wage. we raised the minimum wage. those were actions, not words. we passed fair share and expanded collective-bargaining so that coworkers could bargain for better wages for all of us. [applause] the u.s. chamber of commerce named us the number one state in america for innovation and

entrepreneurship, as we defended the highest median income all the way through the recession. these were actions, not words. and we extended family leave, and instead of making it harder for people to vote, we made it easier for people to vote and passed drivers licenses for new american immigrants. [applause] and after the slaughter of the innocent in newtown, connecticut, we passed apprehensive gun safety legislation with background checks and a ban on combat-assaul assault weapons. [applause] these were actions, not words. the dream actssed and we passed marriage equality and when our republican brothers and sisters tried to petition it to referendum to defeat it

cynically, we took our case of equal justice and human dignity to the people at the polls and we won by overwhelming margins. actions, not words. [applause] now, my wife and i have 4 great kids, and our oldest daughter, grace, is a first grade teacher in baltimore city public schools. [applause] -- after her father announced for president about 100 days ago, she returned to her first grade class. adorable, eager to learn, 100% african-american kids. a little girl came up to her. there was a buzz in the classroom. she turned her by the sleeve and and not soo'malley, sure about this idea of your father running for president, because quite frankly, i kind of like barack obama." [laughter]

well, a lot of us like barack obama. [applause] we have come a long way since the wall street crash and the bush recession of 2008, when our country teetered on the brink of a second great depression. we elected a new leader in barack obama to move our country forward, and that is exactly what president obama has done. [applause] and the good news is this -- our country has now created 66 months in a row of positive month over month job creation, and that is the good news. [applause] country is doing better, and that is the good news that these unanswered republican debates

are keeping the american people from hearing. but we elected a president, magician, and a no one person can fix in just eight years the bad economic policies of the prior 30 years. we still have work to do. for the hard truth of our times is this -- 70% of us are earning the same or less than we were 12 years ago. and that is not how our economy is supposed to work, that is not how our country is supposed to work. that is the first time that has happened this side of world war ii. there is, in other words, a growing injustice in our country . and economic inequality that threatens to tear us apart. wealth and power have become so concentrated in the hands of so very few that it is actually taking opportunity out of the homes and the neighborhoods of

the many, and this did not happen by accident. powerful, wealthy special interests have used our government to create in our own country and economy that is slowly leaving the majority of our people behind. how far we have strayed from the choices of our parents and grandparents. my dad went to college on the g.i. bill. 50 years ago, the average employee at general motors could -- getkid to college this -- average employee could send a kid to college for a year's tuition on just 2 weeks wages. today we are settling a whole generation of kids with a mountain of debt the likes of which no other developed nation on the planet does. meanwhile, last year alone on wall street, bonuses totaled more than all the earnings of every american working at minimum wage combined.

.his is not the american dream this is not how our economy is supposed to work. this is not how our country is supposed to work. [applause] in tougher times than these, franklin roosevelt told us not to be afraid. in changing times, john kennedy told us that to govern is to choose. i say to you, progress is the choice. job creation is a choice. whether we give our chdren a future with less opportunity for a future of more opportunity, this, too, is the choice. to succeed again, we must only return to our true selves and remember that our economy is not money. it is people. it is all of our people. [applause]

a stronger middle class is not the consequence of economic growth. stronger middle-class is the cause of economic growth. [applause] family that works hard and plays by the rules should have to raise their children in poverty. therefore, we must take action together to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, however and wherever we can. [applause] we must return to the economic justice of paying overtime pay for overtime work, and we must make it easier for workers to join the labor unions and bargain electively for better wages for all of us. [applause] isn't that right, firefighters? we must advance the cause of equal pay for equal work, and paid family leave, so that women can participate fully in the

economic life of our nation. [applause] because sing it with me people -- when women succeed, america succeeds. [applause] ago, i put forward 15 strategic goals to rebuild the american dream that we share. wealth of net median american families by at least $25,000 within 10 years. making wages go up by 4% a year within four years. full employment for american veterans, taking big money out of our politics by incrementing publicly financed congressional elections within five years. [applause] deaths from overdoses by 25% by 2020. making national service a universal option for every young

person in america. [applause] and instead of cutting social security, we need to expand social security. [applause] do we want to make wages go up for all americans? then let us bring 11 million of our neighbors out of the author books, underground shadow economy by passing comprehensive immigration reform. [applause] the enduring symbol of our nation, donald trump, is not the barbed wire fence. it is the statue of liberty. [applause] so let us take the actions andssary to make debt free college degrees a reality for every family within five years.

i'm the first candidate in the democratic party and let us hope not the last to put forward a plan to move our country forward to a 100% clean electric energy grid by 2050 and create 5 million jobs along the way. [applause] these are the ambitions that are worthy of a great people. but none of these things can be accomplished by words alone. why new leadership? there are a couple of things that as a country and party we need to stop doing. first among them, we must stop giving a free pass to the boys in the big banks of wall street to run roughshod over the common good of the american people. [applause]

me how it is that not a single wall street ceo was ever convicted of a single crime related to the 2008 economic meltdown. not a single one. [applause] what did we come to as a country that you can get pulled over for having a broken tail light, but if you reckon nation's economy, you are totally untouchable --rec the nation's economy, you are totally untouchable? we must reinstate glass-steagall and prosecute financial crimes. [applause] and if a bank is too big to fail, and too big to jail, and too big to manage, then it is to big and it needs to be

broken up before it breaks us up. [applause] the second thing we need to stop doing as a party and as a country is to stop sending american jobs and profits overseas with bad trade deals like the transpacific partnership. [applause] many of us remember nafta. many of us remember nafta. we traded away good manufacturing jobs and in return we got back and he promises an empty pockets. i am fundamentally, adamantly opposed as an american to secret trade deals that our congress is forced to vote on before we are even allowed as citizens to read them. [applause] it is not what the other countries are doing to us. it is what we are not doing for ourselves.

we need to build up our own american economy. [applause] america's role in the world -- america's role in the world is .o lead by example the cause of a rising middle class free from oppression, free from hunger and want, free from fear. the images of the humanitarian refugee crisis in syria that all of us have seen -- that little boy's body washing up on a beach . parents running for their lives with their kids in their arms. those images tell us that as a nation we can and must do better if we are to have any credibility as a moral leader among nations. [applause] and our own policies of forcibly

detaining women and children refugees in for-profit detention camps on our southern border tells us we are not living up to our principles even here at home. [applause] we can and must bring forward new thinking in the conduct of our foreign policy is a nation. we can and must forge new alliances for a more effective and farseeing national security strategy to take action and reduce threats before we get lured into military actions or other actions that might diminish us as a nation. all of these things are connected, and all of these things depend on our making ourselves stronger at home. they depend on the choices we make, the better choices because of our concern and care for one another as americans, because of the compassion we have for the

larger family of humanity of which we are apart.--- a part. people poet laureate of the american dream, bruce springsteen -- the bullet laureate of the american dream, bruce bernstein -- [applause] once asked, is a dream alive that don't come ture, or is it something -- is a dream alive they don't come true, or is it some thing worse? whether the american dream is a reality for our children and grand children is not about the big banks. it is not about the big money that 60 takeover our politics. -- seeks to take over our politics. it is about us. u.s. it is about whether we have the great and the determination for american progress. i believe we do and i'm betting you believe it as well. we are a good people. we are a compassionate people.

and we are a generous people. we stand on the threshold of a new era of american progress. together we must take the necessary actions to walk through that door. a toughnow that it is fight, and yes, i know that there are many among us who say that we face tough odds. i never bet against america. and you know what? i kind of like tough fights. [applause] maybe it is the toughness of the fight, it is the weight of it -- got lets us know we're fighting for something that is worth saving. the american dream is worth saving, our children's future is worth saving, the planet is worth saving, and the democratic party is up to this fight. for hours as the party of the people, house is the party of action, and ours is the only

party today that can rebuild the american dream and make the promise real for all americans again. i need your help in this fight. bless the people of new hampshire, god bless america. thank you very, very much. [applause] chanting "o'malley"] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> all campaign long, c-span takes you on the road to the white house. unfiltered access to the candidates, town hall meetings, , andconferences, rallies speeches. we are taking your comments on twitter, facebook, and by phone. as always, every campaign we cover is available on our website at cspan.org. the pope's visit to the u.s.

c-span has live coverage from washington, d.c., the first stop on the pope's tour. tuesday afternoon, we are live with the president and mrs. obama to greet the pontiff on his arrival at joint base andrew. wednesday morning on c-span, c-span radio, c-span.org, the welcoming ceremony as the obamas officially welcome him to the white house. live coverage begins at 8:45 eastern. later that afternoon, a canonization at the basilica of the trying of immaculate conception. thursday morning, c-span's coverage begins live on capitol hill as pope francis becomes the first product to address a joint meeting of congress. friday morning at 10:00, live coverage from new york as the pope speaks to the united nations general 70 on c-span3, c-span radio, and cspan.org. later the pontiff will hold a multireligious service at the 9/11 memorial and world trade

center. follow coverage of the historic trip to the u.s. live on tv or online at cspan.org. andisconsin governor republican presidential candidate scott walker is apparently dropping out of the presidential race. "the new york times" reports that a supporter of the governor who was not briefed on the decision says that the short answer is money. find out more as the governor holds a news conference at 6:00 in madison, wisconsin. we will have that and your comments and clustered in the meantime, part of today's "washington journal." joins us to preview the pope's visit and talk about the catholic church. she is a fellow at the catholic women's forum at the ethics and public policy center. what is the forum? guest: a new initiative designed to be a resource to the church but a voice to the culture. raising the voice of catholic women who are faithful to the

church. the pope has called for more widespread female presence in the catholic church. what does that mean in practice? ,uest: up until the past decade the conversation about women in the church has focused mostly on should women be priests. the church is closed the door to that. it has sucked up all the air in the room with that conversation. what pope francis is doing is saying, there is something more here. we need women's perspective in every thing we do. he is bringing women into different councils, different consultancy positions. he wants to hear what women have to say. host: how are women being included in decisions on things like contraception, abortion, marriage? does the pope have advisers in the vatican, traditionally a male-dominated space?

guest: he has women advisers. hope francis -- pope francis is not going to be changing the teachings of the church. it is more in terms of, how are we going to help people live the teachings more faithfully. how are we going to reach the poor and those who are marginalized in society? that is where he wants women and men to weigh in and hear the ideas and contribute on that level but not in terms of changing the church's teachings. host: what are those ideas you think we will be hearing when the pope comes to the united states? guest: one of the ideas, this is the pope of connection. he connects ideas. the idea for this pope is the human being is more important than anything -- more important than a thing. that is what he is doing when he

reaches out to those on the margins. he is saying as a world we tend to throw away not just things but we throw people away. he is going to be challenging people in the u.s. host: the front page of the "boston globe." cuba.pe has been in what sort of preview can we get from this cuba visit? how the pope is going to talk to some of the political figures he is encountering on this visit both to cuba and the united states? guest: this pope is very direct and spontaneous. it is difficult to predict what he's going to say but on the other hand, looking at the cuban experience, he raised two issues. religious liberty. he said there has to be room for the church. you have to make room in terms of space, freedom, giving the

church the means to do what it is about, to reach hearts. he's going to raise the issue of religious freedom. he also raised the issue of abortion. he is not mincing around. he is willing to call leaders if he thinks they are not giving priority to human beings. host: we are talking to mary rice hasson. she is a fellow at the catholic women's forum. if you have questions about the pope's visit, we are talking about cultural issues he will be touching on in his trip to the united states. democrats, (202) 748-8000. republicans, (202) 748-8001. independents, (202) 748-8002. you said the pope is not changing church teachings. what has changed in the church on the issue of homosexuality ever since that now famous quote he said about gays and lesbians?

who am i to judge, was his quote. guest: that quote has been used and what that quote was the statement, he was asked question about a particular priest who apparently was dealing with his own same-sexttractions. he was saying, this person was living a life pleasing to god. he was talking to us catholics about our attitudes. are we avoiding judgment? he is not changing the church's teachings. he's saying the church is full of sinners. when he was asked, he said, i am a sinner. , to realize weus are equal in the sight of god. he is saying come in and let's talk about it. it's help you grow and find that happiness you are seeking. the church has a view on how you do that. host: do you think american

catholics are on board with the pope when it comes to corporate issues we are talking about? a poll from the pew research year, noted earlier this american catholics said it was not sinful. 39% said it was not sinful to engage in homosexual behavior. 23% think it is not sinful to have an abortion. guest: some of those questions, there is no nuance. homosexuality, it is not a sin but the church talks about sex, it belongs in the context of marriage between a man and woman. the question is, being gay, that is not what we are talking about . the church is talking about behavior. there is divergence in terms of what the average catholic believes in what the church teaches. i think pope francis is about, let's talk about it. if there is that divergence,

part of it because we have alienated people and we have not made our case. we have not try to explain what we mean we're talking about sexuality. host: is it talk about it to change your view or talk about it so we can meet in the middle? guest: it is not a compromise in this sense. the church believes it is the guardian of the truth received from jesus. what jesus says in the bible, what is taught through traditions, is not going to change. bishops will say that is not our job. let's talk about how you live that, how you understand that. you have to know what people's objections are if you will be able to overcome them and help them see. the church needs to do a better job of that. host: will is up first calling in from albany, oregon. you are on with mary rice hasson. caller: good morning.

thank you for taking my call. i'm sure pope francis is a nice guy. he seemed that the personable fellow. his opinions on climate change are completely wrong. not -- hering, he is has been -- isn't there somebody at the vatican who understands this? isn't there somebody who can help him get the science right? apparently god is not telling him what the sciences. -- what the science is. with all the problems of climate change, the overpopulation of human beings on this planet. that is the big problem and when the pope stands against antraception, not even taking

neutral or advocacy position, that is the most immoral position on earth. he is able to make that change to start controlling human population and sexuality is where it starts. conception begins with two living things. host: let's let mary rice hasson respond. guest: in everything the pope has said, if you read his encyclical on the environment, he is clear we do not solve problems by getting rid of people. we do not eliminate poverty by getting rid of poor people. he takes on the idea that we are going to solve our problems with climate change with poverty, by getting rid of people, that is not the problem and that is not the solution. he is adamant about that. when he talks about the science he is saying -- he does say some of these things could change. he's working on what he believes is the operative consensus.

the heart of his message is, we have a god, a creator, who built a natural order into things, the way the world works, and we need to respect that. that has to do with how we treat the earth and how we treat other people. if there is anything about this pope, he is the pope of connection. he will connect different ideas. to say it does not work you are concerned about nature and the earth and to not be concerned about the destruction of an unborn child. to throw away human life. he is trying to challenge all of us on all sides and bring us to look at the centrality of the human person. host: how far of a job do you think he has making those connections to a very divided congress on some of the issues you talked about? guest: i think that will be his challenge. at least here in the u.s., we tend to look at things through our lens of conservatives,

liberal, republican, democrat. this pope breaks those molds. he is going to speak the truth and the primary truth is we are human beings. god has in order to things and we need to respect that and that means respecting human life. watching out for those in bringing in those from the margins who really suffer when we do not respect human life. host: brenda is up next, line for republicans. caller: i would like to say that if the catholics want the pope to appear before congress as a born-again christian, i would like to see franklin graham appear before congress. the pope is too liberal for me. my respect goes to franklin graham and billy graham and men like that. host: where is the pope too

liberal for you? let's talk about some of these issues. caller: climate change. they used to call the global warming. that does not agree with their ideology so they call it what they call it now. what happened to they are not supposed to mix church with state? guest: the pope is not legislating. all the pope is doing, he is like the global moral conscience . he is calling us to think through the consequences of our actions. when he is talking about climate change, it is not because he is concerned about -- he's concerned about the human person. it is true that in a lot of those countries poor people suffered because of the there isrned because of the people.

i think that is something that speaks to everyone across the aisle and that is what i would hope from our representatives that they listen in that vein and hear the pope's message. host: chicago, illinois. on for democrats. -- on the line for democrats. caller: i believe a lot of what the pope has to say. i was watching c-span and saw some of the visit in cuba. herenk the pope coming should be mostly -- unfortunately with this world, there is a lot of hatred and racism. i think that should be brought out and that should be discussed. in thearing candidates field talking about muslims and of hatred for the president the united states. i'm thinking if someone to come to this united states of america and talk to the people about this hatred and it should not be tolerated, i think that should

be the biggest focus. you know, that's one of the biggest problems -- all this hatred and injustice. i know people have the right to think what they want to thank and feel what they want to feel, but hatred and racism is what is destroying this world. as far as climate change goes, climate change is real and i believe we are destroying this world. we need people to help fix this world. that is the fundamental issue. if the pope can just discuss these issues that are tearing us down, that is what we need to feel. muslim, hope if you are if you're gay, if you're italian, if your mexican. we are tired of these politicians hating people of different races. guest: i think the pope would agree with what you are saying. i think part of that is because this is a pope of love, of mercy. he is going to be speaking that

message. he is not in the business of condemning in the sense that i think he is not going to be singling people out or singling out particular parties or people. but he is going to challenge us. he is going to challenge every politician and every person who is listening. what i really encourage people to do is not look at the headlines and terms of what the media says the pope is saying, but rather to say, what did the pope actually say? there is a message therefore each of us and i think that is really important that we look and listen and really examine our hearts. where hatred and intolerance begins. it begins inside each of us. c-span will be covering all the pope's public statements including that address to the joint meeting of congress. the pope will be speaking in english and that joint address will alsos and he have mass at the basilica of the national shrine on wednesday at four clock p.m. with the joint

address on thursday at 10:00 a.m.. check your c-span webpage as well for a further schedule of the pope's biggest events in washington. he will continue to show you the various preparations around washington, d.c. for the pope's visit -- some of these security preparations and some of the logistics already underway on capitol hill and the national mall and around washington, d.c. bringing up muslims and some of the statements by candidates and radical islam and about by muslim being president. what is the pope's message to muslims? guest: it is one of love, of mercy, of acceptance. we are brothers. we are sisters. we are creatures of a common god and creative. the pope is about reaching out to everyone and he is going to be speaking at an interfaith gathering in new york.

that is why he is addressing the u.n.. he is speaking to everyone. encyclical,onmental it was addressed to the world. he is not about dividing. he is about challenging everyone of us, saying we have equal dignity. we have to reach across and solve these things and make common confections -- connections with human dignity. we have to take that to heart whether in one particular faith tradition or another. the challenge is can we hear what he is saying to each one of us. host: samantha is on the line. the 1970's, in ran across a wonderful lady who happened to be catholic and was part of a movement called the charismatic catholics. they had bible study and i went to several of the bible studies. we just really got into the gospel. it was just an environment of

love and hope. is that still going on? guest: i am sure -- is what still going on? host: what is the name of the group? caller: there was a group of women who had bible study's to help us understand the gospel. guest: sure, there are a lot of interfaith efforts going on, particularly in what are called movements within the church, like catholic charismatic renewal. there are a lot of things that bring us together and that is one of the messages of the pope. and that is a good thing. we are all trying to work together. that is the pope's message. let us come together and solve some of these problems in the world. i would like to just desk even as we are talking about bringing people together, i think it is important to look honestly at president obama's decision to greet the pope with symbols of division. the people that he chose to be part of his welcoming committee. i think that is problematic.

host: explain that. hast: apparently he still these invitations outstanding, but he has made it known that the welcoming committee at the white house is going to include ktransgendered individual, a piscopo priest, a nun who rejects the churches teaching on and theia and abortion, vatican's objection to this was not that the pope was going to have a problem deal with those people. he is going to treat them with one and with love. that's not it. thisis a manipulation of event and trying to turn it into a photo up. -- a photo op. this is kind of the think that pope francis talks about and does not like. he talks repeatedly about how service has to take priority over ideology. what we are seeing from the white house is that primacy of ideology. we are going to shove it in your face the things that we do not like about catholicism. they are choosing -- the white house is choosing