Washington journal, we look at the latest on the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic with virginia ben clinen and thomas suozzi. Good morning. Thursday, may 28, 2020. The house returns at 9 00 a. M. Totern to vote on renew federal surveillance powers. President trump will receive a briefing at the white house on the 2020 Hurricane Season after the first launch on u. S. Soil was delayed due to the weather. On the death in minneapolis monday have an unarmed black man at the hands of police. After some protest turned violent overnight, we open our phones to hear from you about the state of Race Relations in this country. If you think Race Relations are Getting Better, 202 7488000. If you think they are getting worse, 202 7488001. If you think they are staying about the same, 202 7488002. You can send us a text this morning. That number is 202 7488003. If you do include your name and where youre from. Otherwise catch up with us on social media on cspan cspanwj. On facebook, facebook. Com cspan. A very good thursday morning. You can start calling in as we show you the lead story on the website of the Minneapolis Star Tribune with this headline from 5 30 a. M. Looting and flames erupted in minneapolis amid growing protests over George Floyds death. The mayor of minneapolis calling wednesday for criminal charges against the white Police Officer seen in the video kneeling against the neck of a handcuffed black man who complained he couldnt breathe and died in police custody. The story from the Associated Press noting the statement from ,he mayor of minneapolis saying i wrestled more than anything else over the last 36 hours one fundamental question. Wise the man who killed george floyd not in jail . He later added, i saw no threat, nothing that would signal this kind of force was necessary. The widely seen video of george floyd in his final moments. Members of the minneapolis delegation and state officials weighing in, including the governor of minnesota. Saying our state watched George Floyds humanity get erased. Our feelings of anger and disillusionment are justified. He went on to tweet that is why i am pushing for a full and fair investigation. We must examine the systemic inequities and discrimination that led to this incident, and far too many that have come before. Weighing in via twitter President Trump. The president saying at my request the fbi and department of justice are well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in minnesota of george floyd. The president going on to tweet, i have asked for this investigation to be expedited and greatly appreciate work done by local Law Enforcement. My heart goes out to georges family and friends. Justice will be served is what the president promised. Yesterday the topic of George Floyds desk taken up on the floor of the house of representatives by several members, including congressman greene of texas. [video clip] say mr. Speaker that black lives do not matter as much as white lives. If black lives matter as much as white lives, mr. George floyd breathing. Be if black lives matter did as much as white lives, Ahmaud Arbery would have finished his jog. If black lives matter as much as white lives, Christian Cooper would not have been falsely accused. Lack lives do not matter as much as white lives. Why . Because we tolerate hatred, bigotry, and discrimination. We tolerate it, and because we tolerate it we allow it to be perpetuated. We in this country have the power to do something about the racism that relates to black people. We have tolerated it since 1619 and the arrival of black people in the americas. Its time for us to do something about it. We had the opportunity to do something about it when the chief operator of this country is a racist and a bigot. We should do something about that. We had the opportunity, but we did not. We tolerated it. Some went so far as to almost with their commentary about the comments being made. Oh, hes just a jerk. Black lives matter and we ought not tolerate it to the extent that we have. Thelieve that we in congress of the United States of america have a duty to do what has been done in the past. We declared a war on poverty. We declared a war on drugs. Why not declare a war on racism . Why not decide that here and now we are not going to allow racism to continue in this country to the extent that people lose their lives . Green,ongressman al democrat from texas on the floor of the house of representatives yesterday. We are asking about the state of Race Relations in the United States. Do you think its Getting Better, getting worse, or staying about the same . Phone lines for each one of those answers for you to call in. From the new york times, fury in minneapolis over the latest in a long line of police killings. Hundreds of people taking to the streets on tuesday. Some of those protests turning violent and even deadly last night. Gary is up first on the line for those who think its getting worse in this country when it comes to Race Relations out of las vegas. Caller good morning to you. First time doing this. I am a black man, a very fair complected black man. Morning raised in new york city. 66 years old, seen a lot, and go. Lived in chicago for 10 years and was almost assaulted and killed by 10 to 15 chicago Police Officers for nothing. This is a very serious situation. It is ongoing. I have been assaulted by many people of different complexions, white people, for no reason. Even though you cant tell by looking at me, you can tell because i associate with darker complected black people. What is happening in minneapolis is happening all over the country. I sympathize with all these people, but Race Relations have gotten incredibly worse in my lifetime. So say inlk about you lifetime. What is your first memory of Race Relations as a National Issue in your lifetime . You say you are 66 years old . Caller yes. I was of age during the civil rights, in the early 1960s, the boycotts, when blacks got the ability, the right to vote. The race riots in newark, new jersey, right across the water from where he lived in new york city. There was a lot going on back then, as im sure you know. From that point on, and with the advent of what is going on since this administration has taken power, everything has gone downhill to the point where i dont know what will be left if and when this situation is resolved and someone else takes over the administration. Scary. Not for me, because im kind of on my way out of here, but for my children and grandchildren, im very concerned about Race Relations in america, as we all should be. This is an example of a bigger evil. Institutional racism, it has existed since the beginning of and country, its origins, will be until the right people take a stand. Host first time calling in. The rule is you can call in once every 30 days. Hope you call in later down the road. Staten island, new york. Saying Race Relations are staying about the same. Caller i am a big fan of cspan. I have an objection to how cspan has framed this question. Host what is the objection, kevin . Haser my question is, when Race Relations been good in america . Have things changed . Yes. What specific era can we point to to say Race Relations have been good in this country . By and large the representation of black people in this country have been we have been enslaved, in servitude, or impoverished. Seen. S how we are there are real divides in this country. However, there is progress. But that progress i just cannot point to a time when things have been good. It escapes me. Host if you cant point to a time when things have been good, what would you point to in terms of progress . Obama, of course. Representation of blacks in many different professional professions. Era weseems like every are struggling to show we can do the job, that we are qualified. I hear the comment a lot, qualified black. I never hear the comment followed by white. Struggle. Nstant its the same struggle since 1619 of just proving that we can chance. Theen a educational horrific in new york city. That is what is going to be advances us as we see with barack obama. I have trouble pointing to a time when things were good. Host out of North Carolina on the line for those who say its getting worse. Good morning. Caller good morning. Thank you for taking my call. Are you there . Great. Andnt to commend mayor fry the governor. This morning, i watched a documentary on the underground railroad. Back when that was going on, white people couldnt come forward, they couldnt speak out, they were too busy hiding blacks, and if they were caught, they would have been hung as well. To speak out now means something. Relations have gotten awfully worse if you ask me. People have no qualms about being rude, being disrespectful. I have experienced some awful things just in the last couple of years because, in my opinion only, donald trump as our leader has let it be known that it is ok to be rude, disrespectful regardless of color. Added insult to Everything Else thats going on in this country. As far as Race Relations, it hasnt improved. Upt one question that comes when we ask this question is, compared to when . You say things have gotten worse. Compared to when to you . Be 72 tomorrow. For me, you ask the other gentleman when was his first recall of Race Relations that was outstanding. Remembers when i seeing on blackandwhite tv. Ugly. So stark and i sighed in a jet magazine. Jet magazine. It started to perforate through the country. People started to talk about it. That is when it was Getting Better. As soon as we got the right to went downhill again. Nobody wanted there were always reasons why you couldnt vote. Workwere as far as i beside police. I know what they did. Boston, the streets of the trauma district, shootings, stabbings, hangings. Isil police, good and bad, who were very abusive unnecessarily. That is not the first time that a Police Officer has put his victim the neck of a already handcuffed. What could he possibly do . How could he be worried about his life . Then you have people begging to get off . What could he have been thinking . Around,others standing watching. Camera itck the scares me. I know that i am on the way out, too. Just like the last caller. I want to see things improve. To see education for people. You talk about reparations no, we talk about reparations. They dont. There is nothing in bidens agenda for black america. Certainly not in donald trumps. Cuomo, all of the wonderful things he did handling the pandemic because trump wouldnt talk back and says, you to trump and they are going to do things for infrastructure even though they have identified how the black and brown population have suffered, and everything thats come out of it. I am at a loss for words. Im scared for my people. Host a call from North Carolina. A few comments that have come in via text message and twitter. Carol in panama city says race worse. There getting cop should be charged with murder. The other threewho did nothing and watched are complicit in murderous actions and also guilty. Race relations are worse in the trump era because trump himself is a racist and bigoted. Rick says race is the same, just more cameras recording they hate that we knew and complained about for decades. Trump emboldened the racists so they know they are protected. Jeff from chicago, Race Relations have gotten worse. The stoking by accident of President Trump saying there is no need to stop the race baiting from President TrumpPresident Trump needs to be impeached or ousted from office. On the riots and violence that we have seen in videos emerging overnight, every single rider and looter regardless of race should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Twitter ands via our text message service. Talking about this for the next 15 minutes or so. We want to share with you some of the sound from the house floor yesterday on this topic, including from texas congresswoman Sheila Jackson lee. [video clip] now, brother george floyd, i was up until 2 00 in the morning with the pain of the video. George floyd, he was raised in houston, in my district, went to jack yates high school. He lived there for 40 years, a gentle giant. He was taken away from us by a knee on his neck crying for his mama. There must be charges. They must be brought to justice even if they wear a uniform. In order for law order to be upheld, everyone is watching. Send mellow officers messages. Outrageous. My heart is burning, my heart is hurting, i am crying will stop when i heard him say mama, mama, mama and his brothers and sisters have the pain of hearing that over and over. Good samaritans were asking, take your knee off his neck, you are choking him, you are killing him. How can this be . Godietly say, mr. Speaker, is on our side. We are a nation of laws and the constitution. I ask for these things, all i justice,irness, simple and mercy for these families. May they rest in peace, those who have gone on and others at the hands of those who should not have brought them down. God bless you. I yield back. The house coming in at 9 00 a. M. Eastern this morning. We will take you there for gaveltogavel coverage. When they do a shorter to our washington journal this morning. Our question is we are asking about Race Relations in the United States. Are they Getting Better, worse, or staying the same . Gary is on the line for those who think its getting worse out of fletcher, North Carolina. Good morning. Caller i just picked the line because it is the one i was able to get through on. I am the one who made the prejudice caller call a few years back and had reviews on television. Host i remember. You were talking about your views on Race Relations. I believe you said that you dont want to be racist . Right . Caller i didnt say racist, i said prejudice. Everybody gets the words mixed up. People dont know the definition between racism and prejudice. They shout it, but they dont know the difference. Prejudice is when you assume you know what another persons thinking or how they will act before you had the chance to even meet them. Racism is when you believe that a particular group of people has a certain presumption or way of being that is different from other races, but only inclusive to that race. That is racism. When you believe the whole group interacts a certain way or has a way of being is only conclusive to that. That is racism. We are all racist and away way. Prejudice is when you think you know what another persons thinking or how they will act before you know who they are. That is whats happening here. What is the difference between this man being a bad, abusive or being a racist . How do we know what is inside this mans head . He could be the worlds most brutal what you call them . Abusive cops. Ok. He could have done that to a white person, any person, that could be his standard way of bringing down people. He could be the meanest person in the world. We decided we know what is in his head without knowing him, because Race Relations are so bad we have been taught to think this way and head in this direction right away. We have been taught to be prejudice. Host what do you think should happen here . We have the headline from the Associated Press yesterday that the mayor of minneapolis said the Police Officer should be charged. Caller he is prejudice. He is claiming to know how this person thinks, acts. He is claiming to be inside this mans head. He should be arrested for Police Brutality right off the bat. If he wants to share whats in his head, or someone wants to hire a mindreader, we can add some kind of racial connotation to it. The fact is, hes a brutal, Police Brutality person that doesnt belong on the police force. Over excessive, he couldnt control his anger, he wasnt able to do his job diligently and keep his cool. Other cops being abused, water dumped on them, and they kept their cool. This guy, it got personal. Composure, his professionalism. He doesnt belong on the police force like that. How he got through maybe the job was too stressful for him. I dont know what he does when he goes to work every day. He deals with the black community. He finally lost his mind. Hes a brutal Police Officer. Host to the original question, where do you think we are in Race Relations to this country . Caller terrible. Terrible, and its getting worse. The presumption of knowing what this man is thinking, not what he did, but the fact that we gr americaeveloped into an that claims to know how he is thinking, what his political views are, what his ideology about other people, other races is. Then to say he only did this because of that that he was he hated someone so much he was ready to give up his whole life, his family, his job, his career to murder someone in front of a camera. That sounds like a messy person to me. Host gilbert out of birmingham, alabama. The line for those who say it Race Relations are staying the same in this country.