Race a Focus at Democratic Debate at UW-Milwaukee

The Democratic Presidential debate at UW-Milwaukee focused on race relations in America and how the two candidates would solve the widening divide of racism in the country where minority groups such as African Americans and Latinos face disadvantages.

Standing in the state with the highest incarceration rate for African-American males, criminal justice reform was an issue both candidates agreed needed to be looked into. Hillary Clinton also raised the Dontre Hamilton police-shooting death in Milwaukee.

The circus of the Democratic Presidential debate landed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Thursday night as the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee played host to the political showdown.

It was highly expected that Hillary Clinton would attempt to portray Sen. Bernie Sanders as someone proposing ideas that just aren’t possible, such as Medicare for all, free college tuition, and how to go about raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour.

“We are sick and tired of seeing videos on television of unarmed people, often African Americans, shot by police officers,” said Sanders. “Any police officer that breaks the law will be held accountable.”

He added: “People are being released from jail without the education, without the job training, without the resources that they need to get their lives together, then they end up — we’re shocked that they end up back in jail again.”

The Democratic Party has long been pushing for criminal justice reform but what’s been lost in all the fray to help minority groups is the rise of resentment from white voters who feel issues that matter to them have not been addressed by the candidates.

“I’m going to do everything I can to address distressed communities,” said Clinton. “Whether they are communities of color, whether they are white communities, whether they are in any part of our country.”

Sanders instead claimed it’s an economic issue and blamed corporate America and the trade policies they have created. He ultimately said it comes down to the billionaires having so much political power.

It’s a stark contrast between the two candidates as Sanders has constantly repeated that all of America’s issues come down to a rigged economy that sees the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. He continues to garner support as he portrays Clinton as an establishment candidate who has taken many donations from Wall Street.

Let’s not in any way imply here that I would in any way not take on any vested interested,” said Clinton. “Whether it’s Wall Street, or drug companies, or insurance companies, or frankly, the gun lobby to stand up to do what’s best for the American people.”
The candidates continue on the campaign trail focusing on the next upcoming primary: South Carolina.