You’ve reached the activism portion of today’s show. Now that you’re informed and angry, here’s what you can do about it. Today’s activism: Demand an Executive Order on Racist, Violent Policing.

According to KilledByPolice.net — a site that aggregates mainstream media accounts of people killed by law enforcement, at least 238 black Americans were killed by police in 2014. The FBI stats say police kill a black American every three days. Most certainly, extra judicial police killings are underreported as we rely on a combination of police department records and eye witness accounts to piece together incidence of racist policing.

Even with the coverage in Ferguson and protests across the country following the murders of too many since Mike Brown, indictments remain rare and apparently the federal government can do something about it — without needing congressional action.

Diego Iniguez-Lopez and Alan Jenkins put the current climate in historical context at Truthout, explaining why this call for President Obama to act is not without precedent:

“Fifty years ago, activists in Selma looked to the federal government when they were faced with violence at the hands of state and local law enforcement. Similarly, federal action is now critically needed on the issues of police killings of youth of color and equal justice for all. The Obama administration has an opportunity and obligation not only to shape its legacy, but also to use its federal authority to prevent civil rights abuses by police departments.”

Color of Change is among those calling for President Obama to issue an executive order which would: "crack down on violent and discriminatory policing by issuing an executive order to direct the DOJ to enforce our civil rights laws more aggressively.”

You can sign and share their petition at ColorOfChange.org asking the president to help end this national civil and human rights crisis.

Short of abolishing the police — which many are advocating for, but which the president couldn’t unilaterally accomplish, we are left to demand laws, justice, and force not be left to individual cops to enforce. And to hold violent police and their departments accountable.

Sign the petition, share the articles, demand action. We shouldn’t need video of an unarmed man being shot in the back for there to be a chance at justice.

TAKE ACTION:

SIGN and share the Color of Change petition: "President Obama: End discriminatory, violent policing and its unjust consequences”

Additional Activism/Resources:

SIGN and share: "Demand the Post and Courier issue a public apology for shameful #WalterScott article”

SIGN and share: "Tell advertisers to ditch Bill O’Reilly”

Sources/further reading:

"President Obama Already Has a Way to Prevent Policing Abuses” by Alan Jenkins and Diego Iniguez-Lopez of The Opportunity Agenda”

"The Origins of Modern Policing” via The Indypendent

"Police ‘Reforms' You Should Always Oppose” by Prison Culture

"Black Americans killed by police in 2014 outnumbered those who died on 9/11” at RawStory

"Abolish the Police. Instead, Let’s Have Full Social, Economic, and Political Equality” by Mychal Denzel Smith at The Nation

Written by BOTL social media/activism director Katie Klabusich