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On Thursday, President Barack Obama unveiled his plan on immigration during a nationally televised address.
During President Obama’s address on immigration he said:
… for a year and a half now, Republican leaders in the House have refused to allow that simple vote.
Now, I continue to believe that the best way to solve this problem is by working together to pass that kind of common sense law. But until that happens, there are actions I have the legal authority to take as President — the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican Presidents before me — that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just.
Mr. Obama also challenged Republicans to act on immigration reform saying:
The actions I’m taking are not only lawful, they’re the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican President and every single Democratic President for the past half century. And to those Members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill. I want to work with both parties to pass a more permanent legislative solution. And the day I sign that bill into law, the actions I take will no longer be necessary.
On Friday, “NewsOne Now” guest host Jeff Johnson and the Straight Talk panel (featuring Avis Jones-Deweever, J. Hogan Gidley and Dru Ealons) discussed how Pres. Obama’s executive action will impact millions of undocumented workers and illegal immigrants as well as how the GOP will respond to the President’s use of executive power.
J. Hogan Gidley, a Republican strategist said, “The real concern for me about this executive order is [that] I don’t know it’s going to accomplish what [President Obama] wants it to accomplish because there is no permanency behind it. By his own definition, if you don’t like this then pass a bill to change it.”
When Johnson asked the panel if President Obama’s “move will turn the Republicans into an almost no-win situation to where they have to put forth a bill to be considered or will they lean on the crazy side and stay there,” Avis Jones-Deweever said, “I think they’re going with the cray cray.”
How do you think the GOP will respond to the president’s use of power?
Michael Brown, Sr. called for peace once the grand jury decision is announced in a recently released PSA saying, “Hurting others and destroying others is not the answer. No matter what the grand jury decides, I do not want my son’s death to be in vain. I want it to lead to incredible change, positive change, change that makes the St. Louis region better for everyone.”
RELATED: Michael Brown Sr. Calls For Peace In Wake Of Grand Jury Decision [VIDEO]
On Friday, “NewsOne Now” guest host, Jeff Johnson and the Straight talk panel (featuring Avis Jones-Deweever, J. Hogan Gidley and Dru Ealons) discuss the latest developments on the ground in Ferguson, if we are seeing the makings of the new millennium version of the L.A. race riots and what will Ferguson look like if Darren Wilson is not indicted in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
Dru Ealons explained that the problem with the situation in Ferguson is that everything was done secretly.
“Even if it comes out with an indictment, those who support Michael Brown will be upset because we don’t know what happened.”
When the discussion turned to the possibility of provocateurs inciting violence once the verdict is released, Jones-Deweever said, “The real agitator is a police chief that comes up on the day he is supposed to release the name of Darren Wilson and instead shows this tape, which later he admits is completely, supposedly disconnected from the events of that day; is a police chief that makes a decision and a whole system that makes a decision to militarize a police force, to point live weapons at unarmed citizens who have their hands up demonstrating in streets. The real agitators are people who arrest and shoot tear gas at individuals, women and children included, arrest journalists, stop flights over the city so there can be no documentation of what is going on. Those are the agitators.”
Johnson added the agitators also include those who would come to Ferguson and “throw fire bombs” which is not in concert with the peaceful protests that have been taking place in the St. Louis suburb.
Actor Jeffrey Wright spoke with “NewsOne Now” guest host Jeff Johnson about the premiere of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1.”
“The exciting thing about these films is they bring everything, including the kitchen sink, that big budget movies can bring. All the bells and whistles, the CGI the scope and the spectacle,” said Wright. “At the same time there is something relevant, very personal, even political at the core of these movies that is quite rare in movie making of this type. And particularly of movies for young audiences and young minds. They really occupy a very specific space.”
Johnson asked Wright if he thought “The Hunger Games” could inspire people who “don’t even think about the notion of resistance, mobilization, of getting together about using their natural given gifts to be able to create change.” Wright told Johnson “we were very conscious that some of the scenes that we were filming were reflective of scenes happening, perhaps in Ferguson, perhaps in Syria, perhaps in Gaza, in Israel. There are these resonances that were very clear.”
Roland Martin kicks it on the”Beyond The Lights” movie premiere red carpet with Gina Prince-Bythewood, Nate Parker, Stephanie Allain, Laurie Ann Gibson, Sanaa Lathan, Aisha Hinds, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Dondre Whitfield and Johnny Gill.
Listen to all the fun in the clip above brought to you through the lens of the Roland Cam.
All that and more in this edition of the NewsOne Now Audio Podcast.
