Seth Moulton: "If This Country Wasn't Racist, Stacey Abrams Would Be Governor"

Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) at a CNN town hall Sunday down: <blockquote>MARIA FERNANDEZ, HOSPITAL PATIENT RELATIONS MANAGER: OK. Good evening, Representative Moulton. REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): How are you? FERNANDEZ: I'm fantastic. How are you? MOULTON: I'm good, thanks. FERNANDEZ: Excellent. All right, I'm done. (LAUGHTER) What is your plan to lead the dismantling of systemic racism in this country to drive justice for marginalized groups, especially for black and first-nations people? And if you could please, please frame this beyond criminal justice reform. MOULTON: We have a problem with racism in America today. If this country wasn't racist, Stacey Abrams would be governor because people of color are being systemically denied the most basic right in a democracy, which is the right to vote. That's why we need a new voting rights act in America. Second, let's talk about criminal justice reform for a second. Look, I smoked weed when I was younger. (LAUGHTER) I didn't get caught, but if I had - (LAUGHTER) - I would have been fine because I'm a white guy. Just last year I think it was a Louisiana man was sentenced to prison for life for selling $20 of marijuana. So criminal justice reform means we need to legalize cannabis. We need to legalize marijuana across this country, and if you're in prison for that, you're out, and we expunge those records. Finally, this is a leadership issue. Let's not ignore the fact that when the man in the Oval Office is a racist - and yes, I did just say that. I don't think that's inappropriate - it's going to affect everyone in this country. And that's why under my administration, my Department of Justice will fight relentlessly to ensure that there are not two sets of laws - one for black, one for white, one for rich, one for poor - but that everyone in America is subject to the same laws. The president talks about law and order. That's real law and order.</blockquote>