Speaking on the Senate floor about the senseless, repeated killings of Black people—including by police—that have led to the massive outpouring of anger we see across the country, & the work ahead to start living up to our ideals of equality and justice. twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
These protests are driven by people, including many young people, who are justifiably sick & tired of the systemic racism behind these killings that is deeply woven in the fabric of our democracy & our history—and rightly believe we are not moving forward nearly fast enough.
One major step we can take is passing the #JusticeInPolicing Act by @SenKamalaHarris and @SenBooker, which among other things would: reform qualified immunity, ban the use of chokeholds, and require deadly force be used only as a last resort.
We must also prioritize equity in our response to coronavirus. That means collecting & reporting the necessary data to target our efforts, making sure that testing kits and PPE are getting to the hardest-hit communities, & planning now for equitable distribution of a vaccine.
The protests are a passionate call for meaningful change in our systems & institutions. That means addressing racism in maternal mortality, the climate crisis, the gender pay gap, & ensuring equity of resources, opportunity & quality in our schools, colleges & universities.
Another big piece of this work requires looking inward. Change in our own hearts and minds—& in our communities—is as fundamental and essential to truly overcoming racism in our country as reforming policies and systems. Now is the time to listen and learn.
To see President Trump at the helm of our country in this moment is tragic—& frightening. But the President cannot simply dismiss the legitimate anger on display in WA and across the country at the pervasive & crushing impact of racism on Black people & other people of color.
Our country has an opportunity for real progress right now. So I hope every senator will support the #JusticeInPolicing Act & it gets passed and signed into law as quickly as possible.
This is the work before all of us—& I intend to work for justice every day until it arrives.
This is the work before all of us—& I intend to work for justice every day until it arrives.
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