Two things and then I’m out. I will not tolerate the challenging of @DanielCameronAG’s blackness. I’ve been on the receiving end of that attack & regardless of politics & a differing world view, we are both black men in America.
And to the nice folk DM’ing me about how I’m sewing seeds of hate, stoking the fires of division, and fear mongering, let me be clear. I’ve got no beef with law enforcement. I love good police officers, first responders, and our Armed Forces.
And I love good law enforcement enough to be exhausted by the continued excusing of the bad. I love my Commonwealth enough to know we must be better than the false binary choice of supporting law enforcement or supporting black lives.
America has seen this domestic terrorism before. America knows white nationalism well. Thoughts & prayers won’t stop this. Gun legislation won’t stop it. We can begin by rejecting language & policies that demonize & scapegoat people of color and immigrants as “the other”.
Instead of chanting “send them back”, let’s begin the hard work of building a nation that truly lives the creed of “We the People”. Not black, white, or brown. Not American born or immigrant, but we the people, created by God, worthy of life, liberty, dignity, & happiness.
For those who have been asked to believe that the black or brown person working and living in our nation has somehow come at your expense, that is not only not true, it is a lie perpetuated to harness your fears into votes.
The truth is both @LtGovHampton & @AlisonForKY are elected and owe the Governor nothing. Governors who believe their fellow elected constitutional officers serve them and not the people of KY & the Constitution are dangerously incompetent & morally bankrupt.
If any constitutional officers should resign it should be the Governor who takes the oath of office as a recommendation rather than a directive, who has insulted entire communities of Kentuckians because of his arrogance, & who’s been itching for a way out since he won.
We need to say the names of those we’ve lost to suicide. My father, Colmon Elridge II, should be looking at turning 80 & playing with his grandchildren. There’s not a day my heart doesn’t hurt & has for the past 33 years. #WorldSuicidePreventionDay
We need more than a day of bringing attention to this epidemic. We need government leaders willing to invest the resources in making access to affordable mental health resources more readily available. We can start by providing more funding to our Community Mental Health Centers.
Our CMHC’s, once a crown jewel of our Commonwealth, have been underfunded for over a decade and are one of the best resources we have to take on the crisis of mental health/illness head on.
I've given dozens of speeches in our Capitol, each time feeling the proverbial eyes of Jeff. Davis hoping I'd be as inferior as his cause.
Grateful to friends @WilSchroder and @KYTrey who stood up for making our Capitol truly representative of all Kentuckians and a place where
@WilSchroder@KYTrey We do not limit the dreams of Kentucky to where we have been but where we go. I hope others, Democrats & Republicans support moving Davis.