By Gwen Moore
The pain, suffering, and tragic murder of George Floyd will forever be burned into our country’s memory. “I can’t breathe” will forever echo in our ears. Because it’s not the first time.
I think of Earnest Lacy who was killed at age 22 in 1981, and remember my son who attended a rally with me holding a sign saying, “Who is next?”
And there’s so many more that we will never know.
Racism is a public health crisis. And we are seeing two of its elements converge upon another, with COVID-19 disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable Americans, namely people of color and the elderly, and police brutality continually stealing sisters, brothers, daughters, and sons from communities.
Now, people across America – women, men, the LGBTQ community, white, black, and brown folks – are raising their voices against the racism and inequities that continue to plague our society. As a Black mother with Black children, who has had to worry about the safety of her children since they were born, I am encouraged that millions of others have declared, enough is enough
Since that fateful Monday more than two weeks ago, we have seen America at both its best, and its worst. From the brutal death of George Floyd, we have seen peaceful protesters appear of all ages, races, sexual orientations, and backgrounds to take a stand. I am proud of all the young people I’ve seen make their voices heard. These young people are the generation that can, and must change the deeply flawed systems we’ve endured for decades.
As we look forward, we must learn from the events we’ve witnessed and focus our frustration, and moral outrage towards meaningful change. That’s why I am proud that Congress has taken important steps to create real change with the unveiling of the Justice in Policing Act.
As Congress continues to build upon its efforts to create safer communities for all, I will continue fighting for passage of my legislation, which ensures law enforcement officers have the skills and training to de-escalate situations. I will keep working day and night for justice, for all of us.
I will continue joining you in standing against racism and bigotry, against the systems that perpetuate this inhumanity, so that we can all rise together. We must work harder than ever to reduce poverty, improve access to affordable and quality health care and housing, and work towards securing environmental justice by guaranteeing clean air and water for every community.
Each one of us is part of the broken system, and it will take all of us, peacefully, to fix it. Frederick Douglass said, “The life of a nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous.” I believe that our country is beginning a soul-searching journey and will eventually emerge better, brighter, and more equal for all.
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