After watching the video of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, I was disheartened and disgusted to see the images flashing on the screen.
Everyone who respects the dignity of life – no matter their politics or party – is disgusted and outraged. When that dignity is violated, we all should demand that those individuals responsible be held fully accountable and that significant reforms be implemented to prevent these incidents from occurring again.
Sadly, the demand for accountability and reform in the wake of George Floyd’s death has spiraled into violence against innocent property owners and more importantly, our men and women in law enforcement. That is unconscionable and appalling. Countless recordings have shown our law enforcement officers sustaining violent and life-threatening attacks at the hands of rioters and looters, who are using the tragedy of George Floyd’s death to advance their criminal enterprises.
As a nation, we must not fall into the trap of believing the destruction of property and the assaulting of our brave men and women of law enforcement is an important or justified expression of the outrage we feel for George Floyd’s death. We need to separate lawful First Amendment protesting from unlawful violence and rioting.
We must unify around the core principles that define our republic. The Constitution sets forth a proven and overwhelmingly effective framework to effect change, whether it’s the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of government. That framework begins with the right to vote. Voting remains the most important and critical check on power and influence in America. The sad reality is that thousands of Americans, including some of those participating in the protests and demonstrations in the last week, will not vote in November. Yet voting is a far more effective way to channel the outrage and frustrations we sometimes feel toward our government.
We must remember George Floyd and honor his memory by demanding accountability and reform. We must denounce violence and work to expose those who use tragedy as a cloak for criminality. We need to thank our local men and women in law enforcement for bravely upholding order and selflessly protecting the safety of our community.
Please exercise your right to vote this November.
