by David Ulmer
WakeLP Chair

George Floyd was murdered. Whether or not he committed a crime doesn’t excuse the murder. People have a right to protest that crime and demand justice. The fact that some people may commit vandalism and loot doesn’t cancel out the right to protest.

America still has a race problem. We’ve come a long way in race relations, but systemic, institutional racism still exists. All men and women are created equal, but they’re still not treated that way by the justice system.

All your freedoms, all the time is more than a slogan. It is a promise – and a responsibility.

Before African Americans can begin to heal, their outrage extinguished, and they no longer need to protest time and again, we must radically overhaul the criminal justice system. We must listen to them with open minds and hearts. We must understand the despair. Their healing is our healing.

Those who enforce the law aren’t above it. Hold police officers fully accountable for their actions. End qualified immunity.

Abolish laws that criminalize what people consume or what they do with their bodies. End laws that criminalize the economic activity of poor people because the government isn't getting a cut of the money.

These steps are just a start. Groups like Campaign Zero and Raleigh PACT have some good ideas. Let’s talk about them.

We all want peace. So, we all must work for justice.