Team,

The shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, and the news today about David McAtee in Louisville are all terrible tragedies that reflect a real underlying problem we’ve had in our country for our entire history. Systemic racial injustices fueled the demonstrations in Kentucky and around the country this past weekend. Communities are hurting, and the Americans demonstrating want their voices to be heard. We must listen to them. We must listen to the families of the victims, our fellow Americans who are pleading for justice but also for peace. More violence is not the answer.

As leaders, we should never want to escalate violence in our country but rather always look to de-escalate as tensions rise within our communities. We must demand that leaders set a climate where anyone who wears the uniform, who is in a position of public trust, who is held to a higher standard, treats everyone with respect and decency. When tragedies like these deaths take place, we must demand transparency, a full swift investigation, and accountability for actions. It is what the victims’ families deserve, and it is vital to our communities having trust in the police forces that we all depend on.

In the Senate, we must look for constructive ways to build that trust so important for the fabric of our communities. I’m committed to meaningfully tackling the underlying issues that feed into these real problems—economic, social, and educational inequality. For without doing that, we will not be able to tackle the racial injustice we see in our country.

In solidarity,
Amy