A Statement From No Labels

Last Monday, George Floyd was senselessly and tragically killed on the streets of Minneapolis. We all saw the video. For a moment, every American of good faith was horrified and unified in our outrage.

A week later, we’re bitterly divided again and our communities are burning. Isn’t it time we finally take a moment to listen to one another?

If we did, we might hear the anguished voices of friends and neighbors who feel ignored even as they suffer the continued indignity and violence of racism.

And we’d also hear voices worried once peaceful protests have been hijacked by bad people intent on sowing chaos and violence in their community.

If we all really listened, we might be able to agree that a problem and a pain this deep won’t be solved in the streets. Not now with this much pain and raw emotion. And not amid a historic pandemic where crowds and conflict between police and protesters threaten to fuel a deadly virus many communities were just starting to get under control.

No Labels has spent a decade asking – imploring – our leaders to put country over party and we simply can’t say it any louder. We need our leaders to step up.

What we need now – more than we ever have – is leaders at every level who grasp the gravity of the moment; who understand that violent words and violent actions will only beget more senseless suffering and tragedy. 

We need calm, we need to listen one another and we need unity. Only then can we begin to heal and create real and sustainable change.