Friends,

Our community in Minneapolis rejoiced as we heard yesterday’s verdict — finally witnessing a step toward accountability and justice that felt long overdue.

But it was only a small step. One verdict cannot bring back George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Philando Castile, and so many other Black lives we have lost. It cannot transform an entire system that enables those who swore to protect and serve to contradict that oath as they take the lives of our family members, loved ones, and friends.

Our community is exhausted from these repeated offenses and assaults from law enforcement. We find ourselves in a never-ending state of mourning and trauma from experiencing so much pain every day.

I’m appalled by how easy it is for our towns and cities, states, and the federal government to come up with resources to police and brutalize people — but resources for our well-being like health care, mental health services, and housing are dismissed as “too expensive” or “too difficult to pass.”

Countless politicians treat “Black Lives Matter” as nothing more than a hashtag. They’ll hold press conferences to talk about the importance of racial and social justice without lifting a finger to bring forward proposals that live up to those words.

But we can take action. We can alleviate the pain and trauma this system inflicts on Black and Brown people by passing new policies that move us forward.

Here are next steps we must take to dismantle racism in our systems and get closer to true accountability and justice:

-Establish an independent agency to investigate police misuse of force
-Criminalize violence against protesters
-Demilitarize police departments
-Disband and deconstruct failed police departments
-End traffic stops for minor equipment violations
-Launch federal investigations into departments that use practices like arrest quotas
-End the school-to-prison pipeline
-Ban all racial profiling by federal, state, and local agencies
-Legalize recreational cannabis nationwide, expunge records, and seek amnesty for those incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses
-Restore felon voting rights
-Ensure that formerly incarcerated individuals are fully supported in their transition back to society
-End mandatory minimum sentencing laws for low-level offenses
-Invest in a public health approach to the addiction crisis

I know that we have a long way to go when it comes to addressing our country’s deep systemic inequities and building a brighter future for everyone.

But we can use this moment as a turning point to finally live up to our country’s creed of liberty and justice for all. We simply have to be willing to take the next step.

In radical solidarity,

Ilhan Omar

Paid for by Ilhan for Congress
Ilhan for Congress
PO Box 80545
Minneapolis, MN 55408
United States
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