[1]Justice Democrats


Content warning: This email discusses police brutality and murder.

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John,



My name is Kina Collins, I’m a Justice Democrat, and I’m running for
Congress in Illinois' 7th Congressional District. I started out as an
organizer fighting to stop gun violence, pass Medicare for all, and
guarantee the civil rights of all Chicagoans. In 2014 I joined the fight
for accountability in the police murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald —
and last night, I was arrested protesting the early release of Laquan’s
killer.

In 2014, a white police officer murdered Laquan McDonald. The officer,
Jason Van Dyke, shot a 17-year-old Black child 16 times, then reloaded his
gun. Then, former mayor Rahm Emanuel tried to cover up the murder. But
finally, after more than 400 days, the police dashcam video was released
and we could all see what really happened.

Van Dyke was convicted but sentenced to just 81 months; yesterday, he was
released from prison early after serving less than half of his sentence.
Think about that. Just three years for the vicious murder of a child.

It shouldn't require a viral consumption of Black suffering and outrage in
order to shame and embarrass this justice system into accountability but
time and again we see that it does. In the wake of Laquan McDonald’s
killing, I joined Black Chicagoans who came out, marched, and demanded
accountability — because justice, at that point, was impossible. Justice
would be Laquan McDonald being alive today. And last night, years later,
we once again came out and protested because Van Dyke serving less than
half of his already sham sentence is not accountability.

That’s why I’m urgently calling on U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland
to intervene and bring federal charges against Van Dyke to ensure that
there is real accountability in this case.

And that’s why last night, I joined a coalition of groups and local
leaders at the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago to demand
federal charges against Van Dyke. That’s where I was arrested, calling out
for accountability.

We set out to bring as much attention as possible to Laquan’s story,
because his name is not just a hashtag and this is not the final chapter.
We support all forms of nonviolent civil disobedience. John Lewis and
other civil rights leaders who came before us encouraged us to participate
in good trouble, in necessary trouble. And I’m proud to say that is
exactly what we did last night.

Our fight will continue until there’s accountability in this case AND
serious changes to the justice system and police impunity in America.

And as leaders in Chicago continue to fail Black communities, it’s time
for leaders on the federal level to step up. It’s time for Congress to
address police brutality and ensure we have systems of accountability to
prevent this from ever happening again. This is one of the reasons I’m
running.

It’s time to end qualified immunity and stop investing federal funds in
discriminatory police departments. It’s time to pass the George Floyd
Justice in Policing Act, the Breathe Act, the Ending Qualified Immunity
Act, and the Mental Health Justice Act. It’s long past time for real
leadership and real federal action.

John, getting
arrested will not deter me from our fights for accountability and justice.
We need to ensure our voices are heard in Chicago, Washington D.C. and all
across the country.



[ [link removed] ]Can you help amplify my calls for justice and help me take our fight
to Congress? Split a contribution to my campaign and Justice Democrats
today so we can demand and get police accountability in this case and end
impunity for police officers in America.

[ [link removed] ]Contribute



In solidarity,

Kina Collins
Candidate for Illinois' 7th Congressional District

Do not worry if you cannot afford to make a contribution — we understand that
this is a difficult time. If you’re struggling, you can find a food bank
[ [link removed] ]here. We appreciate everything you do to keep our movement strong.

Please stay informed and follow the most up-to-date recommendations from the
[ [link removed] ]Centers for Disease Control and your state public health department.


 




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