John,
Last night was the State of the Union, when President Biden addressed the nation.
I was honored to be in attendance, and proud that Biden, for the first time, spoke about public safety from the perspective of victims of police violence — which was a powerful moment not just last night, but in American history.
In the presence of Tyre Nichols’ parents the President spoke about how Black families like mine have to have “the talk” in the way that white families like his do not, which is a sea change in rhetoric that could begin a wave of needed reform.
I’m hoping that consciousness is shifting in our favor. We can support law enforcement and also call for accountability. We can and must do more.
Congress needs to act, but we have yet to reintroduce the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act or any other police reform legislation.
That’s unacceptable. Not only must we enact change at the federal level, but states, counties, and cities can also do a lot more on this issue.
Overall, John, it’s clear Biden played the GOP last night — he made it clear that they don’t want the wealthy to pay their fair share, that they don't want large corporations to pay their fair share, and that they want to hold the debt ceiling hostage. Biden called their unpopular ideas about cutting Social Security and Medicare out to the whole world and they were embarrassed yesterday.
If this speech was the start of the next phase of Biden’s presidency, I would give it an A grade. There’s more to be done on immigration and a host of other huge issues, but I remain hopeful.
Peace and love,
Jamaal Bowman
