Dear MoveOn member,

It's Ben and Jerry, the ice cream guys. Yes, you read that right. But
right now, ice cream is the furthest thing from our minds. We want to talk
to you about an issue that's important to us, and impacts the lives of
many Americans across the country: immunity from accountability for police
officers.

The legal doctrine is called “qualified immunity.” It’s a rule that
protects government officials—including police officers—from facing the
consequences when they violate our constitutional rights.^1

In most cases—regardless of how vicious the attack was and even if there
was well-documented evidence that misconduct occurred—qualified immunity
kicks in, and the abusive police officer gets off scot free. That sends a
message to other officers.

Earlier this year, you might have seen the news about police officers who
brutally killed Tyre Nichols.^2 While those officers were dismissed from
their jobs, that won't bring Tyre back to his family. And a single action
against this group of officers won’t prevent police brutality from
happening to people in Black and brown communities. [ [link removed] ]One way of taking
away their unchecked power is ending qualified immunity.

In any other job, individuals who cause harm are held accountable for
their actions. Police cannot continue to be an exception, especially at
the expense of Black lives. [ [link removed] ]Will you sign our petition to end qualified
immunity for good?

We need to end qualified immunity. It's time we hold police officers
accountable, just like anyone in any other profession. 

[3]Sign our petition!

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor herself said qualified immunity
"tells officers that they can shoot first and think later."^3 This
doctrine prevents victims of police brutality from seeking their day in
court. Police officers remain unchecked and will continue to wield their
power against other people as long as they’re seen as above the law. Those
who claim to "enforce" the law should never be immune to it.

[ [link removed] ]Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to
your friends.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield

Sources:

1. "Qualified Immunity," Equal Justice Initiative, accessed February 22,
2023
[link removed]

2. "What we know about the criminal, administrative cases surrounding Tyre
Nichols' death," Memphis Commercial Appeal, February 21, 2023
[link removed]

3. "Supreme Court Rules for Police Officer in Excessive Force Case," The
New York Times, April 2, 2018
[link removed]

You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you.
It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online
petitions. You can [ [link removed] ]start your own petition here.

Want to support MoveOn's work? Together, we must work to end the
filibuster, codify abortion rights into law, and defend our freedoms, our
families, and our futures. We can accomplish all this and more, but only
if we work together.

Will you start a monthly donation right now to power our critical work?



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