None of this is new. From before the founding of this country there is a through line of violence and oppression of Black lives; an ever perpetuating cycle of systemic racism. The most recent murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, the murder of Ahmaud Arbery by a former police offier in Georgia, the murder of Breonna Taylor by Louisville police, are the latest in a long line of violent police killings. Black people have an exponentially greater likelihood of being killed by the police than white people and this violence continues to go unchecked.
Our role as people of faith, and advocates is not just to mourn, although that is needed. We can pray and we can march. We can grieve and we can call on our elected officials to take action. There are specific and actionable steps that can be taken right now to disarm police, change their tactics, and hold those who violate the public trust accountable.
We are asking you to contact all your elected officials, not just Congress, but also your state and local leaders and urge them to enact the following policies:
Prohibit the use of no-knock warrants, especially for drug searches;
Prohibit police maneuvers that restrict the flow of blood or oxygen to the brain, and deem the use of excessive force a federal civil rights violation;
Eliminate federal programs that provide military equipment to law enforcement.
Divest from policing and instead make meaningful investments into health care, education and climate change solutions.
Hold police accountable for their actions by developing a national database of law enforcement to track misconduct and violence and end the qualified immunity doctrine that currently prevents law enforcement from being held accountable when they break the law.
In each of our communities, the elected officials making decisions about how law enforcement operates are mayors and sheriffs, local judges and district attorneys. These are elected offices in most states and it is critical that you vote for reform candidates and encourage others to do the same. The violence in our communities is not just perpetrated by the harmful actions of the federal government, but also that of local and state officials whose response to law enforcement brutality is to paper over and ignore the issue.
The hope of the Gospel hinges on the idea that we love one another above all else. Love God, love our neighbor. Our Black neighbor is gasping for breath. So please join with us in demanding change from elected officials and voting for leaders who value Black lives.