Response letter from US Senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin:

     Thank you for contacting me about the death of George Floyd and subsequent protests.  I appreciate hearing from you, and I share your concerns. 

     On May 24, 2020, while arresting Mr. Floyd, a Minneapolis Police Department officer placed his knee on Mr. Floyd's neck, pinning him to the ground for almost nine minutes, during which Mr. Floyd repeatedly indicated that he could not breathe.  Shortly thereafter, Mr. Floyd was pronounced dead upon his arrival at Hennepin County Medical Center. 

     Time and time again, we have seen Black men, women, and even children killed by police officers, including Laquan McDonald, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Walter Scott, Michael Brown, Philando Castile, Atatiana Jefferson, Tamir Rice, and many, many more.

     In the weeks before George Floyd's murder, we learned of the heinous, unprovoked attack on Ahmaud Arbery as he went for a jog in Georgia.  The men charged with his murder were not arrested for seventy-four days, despite video footage clearly showing their role in his death.

     And we learned of the death of Breonna Taylor, an EMT who was killed when police officers in Louisville, Kentucky, executed a "no-knock warrant" on the wrong house. 

     This needs to end. 

     How many more names of Black men, women, and children will be cried out in protest before America finally responds to the systemic racism plaguing our nation?  We cannot call ourselves a land of justice until we address those fundamental issues of racial injustice.  

     In the days after George Floyd's death, we saw millions of Americans march in cities across our country in protest of police brutality and pervasive, systemic discrimination.  The vast majority of these protests were peaceful. 

     Unfortunately, the response to protests raised questions about the militarization of our police.  In this period of civil unrest, peaceful protesters far outnumbered the few destructive demonstrators as thousands of citizens of every race protested this injustice.  Despite that fact, officers clad in military-grade riot gear used wholly unnecessary force against journalists and peaceful protesters alike.

     We saw the arrest of a CNN correspondent in Minneapolis, a local news reporter in Kentucky shot with pepper balls, and international correspondents being targeted by police in both Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., all while publicly identifying themselves as journalists.

     We saw images in our nation's capital of peaceful protesters being tear-gassed, journalists being attacked by police on live television, and military helicopters flying overhead in a show of force meant to intimidate American citizens exercising their First Amendment rights.

     And on June 1, 2020, reportedly at the personal request of Attorney General William Barr, we saw federal law enforcement use brutal force against peaceful protesters across the street from the White House, so the President could stage a photo op.  

     The actions of President Trump and his administration violated the sanctity of our First Amendment freedoms, and they represent an abuse of his authority as Commander-in-Chief.  On June 2, 2020, I joined my Democratic colleagues in introducing a resolution to condemn these actions, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell objected to its passage. 

     The events of recent weeks have made it clear that it is time for long-overdue change.  We need to have an honest, candid conversation with law enforcement officers about training, inherent bias, use of force, and the consequences for wrongdoing.  We need to prohibit police misconduct that is discriminatory and deadly.  We must recruit and train the next generation of law enforcement to protect and serve everyone in America.  And we need to invest in social services, instead of expecting law enforcement to intervene in crisis situations that they’re not equipped to deal with. 

     Change will also require prosecutors and courts to commit to pursuing true accountability when injustice occurs.  And it will require legislators, like myself and those in the House and state legislatures around this country, to continue to undo the damage of a criminal justice system fraught with racial disparities.  Most importantly, it will require those of us with privilege and power to step back and amplify the voices of Black Americans seeking justice and equality.

     We took a first step in Congress on June 8, 2020, when I joined Senator Booker and Senator Harris to introduce the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 (S. 3912).  This bill represents a bold, comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities.  I have called on Leader McConnell to bring this bill to the Senate Floor as soon as possible. 

     It is time for our generation to say “enough” and address the pervasive, systemic racism in our nation.  We owe it to George Floyd, to Breonna Taylor, to Ahmaud Arbery, and all of the Black and Brown lives we that we’ve lost in these brutal acts of racial injustice.

     Thank you again for contacting me.  Please feel free to keep in touch.