Amid a day in which several NFL teams stopped practicing and started talking about social justice, racial inequality and the task of bringing about reform, passionate words were spoken all over the football world, a full statement was delivered by the franchise on Thursday of Baltimore Ravens. evening.
The statement specifically called for the prosecution of those responsible for the death of Breonna Taylor and the shooting of Jacob Blake and required Senator Mitch McConnell to bring the George Floyd Justice 2020 Policy Act to the Senate floor for a vote. It also offered numerous other precise ways to take action to bring about change and ended up with a commitment to use the team platform to do everything possible to reshape the future.
“It is time to accept responsibility and recognize the ramifications of slavery and racial injustice,” the Ravens said.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Ravens players and coaches met for about four hours Thursday to discuss how to react during Blake’s shooting.
The Baltimore Ravens statement in full:
“With yet another example of racial discrimination with the shooting of Jacob Blake, and the illegal abuse of peaceful Protestants, we MUST unite as a society. It is imperative that all people – regardless of race, religion, creed or religion – come together to say, ‘Enough is enough!’
“This is bigger than sport. Racism is embedded in the fabric of the founding of our nation and is a blemish in the history of our country. If we want to change course and make our world a better place, we must do this. tackle problem head-on and act now to bring about positive change.
“It is time to accept responsibility and recognize the ramifications of slavery and racial injustice.
“While we cannot correct all the ills of our country’s history, we can:
- Arrest and charge the police officers responsible for the murder of Breonna Taylor and the shooting of Jacob Blake.
- Demand that Senator Mitch McConnell bring the George Floyd Justice a 2020 Policing Act to the Senate floor for voting.
- End of qualified immunity; require cameras for body; prohibited smoldering and no-knock warrants; the police accountable to the court; establish a framework to prohibit racial profiling at the federal, state and local levels
- Support CALEA accreditation of state and federal mandate and national standards of care by police.
- Encourage everyone to participate in the political process by registering to vote at both local and national level. (www.risetovote.turbovote.org.)
- Ask for reform of prison sentences that is honest and fair.
- Encourage every citizen to act with respect and compliance when dealing with the police. If you feel that there is an abuse of power, we advise you to contact your police internal affairs unit. (For Baltimore City, call 410-396-2300.)
“We will use our platform to encourage change now – not just for our generation, but for the generations to come, for our sons and daughters and for their children.”
A number of Ravens players praised the team’s statement on social media.
