“We also face another kind of virus that is equally cruel, and it in turn forces us to an account as a state and a nation – one that is built on ‘equality for all.’ I’m talking about cases of racism – sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle – that have led to inequality and exclusion, which have plagued our country throughout our history. “
It’s the Republican Gow of Indiana’s Eric Holcomb.
“We are now at a tipping point, and we have the opportunity to recognize those wrongs from the past, to learn from our history and to admit where we have fallen short of our ideals.
“And yet it’s just a fact, the concept [that all men were created equal] was not put into practice even before the ink was dry. On the contrary. Laws were enacted that classified African Americans as ‘property’ and prevented women from voting. There is nothing like it. “
In May, one person died and two were injured in Indianapolis after a ceasefire broke out amid unrest during one of the demonstrations.
Holcomb continues: “The coronavirus underscores idiosyncratic racial differences that still exist among us, driven by decades of unequal opportunity and structural barriers such as job discrimination and access to good education and health care.
“And it is in this environment that we have seen a number of unarmed Black men and women murdered, culminating in an officer kneeling on Mr George Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds until his last breath was out.
“I admit, I can not put myself in the shoes of a Black person, can not fully appreciate the daily injustices and slights that our friends and colleagues have had, let alone the fear of some things I never have to think about. “
The point: The Governor of Indiana made a public speech this week on racism and the Black American experience. It’s worth your time.
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