Statement from President Pro Tem Elizabeth Brown on Columbus Protests
[COLUMBUS, OH] The following statement can be attributed in
full, or in part, to President Pro Tem Elizabeth Brown:
"Columbus is a city in pain, joining a nation in suffering.
I love our city and hate seeing it beset by violence – yet my pain is nothing
compared to the anguish of women and men everywhere raising Black sons and
daughters in America. Our nation has not risen to address the urgent problem of
unequal policing in America. Black families have been waiting too long; they
cannot afford further patience.
“The last few days, people of all races have taken to the
streets to peacefully protest inequality and injustice and were often met with
heavy-handed aggression by police. This is not how we reach peace. We deliver
peace by working for justice. Specifically, and with urgency, we must form a
Civilian Review Commission, greatly expand deescalation training including the
use of non-aggressive tactics during nonviolent protest, adopt tighter
restrictions on officer use of force, and implement the recommendations of the
members of the Community Safety Advisory Commission.
"Like millions of Americans, I too am praying for peace,
and I know that we all have a part to play in that."
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