Dear John:
The shooting by police of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin was one tragedy too many. Now two protesters are dead and another wounded because of the supercharged atmosphere of violence created there by police and Donald Trump.
When protesters gathered to demand justice for Jacob, police responded with tear gas, incendiary bombs and pellets. Yet they allowed armed militia members to freely roam Kenosha’s streets.
Among them was 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, now charged with the shootings. After he shot one protester in the head, he called a friend to boast. Then he shot two more people. Police let Rittenhouse leave, even after he walked up with his AR-15 rifle and witnesses told them he had shot protesters.
Kyle Rittenhouse is not a lone wolf. He’s a former youth police cadet who loves guns and Donald Trump. He came to Kenosha as part of an armed militia. Sound familiar?
That is because there have been dozens of violent incidents like this since Donald Trump took office. Trump and the Republican party openly encourage confrontation, then condone violence. They are stoking this fire, and they want to watch our country burn. We will not let that happen.
On the opening night of their convention, Republicans celebrated the McCloskeys, a white St. Louis couple who threatened Black Lives Matter protesters with automatic weapons when they marched peacefully past their home. To Trump and Republicans, this threat of violence makes them heroes.
People’s Action believes Black Lives Matter. We believe in safety and peace for Black people, for all people. Our members are in this fight, and we stand alongside Black leaders to demand immediate police accountability and an end to the war against Black lives.
If we want a country with health, opportunities and safety for all, we need transformative change. That means solving systemic problems at their root and taking concrete steps to build equitable communities for everyone.
That’s why we join the Movement for Black Lives to demand immediate passage of the BREATHE Act. This landmark bill offers the detailed roadmap we need to redirect resources from militarized overpolicing and mass incarceration towards safe and sustainable communities.
We invite you to become a community co-sponsor of this landmark legislation.
In solidarity,
Bree Carlson
People’s Action
