Sen. Bernie Sanders said the Derek Chauvin verdict was "accountability," but not justice.
"We must boldly root out the cancer of systemic racism and police violence against people of color," Sanders said.
Chauvin was found guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said the verdict in the trial of fired Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin represented "accountability" but not justice.
"The jury's verdict delivers accountability for Derek Chauvin, but not justice for George Floyd. Real justice for him and too many others can only happen when we build a nation that fundamentally respects the human dignity of every person," Sanders said in a tweet.
"The trauma and tragedy of George Floyd's murder must never leave us. It was a manifestation of a system that callously devalues the lives of Black people," Sanders added. "Our struggle now is about justice—not justice on paper, but real justice in which all Americans live their lives free of oppression. We must boldly root out the cancer of systemic racism and police violence against people of color."
Chauvin on Tuesday was found guilty of second degree murder, third degree murder, and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. Floyd's death, which was caught on video, sparked worldwide protests against racism and police brutality. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes.
Sanders' response to Tuesday's verdict echoed messages from other lawmakers and political figures.
In a statement on the verdict, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said, "I would not call today's verdict justice, however—because justice implies restoration. But it is accountability, which is the first step towards justice."
"Our hope is that this verdict will be a small step towards accountability," Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri said in a tweet. "But that's just about accountability, not justice. For us, justice would be George Floyd alive today."
Former President Barack Obama in a statement said, "Today, a jury did the right thing. But true justice requires much more. Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied."
hahajizzjizz on April 21st, 2021 at 03:03 UTC »
One way is to shift the burden of paying for police misconduct away from tax payers and require the individual officers and their union to foot the increased premiums. Tax payers would only pay for the basic police liability insurance and any increase will be paid by the officer or the union. This will force unions to self regulate their members and perhaps sign off on termination of certain officers whose conduct is not financially viable. Also, police officers charged with misconduct who resign in the middle of an investigation should immediately lose any benefits and all portion of their pension paid by the employer.
gdshaffe on April 20th, 2021 at 22:49 UTC »
Sending one murderer cop to jail does not mean the system is reformed. It is a step in the right direction, but the systemic inequality baked into the system will take generations of work to undo.
Twoweekswithpay on April 20th, 2021 at 22:43 UTC »
Amen. 😤