By Ben Jealous,
President, People For the
American Way
a
Washington, D.C. – Following
reports that President Biden
will sign an Executive Order
on police use of force
tomorrow, on the anniversary
of George Floyd’s death,
People For the American
Way President Ben Jealous
released the following
statement:
“We encourage the
administration and Congress
to continue exploring
solutions to the tragedy of
police violence and systemic
racism. Unfortunately, this
Executive Order as reported
reflects an approach that is far
too timid. It appears that the
administration is bowing to
the wishes of an entrenched
police union establishment
that is change-averse and
politically powerful. Instead, it
should listen to the voices of
communities, especially Black
and brown communities,
for whom the status quo is
deadly.
“The EO as described would
not only minimize limits on
use of force, it would sidestep
addressing systemic racism
and fail to invest in new
models of public safety, like
unarmed responders and
violence interrupters.
“We need to demilitarize
and fundamentally transform
public safety, and as
the federal government
continues to do too little, local
communities must step up.
“Meanwhile we call on the
president and congressional
leaders to take the kind of
bolder action we elected
them to take.”
About People For the
American Way
People For the American
Way is a progressive advocacy
organization founded to
fight right-wing extremism
and build a democratic
society that implements
the ideals of freedom,
equality, opportunity and
justice for all. We encourage
civic participation, defend
fundamental rights, and fight
to dismantle systemic barriers
to equitable opportunity.
Learn more: http://www.pfaw.
org