Detroit — “Regardless of today’s outcome, George Floyd was a man, a citizen, a fellow American and did not deserve to die on that fateful day in Minnesota. While the jury has issued a just verdict in Officer Derek Chauvin’s case, the deep divide in our nation over race was also on trial and does not end today.
We have come a long way in this nation, but clearly given recent events, not far enough. As a father and grandfather, I live every day with the idea that my family could be treated unjustly because of the color of their skin — regardless of the content of their character. Sadly, it is our reality, the reality of all families of color in America. We must as a nation heal and grow from today’s outcome. We must focus on what unites us, not what divides us. We must strive to broaden our view. To see the world not just through our own eyes, but through the lenses of our brothers and sisters.
No court verdict, regardless of how you feel about it, brings true justice to families who have lost loved ones. Nor can it clear the conscience of our nation. It is up to all of us to do that. Will we move forward, once and for all in this greatest of all democracies, to see each other as brothers and sisters, fellow citizens and fellow Americans? Will we rise above the pain of this moment to create a better tomorrow? That verdict ultimately lies in no courtroom outcome, but within all of us. And the true test begins by how we choose to move forward from today’s events.”
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