I Didn't Say It ... The Chauvin Verdict

President Joe Biden:

“Today, a jury in Minnesota found former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd last May. It was a murder in the full light of day, and it ripped the blinders off for the whole world to see the systemic racism … that is a stain our nation’s soul; the knee on the neck of justice for Black Americans; the profound fear and trauma, the pain, the exhaustion that Black and brown Americans experience every single day. The murder of George Floyd launched a summer of protest we hadn’t seen since the Civil Rights era in the ‘60s — protests that unified people of every race and generation in peace and with purpose to say, ‘Enough.  Enough.  Enough of the senseless killings.’ Today’s verdict is a step forward [but] let’s also be clear that such a verdict is also much too rare.  … But it is not enough.  We can’t stop here. In order to deliver real change and reform, we can, and we must do more to reduce the likelihood that tragedies like this will ever happen and occur again; to ensure that Black and brown people or anyone—so they don’t fear the interactions with law enforcement, that they don’t have to wake up knowing that they can lose their very life in the course of just living their life.  They don’t have to worry about whether their sons or daughters will come home after a grocery store run or just walking down the street or driving their car or playing in the park or just sleeping at home.  … The guilty verdict does not bring back George.  But through the family’s pain, they are finding purpose so George’s legacy will not be just about his death, but about what we must do in his memory. … This is the time for this country to come together, to unite as Americans.  There can never be any safe harbor for hate in America. … [We] can’t leave this moment or look away, thinking our work is done.  We have to look at it … as we did for those 9 minutes and 29 seconds.  We have to listen.  ‘I can’t breathe.  I can’t breathe.’  Those were George Floyd’s last words.  We can’t let those words die with him.  We have to keep hearing those words. We must not turn away.  We can’t turn away.  We have a chance to begin to change the trajectory in this country.  It’s my hope and prayer that we live up to the legacy. May God bless you.  And may God bless the — George Floyd and his family.”

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Raphael Warnock, Georgia’s Democrat Senator:

"The reason why we've all been waiting with bated breath for this verdict is we've seen the opposite outcome so many times, and we have yet to put forward the kind of legislation that will create a different outcome, so we must do our job in this chamber."

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Chuck Schumer, New York’s Democrat senator and Senate Majority Leader:

"This guilty verdict serves as an official proclamation of what so many of us have known for nearly a year: George Floyd was murdered by an officer who was sworn to protect and serve."

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York’s Democrat Representative:

"This isn't justice. I … don't want this to be framed as the system working. Because it's not working. And that's what creates a lot of complexity in this moment. It's really important that this verdict is not used as a replacement for policy change."

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Nancy Pelosi, California’s Democrat Representative and House Speaker:

"We all saw it on TV. We saw it happen. And thank God the jury validated what we saw. So again, thank you George Floyd for sacrificing your life for justice. Your name will always be synonymous with justice, and now we have to make sure justice prevails in the sentencing."

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Bernie Sanders, Vermont’s Independent Senator:

"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."

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Van Jones, CNN commentator:

"More cops can speak up. More police chiefs can speak up. And more people can do the right thing in these situations. In January and February of 2020 if you had asked the average white person, is police brutality a big deal, is anti-racism a big deal, some would have said yes, some would have said no [but] because of that young woman [Darnella Frazier] and because of the video, 20 million white Americans marched … millions. There were Black Lives Matter marches in Idaho, where there’s no Black people. That gives you a sense of how humanity’s heart was touched. That shouldn’t just happen in the streets when we’re marching. There’s so many opportunities for us to do better. Listen, the empathy gap that we’re seeing throughout our politics can start to close a little bit. It's important to understand … the police chief fired the guy and testified against him. There were people throughout the profession of law enforcement who came forward and did the right thing for once, and they all still have their jobs. More cops can speak up. More police chiefs can speak up. And more people can do the right thing in these situations."

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Kamala Harris, Vice President:

“This verdict is but a piece of it. And it will not heal the pain that existed for generations, that has existed for generations among people who have experienced and first-hand witnessed what now a broader public is seeing because of smartphones and the ubiquity of our ability to videotape in real time what is happening in front of our faces. And that is the reality of it. That’s why Congress needs to act. And that’s why they should pass the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act.”

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Maxine Waters, California’s Democrat Representative:

"You know, someone said it better than me: I'm not celebrating, I'm relieved." 

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