Democrat Calls For Dismantling ‘White Supremacist’ Law Enforcement System
The latest police-related death to gain national attention has once again led to widespread protests and calls for fundamental reform of the nation’s law enforcement system.
Although each of the five officers charged with brutally beating Black suspect Tyre Nichols during a traffic stop earlier this month are also Black, some pundits and politicians on the left are nevertheless citing White supremacy and racism as fundamental factors in the case.
For her part, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) released a statement outlining her take on the situation, asserting that the second-degree murder charges against all five officers is “not enough.”
Instead of simply holding the officers accountable for their actions, Bush believes that the “racist policing system rooted in enslavement” should be brought down.
“And let’s be clear: merely diversifying police forces will never address the violent, racist architecture that underpins our entire criminal legal system,” she wrote. “The mere presence of Black officers does not stop policing from being a tool of white supremacy.”
Echoing the calls of others who want to defund the police, the Missouri Democrat expressed a desire to see “unarmed emergency first responder agencies, 911 diversion programs, [and] civilian traffic enforcement” dispatched to what would otherwise be situations that warrant police intervention.
“It is abundantly clear that rogue, militarized policing has never and will never keep us safe,” Bush added. “Following a year of record-breaking police killings, prevention is the best path forward.”
After making another mention of White supremacy in response to a case that involves Black defendants and a Black victim, she reiterated her commitment to “keep pushing to not only end police brutality but dismantle the uniquely American racist and violent policing system.”
Following the release of police camera footage of the attack that sent Nichols to the hospital where he died days later, protests broke out in Memphis and other cities across the United States over the weekend.
The Memphis Police Association stayed out of the hot-button debate over the root causes of police violence, opting instead to express “faith in the criminal justice system” to “ensure the totality of circumstances is revealed,” adding: “We pray for justice, healing, and eventual closure for all involved.”
