Hank Johnson: “That thin blue line or that blue wall of silence is not a good thing for a democracy; it is not a good thing for…”

“That thin blue line or that blue wall of silence is not a good thing for a democracy; it is not a good thing for freedom. The truth is that, when one's freedom is taken away, it affects potentially all of us in having our freedoms taken away. The truth is that all Americans are at risk when bad actors in law enforcement are allowed to act badly and with impunity. All Americans are at risk. I know that, Congressman Jeffries, you represent New York, and I know that when the two officers lost their lives at the hand of a bad guy who ambushed and killed two innocent police officers in New York, thousands of police officers came to the funeral to see off their fallen brothers, as they should do. Many other Americans watched on TV. I was, quite frankly, greatly disturbed when the police officers-- some of the New York officers--turned their backs on the civilian head of the city of New York. They turned their backs to the mayor as he was speaking at the funeral, a sign of disrespect for civilian authority. That attitude contributes to the thinking of some law enforcement officers that it is okay and that whatever they do is acceptable. The police organizations must come to grips with the fact that they have a responsibility to do the right thing when one of their own does the wrong thing. They have a responsibility to do so. I know that many, many police departments don't pay their officers very well.…”