Andre Carson: “I have to acknowledge my colleague, my friend, my brother, and leader, not only nationwide but internationally, but…”

“I have to acknowledge my colleague, my friend, my brother, and leader, not only nationwide but internationally, but especially in Brooklyn, for his boldness, his tenacity, Mr. Speaker, his intestinal fortitude, and his ability as a sitting Member of Congress to still speak truth to power, Congressman Jeffries. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to express my deepest condolences to the Brown family, who lost their son far too soon. As a parent, I can only imagine their pain and grief, Mr. Speaker. No parent should have to go through such an ordeal. As a young African American man, I can relate to the frustration being felt on the streets of Ferguson and streets across our country. The history of this great Nation, Mr. Speaker, past and present, is plagued with incidents of bigotry and discrimination in our justice system. Racial injustice continues to afflict our communities, and with each incident like this one, old wounds are reopened. The feelings felt in Ferguson are real and cannot and should not be discounted. Mr. Speaker, many right now feel abandoned by our justice system or unfairly singled out for suspicion. These are very legitimate concerns that cannot be ignored or overshadowed by those who have turned to violence. Now, as a former police officer, Mr. Speaker, I want to say I do respect our system of justice, but I also recognize the shortcomings.…”