On the recordJuly 22, 2013
I thank the distinguished gentlelady from Texas for her very thoughtful and eloquent remarks. We in the CBC simply want a justice system that is color blind. That should be our goal, our objective, our mission here in America. We can't have a set of laws unequally applied--over-enforced with one group that looks a certain way and under-enforced with another group that looks a different way. That's not the type of America we want. One of the reasons so many folks were troubled with the verdict down in Florida was that it appeared that the stand-your-ground defense seemed available for a self-appointed vigilante who shot down a 17- year-old in cold blood but, apparently, was not available for a battered woman who simply fired a warning shot against someone who had had a history of abusing her. We just want a set of laws equally applied to everybody. We are pleased that the distinguished gentlelady from New York--my neighbor back at home--who has been a fighter for justice here in the Congress over the last 6-plus years, has joined us. Let me now yield to Representative Yvette Clarke.
