On the recordDecember 2, 2014
In the wake of Trayvon Martin's tragic death, the Nation waits. Young people wait. I could give a long litany. But certainly Michael Brown has galvanized us from north to south, from east to west. I stand with the young men, among many others, of the St. Louis Rams and the young people that I have seen taking to the streets nonviolently, peacefully. Today I rise to thank them and to applaud them as Americans deserving of honor and respect. But they wait. So I believe that it is important that we work with those who are assigned and in uniform to protect and serve. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I have stood alongside law enforcement, but now it is important that we realize that the system is not cracked but broken. There must be a complete overhaul of the training of local police in the nooks and crannies of America. There must be a reform of the system which provides the funding to local jurisdictions simply by traffic stops and foot citations. That is what geared Officer Wilson in the wrong direction. And finally, Mr. Speaker, there must be training to protect officers but to know when to use deadly force. Deadly force was not warranted; it was not required in the life and the loss of Michael Brown. There must be solutions, Mr. Speaker, for those young people that are out in the streets protesting. We cannot have a lopsided justice system. ____________________
