LETTERS

We must not surrender to violence

Posted

To the Editor:

This is a difficult moment and there are no easy answers to the wave of shootings we’ve seen this week in Baton Rouge, Minneapolis, and Dallas.

We still don’t have all the facts, but we know that Alton Sterling and Philando Castile did not deserve to die. And neither did the Dallas police officers who were shot in the line of duty, serving and protecting the public to their last breath.

Justice must be served in order to repair the damage and help our nation heal.

We can’t ignore the history of racial disparities and inequality that exist in this great nation. We also cannot dismiss how the dangers law enforcement officers face each and every day add to the complexity of their jobs.

Here in Rhode Island, we are grateful to our brave first responders and appreciate the many contributions and sacrifices they make. We must all work together to build safer communities through dialogue, mutual understanding, and respect. We also need to ensure that police officers are well-trained, wrongdoers are held accountable, and needed reforms are enacted.

We must confront intentional acts of racism, but also stand up to bigotry wherever it lurks. We cannot surrender to violence. Instead, we must work together to forge a better, more united, and just path forward.

Jack Reed

United States Senator

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