Senator Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., And Senator Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., Leave the Senate Chamber in the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Thursday, February 4, 2021. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)
AUGUSTA, GA (WJBF) – Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock responded to the guilty verdict after Derek Chauvin’s trial.
Senator Jon Ossoff said:
George Floyd’s killer has been convicted, but brutality and racial prejudice will persist in our judicial system until we adopt reforms. I urge my Senate colleagues to adopt criminal justice reform that will ensure public safety, restore trust between communities and law enforcement agencies, and ensure equal justice for all.
Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock said:
First and foremost, I think of George Floyd’s children and family, and I am grateful that they received something that approaches justice today after the trauma they endured – one that we have seen among blacks and color communities over and over and it never gets less painful.
Today’s verdict, confirming Derek Chauvin’s responsibility for the murder of George Floyd, is the correct outcome of the trial, but it is not for George Floyd, who should still be here with us, nor for his family and community that have suffered an immeasurable loss, righteously.
We know that without justice there can be no cure, and likewise we still have a lot to do in the Senate to not only create real justice that prevents the more senseless killings of blacks, but also to bring our system closer to our ideals of equal protection the law. This is why federal policing reform is so important, and Congress needs to pass laws like the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act that will help end this cycle of violence and bring the moral arc of the universe closer to justice.
As the voice of Georgians in the Senate and as a Black, I hope that today’s ruling marks the beginning of a turning point in our country where people who have seen this trauma over and over again know that it is possible to be under the same protection Law. In the meantime, I will do everything I can to ensure that our federal government respects the humanity of the people and recognizes their citizenship – be it in the elections or during their interactions with the police. ”
