STOP SENSELESS KILLINGS OF BLACK CITIZENS AT HANDS OF POLICE
Jump to today’s actions:
Background
On Sunday, Kenosha police shot Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man, at close range in the back, outside his vehicle in which 3 of his children were passengers. Blake is the most recent known victim of police systematic racism—where rate of police shootings of blacks are more than twice as high as whites.
Protests must continue, per Matt Kemp, Colorado Rockies outfielder: ““In a world where we are the ones who need to remain calm while a trained professional points a gun in our face; a world where the people in uniforms who took an oath to protect us are the same ones killing us; a world where we become hashtags before we even reach our potential; we must stand together, speak out, protest, and be the change we demand, require, and need so bad.”
While the Biden/Harris campaign reached out to Blake’s family and called for systematic racism’s dismantling and officer accountability, GOP Convention stoked the fears of its dwindling white base.
In 66 days, your vote determines which vision of America prevails. But dismantling systematic racism cannot wait. To prevent more killings, Congress must act now.
1. Call the Senate.
Script for Sen. Merkley
Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
How many more people of color have to die for any real change to happen? We cannot allow white racist police brutality to claim more victims. Congress must act immediately, starting with swift passage of the House version of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act which outlaws chokeholds and eliminates qualified immunity. Congress must also hold hearings to examine the infiltration of white nationalists into local police forces and the impact of open carry laws on the ability of the police to protect their communities. Please do everything in your power to move the Senate to act. Black citizens cannot wait until the next administration.
Script for Sen. Wyden
Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
How many more people of color have to die for any real change to happen? We cannot allow white racist police brutality to claim more victims. Congress must act immediately, starting with swift passage of the House version of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act which outlaws chokeholds and eliminates qualified immunity. Congress must also hold hearings to examine the infiltration of white nationalists into local police forces and the impact of open carry laws on the ability of the police to protect their communities. Please do everything in your power to move the Senate to act. Black citizens cannot wait until the next administration.
2. Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
How many more people of color have to die for any real change to happen? We cannot allow white racist police brutality to claim more victims, with devastating effects on their families and community members. Thank you for taking the initial steps to begin to dismantle systematic racism with passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. But much more needs to be done, as the events in Kenosha demonstrate. House committees must immediately schedule hearings to examine the infiltration of white nationalists into local police forces and the impact of open carry laws on the ability of the police to p**rotect their communities. Black citizens cannot wait until the next administration.
Script for Greg Walden (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Republicans should be ashamed of standing by after Jacob Blake was shot in Kenosha and then a white racist shot protestors. Stop standing up for racists. The Party should be ashamed of the Southern strategy that has eaten a cavernous hole in America's soul. But redemption is always possible, starting now. Stand up for an end to police brutality, especially against Black people.
Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
How many more people of color have to die for any real change to happen? We cannot allow white racist police brutality to claim more victims, with devastating effects on their families and community members. Thank you for taking the initial steps to begin to dismantle systematic racism with passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. But much more needs to be done, as the events in Kenosha demonstrate. House committees must immediately schedule hearings to examine the infiltration of white nationalists into local police forces and the impact of open carry laws on the ability of the police to protect their communities. Black citizens cannot wait until the next administration.
Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
How many more people of color have to die for any real change to happen? We cannot allow white racist police brutality to claim more victims, with devastating effects on their families and community members. Thank you for taking the initial steps to begin to dismantle systematic racism with passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. But much more needs to be done, as the events in Kenosha demonstrate. House committees must immediately schedule hearings to examine the infiltration of white nationalists into local police forces and the impact of open carry laws on the ability of the police to protect their communities. Black citizens cannot wait until the next administration.
Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
How many more people of color have to die for any real change to happen? We cannot allow white racist police brutality to claim more victims, with devastating effects on their families and community members. Thank you for taking the initial steps to begin to dismantle systematic racism with passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. But much more needs to be done, as the events in Kenosha demonstrate. House committees must immediately schedule hearings to examine the infiltration of white nationalists into local police forces and the impact of open carry laws on the ability of the police to protect their communities. Black citizens cannot wait until the next administration.
3. Get 2020 Ready.
Oregonians are joining with activists across the country to power a LANDSLIDE democratic victory in November 2020, from the White House to the Senate to the State Houses. Here’s how you can get involved:
Elections Power Hour weekly strategy call. Mondays at 5pm
Call Arizona voters. Thursdays, training at 5pm, calling begins at 5:30
Write letters to voters with Swing Left and Vote Forward. Saturdays 12-2pm
Write postcards to Voters of Color with Reclaim Our Vote. Sundays 3-5pm
Sources
As Nation Reckons With Race, Poll Finds White Americans Least Engaged
An inescapable echo between Trump’s campaign rhetoric and the deaths of protesters in Kenosha
3 MLB games postponed in wake of Kenosha shooting
Milwaukee’s Police Chief on Open-Carry Gun Laws
Few of the deaths linked to recent protests are known to have been caused be demonstrators
