Delegate Elizabeth Guzman:
Unrest is the resort of the unheard
WOODBRIDGE, Va.
–
Delegate Elizabeth Guzman today issued the following statement. (She also wanted to be sure you saw
this statement HERE
from the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus).
Delegate Guzman said
:
“Unrest is the resort of the unheard. I hear you. I hear the grief and the pain of our brothers and sisters who have been hurting since they were brought to this country in chains. I will keep listening and acting and fighting for change.
“I want to thank the many law enforcement officers who are doing a good job. We saw police march together with the people in Norfolk and in New Jersey. But over the last two days, we saw some law enforcement officers across our country choose to escalate rather than de-escalate. What happens when the cameras aren’t on? We cannot write off a few bad apples when those bad apples have guns. Every profession has accountability, and it is not anti-law enforcement to ask for oversight. In every zip code in America, police have the power to take and ruin lives.
“Many people of color and I myself have been pulled over because police could not believe that someone who looked like us could live in the neighborhoods we do. Racial profiling is real, and we need both systemic and specific change. I am still working to
pass my bill
that would require police to report racial data on any use of force or discharge of a weapon. We can’t measure what is truly going on without facts, and we cannot have trust without transparency. But this is only one reform, and I promise to keep working with people of color and with law enforcement officials to enact more. We need the input of the organizers and pastors and others who have been working in these spaces. We need to value the voices of the families who have been hurt. We need equitable access to education and health care and employment and housing. It will take a statewide village to undo centuries of discrimination and hate.
“Please stay safe and take care of each other, our businesses and our communities. And for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, I will keep saying your names.”
###
Delegate Elizabeth Guzman represents the 31st District of the Virginia House of Delegates, covering Southern Prince William County and Eastern Fauquier County. Guzman was the first Hispanic female immigrant to be elected in the Virginia Assembly, and the first member of AFSCME elected to the chamber. Guzman was elected on a promise to expand Medicaid for Virginians, which was accomplished in 2018. She has also worked to improve our public schools and road conditions. She will continue to work for improved social services and mental health access.
