Atlanta, Ga. — In this evening’s Atlanta Press Club/Georgia Public Broadcasting debate, investigative journalist and Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Jon Ossoff highlighted the urgent need to pass criminal justice reform, pledging to fight for a New Civil Rights Act to ensure equal justice under the law for every Georgian, regardless of race or class.
“Criminal justice reform is one of the urgent moral issues of our time,” Ossoff said. “Our Constitution already guarantees equal protection under the law. But when Ahmaud Arbery is shot to death in broad daylight, in the street, on camera, in Glenn County, Georgia, and because he is a young Black man, local authorities look the other way, that makes a mockery of equal protection under the law.”
“And let me just be really candid about this: Growing up as a white man in Georgia, I have never known what it means to fear I could lose my life, or face false accusation, or miscarriage of justice, just because of who I am. But I do know that that is a daily fear for Black people across this country. Congressman Lewis, when I worked for him, he taught me about the power of the people to fight for justice.”
“And now it’s time for all of us — We, the people — to fight for justice. We can pass a new Civil Rights Act to advance criminal justice reform. We can establish national standards for the use of force. We can ensure true accountability for police brutality and for racial profiling. We can make equal justice under the law a reality in America by passing a new Civil Rights Act, but only if we vote.”
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