Our hearts go out to friends and family who grieve for the loss of George Floyd. We grieve with you. His tragic death is a visceral, wrenching reminder to many of us that implicit bias is real, that racism is real and that violence toward people of color is real.
We stand with those who peacefully demonstrate against injustice. We stand with you through your pain and outrage – just as you have so often stood by us through ours.
The looting and property damage we have seen across the nation is perpetrated by those who are not about finding solutions. We must not, however, let it take away from the powerful truths spoken at peaceful demonstrations. Violence will not solve this issue. Peaceful dialogue between communities and law enforcement will.
In this state we have made strides toward productive dialogue, such as the “De-Escalate Washington” I-940 success – an example of people from all communities coming together for a common cause. We still have a long way to go. We have to harness our anger, frustration and sadness and channel it into finding solutions. We have to solve these issues together.
We want a community that is safe for all. We urge all to support one another through this time. Be kind. Be helpful. Be sharing.