The Murfreesboro Holler asked Rutherford County candidates to comment on the injustice of Breonna Taylor’s case. Here is what they said:
Mariah Phillips:
“Justice is not done here in this case. I pray for the family and friends of Ms. Taylor. I pray for the people of Kentucky to come together, and I pray for our entire community and the country who find too many instances where wrongful death occurs and justice is not served. If that situation was handled differently, it would have been safer for the police involved, and Breonna Taylor, who was innocent, would still have her life today. We are in dire need of criminal justice reform, and the best way to change laws is to change the lawmakers.”
Chase Clemons:
As we’ve seen far too many times, the officers involved with the murder of Breonna Taylor will not be held accountable. Justice demands that we do more. That starts with electing leaders that will do away with no-knock warrants, ban chokeholds, and work towards true reform of our justice system. When you go to vote, say their names – Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Mike Brown – and elect representatives that will deliver the change we desperately need.
Brandon Thomas:
“I know so many of the people who live in District 49, Black Tennesseans and the people who love them, are feeling this pain. They felt it when Breonna Taylor was killed, and they felt it again last night when no officers were charged for her death. I cannot say this enough – we need people in office who know what this pain feels like. We need people who have felt this pain to be at the table when decisions are being made. We need more Black voices in these legislative discussions so that we can begin to create change, by doing things like ending no-knock raids and qualified immunity. Together as a community we have to fight for an equitable justice system”
Matt Ferry:
In 1963, Reverend Martin Luther King wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Nearly 60 years later, that statement stings when we realize just how much work we still have to do when it comes to racial injustice. The inaction on the part of the judicial system we witnessed on Wednesday is an absolute miscarriage of justice and a stain on the fabric of our nation.
The sooner we come to terms with the fact that the letter of the law reads differently for many folks based on lines of race and socioeconomic status, the sooner we can address the problems plaguing the United States criminal justice system.
My heart and thoughts are with the family of Breonna Taylor as well as with those who continue to fight for justice and equality in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
