Photos: YouTube
Washington, DC — In response to Donald Trump’s speech Tuesday on “law and order” and public safety, People For the American Way President Ben Jealous released the following statement:
“Trump’s speech today on public safety was appalling. There are few words to express the profound horror of watching an American politician and former president call openly for the kind of brutality America has historically condemned in authoritarian countries in other parts of the world.
“Today we heard Trump call for sham trials and summary executions for people who sell drugs. We heard him call for mass internment camps to be set up on the outskirts of cities for homeless people. We heard him call for the federal government to override state and local officials and send in troops to control cities whenever it sees fit, and for a return to the ‘stop and frisk’ policies courts have declared unconstitutional. Let’s remember that on Trump’s watch, our nation experienced some of the worst racial unrest in its history, brought on by an epidemic of police misconduct and violence and by bigoted and racist rhetoric spewed from the White House itself.
“This is a deeply dangerous and disturbing attempt to take advantage of people’s legitimate desire for public safety. But what America needs is a proven blueprint that will work to transform public safety in all communities and transform the U.S. policing system.
“There are public safety policy solutions every community in the country can adopt that treat all people with dignity while ensuring their protection from harm. This nation must never turn to the kind of cruelty endorsed by Donald Trump, whose speech today shows us once again that his vision for our country puts all of our lives at risk.”
People For the American Way, last month, released a U.S. Policing Report called, “All Safe: Transforming Public Safety.” View the All Safe campaign page here. Read the June press release here.
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: http://www.pfaw.org
