You are also culpable for repetitive injustice and inequality.
While the list of reason is lengthy, let’s just stick to the current chain of events. Aside from this statement Abbott put out yesterday, he has said nothing else about George Floyd, racial injustice, and the inequality that plagues every corner of every state in this nation.
However, Governor Greg Abbott has a long history of supporting racial injustice, of helping police militarization, and failing to protect both the constitutional and civil rights of American citizens.
Abbott’s #BackTheBlue position
Dallas’ 2016 attack and killing on police officers was awful. No one thought what happened was OK. Everyone, including Black Lives Matter condemned the senseless murders.
That being said, Abbott and many other Texas Republicans took a hard right turn in police militarization and continue to look the other way when it came to police brutality.
For example, Abbott proposed a law to limit bail for for “criminals who repeatedly assault law enforcement officers.”
Abbott has never proposed a bill that would jail police officers if they used their badge to murder someone.
In fact, the opposite.
When Abbott signed the Sandra Bland Act. It was weakened and stripped of much of the language that addressed police brutality and racial profiling.
Sandra Bland was the only incident he ever spoke up about.
Greg Abbott has never condemned or even addressed the murders Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Michael Brown, or any other murder of a black man, woman, teenager, or child at the hands of police officers.
On Greg Abbott’s twitter account, you can find dozens of tweets, aside from the 2016 attack, morning and praying for the loss or attack on an officer. Yet, you won’t find on twitter or else where a time where Abbott every called for an investigation, gave condolences, or condemned murders of unarmed black and brown people by the hands of law enforcement.
And that silence is deafening.
Abbott’s Hand in Police Militarization.
In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991, Congress authorized the transfer of excess Department of Defense personal property to federal and state agencies for use in counter-drug activities.
Department of Defense property includes military grade weapons, tanks, Kevlar body armor, and helicopters.
This act was put in place initially by Republican, George H.W. Bush.
When his son, Republican, George W. Bush started the War on Terror in 2001, the Department of Defense really amped up the production of the type of property the military needs for a war. Which was done through private contractors, which led to the increase of the national debt under Dubya, but that’s a story for another day.
The increase of production of military gear during the War on Terror led to a surplus, which flooded police stations with military-grade weapons, armor, and vehicles.
In Texas, Abbott accelerated militarization further.
From sending them money for more heavy equipment to actually sending them equipment, Greg Abbott has done a lot to assist in to turning our peace officers into soldiers.
All across Texas, heavily armed SWAT teams are raiding people’s homes in the middle of the night, often just to search for marijuana. Continuously, people are shot and killed. Texas police have been treating our communities like they’re war zones and the citizens of those communities as if they were enemies.
We don’t need Greg Abbott to come out and say he’s not a racist or that he views black people equally. His silence is loud enough.
The world is changing, the GOP is on their way out, and although Abbott still has another 2 years before he can get voted out of office; he still can use that time to make a positive change.
Call or Email Him
Greg Abbott needs to change his tone and his policies.
- He needs to propose a bill what will jail officers who partake in police brutality.
- He needs to stop funding and assisting with the militarization of police forces.
Greg Abbott needs to do something now.
Call him today. (512) 463-2000
Or email his office here.
Call your congressperson!
Tell them that you want a bill which punishes police officers who murder citizens while on duty. Tell them you want Austin to stop funding police militarization. Remember, they work for us.
To find out who your representatives are, go HERE!
Make sure you’re registered to vote!
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