After Police Killings, Tone-Deaf Pence Says ‘Set Aside’ Talk Of Racial Injustice

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Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:13 pm

As Americans again struggle to understand why two more African-American men were shot and killed by the police, Republican Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence has some advice: just stop talking about racial injustice.

“We ought to set aside this talk about institutional racism and institutional bias,” Pence said on Thursday during a town hall in Colorado. “When tragedies happen, we assure the public a thorough investigation and a transparent application of the law. But again, to move away from the rhetoric of division and embrace the rhetoric of unity, I think, is the order of the day.”

Pence’s comments are predictable given the tone of his and Donald Trump’s campaign, but they’re ludicrous. If we can’t talk about systemic racism in our criminal justice system now – after two black men were inexplicably killed – then when can we talk about it?

It’s also interesting that Pence advocated for transparency in the wake of these killings, especially since the the Charlotte police, in particular, have been anything but transparent in the days following the shooting. The department still refuses to publicly release the video of Keith Lamont Scott being shot to death by law enforcement.

Pence went on, though, saying that it’s a “challenging time” to be a police officer and that we should respect those who wear the uniform.

Donald Trump and I know and believe that the men and women in law enforcement you know, you know are white officers, African-American officers, Hispanic, Latino, or Asian officers, they’re the best of us,” he said.

First of all, there’s no question that nearly all of the men and women who put on a badge every single day are decent people trying to serve and protect communities all across the country. Pence and Republicans are fighting straw men every time they say police are being vilified.

But even as we honor the everyday heroes that make up much of the American police force, it doesn’t mean we cannot also have an adult conversation about flaws that do exist within the system – and ways in which we all can work to fix them. Despite what the Indiana governor says, there is no better time than right now to tackle these issues.

If we wait a week or a month or a year, it’ll get pushed under the rug until another disturbing video of a police shooting surfaces on social media.

It isn’t just appropriate that we use this moment talk about the injustices in our criminal justice system – it’s imperative.

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Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.

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