Ron Napoli, Jr

 

This past week we heard one of the most highly anticipated verdicts in recent memory, and as public servants who are committed to the attainment of justice for those who have been wronged, we were relieved to hear that Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges against him. A man who had sworn to protect human life slowly and brutally killed George Floyd. Anything less than this verdict would have been gross injustice. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of George Floyd, and we hope they are able to experience some sense of closure and accountability with the announcement of the verdict.

At the same time, we must recognize the significance of the movement and debates that have spawned out of this incident. We need to work as hard as we can to root out racism in our society, and one of the main steps in that process is making sure that those in positions of great power do not harbor prejudices that breach the public trust.

Thank you to everyone who has stood up and demanded accountability in the past year. Your activism is making a better and more just world. At the same time, thank you to the Waterbury police who work every single day to make our community and those living in it safe. Together we know that we can do better. We have no choice. We look forward to working with stakeholders in our community to bring about this dialogue and action.

State Rep. Ron Napoli, Jr.

State Sen. Joan Hartley