Reforms, Not Riots and Rage

Yesterday we told you about the angry social justice protesters confronting Republican politicians. These screaming crowds ignore the fact that GOP elected officials are pushing for real police reforms — and liberal politicians are standing in the way of progress. Take the case of Senator Rand Paul.  After the Kentucky Republican and his wife left the Republican National Convention last week, they were surrounded and verbally assaulted, while police protected them from physical violence. The protesters demanded that Sen. Paul “say her name,” a reference to Breonna Taylor, a Kentuckian who was killed by police who entered her home using a no-knock warrant. What the protesters missed is that Sen. Paul has introduced legislation to ban no-knock warrants. He wrote his bill after talking with Breonna’s family. Yet Democrats in the Senate refuse to let such reform legislation move forward. Then there’s Senator Tim Scott.  The South Carolina Republican introduced police reform legislation in June. His bill focuses on transparency, recruiting minorities into law enforcement, increasing funding for and usage of body-worn cameras, requiring states to use prior performance records in hiring police officers, and implementing de-escalation training, among other ideas worth considering. To date, the bill hasn’t even come up for debate — because 45 Senate Democrats voted no on a measure to bring the legislation to the Senate floor. Despite spending months saying that America needed to have a conversation about police reform, when that moment arrived, Democrats refused to let a single word be said. This puts a new perspective on the rage and riots. It’s not about justice or reforms or solutions; it’s about political power and control. Anyone who is serious about moving America forward should be furious at the Democrats who are holding America back. → Read more: Sen. Rand Paul: I was “attacked by an angry mob” (Louisville Courier Journal) → Read more: An evening stroll with Black Lives Matter (Wall Street Journal)