Sen. Ron Rice Comments on No Indictments in Recent Grand Jury Cases

Rice issued the following statement on the decision by a grand jury not to indict an officer in the death of Eric Garner, and other incidents that have occurred across the country:

“The members of the Legislative Black Caucus are incredibly pained by the tragedy that occurred in New York, and the failure of the justice system in another case of an unarmed black man who died at the hands of an officer. We’re hopeful after a full and thorough investigation by the U.S. Justice Department that justice will ultimately prevail. Last night, thousands participated in demonstrations in New York, just as they have in Ferguson and other cities across the country. We support these demonstrations as long as they are nonviolent and believe they are vitally important because they call attention to problems that for too long have gone unaddressed.

“Across the country and in New Jersey, there are tensions in our cities. Violent crime continues to break out and frustrations are rising. In Ferguson, these tensions undoubtedly fueled the demonstrations and resulted in pockets of violence. As a country, and in New Jersey, we have to take a look at what is happening in our communities. Some of the same issues that caused tensions in the 1960s are problems that we face now. The disturbances we saw in Newark and other urban areas in decades past were not fueled by racism or extreme views. The Kerner Commission found it was joblessness, inadequate housing, poverty and an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness that created the environment for things to ignite. These are problems that continue to fester as we sit here now.

“We want to thank the Senate President and the Speaker for working with us to create the Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity, which held its first meeting today. In the weeks and months ahead, we will be looking at the economic and social issues that are affecting many of our communities. I look forward to working with a group of bipartisan legislators who are committed to this effort. We are also hopeful that my other bill, to create the New Jersey Commission on Urban Violence, that will bring together clergy, civil rights leaders, law enforcement and others to look at the underlying issues that are contributing to violence, will also be passed soon.

“Ultimately, we have to come together and look at causation. In the case of Michael Brown, the issue is not whether he stole something, or whether the officer who shot him panicked, or whether the officer was racist. The issue is, if Michael Brown stole something, and if the police officer had anxiety about working in this community, or was biased, what is it that caused those situations? In the case of Eric Garner, what caused officers to react so aggressively? We need to take advantage of this opportunity, while the nation is paying attention, to have a real in-depth discussion about what is happening in our communities. We need to seize this moment, and the opportunity for change.”

Information Courtesy of The New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus