Friends of Liberty,
The last time I addressed you about police brutality following the murder of George Floyd, I hoped with you that our government and police would have learned that Americans will not accept the abuse of power at the hands of government officials and law enforcement. I hoped with you that we wouldn’t see brutality and indifference at the hands of those charged with protecting us occur again, but our hopes were unanswered. Now every time there is injustice at the hands of law enforcement, those who feel left behind and marginalized by our government lash out in violent and destructive fashion.
Excessive and unlawful force by Police against anyone has no place in America, and officers perpetuating it should be brought to justice. Those who engage in the burning of private business, destruction of communities, and physical attacks on others also have no place in America, and those engaging in these acts should also be brought to justice.
Having worked in Wisconsin’s marginalized neighborhoods; I have seen the struggle and injustice that they face on a daily basis. We need to recognize the challenges these communities face. Instead of putting on our blinders, we need to reach out with a helping hand. The average American has become too complacent, and has ignored these malingering problems. We would rather ignore injustices and wait for their fallout to pass so we can go back to our everyday lives.
It is time to wake up. Unless we work together, what happened in Kenosha and what happened in Minneapolis will happen again and again, resulting in the tragic loss of life and livelihoods.
What can we do to help bridge the rift that is tearing our country apart?
We must hold our elected and appointed government officials accountable for their actions and deny them the ability to use tragic incidents like the death of George Floyd and the injury of Jacob Blake for their own personal and professional gains.
We need to elect people committed to change, committed to social and criminal justice reforms, committed to accountability. We need to repeal victimless crimes, which frequently are the reason for incidents of excessive police force.
Most of all, we need to show compassion and love towards our fellow Americans.
The Libertarian Party, since its inception, has fought for equal rights, government accountability, and social and criminal justice reform. These are our principals. The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin has stood steadfast behind them for more than thirty years. I hope you will join myself, the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin, The National Libertarian Party, and our many candidates across the country in fighting for real change, and promoting Liberty and Peace for all people.
In Liberty,
Matthew Bughman
State Chair
Libertarian Party of Wisconsin
