Press Releases
Neal Statement Following Prayer Vigil in Springfield
Springfield, MA,
June 2, 2020
Springfield, MA – Congressman Richard E. Neal released the following statement after attending a prayer vigil of hope and healing on the steps of Springfield City Hall with Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood, and various religious and faith leaders. “Millions of people across the country are marching and raising their voices for justice, peace, and change. Tonight, I joined Mayor Sarno, Police Commissioner Clapprood, and leaders of the faith community for a prayer vigil on the steps of Springfield City Hall. I am proud to stand with my community, and I am thankful for the peaceful protesters who joined us in solidarity and healing. “It is not enough for public officials to simply acknowledge the lives that have been lost to excessive police force. We must say it plainly: This killing of George Floyd was not an isolated incident. We must acknowledge the root cause and act. “Historically American presidents have seized unrest and turned that into a national motivator for good. This President, however, has failed at every turn. In Congress, we will do better for the voices this President ignores and persecutes. The upheaval we are experiencing is distressing, but so is the persistent ache communities of color have felt for generations in an America that treats them fundamentally differently from their white peers. “As my dear friend and colleague Congressman John Lewis said just yesterday, ‘Rioting, looting, and burning is not the way. Organize. Demonstrate. Sit-in. Stand-up. Vote. Be constructive, not destructive. History has proven time and again that non-violent, peaceful protest is the way to achieve the justice and equality that we all deserve.’ “Our country right now is in mourning. Folks want to be heard and seen – and more importantly, they want the systemic disparities and injustices that exist in American to be fixed. We must do better, and I’m hopeful that as a society we will. As Dr. King reminded us many years ago, ‘The arch of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.’” ## |