Learning from one's mistakes is part of leadership.
On Sunday, Bernie Sanders demonstrated just what he'd learned from the #BlackLivesMatter
protests at Netroots Nation. At a rally in Houston, he listed the names of black Americans who have died while in police custody, and
included the name of
Sandra Bland.
“It is unacceptable that police officers beat up people or kill people. If they do that, they have got to be held accountable.”
According to the
Texas Tribune, "no reference to Texas drew longer and louder applause." It's heartening to see that both Sanders and—based on the crowd response—his supporters are coming to understand the importance of this issue.
On Tuesday, Sanders went much further, issuing the following statement:
“This video of the arrest of Sandra Bland shows totally outrageous police behavior. No one should be yanked from her car, thrown to the ground, assaulted and arrested for a minor traffic stop. The result is that three days later she is dead in her jail cell. This video highlights once again why we need real police reform. People should not die for a minor traffic infraction. This type of police abuse has become an all-too-common occurrence for people of color and it must stop.”
According to
Salon, Senator Sanders is the first presidential candidate to speak out about Sandra Bland. Let's hope he's not the last.
11:41 AM PT: Clinton and O'Malley issued their own statements on Wednesday.
(Via)