WPSR Statement on George Floyd
This week, our national organization, PSR, issued a statement on police violence and the killing of George Floyd, on behalf of the national network of PSR chapters. WPSR echoes these words, condemning violence and racism in all its forms, and mourning the death of George Floyd and all people of color who have suffered and died at the hands of a racist and overmilitarized police.
“PSR stands with health professionals who have long argued that police violence and systemic racism are a public health issue. We call on PSR members, who are devoted to fighting climate change and eliminating the threat posed by nuclear weapons, to be every bit as active in dismantling institutional racism in their communities. No just solution to the climate crisis or the nuclear threat will be possible unless we do so.”
The full PSR statement can be found here:ttps://www.psr.org/blog/2020/06/01/statement-on-the-killing-of-george-floyd/
Washington PSR will continue our commitment to work towards equity and social justice as an organization, and through our programs. As an organization working for climate justice, economic justice, and nuclear justice, we are obligated to speak out against systemic racism and to work with our coalition and community partners, and other PSR chapters, to help dismantle systems of white supremacy that perpetuate violence and against all forms of discrimination, injustice, and harm against people of color.
We recognize that climate justice, economic justice, and nuclear justice cannot be achieved without racial justice. We also recognize that statements are not enough to effectuate the change needed, and that - as with the major challenges to health that we work to address on a daily basis - action is required at every level of our unjust society. As such, WPSR is committed to go beyond these words, and to take concrete actions that will help dismantle the inherently inequitable systems that stand in the way of a peaceful, healthy, and just society. We call for fundamental reform of our police forces, which needs to include demilitarization, training in implicit bias, and early decisive disciplinary action for acts of racism. We call for redirection of funding for policing toward efforts to build resilient communities and break down economic inequity as methods to reduce violent crime.
We stand in solidarity with the protesters and urge our supporters to do the same. We also recognize the additional risks protesters are incurring in the midst of a pandemic, and we strongly encourage all to protect their own health and the health of their loved ones at home by maintaining a safe distance from one another and wearing masks and washing hands frequently, so that this important act of protest does not result in more sickness and death from the virus.
If you are able, we urge you to support the organizations working on-the-ground right now to fight racial injustice. Our movements are inextricably linked, and our mission to build an equitable and inclusive climate movement is only possible if we continue to fight for the health, safety, opportunity, and basic human rights of all people.
Finally, as an organization dedicated to finding policy solutions to the greatest threats to human health, we encourage you to visit https://www.joincampaignzero.org to learn about - and become an advocate for - proven policy approaches to reducing police violence.