Rob Wittman: ‘We must come together as a nation’

Congressman Rob Wittman issued a statement on the nationwide protests surrounding the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.

“Right now, our nation is in anguish as we mourn the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and many others who have died tragically and needlessly. The failures of the system designed to protect and serve our communities regardless of the color of someone’s skin must end.

“We must come together as a nation, not tear ourselves apart. Protests are a right, but must remain peaceful. We must address underlying biases and racism in our society, and we do that by taking the time to listen, understand, and respect each other.

“It is time for our nation to treat this open wound. We must investigate the atrocities that have sparked this outrage while peacefully and safely demonstrating. Let us not react to violence with violence. Let us instead address these atrocities with positive actions. Everyone from the local, state, and national levels must come together to achieve lasting change to prevent these events from happening again.”