Harry Reid: ‘It’s up to Us’ in Washington To Pass Laws, Create Jobs, So People Stop Rioting

“We are all saddened ░░░░░░░░ what we witnessed unfold ░░░░░░░░ streets of Baltimore A ░░░░░░░░ is dead who should ░░░░░░░░ be dead His name ░░░░░░░░ Freddie Gray and Freddie ░░░░░░░░ s name will not ░░░░░░░░ forgotten This young man ░░░░░░░░ death is the latest ░░░░░░░░ a series of disturbing ░░░░░░░░ unnecessary deaths of young ░░░░░░░░ of color at the ░░░░░░░░ of police and vigilantes ░░░░░░░░ be clear violence is ░░░░░░░░ acceptable in any regard ░░░░░░░░ s never an acceptable ░░░░░░░░ even to tragedies such ░░░░░░░░ these The rioting and ░░░░░░░░ we re seeing in ░░░░░░░░ streets of Baltimore only ░░░░░░░░ damage our community in ░░░░░░░░ great American city that ░░░░░░░░ already hurting But we ░░░░░░░░ not let the violence ░░░░░░░░ by a few to ░░░░░░░░ an excuse to ignore ░░░░░░░░ underlying problem that millions ░░░░░░░░ Americans feel powerless in ░░░░░░░░ face of a system ░░░░░░░░ is rigged against them ░░░░░░░░ s easy to feel ░░░░░░░░ when you see the ░░░░░░░░ getting richer the poor ░░░░░░░░ poorer The opportunities to ░░░░░░░░ a better life for ░░░░░░░░ and your family are ░░░░░░░░ existent non existent in ░░░░░░░░ community It is easy ░░░░░░░░ feel devalued when schools ░░░░░░░░ your community are failing ░░░░░░░░ is easy to believe ░░░░░░░░ system is rigged against ░░░░░░░░ when you spent years ░░░░░░░░ what President Obama called ░░░░░░░░ slow rolling crisis of ░░░░░░░░ police interactions with people ░░░░░░░░ color No American should ░░░░░░░░ feel powerless No American ░░░░░░░░ American should ever feel ░░░░░░░░ their life is not ░░░░░░░░ but that is what ░░░░░░░░ system says to many ░░░░░░░░ our fellow citizens No ░░░░░░░░ should be denied the ░░░░░░░░ to better their lives ░░░░░░░░ their own hard work ░░░░░░░░ that is the reality ░░░░░░░░ too many face In ░░░░░░░░ nation that prides itself ░░░░░░░░ being a land of ░░░░░░░░ millions not thousands millions ░░░░░░░░ our fellow citizens live ░░░░░░░░ day with little hope ░░░░░░░░ building a better future ░░░░░░░░ matter how hard they ░░░░░░░░ We cannot condone the ░░░░░░░░ we see in Baltimore ░░░░░░░░ we must not ignore ░░░░░░░░ despair and hopelessness that ░░░░░░░░ rise to this kind ░░░░░░░░ violence This isn t ░░░░░░░░ about inner cities This ░░░░░░░░ about the deep crushing ░░░░░░░░ that infects rural and ░░░░░░░░ communities across our great ░░░░░░░░ It doesn t matter ░░░░░░░░ you live in Searchlight ░░░░░░░░ or the Metropolitan Las ░░░░░░░░ area which is now ░░░░░░░░ than 2 million people ░░░░░░░░ in Baltimore Maryland when ░░░░░░░░ is no hope anger ░░░░░░░░ despair move in that ░░░░░░░░ the way it is ░░░░░░░░ can t ignore that ░░░░░░░░ let s condemn the ░░░░░░░░ But let s not ░░░░░░░░ the underlying problem Let ░░░░░░░░ not pretend the system ░░░░░░░░ fair Let s not ░░░░░░░░ everything is OK Let ░░░░░░░░ not pretend the path ░░░░░░░░ poverty like the one ░░░░░░░░ traveled is still available ░░░░░░░░ everyone out there as ░░░░░░░░ as they work hard ░░░░░░░░ it s not For ░░░░░░░░ work to bear fruit ░░░░░░░░ must be opportunity and ░░░░░░░░ must be hope I ░░░░░░░░ t imagine what direction ░░░░░░░░ life would have taken ░░░░░░░░ the hope of the ░░░░░░░░ dream As a little ░░░░░░░░ I had hope As ░░░░░░░░ teenager I had it ░░░░░░░░ had it in college ░░░░░░░░ instead of turning a ░░░░░░░░ eye let s work ░░░░░░░░ and take the problem ░░░░░░░░ There is bipartisan work ░░░░░░░░ done on criminal justice ░░░░░░░░ that s why we ░░░░░░░░ a criminal justice reform ░░░░░░░░ that s a good ░░░░░░░░ But it s only ░░░░░░░░ start Ensuring that populations ░░░░░░░░ not unfairly targeted for ░░░░░░░░ will be a positive ░░░░░░░░ But we also need ░░░░░░░░ be investing in inner ░░░░░░░░ and rural areas The ░░░░░░░░ piece of legislation I ░░░░░░░░ on the agenda that ░░░░░░░░ anything to create jobs ░░░░░░░░ a Surface Transportation bill ░░░░░░░░ is nothing else Look ░░░░░░░░ That s not enough ░░░░░░░░ need to do more ░░░░░░░░ s up to us ░░░░░░░░ in this Capitol to ░░░░░░░░ these jobs Democrats and ░░░░░░░░ must work together to ░░░░░░░░ sure that America have ░░░░░░░░ right to succeed that ░░░░░░░░ continues to be a ░░░░░░░░ of opportunity for all ░░░░░░░░ our citizens not some ░░░░░░░░ our citizens.”