[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 15, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E310]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        POLICE BRUTALITY EVENTS

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                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 15, 2016

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to interact with some of the 
brightest students in the 22nd Congressional District who serve on my 
Congressional Youth Advisory Council. I have gained much by listening 
to the high school students who are the future of this great nation. 
They provide important insight from across the political spectrum that 
sheds a light on the concerns of our younger constituents. Giving voice 
to their priorities will hopefully instill a better sense of the 
importance of being an active participant in the political process. 
Many of the students have written short essays on a variety of topics 
and I am pleased to share them with my House colleagues.
  Alexa Keller attends Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas. The 
essay topic is: Select an important event that has occurred in the past 
year and explain how that event has changed/shaped our country.

       Several well-publicized police brutality events near the 
     end of 2014 created a new wave of race discrimination 
     discussions across America. After the shooting of Michael 
     Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, protestors held up signs 
     exclaiming, ``Hands up, don't shoot'', and after the choking 
     death of Eric Garner in New York City, the cry of ``I can't 
     breathe'' by protestors demonstrated their outrage. Social 
     media furthered the causes, and during the 2015 presidential 
     debates, most candidates took a stance on whether ``Black 
     Lives Matter'' or ``All Lives Matter.'' Specifically, the 
     death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Maryland, in April of 
     2015, and the consequences of his death will shape the future 
     of America with respect to race relations and law 
     enforcement.
       In April, 25-year-old Freddie Gray died while in police 
     custody, which led to weeks of protests and unrest. Stores 
     were looted and a CVS pharmacy was burned to ground, after 
     thieves took off with all the prescription drugs they could 
     get their hands on. Baltimore found itself in a predicament 
     because it was unprepared for this kind of mass protest, and 
     law enforcement certainly didn't expect it to go on for 
     weeks.
       Once the rioting was finished, the city of Baltimore was 
     left in a state of flux. There was an ``Us vs. Them'' 
     relationship between police and citizens. To make matters 
     worse, the number of homicides in Baltimore in 2015 hit 344, 
     the highest total since 1993 when Baltimore had 100,000 more 
     people living in it (Baltimore Sun). In addition, there were 
     more than 900 shootings in Baltimore last year, which was up 
     75% over the prior year. During the weeks of unrest in April 
     and May, over 150 police officers were injured. The general 
     feeling of unease between officers and citizens is assumed to 
     be the main reason that now the police force in Baltimore is 
     down by 200 officers.
       The city of Baltimore needs to make significant progress 
     toward fixing the situation, but at what cost? Recently, over 
     $2 million was spent on new civil disturbance equipment which 
     includes protective gear, shields, and helmets. 
     (www.nytimes.com) The Maryland State Assembly is working 
     toward a new law enforcement bill of rights to provide police 
     with extra legal protection that is not afforded to the 
     general public. But, will these measures fix the anti-cop 
     rhetoric which likely makes it difficult for police officers 
     to do their jobs correctly and effectively? The fact that the 
     ``Black Lives Matter'' leader DeRay Mckesson is planning to 
     run for mayor of Baltimore is proof that relations are still 
     dicey. Baltimore will likely prove to be a microcosm for the 
     rest of the country, and how it handled the events that 
     occurred in 2015 has and has the potential to impact the 
     United States as a whole.

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