[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19200]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     INJUSTICE FOR LAQUAN McDONALD

  (Mr. FOSTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, we have seen an uproar over the death of 
Laquan McDonald, and rightfully so. But, sadly, the injustice for 
Laquan goes much deeper.
  Laquan McDonald suffered more tragedy in his short life than anyone 
should have to bear. As a child, Laquan was abused at home. He was then 
handed over to the Department of Children and Family Services, where he 
was sexually molested, not just once but in two different foster homes.
  At 17 years old, Laquan was shot 16 times by an on-duty police 
officer. Even after death, the injustice continued. It took 400 days 
before the officer who shot Laquan faced charges.
  We should all be ashamed at how our society failed Laquan McDonald.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind my colleagues that Black lives 
matter, that Laquan McDonald's life matters, and justice matters. We 
should all be working to ensure that Laquan gets the justice that he 
has been denied for so long and to end the cycle of poverty, abuse, and 
injustice that shaped his life.

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