June 02, 2020
Retirees Statement on the Tragic Death of George Floyd and its Aftermath
For Immediate Release
The following statement was issued by Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance for Retired Americans, regarding the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis and the national protests that have followed:
“The Alliance for Retired Americans shares the pain of the entire country after witnessing the video of George Floyd dying in handcuffs with a knee on his neck when he had said he could not breathe. Regrettably our horror did not end there.
“The violent events of the past week may have started in Minnesota, but the aftermath has now touched all Americans in every community — including retirees.
“Older Americans are all too familiar with racism, having lived through the civil rights battles of the 1960’s and then seen its ugly reappearance in our daily lives with every decade that followed.
“Older Americans have been touched personally – not just by the unnecessary tragic killing of another black man in police custody, but by the failure of our nation to come together in grief.
“The freedom to protest peacefully is enshrined in our Constitution, but the hatred, division, and rioting that came with it should never be a part of those protests.
“Terrence Floyd, George’s brother, was right on the mark when he asked that the demonstrations for justice occur peacefully. To do anything else would be a distraction from the real issues confronting black America.
“Our condolences go out to the family and friends of George Floyd and anyone who has been touched by violence during the past week.
“Having the building that is our headquarters set ablaze is a stark reminder that, as AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said, ‘the labor movement is not a building.’
“The 4.4 million members of the Alliance want seniors everywhere and all our fellow Americans to know that we share your grief, and with it, the hope for better days ahead.”
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Contact: David Blank, dblank@retiredamericans.org
