Yesterday, New Hampshire Senate Democrats voted for one of the most destructive pieces of legislation in NH history. House Bill 687, legislation written and supported by NYC billionaire Michael Bloomberg, was passed along party lines, only Democrats voted for this legislation.
Democrats who were benefactors of Bloomberg campaign money. Legislation that gives the police more power over Granite Staters.
Democrats tried to claim they care about suicides but if that were actually true, they would work on the Involuntary Admissions law which gets people the mental health help they need. Bloomberg’s Red Flag bill only confiscates firearms, it does nothing to get suicidal people help.
What’s truly IRONIC in the Democrats’ vote? These are the same people who have been claiming they support the Black Lives Matter organization and movement. They claim there is systemic racism in New Hampshire and that they want to make changes against police brutality. The below was a statement released by the NH Senate Democrats [emphasis added]:
“Last week our nation watched as the life was forced out of George Floyd in Minneapolis by a police officer. We listened to him as he pleaded for his life, calling out “I can’t breathe.” We heard the same call six years ago in New York from Eric Garner. We mourned as a nation when Breonna Taylor, a front line EMT in Louisville, was gunned down in her own home in March.
Today, we join together to say their lives mattered. In unison, we cry out that Black Lives Matter.
As individuals, we are heartbroken for the families and loved ones of those Americans who have lost their lives due to police brutality and systemic racism. We are angry that as a nation we repeat our mistakes over and over again, leaving so many people in fear for their lives.
As senators, we stand with the protesters who took to the streets in Manchester, Hampton, Keene, Dover, and Conway to raise our collective voice. We support the right to peaceful protest and call for open and honest conversations that lead to lasting change.
As a caucus, we are obligated to use our position to speak out, take action, and demand better. We know that New Hampshire is not immune to systemic racism. Last week, we watched the live video feed from Jean Ronald Saint Preux as his car window was smashed and he was forcibly pulled from his vehicle by two New Hampshire state troopers, one of whom was not wearing a mask and gloves despite ongoing concerns about the transmission of COVID-19. We urge the Governor, the Attorney General, and the Division of State Police to respond appropriately and deliberately.
Above all, today, we say to Granite Staters of color that we see you, we hear you, and we stand with you.
Together, we grieve over the murder of George Floyd. Together, we support the right to peaceful protest and call for open and honest conversations that enact lasting change. As your elected officials, we are committed to being a part of the solution that ensures equal justice for all as we advocate for policies that move our state forward. In New Hampshire and across the nation, Black Lives Matter. Enough is enough.”
How exactly are NH Senate Democrats using their positions to take action for equal justice? They voted for Bloomberg’s Red Flag bill which actually gives the police MORE POWER over the people. If Democrats believe there is systemic racism and police brutality in the Granite State, why would they vote to give the police another tool to abuse people of color? From a previous article:
Law enforcement are also able to petition the court to request a Red Flag order on an individual.
Let that sink in for a minute. At a time when the entire country, including many police officers, are screaming for reforms in law enforcement, NH Senate Democrats are giving them more power that can easily be abused. Not only is the Red Flag law discriminatory in its very nature (as are all gun control laws) but now the police, who the left claim are riddled with systemic racism, will have another tool to abuse citizens with at the their fingertips.
Essentially, NH Senate Democrats just gave the Black Lives Matter movement the middle finger.
They talk out one side of their mouths about supporting them but from the other side of their mouths, they take Bloomberg’s money (remember, Bloomberg thought racial profiling was fantastic) and literally vote for legislation that will harm all Granite Staters but especially people of color if, as Democrats claim, there is systemic racism in New Hampshire.
Below are some tweets from NH Senate Democrats who claim they support Black Lives Matter:
Senator Martha Hennessey is the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, she voted Bloomberg’s Red Flag bill out of committee without even considering the testimony of the people who emailed, called and spoke:
Hennessey also retweeted a tweet from the NH ACLU claiming they want to end ‘racist policing:’
Senator Melanie Levesque, the only person of color in the NH Senate, actually spoke at a Black Lives Matter rally. Shameful she too voted to pass legislation that gives police more power:
Senator Jon Morgan claims there is ‘much work to be done’ for the black community yet he too voted to give the police more power:
Morgan also retweeted a tweet from Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig that states they will continue to work to ‘combat system racism.’ How do you combat systemic racism when you give the police more power to racially profile and harm POC?:
Senator Jeanne Dietsch claims she ‘hears’ Black Lives Matter and wants to take action. Too bad that was a lie:
Senate Majority Leader Donna Soucy retweeted a NH Senate Democrats tweet claiming ‘enough is enough’ and that as an elected official she’d be part of a solution for good policies. Of course, she also voted to give the police more power:
Senator David Watters retweeted a tweet from the NH Senate Democrats claiming they want ‘racial justice.’ Then voted to give the police another tool to abuse POC:
Senator Cindy Rosenwald claims she’s committed to ‘dismantling the systemic racism that exists today.’ Ironic she also voted for Bloomberg’s Red Flag bill that allows for systemic racism to continue:
Senator Shannon Chandley claims she wants to confront ‘violence and oppression’ and will ‘not turn away from cries for justice and equality.’ She too voted to give the police more power over the people:
Senator Tom Sherman also retweeted a tweet from NH Senate Democrats claiming they will ‘advocate for policies that move our state forward.’ How exactly does giving the police more power, in what Democrats refer to as a ‘systemically racist system,’ moving the state forward:
Senator Dan Felts, also running on the Democrat ticket for governor, claims he wants to address ‘systemic racism.’ He too voted for Bloomberg’s Red Flag bill which gives the police more power:
Bloomberg’s Red Flag bill sponsor, Representative Debra Altschiller, also claims she supports Black Lives Matter, she even put signs out for the organization. Of course, she’s been pushing for Bloomberg’s bill and has consistently lied about what the bill actually does to Granite Staters:
NH Democrats can’t have it both ways. They cannot claim to support the Black Lives Matter movement and pretend they want reforms while at the same time giving police unfettered power over Granite Staters. If there is indeed systemic racism in law enforcement as they claim, they have a lot of explaining to do to their constituents and to the leaders of BLM about why they lied and voted to give the police another tool to abuse people of color.
Make no mistake, this legislation harms ALL Granite Staters. At a time when people across the state and country are demanding police reforms, including some in law enforcement, the NH Senate Democrats prove they hold allegiance to those who don’t live in the state but spend big money pushing destructive legislation and buying them into office.
