Rep. Sean CastenVerified account

As a white man, I will never fully understand the pain black Americans are feeling and have felt for generations. (1/7)

But what I do understand, is that those demonstrating are showing us the depth of the pain across our country from the years of systemic racism at every level of society and our failure to provide equal justice before the law. (2/7)

I understand that our constitution guarantees the right to assemble, and that @repjohnlewis did not dedicate his career to fighting for equality just to have the President assault peaceful protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets. (3/7)

I understand that what happened to George Floyd was not an anomaly. His death was part of a pattern—years and years of police brutality, systematic oppression, and painful inaction. (4/7)