House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called for an end to the rioting in Ferguson, Mo., that began after a grand jury decided not to indict a police officer in the killing of a black teenager.
“However disappointed we may be in the decision by the grand jury in St. Louis County, we must hold the family of Michael Brown in our hearts, and reject the acts of violence and destruction that detract from the efforts of those who continue to peacefully protest this tragedy,” Pelosi said in a statement.
Pelosi added that lawmakers will work with Reps. Lacy Clay and Emanuel Cleaver, who represent the affected Missouri districts, to help restore the Ferguson community.
Here’s the statement:
“However disappointed we may be in the decision by the grand jury in St. Louis County, we must hold the family of Michael Brown in our hearts, and reject the acts of violence and destruction that detract from the efforts of those who continue to peacefully protest this tragedy.
“As our thoughts and prayers continue for the Brown family, we stand ready to support the efforts of Congressman Lacy Clay and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver as they work to repair the communities in their state that have been so deeply torn and divided.
“As the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.’ In the coming days and months, we must all work together in the spirit of light and love, and answer our shared responsibility to heal suffering, correct injustice, and foster hope.”
