“If the unjust murder of George Floyd brought all Americans closer to justice, then his death, even though it was tragic and unnecessary, was not in vain,” said Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America welcomed, in his statement, the Reform Agenda signed by the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, entitled “Say their names”, in the aftermath of the murder of the 47-year-old African-American, George Floyd, and in response to the systemic use of force against minorities in the US.
The Reform Agenda prohibits the use of tactics that restrict breathing, false race-based 911 reports, access to information regarding any records of the disciplinary proceedings of security forces and the appointment of the Attorney General as a special prosecutor in matters relating to the deaths of civilians caused by law enforcement.
Archbishop Elpidophoros expressed his gratitude to Governor Andrew Cuomo and to the legislative body of New York state that, as a member of the New York Interfaith Advisory Council, rapidly took the initiative to consolidate the ambitious reform.
The Archbishop of America said, “The purpose of this reform is by no means to offend the police forces, but to take the corrective actions regarding police practices that were sometimes abusive or led our fellow citizens to death.” “Regardless of the colour of our skin, our customs and traditions, our religious beliefs and our language, we are all Americans and deserve to be evenly and fully protected by law,” he added.