thisradicalchange:

thisradicalchange:

We didn’t know that our activism and our peaceful displays would result in guns literally looking down our eyes. Literally looking down our eyes. Guns.

And I had young people who were willing to die. For justice.

I had a young person — and he’s definitely the example of many young people that I represent who said “I didn’t think I would make it to twenty-one years old so I’m ready to die now. Let’s do it now.”

State senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal (@MariaChappelleN) speaks on the Senate floor about the events she witnessed in Ferguson, Missouri in the weeks following the execution of Mike Brown. Senator Chappelle-Nadal was one of many protesters tear gassed for three hours without reprieve by the Ferguson PD.

She has been consistent and unrelenting in her criticism of Governor Jay Nixon — to the point of tweeting him “FUCK you, Governor!” — for his lack of action over the violation of citizens’ constitutional right to peacefully protest, and passionately vocal about the violent ways in which protesters were abused by the police.

Full video of Senator Chappelle-Nadal’s speech is available for download here (.wmv format).