ReopenNH Statement on the Murder of George Floyd and the subsequent riots

The murder of George Floyd is a national tragedy that exhibits the impact on society and the rule of law that abuse of authority can have.

Because one man in a position of authority murdered a fellow human being in a different state hundreds of miles away, seemingly without purpose and while other authority figures looked on, our nation has now been thrown into total chaos and protests have occurred within a few miles of our homes in New Hampshire. Thank God they were nonviolent.

Regarding the heinous act that Minneapolis police officers committed: What would happen to you if you knelt on another person’s neck until they died, and what would happen to your friends who watched and let it happen? The same thing should happen to the police officer in Minneapolis and his fellow officers after they are convicted in a court of law. Because these officers were in a position of authority, I’d argue that they should be held to a higher standard and treated more severely if found guilty of misconduct. Typically, people in authority are held to a lower standard, however, and that is what needs to change immediately. I think it is right to demand a redress of grievances peacefully from our government, and I fully expect that these officers and any others who abuse their authority to be punished severely.

It is also a tragedy that so many people have turned to rioting, looting, violence and murder of innocent police officers and others in response to this heinous act. This is just as inexcusable as the original act by the police officer and his friends, and it should be equally condemned by our leaders and everyone in society who respects the rule of law. Rioting and looting accomplishes nothing and destroys the hard work of innocent people who are already hurt by the government shutdowns of their businesses. This added abuse by their countrymen is another evil that they did not need. Those responsible should also be prosecuted and, if convicted, punished severely. 

As to ReopenNH, our events are focused entirely on the abuses of authority by Gov. Chris Sununu in New Hampshire and his team of bureaucrats. His abuses of power have also led to misery, loss, and death in New Hampshire, and he should be held legally accountable for it.

Our upcoming rally on June 6 is calling for people to peacefully ignore the governor’s orders, for he lacked the authority to make them in the first place and they have gone on for far too long. If anything, Gov. Sununu can be compared to the officers who abused their authority in Minneapolis. Just because his knee was not directly on anyone’s neck does not excuse him from metaphorically doing the same thing to the people of New Hampshire.