The riotous events at the nation’s Capitol building last week prompted discussion on the Kentucky Senate floor Wednesday. Veteran Senator Gerald Neal spoke at length about what he termed “seditious” behavior.
The Louisville lawmaker said the ushering out of members of Congress gave him emotional pause. “People just like us, in chambers, in hallways, just like people who defend us now, had to run for their lives. In our Capitol, in our Capitol. I don’t know how that struck you, but I cried,” said Neal.
Neal told fellow Senators attitudes that led to the storming of the U.S. Capitol are, quote, “still with us and not going to go away.” Neal, who said he’s a gun owner, questioned the bringing of guns to the State Capitol as a part of protests.?
Senate President Pro Tem David Givens followed Neal with questions like, ‘How did we arrive at this place and What to do next?’ Givens said a “cancel culture” on social media to cancel one another out with postings is a part of the problem. “When we shout, when we yell, when we tweet in anger, do we actually think for a moment that we’re going to convince someone to change their mind because we’re stabbing a finger in their face or drowning them out with a voice that makes them impossible to hear,” explained Givens.
Givens also spoke about the filing of legislation to create a Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity. He said he views it as an intentional effort to create space for more voices.
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