Missouri’s senior U.S. Senator Roy Blunt issued a statement today on protests and “indiscriminate violence” after three more black Americans were recently killed, two by police

“Our nation has once again been brought to a moment of reckoning. The recent tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have shocked and outraged Americans. My thoughts are with the families and loved ones who are mourning their loss.

“Americans have every right to demand justice. They have every right to protest and be heard. But we cannot allow their message to be drowned out by those who are exploiting this moment to destroy communities and put more innocent lives at risk. Indiscriminate violence will not bring about change, it will bring more suffering at a time when so many families and small businesses are already hurting. I appreciate all of our law enforcement officers and National Guardsmen and women who have put their safety on the line to respond to this crisis.

“Just as we did in the days following the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, we must confront the fact that millions of Americans don’t feel safe because of the color of their skin. We must acknowledge the very deep pain, and the very deep fear, that communities of color are feeling. I hope we are able to emerge from these recent events with a renewed commitment to continuing the work that needs to be done. There are significant challenges we have to address for everyone to trust that they will be treated equally under the law. I said after the Ferguson protests that tragedy is a tough teacher, but that makes it ever more important to learn from tragedy. Let’s learn from this. Let’s listen to one another and work together to become the nation we ought to be.”