The Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) denounces all acts of hate, violence, and discrimination that violate constitutional rights, stifle social justice, and undermine the rule of law. The CBA stands in solidarity with all those who face hate, violence, and discrimination based on any protected status, such as the color of their skin, ethnic background, disability, religious beliefs, socio-economic status, gender identity, and sexual orientation. We condemn the death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement officers, as well as other incidents of racial and social inequalities, violence, and hate crimes that continue to infect our country. We also denounce any attempts by any groups to silence the voices of those who are lawfully protesting against these injustices.
The hate crimes and social injustices that we have witnessed against members of various communities, such as communities of color, religious minorities, individuals with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups undermine the rule of law and erode faith in the justice system we have all sworn to protect. The CBA promotes the public interest through the advancement of justice and the protection of liberty. We need to ensure that as a Bar, and as members of the legal community, we actively and faithfully discharge these duties. We cannot remain silent in the face of injustice. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
The CBA calls on all members of our legal community and all members of the public to unify and speak out against hate, violence, and discrimination. We must all actively stand united in defense of our vulnerable communities, the rule of law, and the promotion of the public interest through the advancement of equal justice and protection of liberty for all.
The CBA stands ready to work with community, religious, and government leaders, as well as the law enforcement community, elected officials, and other bar associations to ensure we live up to the promise and ideals upon which this country was founded. Together we can ensure that we have “a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”