8 notable guests at the State of the Union address
Tyre Nichols' mother and stepdad
During his speech, Biden highlighted the presence of Tyre Nichols' mother and stepfather, RowVaughn and Rodney Wells. Nichols was a 29-year-old African American man killed and beaten by police during a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee.
"Joining us tonight are the parents of Tyre Nichols," he said, noting that they had to bury their son last week.
"There's no words to describe the heartache or grief of losing a child," Biden said. "But imagine, imagine if you lost that child at the hands of the law. Imagine having to worry whether your son or daughter came home from walking down the street, playing in the park or just driving a car."
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Biden seemed to imply that Nichols' death is the latest example of systemic racism in American policing even though all five police officers involved in the traffic stop and subsequently charged for causing his death were black.
"Most of us in here have never had to have the talk … that brown and black parents have had to have with their children," he said.
Biden summarized the contents of the aforementioned "talk" in his address.
"I never had to tell them, 'If a police officer pulls you over, turn on your interior lights on right away. Don't reach for your license. Keep your hands on the steering wheel.'"
"Imagine having to worry like that every single time your kid got in a car," he lamented. The president shared how Nichols' mother's "faith in God" served as a source of comfort in this difficult time, noting that she described her son as "a beautiful soul" and predicted that "something good will come of this."
Biden expressed a similar hope, insisting that "what happened to Tyre in Memphis happens too often."
"We have to do better," Biden said. "Give law enforcement the training they need, hold them to higher standards, help them succeed in keeping us safe."
"When police officers or police departments violate the public's trust, they must be held accountable," Biden added.
After highlighting his executive order "banning chokeholds, restricting no-knock warrants, and other key elements of the George Floyd Act," Biden urged members of Congress to "rise to this moment" by taking additional action.
"Let's do what we know in our hearts that we need to do. Let's come together to finish the job on police reform. Do something," he said.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: [email protected]
