Judiciary Committee Releases Garnell Whitfield, Jr.'s Testimony at Hearing on Domestic Terrorism
Mr. Whitefield's mother, Ruth, was tragically killed by a white supremacist during the Buffalo massacre
WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee released Garnell Whitfield, Jr.’s prepared testimony at today’s hearing entitled “Examining the ‘Metastasizing’ Domestic Terrorism Threat After the Buffalo Attack.” Mr. Whitfield’s mother, Ruth, was one of the ten victims of the May 14, 2022, massacre in Buffalo, New York.
Key quotes as prepared:
“Our lives are forever changed… forever damaged by an act of profound hate and evil. Nothing will ever take away the hurt, the pain or the hole in our hearts.”
“But we are more than hurt… we are angry! This should have never happened! … We trust in God. But this wasn’t an act of God. This was the act of a person… and he did not act alone. He was radicalized by white supremacists. His anger and hatred were metastasized like a cancer by people with big microphones screaming that Black people were going to take away their jobs and opportunities.”
“I would ask every senator to imagine the faces of your mothers as you look at the face of my mother, Mrs. Ruth Whitfield… and ask yourself… is there nothing we can do? Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires? If there is nothing then, respectfully, senators… you should yield your positions of authority and influence to others that are willing to lead on this issue.”
“Mrs. Ruth Whitfield’s life mattered. Your actions here will tell us if and how much it mattered to you.”
Full text of Mr. Whitfield’s prepared remarks are available here.
-30-
