MITCHELL SCHMIDT
Marking the first visit to Wisconsin by a Democratic presidential nominee in nearly eight years, former vice president Joe Biden met with a small group of Kenosha residents and local officials to deliver what he has described as a message of hope and healing.
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Justin Blake, uncle of Jacob Blake, protests outside the Grace Lutheran Church where Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to hold an event Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
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The southeast Wisconsin community has witnessed at-times violent protests in response to the Aug. 23 police shooting that left Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, paralyzed from the waist down. Last Tuesday two protesters were shot and killed and a third wounded allegedly by a 17-year-old from Illinois who had traveled to the city to protect buildings alongside other armed counterprotesters.
While President Donald Trump earlier this week pushed for "law and order" — including additional funding for local police — to clamp down on protests, Biden focused on the need to address racial injustices and create accountability among police departments.
Biden condemned riots and looting, but also described the ongoing protests by groups like Black Lives Matter as a reason for optimism that change can take place.
"I think the country is much more primed to take responsibility, because they now have to see what you see, what you've experienced," Biden during a conversation with about 40 people at Kenosha's Grace Lutheran Church.
"I can’t guarantee you everything will be solid in four years, but I can promise you one thing, it will be a whole heck of a lot better," Biden said.
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