Iowa House Democrat Bruce Hunter (D-Des Moines) talked on the floor during legislative session about waiting to have a conversation about race relations.
He criticized Speaker Pat Grassley for likely only talking to people in the Republican caucus and not the Democrat caucus.
During his speech, Hunter said he doesn’t have much hope anything will come out of the Iowa House because of the way people talk about “looters.”
“Even though I don’t condone the violence that has happened, I understand it,” he said of the riots. “Because in this country we are charged with having basically a contract – a social contract. That we as people, we as citizens of this country are expected to do certain things. And in return, this country will do certain things for us and the state will do certain things for us.
“Let me tell you ladies and gentlemen of the House, this country and this state have broken that social contract with blacks across this state and blacks across this country. Because basically, it’s turned into being a crime to be born black in this state. And it’s our fault.”
Hunter said “blacks” are imprisoned more than 11 times more than whites. He referred to black people as “blacks” throughout his speech.
