George Floyd’s murder is, unfortunately, just another black death at the hands of racists in positions of power. Justice is overdue and desperately needed for black people in America.
My heart hurts thinking about the pain and suffering Floyd felt due to the horrific and inhumane actions of former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin. Some may say this happened because of a false accusation involving a counterfeit bill, but the truth is Floyd died due to the color of his skin and Chauvin’s racist beliefs and sense of superiority as a white man and cop.
If you think the color of his skin wasn’t a factor, ask yourself this — would a white male in the same situation be handcuffed, shoved on the ground and have the weight of a police officer kneeling on his neck for almost nine minutes? Absolutely not.
History has shown us that even the deadliest and most violent white criminals are treated much better than black people, regardless of whether the black people are criminals or just an innocent person out for a run. Dylann Roof is a white supremacist who entered a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina and shot and killed nine people. He was later arrested in Shelby, North Carolina. The Shelby Police Department provided Roof with a bulletproof vest for protection during transport and Police Chief Jeff Ledford even mentioned that after Roof complained about being hungry he was brought a meal from Burger King.
Replace Dylann Roof with George Floyd. Or Michael Brown. Or Trayvon Martin. Or Tamir Rice. Or literally any of the thousands of black individuals who have been murdered for much lesser crimes or no crime at all. If Dylann Roof had been black, he would have been killed the second he was captured. He wouldn’t have gotten a bulletproof vest or a meal from Burger King.
The real issue is deeply rooted in American history. Black people have always had to work harder to receive basic human rights than white people in the same country. Our family, friends, neighbors and coworkers are not receiving the same kindnesses and love as us simply because their skin is a darker color.
Replace Floyd’s face with your father’s or anyone you care about. Would you still stay silent about how he was treated if it was someone you knew and loved? Why should that even matter? If your heart isn’t broken about what happened, you are part of the problem. I truly can’t picture anyone not being outraged by what happened to Floyd because it’s just unimaginable that someone would be that cold-hearted towards another human being.
If you still aren’t convinced that racism is an ongoing problem in our country, consider this social experiment conducted by Jane Elliott. In a room full of people, she asked all of the white people who would be happy to be treated how black people are generally treated in our society to stand up; nobody did. She repeated her question a second time and still nobody stood up. This experiment highlights the fact that people are aware of the injustices suffered by black people, they just don’t care enough to do anything to change it.
“You know you don’t want it for you,” Elliott said after the exercise. “I want to know why you are so willing to accept it or to allow it to happen for others.”
George Floyd should still be alive today. So should Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and all of the black people who have been brutally murdered and mistreated due to the color of their skin. Silence isn’t an option. Complacency isn’t an option. As a privileged member of society, education is necessary in order to truly help get justice.
Looters who are destroying property and lighting fires aren’t fighting for justice. They’re living out delinquent fantasies that they won’t face any repercussions for due to their privilege. Looting won’t fix anything, it won’t progress the fight for justice and equality. Anyone who thinks the protests are stupid or a waste of time need to check their privilege and educate themselves on the meaning of a peaceful protest.
“Riots are the language of the unheard,” said Martin Luther King Jr. in a famous speech. “And what is it that America has failed to hear?…It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality and humanity.”
Every time a black person is murdered at the hands of law enforcement, some people feel the need to defend all law enforcement officers and seem to feel attacked, creating a protest in response to #BLACKLIVESMATTER known as #BLUELIVESMATTER. The death of a black person is not an opportunity for you to talk about how great your cop husband, father or brother is. Promoting the Black Lives Matter movement is not an excuse for you to promote Blue Lives Matter.
If you think that is harsh or unfair, A) that’s a sign of your privilege and B) consider this explanation. If your house is on fire, would you want the fire department to stop at every house in the neighborhood because all houses matter? No. If one of your kids was upset about something would you brush it off and tell them to stop complaining because all of your kids matter? NO! So how come it’s any different when it’s black people vs. white people?
Yes, all lives matter, but not all lives are suffering right now. Not all lives are being inhumanely treated and unnecessarily murdered. The Black Lives Matter movement is not saying black people matter more or that white lives don’t matter, it’s bringing awareness to the injustices suffered by black people.
Finally, it is appalling to me that the leader of our country is encouraging the abhorrent behavior of white supremacists, adding fuel to the fire and acting as if he is watching a comedy movie with a big bowl of popcorn.
A presidential election is a few months away. Remember Trump’s ignorant tweets in which he spewed hatred and misinformation and blatantly attacked those who disagreed with him. Remember that he called peaceful protestors this weekend “thugs” but constantly applauds and praises those who violently protest a better screening process when buying a gun or the hundreds of people who protested stay-at-home orders in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. Your vote can help replace the current administration with leaders who are not afraid to speak out against white supremacism and treat all American citizens with respect.
Change is desperately needed. A country I used to be proud to call home has disappointed me. As long as black people continue to be mistreated and senselessly murdered, I don’t know if I can say I’m proud to call this country my home. As long as racism continues to run rampant and a president encourages racism, I don’t think I can fully be proud to call America home. And that hurts me. I used to be so proud to be an American, but I know there are probably some people who live in this country who feel the opposite because of how they’ve been treated. Until that changes, I stand by them. I stand by you. I will do my best to help change the system and get justice for everyone who needs it. I know that if we all come together and use our privilege for good, we can make this country a place to be proud of, not ashamed of. I hope it happens sooner rather than later.
I recognize my privilege as a white girl from a middle class family who has never had to worry about not having a comfortable life. I recognize the fact that if I ever had an altercation with a police officer, I wouldn’t fear for my life. I hope that someday soon everybody will have that same comfort. But I can’t just hope…I have to do something about it. I have signed a petition in Floyd’s honor and donated to the GoFundMe set up by his family as well as this nonprofit organization in Minneapolis posting bail for people who were arrested while peacefully protesting Floyd’s death.
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“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” -- Desmond Tutu
“Darkness can’t drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate can’t drive out hate, only love can do that.” -- Martin Luther King Jr.
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” -- Nelson Mandela
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This website compiles link of places to donate, sign petitions, educate yourself on the subject and so much more.
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