Racism in US Will Doom Us All

As a “white” American, I’m not surprised but I am very angry about the police murder of George Floyd. I oppose the violence and damage inflicted by some opportunists during the protests across the country — for now that is. I say “for now” because I believe there is still time for change to happen peacefully.

When I posted this piece last week I wondered why more people were not outraged about this atrocity. Since then I have seen a steady uprising by people of all colors in response the brutal, unnecessary murder of this 46 year old US citizen, by Derek Chauvin, a deranged man who was somehow deemed fit to serve as a cop in the city of Minneapolis.

George Floyd was suspected — probably guilty, of passing a counterfeit $20 bill. He was pinned down by Chauvin who after some time kneeled on Floyd’s neck, and blocked his wind pipe. Floyd gasped and managed to get the words out, “I can’t breathe” several times, eventually called for his deceased mother, but was ignored while Chauvin’s knee and all his body weight dug into Floyd’s neck for almost NINE minutes. Three additional cops inexplicably stood by and watched this happen. An ambulance was called to the scene but it was too little too late. George Floyd was dead. To Floyd’s misfortune all four officers on the scene that day were unfit to serve, and he lost his life because of it.

Predictably, politicians are mostly saying the right things, some feigning outrage and marking Floyd’s murder by police as a lesson we’ll all learn from. This is pure, unadulterated bullshit. It’s high time we put down our iPhones, and stand united against the fascist movement that has gripped this country. The signs so far are pretty discouraging to me.

Exhibit A: It took Minneapolis Police FOUR days to arrest this disgraced murderer in a police uniform. We all saw what happened on video. What took them so long?

Exhibit B: On Saturday, May 30, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz held a press conference about the ongoing disturbances, saying he now believed they “had nothing to do” with Floyd’s murder. It’s time to WAKE UP please Governor Walz! These protests are like warning shots. You and all your associates in office across this country need to take notice.

Exhibit C: Chauvin has been charged with 3rd degree manslaughter, a charge that would be more appropriate for his three inept, dumbfounded colleagues. The man’s behavior did not at all reflect the standards and policies of any police department. This has to be treated like an outright citizen on citizen assault. The charge should be murder one, two at best.

Exhibit D: There are, without a doubt, thousands of cops serving in this country who are capable of doing something similar or even worse than what Chauvin did. They are everywhere, so there is no getting clear of them.

Exhibit E: As mentioned above, I’m hearing some of the right words, but what are the actions we’re taking to change the system and, in this case, the psychological criteria that allows such ignorant, incapable people to become police officers? We need specifics! Now! Otherwise, this will happen again, just like it’s happened so many times before.

All of the above are signs that we are about to repeat the meager response and non-remedies we’ve made in the past. We need a cultural change, because hatred runs deep in the minds and hearts of many US citizens. Naturally, they teach hatred and bigotry to their children. This type of change takes a lot of time and even more focused effort.

George Floyd was murdered because of the diseased psyche gripping this country. Just two weeks before Floyd’s murder, a father and son were arrested for the murder of another black man jogging in Georgia. It just keeps happening, and it’s bound to happen again. I now from personal experience that many cops are decent, compassionate, hard working people. But I shudder to think of the too numerous racist, hateful & frustrated bullies wearing a badge that I know are capable of doing exactly what Chauvin did and worse. We all need to worry and hope we don’t happen to run in to them — especially our siblings in the African American community.

This is why all police departments have to undergo a transformation from the inside out. NEW psych testing has to be implemented and ALL cops must be tested to weed out those who do not qualify to serve as “Peace Officers” — a term I believe should be reintroduced to provide a more approprate orientation to those who serve.

Looking back on it now, I have to ask: Who in their right mind would be offended by the NFL players who took a knee in solidarity over this very issue during the national anthem? We all know the answer, and it was truly sickening to hear the cries — mostly from middle America and the South, but there are pockets everywhere — of racists emboldened by the morally handicapped president, who led the charge: “Fire the son of a bitch!”

There has been a steady drum beat of incidents that stem from this horrid disease. It’s a disease that won’t be cured with words and symbolic gestures. It will require action, legislation and education — lots of it, before we can undergo the fundamental change that’s needed.

If there’s a tipping point that might initiate real change in this country, it can only happen with white Americans standing up against this kind of treatment of their fellow citizens. We need to join together, all of us across racial lines to demand change. We ALL should be outraged about what happened. If you’re white and you think what happened doesn’t impact you, you’re wrong!

The militaristic mentality and binary dogmatic thinking that is still flourishing in this country is out of control. These elements are here by design. They benefit only the billionaires and corporate America and NOT society at large. So, in effect, if you’re white, yellow, red or black, we all have to understand that ONE OF OURS WAS MURDERED BY POLICE, and react accordingly. If you don’t think it affects you, you may be right for the time being, but it will for sure in the near future. The current president with his blatantly racist beliefs is another ugly symptom of the disease.

If we don’t see profound change, the violence happening now is just a drop in the bucket of what will become inevitable. I sincerely hope it’s not too late. If the system cannot be changed by peaceful means, it can only be changed by force and upheaval. No one in their right mind wants that because it will be an ugly, painful process. But in the end it’s may be the only remedy to the oppressive police state that those now in power would have.

This summer may be the most violent in this country since 1968. With the simmering, pent up emotions caused by the COVID pandemic response, combined with a president who, without a doubt, will happily light the fuse and brandish willful ignorance, we are likely are approaching a flashpoint, so we’d better see clearly what is in front of us and have values and beliefs in order to build a more humane society.

ALL Americans need to stand against racism, hatred and oppression.