This is not a news article. This is not an article that is meant to provide you with statistics or information about the recent murder of George Floyd. This is an open letter from another citizen of color that is witnessing the injustices live. The murder of Mr. Floyd wasn’t the only cause of the recent uprising, but it was the breaking point of years and years of accumulated rage. Communities of color all across the United States have experienced institutionalized racism for decades, and seeing the murder of George Floyd in cold blood by another white, trigger happy police officer just wouldn’t pass by unnoticed, swept under the rug like many other instances of police brutality.
The reason why Mr. Floyd was detained in the first place was because he was suspected of using a forged $20 at a nearby bodega, but that was soon proven incorrect and the $20 was actually real. Not that police brutality is justified in any way, shape, or form; but the whole reasoning as to why he was detained was ultimately incorrect. Regardless of that, the correct protocol had the $20 been fake is to arrest him, process him, and give him a court date so that a judge can actually look into the case, not some measly police officer that took it upon himself to judge his actions, with the verdict of murdering him right then and there. Derek Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for seven entire minutes, causing him to die by asphyxiation, which is when the brain does not get enough blood flow, which we can all conclude is due to Chauvin kneeling on his neck.
In response to this heinous crime, communities across the globe took to the streets of their cities to peacefully protest, which soon turned to riots due to police instigating and escalating the protests. People’s first amendment rights are being infringed upon like never before. Journalists are being shot at and losing eyes because police find that to be a suitable thing to do in those situations. Protestors are being detained and forcefully injured by police, even though protesting is a constitutional right. Medical teams are losing equipment due to police purposely damaging this equipment.
Video evidence has shown that police are purposely destroying police cars, buildings, and other items and blaming those actions on protestors. It makes you think: who’s side are they on? Last time we all checked, police forces are meant to work for the people, meant to protect the people, and are meant to promote safety. All we’ve seen in the wake of all the recent events is the complete opposite. It just doesn’t make any sense to have this many ignorant and bigoted people in places of power like police forces because they end up abusing this power and basically get paid to act violently and killing their own civilians.
Regardless of race, ethnicity, and age, we must all come together to promote fundamental change. Millions of dollars have been fundraised and donated to causes such as Reclaim the Block, The Black Lives Matter Movement, bail funds, and plenty of other funds. The other three officers involved in the murder of Floyd have been arrested and Chauvin’s sentence has been promoted from 3rd-degree murder to 2nd degree. All of our protesting and activism via social media are being heard. We must not be silent because silence is violence.
Once the murderers of George Floyd get convicted, we must keep fighting. Keep making our voices heard because this is bigger than George’s murder. Fundamental change is on the way, this is no longer a moment, it’s the movement.
