Hello Readers,
Coronavirus Racism: a key word that has existed for centuries. We all know that one strong and powerful group has always suppressed weaker group in our history. African Americans have been exploited by the way of their property and by the way of cheap labor. The police department is not an exception. Police brutality was always there. However, for the past couple of decades, it is slowly coming to the forefront.
Many groups have united together to protect people against police brutality and racism. Since Local Talk came into existence in 2000, George Floyd was the biggest case of brutality all over the country and the world as well.
On May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, MN, George was Floyd accused of using a fake $20 bill. The store called the police. They knew the crime from the beginning. It was not a horrible crime, if true. However, some of the officers – particularly Derek Chauvin – treated George Floyd like he was a murderer who committed some heinous crime. Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s for around 9 minutes, and the poor man lost his life over $20.
On an unprecedented scale, all over the country and world, there were protests. Not only black people, but other minority groups and some Caucasians joined the protests.
According to The New York Times on May 29, 2020: “Mr. Trump held a news conference about China shortly after Mr. Biden delivered his remarks but did not mention Mr. Floyd or take any questions. A few hours later, he addressed Mr. Floyd’s death at the start of a round table discussion with executives. ‘I understand the hurt. I understand the pain,’ Mr. Trump said, while also criticizing ‘looters’ in Minneapolis.
“Former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party Joe Biden said: “you know, I just had an opportunity to speak with the Floyd family, a group of them, most of them. They’re a close, decent, honorable family, loving one another. And once again we heard the words, and they heard them, ‘I can’t breathe’ – an act of brutality so elemental, it did more than deny one more black man in America his civil rights and his human rights. It denied him of his very humanity.”
What a difference between the two. Now, the civil and criminal courts have given the right judgement. In the civil case, Floyd’s family and the state of Minnesota agreed on a $27 million settlement. Tuesday, April 20, 2021 will be marked as a special day when the jury gave a guilty verdict on all three charges.
1. Second degree unintentional murder (called felony murder). To prove this count, prosecutors had to show that Chauvin killed Floyd while committing or trying to commit a felony.
2. For Third degree murder. Jurors had to find Chauvin caused Floyd’s death through an action that was “eminently dangerous” and carried out with a reckless disregard for and conscious indifference to the loss of life.
3. Second degree manslaughter. Prosecutors had to show that Chauvin caused Floyd’s death through culpable negligence that created an unreasonable risk, and that he consciously took the chance of causing severe injury or death.
But this case is not the only problem. There are many problems we are facing. Now we must unite, like we did in Floyd’s case and protest others against racism, wrongdoing and police brutality.
Have a wonderful week.
I’ll talk to you next week.
