Poverty

Minneapolis: we have fully witnessed your white officer killing of an unarmed black man, once again. Our society and our world is at a breaking point as I write a loud call for your deep courage and hard work.

People across America and the world are reeling from the police murder of yet another unarmed black man, George Floyd. We’ve seen firsthand the horrific video of an officer pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. We’ve witnessed his ignoring Floyd’s cries of, “I can’t breathe!” And, most horrendous of all, we saw that when Floyd became silent, his captor’s knee remained heavily on his throat, while other officers observed and did nothing. 

Now, in the midst of a paralyzing pandemic and economic collapse, all across cities everywhere people are staggered by the unbelievable horror we’ve witnessed. Thus, this ultimate example of complete and cold disregard for an unarmed black man’s life must stop now.

You have taken immediate steps, Minneapolis leaders, yet they’ve been slow in coming. (In fairness, Eric Garner’s officer was fired from the force five years after the killing. How utterly outrageous is that?) You fired the four officers quickly and arrested Derek Chauvin four days after the killing. That’s progress and needs acknowledgment, yet the delay is nevertheless scandalous and dishonorable.) 

Can you not see the societal breaking point that has arrived? Will you not lead a courageous journey that shows the way to value all human life? Do we not have the moral obligation to finish what Abraham Lincoln bravely started so many decades ago? That, simply, we are all created equal.

Now, you must call this what it is: Murder One. Arrest the three other officers who stood idly by. They profoundly failed us all by their shameful rejection of their oath to protect the public. Does that oath include not all the public?

Therefore, you must prevent another family from ever having to endure their loved one’s life so cruelly and coldly crushed from his body. We are not the United States of America; these days we have become the ever more deeply the untied states of america.

I’m so struck by this tragic irony… The good guy in this story is the victim. The allegedly good officers were the murderers.

And so, Minneapolis, this is a call for your courage and action! Your time to do the hard work of ending a white officer killing of an unarmed black man is now. May we never again hear the heartbreaking words: I can’t breathe!

I believe you can do it. But will you?

Footnote: Six years ago, I published another story about an event that forever altered the course of my professional life. It is here: “I Can’t Breathe.”