It Feels Like I Should Say Something
I comment on everything else
through my Boomer lens, why not comment on the protests and vandalism connected
to the death of a black man by a white police man?
I haven’t yet because I don’t really know what to say.
The first thought in my head is that the protests are completely justified. The cop was accused of murder and it is hard to refute the video evidence, recorded by multiple witnesses. Yes, the cop deserves a fair trial, but can you see any outcome other than guilty? Even if the arrest of George Floyd was justified, how can kneeling on his neck for eight minutes, when it was obvious that he was suffocating, be justified?
It seems to me that the other three police on the scene are also complicit in the death of the man on the ground pleading for his life.
The anger of the African-American community is justified. Protests and shouting are warranted. Burning and looting are not!
White people should be angry too. This is not an issue for only people of color.
Some sources say the burning is not caused by the protesters but rather by others. Conspiracy theories say radical left, radical right, white supremacists, paid disrupters. Those theories could be true or the anger of the protesters could lead to that kind of rage.
It seems like the damage takes away from the message of the protests. Even George Floyd’s brother has publicly implored people to demonstrate peacefully. And today I saw TV coverage of groups of peaceful protesters locking arms in front of stores to help prevent destruction and looting.
It seems to me there is as much sorrow as there is anger, and setting fires, breaking windows and stealing things doesn’t automatically result from rage.
But how would I know? I’m a 70-year-old white man who grew up in the Deep South. I was taught racial prejudice by family, friends and Louisiana culture of the 1950s and 60s. I began to question those beliefs at a young age, but outside of arguments with family members, my questioning was mostly silent. I’d like to say those prejudicial attitudes never guided my thoughts or actions, but I probably silently harbored racial prejudice or fear on some level into adulthood.
Then, as my beliefs and attitudes crystallized, I probably began overcompensating. White guilt? Look at me, I have a black friend, I’m not racist. I do have black and brown friends and I don’t believe I am racist, but then I wonder if I don’t do enough or say enough in times like these.
So here we are in 2020. It feels a lot like 1968. Laws have helped give people of all races the equality and rights they deserve, but an us-versus-them attitude still exists. Inequities still exist. Fear and suspicion still exist. When does this stop?
In this case, silence is not golden. We must speak. And act. So I guess I’ve said something. I’m not sure what I can DO, but speaking out is a start, right?
I haven’t yet because I don’t really know what to say.
The first thought in my head is that the protests are completely justified. The cop was accused of murder and it is hard to refute the video evidence, recorded by multiple witnesses. Yes, the cop deserves a fair trial, but can you see any outcome other than guilty? Even if the arrest of George Floyd was justified, how can kneeling on his neck for eight minutes, when it was obvious that he was suffocating, be justified?
It seems to me that the other three police on the scene are also complicit in the death of the man on the ground pleading for his life.
The anger of the African-American community is justified. Protests and shouting are warranted. Burning and looting are not!
White people should be angry too. This is not an issue for only people of color.
Some sources say the burning is not caused by the protesters but rather by others. Conspiracy theories say radical left, radical right, white supremacists, paid disrupters. Those theories could be true or the anger of the protesters could lead to that kind of rage.
It seems like the damage takes away from the message of the protests. Even George Floyd’s brother has publicly implored people to demonstrate peacefully. And today I saw TV coverage of groups of peaceful protesters locking arms in front of stores to help prevent destruction and looting.
It seems to me there is as much sorrow as there is anger, and setting fires, breaking windows and stealing things doesn’t automatically result from rage.
But how would I know? I’m a 70-year-old white man who grew up in the Deep South. I was taught racial prejudice by family, friends and Louisiana culture of the 1950s and 60s. I began to question those beliefs at a young age, but outside of arguments with family members, my questioning was mostly silent. I’d like to say those prejudicial attitudes never guided my thoughts or actions, but I probably silently harbored racial prejudice or fear on some level into adulthood.
Then, as my beliefs and attitudes crystallized, I probably began overcompensating. White guilt? Look at me, I have a black friend, I’m not racist. I do have black and brown friends and I don’t believe I am racist, but then I wonder if I don’t do enough or say enough in times like these.
So here we are in 2020. It feels a lot like 1968. Laws have helped give people of all races the equality and rights they deserve, but an us-versus-them attitude still exists. Inequities still exist. Fear and suspicion still exist. When does this stop?
In this case, silence is not golden. We must speak. And act. So I guess I’ve said something. I’m not sure what I can DO, but speaking out is a start, right?
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