“I Can’t Breathe” Distressing Cries From A Dying Man … George Floyd

May 29, 2020 | By Hopeton O’Connor Dennie |

48 Hours Of Horror … Fires and Protests …  

Four Police Officers Fired

Images of four police officers with one using his knee to suffocate a black man who lies motionless in distress on the pavement is hard to watch. It is disturbing, disgusting, demeaning and a disgrace to be occurring in 2020 in America. The shared brutality is only rivalled to the swift firing of the 4 police officers involved. Justice delayed is Justice denied … seems to be the message being sent. Refreshing to say the least. Is that alone or enough? Does this swift punishment proportionate and or equitable to the crime perpetrated?

Life Snuffed Out

The life of an unarmed Black Man has been mercilessly snuffed out. He is accused of tendering a forged currency note which he may not have been aware of. In any case such is a misdemeanor. A level of crime, if the suspect is even found guilty is not punishable by death in the criminal justice system in the USA.

Late Item Of News

The main suspect, police officer has been taken into custody. His name is Derek Chauvin, formerly of the Minneapolis Police department.
Will the other 3vof his colleagues be charged with complicity or accessory after the fact?

Mayor Reacts

The mayor lauds the firing of the four cops. The public believes they should be quickly criminally charged. The public sees these officers as “murderers” who should be so charged. The mayor is calling for criminal charges for the 4 accused now former officers.

Police Chief

The Police Chief has publicly apologized to the citizens of Minneapolis, USA for the actions of his officers that has led to this incident.

President Donald Trump

Many believe the policies of President Trump has emboldened many White Anglo-saxons Protestants (WASPs) to behave in a racist manner. “What I saw today did not look good”. He also urged authorities to speed up the investigation. Declared President Donald Trump who was commenting for the first time publicly on the incident that has drawn international condemnation.

FBI

The Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) has been invited to investigate the killing of this latest unarmed black man. He was hand cuffed yet he was forced to the ground. Why such excessive force?

Looting and Destruction Of Property

Businesses in Minneapolis have been targeted by mixed races. TV images show citizens trashing mainly businesses and smoke emanating from buildings. There have been looting also. Target, a noted variety department chain store like Walmart who both enjoy nationwide presence with some 12 different locations in Minneapolis … is being targeted. This is cause for concern. Is Target seen as a symbol of exploitation by blacks? The reason is not immediately clear. Wendy’s another well known fast food chain was burnt to the ground. Charred out of this community close to this murderous incident. It was an unfortunate black incident at a Star Bucks some time ago that sticks out in my mind. A black man was denied use of their bathroom facilities because he did not make a purchase. A shameful act indeed. Employees were fired and threats to boycott the chain followed. This pattern of disrespect to blacks who have great spending power is mind baffling.

Al Sharpton

“How a man can hold a man down for nine minutes ” declared a rather passionate Al Sharpton, Human Rights activist, as he reacted to the shared brutality of the police officers’ action. For the third straight night the violence has gone unabated.

National Guard

Police in riot gear have tried fruitlessly to save the trashed Target store. One protestor was shot dead. By whom and where is not very clear. It is therefore not surprising that the Governor has ordered out the National Guard to restore order. The National Guard is a strike force that is on standby to respond to disasters like wild or bush fire, flooding and to restore civil liberties and or related emergencies. They are a reserve strike force to bolster internal security. In many other nations like Jamaica, they are referred to as the National Reserves.

Black Lives Matter

Following a number controversial deaths of mainly black men at the hands of white police officers a movement was launched called “Black Lives Matter”. It is a form of civil rights body to provide activism and to shine light on the injustices being meted out to black minorities in the Justice system in the Commonwealth of the United States which it is widely believed to practice systematic racism.

Nancy Pelosi

The chairperson of the Democratic led Congress has lent her voice to the condemnation of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Canada Is Guilty

Although we are focussing on the USA, Canada who is across the border should not be seen as a paragon of virtue and therefore prime candidates for beatification. The first steps to sainthood. Their police are known to Target black youths and other visible minorities. Carding is common there, although illegal. A young woman of 40 jump to her death from a high rise in the presence of police as reported on CBC, The National last night. There is to a less extent a lack of respect meted out to minorities in Canada, although there are starked inequalities as they are not treated as if social equals. The Canadian society is by no means innocent. Black youths are underemployed and are angry. The thinking normally portrayed or considered as white as snow is false. Assuming that whiteness is a true symbol of purity …. an image which even biblically is often referred to as thus. “Your Sins are cleansed as white as snow’. And blackness as ” Black sheep in a family”. Both references in quotation marks are biblical in association or origin.

Black Inequality is even in the Registration of Voters in the USA.

There have been a string of such incidences across the USA over the years. This has moved the black community to launch the “Black Lives Matter” Movement. This initiative is a vehicle to draw attention to the lack of respect shown to members of the black community by Law Enforcement officers in particular. The silence to the indifference of the Public outcry over many years of scorn and inequality in America toward the black community has been deafening. Jail times for blacks are not equal for the same crimes committed by whites. Former VP Joe Biden and leading Democratic presidential candidate for November 2020 alluded to that recently in a radio interview.

The murders of Trayvon Martin, Rodney King immediately come to mind as having been killed at the hands of police or white folks with no Justice handed out.

Black CNN Reporter detained and released.

Joey Jackson lawyer,. “You do not need to establish due process. The other officers who stood by acted in complicity” lawyer on Minneapolis incident.

Sgt. DeAndre’ Hutchinson a police Officer said “the inhumanity meted out to the Journalist, they did not have any probable cause. Those officers who stood by and did nothing … you are just as guilty.”

Melvin Carter … Mayor

“Officers should be arrested.” Mayor Melvin Carter. The governor Walz said a curfew may be put in place tonight.

This is a sad day for Minneapolis, USA.

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is Senior National & International Correspondent for Vision Newspaper