About the Murder of George Floyd (rant, sorry)

[Mike 03]

Usually when I begin a post not knowing where I want to go with it, it’s usually not a very good post. I’m so enraged by the murder of George Floyd that I’m having trouble thinking straight or putting my emotions into words. Yes, I’ve been furious about these incidents before: Sandra Bland’s arrest; the gunning down of John Crawford III in a Walmart after some idiot called the police because he picked up a BB gun; the despicable murder of Freddie Grey, whose spine was crushed by a renegade cop before he was tossed in the back of a police van and given a deliberately “rough ride”; Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice. Too many to name.

What stands out in the murder of George Floyd is the absolute impunity of that cop basically inflicting torture while staring defiantly at onlookers begging him to stop. He knew he was being videotaped. It takes a long time to choke a human being, and basically George Floyd was tortured and strangled to death. There’s a premeditated sadism here I’ve not seen before in these killings. That is not some out-of-control burst of adrenaline but rather a law enforcement officer taking pleasure in murdering a man in slow motion, and rejoicing in the trauma it’s causing to the onlookers. It’s beyond anything I’ve ever seen. I can’t stop thinking about it.

Maybe this is a lot to ask, but ever since the death of John Crawford III I’ve had a wish a black person would take me by the hand and tell me exactly what I need to do to help make this right. I remember impotently Tweeting my outrage and knowing it was not enough. Same for Sandra Bland and Freddie Gray. I know something is expected of me, but I don’t know exactly what it is. I feel powerless too, so I’m wondering if I’m even in a position to help. But I desperately want to know what the white community can do to stop this insanity. I’m so sick of it I can’t see straight. What is our role? I really, sincerely want to help. How do I help? What is ‘the conversation’ we need to have?

Sorry about the rant. I just had to vent. Hopefully soon I can find a more artful and proper way to articulate my extreme anger and dismay, or put it to better use to actually have some effect.

[Lulu KC]

1. With you--

it does feel different, because it was different. There is also something about it following on the heels of the birdwatcher/animal abuser confrontation in Central Park. In one pandemic, when everything bad seems vividly exaggerated, systemic racism is coming into focus as an illness we've been living with in this country alone since it was founded.

One thing we know we can do is vote, and that's why DU is so precious right now. I am hoping that Joe selects a person for VP who can contribute to solutions.

My own Black friends are asking me to call it out wherever I can--social media, social events, professional lives, personal conversations. Don't just agree with them in their settings, call it out ourselves to our own networks. It sounds simple, but I've found it more complicated than I thought it would be.

[dalton99a]

2. He was proud of his work and took great pleasure in it

And he is not an outlier or anomaly

[BComplex]

3. He is a trump supporter, and he was at the trump rally "cops for trump".

It's a disease that is every bit as insidious as COVID-19 that is infecting our country. We need a friggin' vaccine against this type of racism, sociopathy and hate on the right. That vaccine is doing away with lying rightwing media.

[pazzyanne]

16. "He is a trump supporter..."

As is his Union rep. Despicable!

[Bettie]

4. Premeditated Sadism

Those are the words I was looking for. That is what it is.

I can't get over the expression on his face, a self-satisfied smirk, the look of a man who knows exactly what he's doing and feels that it is his absolute right to do it. The look of a man who believes he will suffer no consequences for his actions.

[malaise]

5. George Floyd was lynched by cops

Stop killing black people!

[qwlauren35]

6. I'm assuming you're white.

Please forgive me if I'm wrong.

I am starting to see a wonderful movement that I think was either started by some smart white people, or some black people came up with it, and pushed it.

We can't seem to arrest people for racist behavior. But we can hurt them financially. We can cause them to lose their jobs, we can put them out of their homes. We can run off their customers, we can picket their businesses. Heck, if we could take it that far, we could call in their loans, their car notes, their mortgages. Force them into bankruptcy.

I don't know if you're aware but the president of the University of Minnesota has cancelled all contracts with the Minneapolis PD. They will not be called in to assist with any special events.

SO! There are things that can be done to hurt racist people when you can't throw them in jail.

Now, this cop. I'm pretty sure he will go to jail because he was filmed, and when a jury sees that film, they will convict him. What happens to him in jail, hopefully, will be horrible. Possibly fatal. Frankly, I think he deserves the death penalty, but it probably won't go that far.

As for the rioters, if they are going to be destructive, I hope they will burn his house to the ground.

[ismnotwasm]

7. From a social media perspective I have a TikTok

(No, I’m not going to be dancing on it.)

What the Black activists I see on there are asking For, is to amplify their voices, kind of like YouTube “like, comment and share” content. So many good powerful voices are not heard because of social
Media algorithms. I am going to start doing this, because I think it’s sound advice. Some of the bigger accounts, like Occupydemocrats are already doing this, but I’m talking black voices FOR Black voices such as Son of Baldwin on insta, This guy on TikTok
@_the_savage_lokius
https://vm.tiktok.com/KBhMWA/

This doctor is talking about the problem on that particular platform

https://vm.tiktok.com/KBaVT1/

So many unbelievable voices

Any chance you get to amplify Black voices, do it. Email letters to police departments, find out what local issues are for black Americans. I tend to stay silent, because I’m very white, and cannot speak for the experience of others, but I can support voices trying to speak, whose words are more important, and more authentic. I probably should do this more here, when I think about it, except we lost a lot of our people of color. ( And, Personally my Facebook is mostly for my Mom, but I decided to start putting things on there every day in my story)

Also, white peoples who are constantly getting their feelings hurt because #notallwhitepeople just knock it off. This is not about you.

[Lars39]

9. This info needs to be an OP!

[MineralMan]

8. That was very well stated.

Thank you.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

10. Mike, watch the video in this post from today. Perhaps it will help.

See: https://democraticunderground.com/100213495644

He's reminding us to try and get to know one another better which is a damn good place to start........

[Brainfodder]

11. Too much division in our world?

Protect and serve....

Not Protect and serve AND actively look to collect taxes to fund yourself?

That is where I believe it went off the rails.

Same thing with privatizing prisons, incentivizing actively creating more convictions of citizens, what could possibly go wrong? DUH!

$ first, consequences of acquiring it not even considered it appears in some cases?

[demigoddess]

12. I would say that we need to vote for the right people. People who will hold these cops

responsible for what they do, especially this.

We also need to demand better mental health testing of people who want to be police. Before they get the power to do these things.( I have a feeling some police go into the cops so they can put down people, or maybe have a chance of killing someone.)

[Evolve Dammit]

13. No apologies needed. Outrage is necessary. This shit has to stop.

[GitRDun]

14. What strikes me

With each video release, no violent confrontation.

To me that means a murder charge

[geardaddy]

15. I'm with you.

[Mickju]

17. I hear you.

I feel the same way. It is truly horrible.

[smirkymonkey]

18. +1000