Written by Michael Palomba
The past couple of weeks have been some of the darkest in our country’s history. George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was murdered at the hands of Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin. His death has sparked widespread outrage which has resulted in protests and violent riots across the country.
While the details of what happened are a little shaky, here’s what I was able to gather with some research. The main source I am using is Global News, which has a similar account to other sources.
On May 25, George Floyd visited Cup Foods Grocery Store in Minneapolis with two other individuals. One of those individuals tried to use a fake bill, which was caught by an employee and returned to the individual. Floyd then returned 10 minutes later to buy a pack of cigarettes. He attempted to pay using “a suspicious” $20 bill.
An employee then made a call to 911. During the 911 call, the employee said that he requested the cigarettes back from Floyd upon receiving the suspicious bill. The employee also said that Floyd was “sitting in his car cause he is awfully drunk and he’s not in control of himself.” There is an official transcript of the 911 call that verifies this info.
The police arrived and officer Thomas Lane began speaking to Floyd. A statement from prosecutors reads, “He pulled his gun out and pointed it at Mr. Floyd’s open window and directed Mr. Floyd to show his hands.” The statement goes on to say that the gun was put away once Floyd put his hands on the steering wheel, but the officer “put his hands on Mr. Floyd, and pulled him out of the car” as he asked him to step out. Once out of the car, Floyd “actively resisted being handcuffed,” according to the statement.
While this information paints a slightly more complicated scene than has been widely reported, it does not remotely justify the events that followed.
Cell phone video captured Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. “Please, please, please, I can’t breathe,” Floyd can be heard begging while on the ground. “My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Please, please. I can’t breathe.”
What Officer Chauvin did to this man is reprehensible, and the officers who stood by and watched are responsible as well. I’m an adamant Blue Lives Matter supporter, and the actions of these officers make me sick. The ‘boys in blue’ are supposed to be here to protect and serve, but these officers did the opposite of that for George Floyd. He was given the death penalty, without any sort of fair trial, just for allegedly using a fake $20 bill—and we’re not even sure if he did that.
There’s absolutely no reason for an officer to ever kneel on someone’s neck, especially for nine minutes. Floyd was not resisting in the video and for several minutes before he died, he was motionless. Officer Chauvin needs to be punished to the full extent of the law, and the other officers present deserve criminal charges as well. Chauvin was originally charged with 3rd degree murder and manslaughter, and his murder charge has since been elevated to a 2nd degree charge—and rightfully so. This was an atrocity that was clearly not an accident, and justice needs to be served.
Now, with that being said, the events that have followed George Floyd’s death are even more reprehensible. What started as peaceful protests quickly turned to violent, lawless riots. These riots quickly spread across the country and have resulted in countless deaths and enormous amounts of damage. The events I have seen unfold in the days after Floyd’s death have made me weep for the country I love. We have not seen days this dark in a long, long time.
According to The New York Times, as of June 2, the death toll resulting from the riots is “at least 6.” I have seen several more deaths reported individually from other sources, so that number is likely higher, and will likely continue to rise until they end.
Let me give you a quick preview of how these protests, which are supposed to be about justice for George Floyd, have turned out. What was supposed to be a peaceful protest in honor of George Floyd, had turned into looting, arson, assault, and even more lives lost.
These protestors were given the world’s stage. Whether conservative or liberal, white or black, poor or rich; everyone was united in being outraged at the murder of George Floyd. But by making lawlessness part of the protest, they blew it. And even worse, they divided the country and brought out the absolute worst in people.
In this video, a woman is brutalized by looters simply for trying to protect her store.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tEUmmYDUfA
And in this video, you can hear someone yell “shoot the white folk.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYwnW6O1hog
There are countless videos showcasing the brutality, lawlessness, and pure racism brought out from these protests, but I will spare you from watching them. What we have seen in the past few days, both with the murder of George Floyd and the violent riots that have followed, are inconceivable to me. This is not the American way and it pains me to see our country in its current state.
You can not solve a problem by simply trying to turn the tables. Through these riots and protests, I have seen some of the most blatant racism and extreme prejudice against all police. And the worst part is that it’s being accepted and even praised. The hypocrisy is ridiculous and racism is disgusting regardless of who it comes from.
The way that we end racism is by uniting as Americans—it’s the one thing that every single person in this country shares. We are all American, and no one can change that. Identity politics, pushed by Democrats, have caused people to identify with their skin color, gender, sexuality, etc. more than they identify with being American. The truth is that none of that matters, but liberals have done a good job of convincing people it does.
Having pride in your country and loving your fellow countryman is the most important thing for a country, and its people, to thrive. If we don’t abolish identity politics and come together soon, I fear we will see the downfall of America.
