The Current George Floyd Situation in America

Every single day and night, the media has provided updates, whether accurate or not is yet to be determined, on the current Coronavirus Pandemic. It dominated the airwaves, the country and the world news like no other story since the Twin Towers of 2001. And for the first time in memory, a curfew, work stoppage and health fear has brought the country to a halt. We sit, day after day, watching, waiting, worrying.

Will we be the next to die?

Just as things were beginning to look up, cities and municipalities beginning to relax these measures and life beginning to return to some semblance of order, George Floyd is killed by police (allegedly).

I say allegedly because every person, right or wrong, deserves their day in court to determine if they are guilty or not, to be found by a jury of their peers to have broken the law or not. And while Mr. Floyd did die while in the custody of the police, we do not know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so far. We have bits and pieces, little tidbits released by the authorities and family to the media (each to their own agenda) telling us, the Jury of America, what they want us to hear in order to form opinions.

Remember, we do not know everything, so act accordingly.

Am I saying he died because of the police officer kneeling on his neck? Or did he die as a result of the intoxicants said to have been found in his blood. Possibly his death was due to an underlying heart condition alluded to in one of the autopsies. Whatever was the true cause of death, I cannot say; but I do know that his death, or rather the protests which have led to the riots and looting, have caused possibly irreparable harm to multiple areas, towns, cities and businesses across our nation, to say nothing of the actual people being affected, even killed.

And for what? Will this really bring about the change sought by some? Will it harden the hearts of others? Will anything really change?

Today I watched and listened to an interview on one of the major media stations with Jamaal Bowman. If you do not know Dr. Bowman (and I did not before today) here is a quote from Ballotpedia introducing him:

Jamaal Bowman (Democratic Party, Working Families Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent New York's 16th Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020.

He has a Master's Degree in Guidance Counseling and an Ed.D in Organizational Leadership. Obviously, he is highly intelligent and interested in running for office in his home state. The interview I watched asked him a question concerning the riots and what the people protesting desired. His answer, if I recall correctly, was that his people (African American"s) wanted to have jobs; health benefits; and paid leave. Sound, normal desires of any person in America today, and probably around the world.

Immediately after hearing Dr. Bowman state these desires, I thought this:

With what is being displayed in these cities, the burning of buildings, police cars and other property, with the looting and theft by so many of those attending the protests/riots, and the general disarray of the neighborhoods being attacked, why would any corporation, business owner, potential employer want to put jobs and businesses anywhere near these areas?

I am sorry, but that is the truth to me. If an area is crime ridden, people are afraid to walk the streets at night (and sometimes in the day) for fear of being shot, mugged, robbed or worse, who in their right minds would attempt to improve the area for them? In Michigan recently a story came out concerning a retail store which had hired a security guard due to the evident crime in the neighborhood, and he was shot in the back of the head for asking a family to follow state guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic and wear masks. Three of the four persons in the family had them on apparently, but one did not. Because of this, the family left then returned and shot him in the back of the head, killing him.

Would you want to invest money in a store in a neighborhood where life is so cheap? Would you place a business in a location where riots took place, where people stole cars, televisions, electronics, food, etc? Where homes were burned, police officers killed, both black and white? Where life was so cavalierly disposable?

I know, in the deepest portions of my soul, America has a serious problem on its hands with the apparent divide between the races. Over the past sixty years, through segregation, civil rights, speeches, militant groups, hate groups, hate crimes, welfare, poverty and everything else which has created more and more issues, we are seemingly no closer to being a unified nation than before the Civil War. The gentleman killed in the streets of Georgia a few months ago demonstrates that a black man cannot even jog for health or pleasure and be safe in a predominantly white neighborhood. "He must be a thief, so let's arrest him!" and then he is killed, shot dead in a struggle. I would have done exactly, EXACTLY the same thing he did! If I had been chased, hounded, pursued and cornered as he was I would have fought for my life as he obviously did.

These men who were involved have been arrested, charged and will stand trial. I pray they get their just rewards.

The men who were involved in the death of Mr. Floyd should as well, if they are found guilty. I cannot say if they are, but if they are, they deserve to feel the wrath of our justice system in the same manner as those in Georgia.

If you cause a death, you deserve to be on the other side of the justice system.

Why? Why do you do this? Is it true injustice you feel obligated, driven to exact from the people in your own neighborhoods? Or is it simple greed, taking advantage of a moment in time when patience is what is really required, when words might do more than violent deeds? Does one death equal five, ten, twenty others? Does one death require vengeance to the extreme such as the thefts, destruction being seen in cities across the country?

I live in a one horse town in nowhere America. It is an hour to a town that even has more than one supermarket, to where there is a Hardees or an Arbys, to where one can sit down at a nice restaurant. And today, in my ridiculously small town, I saw a demonstration, a protest where BLM signs were being held up. By whites. Not a single African American person to be found anywhere. I'm not saying there aren't any who live here, just that they were conspicuously absent in a protest supposedly designed to help them. There is no radio station, no television station for over sixty miles so I know, or at least believe, they weren't looking for notoriety or fame by being on the 6:00 News. To my knowledge, there has never been a race crime in this town since the Civil War time frame. People here are quiet, decent, hard working. They believe in the Golden Rule where we treat other people like we want to be treated. No inner city scary places, nowhere you would be afraid to walk with your family. People smile when they see you, black or white, or any other race and color. There is a college here which is quite small as colleges go, but distinguished and hosts people from all over the world, literally all over the world. Never has one of them met with any animosity, anger, racial bias as far as I know. It is an old college, dating back over a hundred years and caters to these highly intelligent, driven people and they are treated with dignity and respect, by everyone.

But this situation has come to my home town, brought its ugliness to a place that has known peace and forgiveness, and I fear what comes next. If a place such as this can see protests when all it has known is harmony, what else will come? And for what?

In this time of such strife, anger, hatred and divide, we must take a step back and remove the fuel from the fire. It is said that a fire requires three things to come into being: it must have fuel, it must have oxygen, and it must have a spark to start it. George Floyd's death was the spark, the fire has begun. We must remove either the fuel or the oxygen in order to put it out.

I believe in equality. I believe in what the Founding Fathers said, even if at that moment in time they did not realize the full scope of their words: All Men Are Created Equal. Unfortunately, Man makes other men unequal, Man creates divides, Man causes issues, and Man has created this mess we find ourselves in. And only Man can find a solution. The solution is that those who find themselves in a situation that is less than perfect must find the means to help themselves as much as possible, seek out those who can assist them and work to extricate themselves from the morass they are in. They must police themselves, come together and call out those who would demean them, who would cause their neighborhoods to be unsafe, who desire to keep the status quo in place thus continuing to be a slum lord, drug lord, war lord over those who desire a chance at life. Companies coming into such a situation are doomed to fail; investments made in such areas will be lost; the areas must be made better in order to continue to be better, to be successful.

Either that, or leave the areas to those who desire to remain in that jungle. Leave, move out. Find a better solution for you and your family. Do whatever it takes to help yourselves. You are not alone, but not everything can be done for you, handed to you. You must help as well. Education, better family groups, less unwed mothers, less drug usage, these are the weapons to use against those who would keep you down. Use them! We will be there to help, I promise! We just cannot fix the problem for you by continuing to throw money at the problem; it takes effort, work from both sides. Create a different community from within and things can change. I most fervently believe that. On the other hand, the government and authorities must take steps to back up the people who are being bullied, threatened in these neighborhoods. They cannot be ignored, they cannot be left out to dry. If they cry out for help, we are bound by morality to help them. If crime is rampant in their areas, we must help them stamp it out, make it safe for families. That is our duty as Man.

It is our Constitutional Right, our soul bound duty to assist those who desire the rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. For all, no exceptions.

For all.