Black lives are important. All lives matter. The murder of George Floyd was a tragic event that happened. Now everyone knows his name after his death was caused by the brutality of a police officer with others apparently supporting the officer despite bystanders pleading for mercy for the clearly distraught victim.
So many lives have been ruined because of a counterfeit $20 bill. A Minneapolis grocery store owner called police to report that two black men had been in his store and that George Floyd had used a counterfeit $20 bill. The owner later said that George Floyd may not even have known the bill was fake. Perhaps George Floyd’s escort could shed some light on that story, but it’s unlikely they knowingly tried to pass counterfeit money while driving a Mercedes and then lingered in the area after the store purchase.
So many lives were ruined over a counterfeit $20 bill. George Floyd lost his life that day due to his mistreatment. His family has lost his beloved brother or father. His friends have lost someone close to them. The policeman who committed the act and the other three who supported his colleague face a serious prison sentence, since they have been accused of murder and complicity.
A couple of days later, the world turned upside down. Just beginning to recover from the Covid-19 virus pandemic, people let their emotions run wild, so America suffered a lot of pain and hardship. Many more lives were ruined by the demonstrations by protesters who wanted to show their support for George Floyd and the other unarmed Black people who have lost their lives due to racism and disrespect.
All of the people who were arrested during what began as peaceful protests may now have criminal records. People who lost their businesses to looting and vandalism have lost a lot. Their places of business were ruined and they lost their livelihood, which was already suffering due to the pandemic. People who resorted to criminal acts and looted businesses are likely to face jail if caught. If they were not caught, it is likely that they have started a life of crime that will cause problems in the future. People were injured or killed in the riots. So many lives have been ruined by that counterfeit $20 bill.
We cannot know for sure if the police officers were racist against African Americans. One of the officers was Asian-American, and the officer accused of murdering George Floyd has been married to an Asian-American woman for ten years.
Many ethnic minority people have experienced racism to some degree. Asian Americans face discrimination today because some unfairly blame them for the arrival of the coronavirus in the United States.
However, we all know that it is worse for African-Americans. If people like Magic Johnson are up against racism and have to warn their children about the treatment they may receive simply because of the color of their skin, we know that change is long overdue. People should be treated with respect and consideration regardless of the color of their skin. There has been too much racism that has been allowed to continue in this country for too many years.
In this day and age when almost everyone carries a mobile phone with a camera, you’d think people would be more careful about their actions. Still, it hasn’t deterred much of the violence and brutality in the country, including among law enforcement. Without a doubt, most police officers are doing their job to the best of their ability, without brutality. A few bad apples ruin good people.
Racism was the main cause of Japanese Americans being driven from their West Coast homes during World War II, when they were wrongfully imprisoned in camps even though they were totally innocent. Many Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, and other ethnicities have received racist slurs. African Americans often face the worst kind of racism.
George Floyd has become a symbol for trying to improve race relations. It is hoped that his life will be remembered and that conditions will finally change. We must all do our part to treat others with the respect that everyone deserves. Racism has no place in society. Too many lives are ruined because of racism.