The death of George Floyd is tragic to say the
least. It was criminal for former police
officer Derek Chauvin to press his foot on his neck for over 8 minutes while he
was handcuffed on the ground. The other
police officers on the scene did nothing to stop Chauvin who was rightfully
arrested and charged with third-degree murder.
There is a right to protest in American society
guaranteed by the constitution. However,
it must peaceful and not infringe on the rights of others. I was aghast to watch the nightly news and
observe the violent protests in Brooklyn.
The protesters were obviously venting at the NYPD who had nothing to do
with the crime in Minneapolis. Protests there
and in other cities have resulted in the destruction of businesses owned by people
with no connection to the murder.
These last few months have created much unhappiness
for all as recreational, and cultural activities were stopped by the COVID-19
crisis. The protesters in Brooklyn and
in other cities had nothing to do and used the situation to vent their
frustrations. The cliché “Idle hands
make for devil’s workshop” applies here.
The protests about the Eric Garner murder were much less violent.
I certainly hope that justice will prevail here. In 1999 Amadou Diallo was murdered as 4
police officers shot him 43 times. The
trial was moved from the Bronx to Albany and the cops were acquitted. The Eric Garner case dragged on for 5 years
as the cop involved was not criminally charged and was only fired from the
NYPD.
I hope Derek Chauvin’s trial will be held in a timely
manner and in the community where the crime happened. He should be convicted and given the maximum sentence
for third-degree murder.
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