Normally I don’t do this kind of post, but I feel compelled to address this issue especially after the events of today. For the last two weeks, I have been closely watching and listening to the Case of George Floyd's murder. I have to say it was tough to watch especially the last 48 hours of the trial. The closing arguments, the review of the videos, and hearing this man begging as if he knew those would be his last words before he died. I watched as the defense tried to paint a picture that there were so many other things that could have caused his death, besides a man's knee on his neck. There was one line, however; that stood out forme more than anything else in the entire trial, it came from the prosecutors, “This is not the state of Minnesota versus the Police… It is the state versus Derek Chauvin”.

Most don’t know this but nationwide this is the first non-shooting conviction of a police officer on record period. Let that sink in for a minute, we have seen this over and over with police shootings. In most cases, it either doesn’t get to this point or when the officers go to court it ends with a “Hung Jury.” The black community as a whole has a continued distrust in the judicial system for this reason. We see atrocities happen and when we look for justice there is none. The question is why? Why trust in a system that isn’t for you? The world watched for nearly 10 minutes as a man’s life was taken from him slowly and agonizingly. Even as I am writing this tonight there is part of me that doesn’t trust that Chauvin will do the time. The system will find some loophole to get the sentence reduced or minimized.

I hope this will be a step forward in the march toward reform. The fact that there is a precedence set that sends a message to police all over this country that the badge that you wear isn’t a “get out of jail free card” for aggressions toward black and brown people. People are dancing in the streets that a cop was convicted but why is that a thing? Why must we celebrate the justice system working? We can all collectively breathe a sigh of relief tonight. For 10 hours over two days, 12 people decided to call it fairly and a murderer was brought to justice.

This is not to say that all cops are bad, or that they can’t make mistakes in the heat of the moment. They are human like the rest of us but unlike the rest of us, they took an oath to serve and protect us. Maybe in the wake of this, we will see some real changes start to happen in this country and the police as a whole.

It’s shameful this man, like so many others, Gorge Floyd had to lose his life for it. My prayer is the change is coming tomorrow.

Rest in Peach Gorge Floyd

Mnd