Tuesday, June 2, 2020

There's Something Rotten In America - Making Sense Of The Senseless

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020



My Dear America:

There's Something Happening Here.  
What it is ain't exactly Clear
There's a Man with a Gun Over There
Telling me I got to Beware


These words are the lyrics of a song written many years ago by Stephen Stills and recorded by the Buffalo Springfield.  The words are just as relevant today as they were in the 1960's.  In fact, they may very well be even more relevant today than they ever were.

Why was George Floyd killed in Minneapolis by a police officer who stared into a video being taken by a bystander and showed a complete disregard for the life of the person on whose neck he was kneeling.

Why did this trigger the madness that erupted from this incident?  We may never know.  What we do know is that the madness has continued since that killing into nearly every big city in the United States.  

Certainly this was not the first or the last incident of police abuse of a black man in police custody.  American History is loaded with incidents like this one and, indeed, many incidents that have been far worse than this one. 

Lets not forget that many Ku Klux Klan members have also been members of Law enforcement and participated in the killing of black people not only in the south but in the north, as well.  Certainly not all police officers are Klansmen but there is no doubt that some officers view black people with extreme prejudice.  It must also be said that there are many good and decent Police Officers who find the killing of George Floyd and other incidents of this kind abhorrent.

Even in recent years we have seen countless incidents in which mainly black men but occasionally even black women have died under sometimes mysterious and disturbing circumstances. 

The list of victims of police brutality is extensive.  What is is that separates people like George Floyd being killed from long ago lynchings of blacks.  

The answer is cell phone cameras.  Back in the day before cell phones people on the street did not carry cameras in their purse that they could pull out and snap pictures or videos at a moments notice.  What we have seen happen in recent times is that when something is going on that doesn't look or smell right people at the scene can and often times will pull out their cameras and start videotaping.  That is what happened on the Minneapolis street where George Floyd lost his life. 

One of the oddest things about the overwhelming reaction to George Floyd's death is that the reaction of the mayor of Minneapolis was not the complete disregard for the victim and excuses for the officer that we have seen in so many other public executions of individuals of color.  

The Minneapolis Mayor made it clear very quickly that he was upset, outraged and not on board with the Killer Officer remaining on the force where he had been for decades.  The Mayor quickly fired not only the killer officer but also the three other officers who stood around apparently saying and doing nothing as George Floyd pleaded for the killer officer to get his knee off Floyd's neck.

So what was it that has sparked the national madness that we have now seen for several days and especially during the night time.

I don't know for sure what is going on but I do have some theories that I certainly can't prove but feel might explain what is going on.

In the matter of George Floyd the black community has seen incidents like his killing before over and over again and the total disregard for Floyd's life that was displayed by the white officer kneeling on his neck was just one more murdered black man, too many.  For what.  George Floyd lost his life because he was suspected of passing a counterfeit bill.

Also people in general have been stuck indoors trying to keep alive in the era of Covid 19 and this tragedy seemed so incredibly outrageous that people could not ignore this incident in Minneapolis or anywhere else.

What seems to be evident is that at this moment in time people of all colors, creeds and beliefs have had it.  Like Peter Finch playing Howard Beale in the movie, "Network" we are all "Mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore."

Certainly anger is warranted regarding the death of George Floyd and all of the other black individuals murdered in police custody in America.  What is not warranted at this time is the wanton destruction including burning of buildings and lootings by criminals taking full advantage of George Floyd's death.

Clearly George Floyd would not want to be remembered as the reason many businesses burned to the ground and put people out of work.  He would also not want to be remembered as the excuse for criminals looting stores all over America.

George Floyd's tragic death should not be celebrated by criminal behavior.  We need for Americans of all colors to learn from our mistakes and stop the madness.  

There is a proper way to celebrate the life of George Floyd, who has been identified by his family as a peace loving man.  We must remember at this time the words and deeds of Doctor Martin Luther King and we must practice what he preached all his life.  

If ever there was a time to practice Non Violence it is now.

Another way to celebrate George Floyd is to put what energy we have into voting out of the White House the man who has not only encouraged police to be violent but has corrupted every Government Agency he could put a flunky in charge of.  

We have a chance in November to change the kind of Government we live under.  Lets organize together and get a caring man elected to the highest elected office in America.

A great blues song written by Wilbert Harrison has the following lyrics

United We Stand
Divided We fall
So come on Now People
Lets get on the ball

Lets work together
Come On Come On
Lets work Together

Well, together we will stand 
Every Boy, Girl Woman and Man 



It is time to stand together and take back our country from those who would do to us what was done to George Floyd.



Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher 

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