Here's my take and I'd like to read what your view/responses are surrounding these events. Remember, this is only my opinion, please don't take offense and assume I am trying to downplay our current reality.
I don't believe these protests have as much to do with George Floyd as many are making it out to be. By many, I mean the mainstream media and certain small anti-government groups that are trying to make this man a martyr. I think these protests are truly due to a culmination of many things at play that are simply being united by a perfect storm of cascading events. Let me explain.
Regarding George Floyd (aka Floyd the Landlord), the fact stands that every American regardless of race, color or cultural background deserves a fair trial in court, if a crime is committed. The issue surrounding George Floyd is not whether he was an upstanding individual worthy of becoming a martyr for a cause. On the contrary, George Floyd wasn't a model citizen. He was a regular guy, working a few jobs, that had done some porn and been arrested a few times, who apparently was trying to purchase items at a local store with counterfeit money. The major issue here is not whether he was a hero or someone of value in the African American community, but instead that as a black American, he, like many other black Americans, got killed after receiving a trial that occurred at a street corner under the unilateral pressure of four white-colored shins. African Americans and minorities alike aren't making t-shirts with George Floyd on them to suggest he was some type of hero, instead George Floyd stands as a symbol of what's wrong with America today. George Floyd can be anyone, you can exchange George Floyd for George Jefferson and it wouldn't make a difference. It's not so much about the individual that was killed or the fact that he was troubled with a heavy criminal past, instead it's about the fact that we've seen this story play out many, many times again over the last 400 years. What started hundreds of years ago via small backwoods displays with tools involving trees, ropes in the form of nooses or sometimes knives and bullets, has now been simplified to even that of choke-holds and asphyxiation techniques, but is being aired on national media outlets. The fact that, more times than not, law enforcement would disarm and arrest a white criminal following a heinous crime in order to arrive at a fair trial in court, but would probably execute said criminal on the spot if they were black and found to have committed the same heinous act is where the problem lies behind the Floyd (or insert any African American's last name who has been assassinated by cops) case.
What do I really feel are the key ingredients that brought about these protests? Again, going back to what my sentiments have been for quite some time now, I believe it's due to the following events all culminating in civil unrest:
- Worldwide pandemic
- Death of hundreds of thousands
- Governments that don't know enough or are not being completely truthful with their citizens about this disease
- Tanking of world economy
- Millions losing jobs
- Social & economic injustice running rampant (particularly rich vs poor, regardless of race)
- Sleeper cells of people that were already tired and disgusted with this capitalistic system that favors the dirty rich or dirty poor, but crushes the struggling middle class
- Racial inequality as seen with the numerous cases of black homicides over the years by the hands of law enforcement and government
- The presence of many mentally unstable people (think psychopaths) and former convicts that have been sitting around waiting for an event like this to let loose
- Various internal terrorist groups like Antifa that are anti-fascism, but are very cleverly doing their part to incite violent riots
These are the elements that I think mainly contribute to what is occurring now within our city streets. George Floyd was the necessary catalyst that was needed to light the gasoline trail in order to burn the system down. Because of the aforementioned elements being at play is why I don't think Floyd's killing was as big of a deal as the media is making it out to be. I believe that if not for the last 3 months' worth of stay-at-home orders and the fact that people were going stir crazy and dying for an opportunity to unleash/show their dissatisfaction with our government and leaders, that this wouldn't be happening. If Floyd would have been killed a year ago, under the same circumstances, there might have been some local protests in Minneapolis, but I doubt it would have become a worldwide phenomenon as it has now. A year ago, people would have been too busy with work, consumerist culture, social influencers and their own private struggles to care so much about a random African American.
Like all things, this will lead to change. The Civil rights act came to fruition after people rioted for days following the death of Martin Luther King. These events will undoubtedly lead to some level of civil rights and law enforcement reform.
What I still can't understand is why the rioting/looting is also occurring in inner-city neighborhoods that are mostly inhabited by minorities. You see, with the exception of the major outlets like Target, Walmart etc, the vast majority of those community businesses are owned by local business owners (African American, Asian, Arab and Hispanic). By destroying those businesses, the looters are helping the same system they are trying to protest against. They are serving as the strong-armed Uncle Toms beating on the other field negros. By destroying those businesses, they are pushing resources out of their communities, pushing away local job creators and further paving the way for Target and Walmart to expand deeper into their communities, which will then lead to more gentrification, which is what I thought they were also trying to stop. All of which makes me wonder if those particular people (looters destroying their own communities) are just too stupid to realize how badly they fuck themselves in the process.
In any case, what are your views? I'd like to know where you stand.
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