The Triple Tragedy That is George Floyd

The Triple Tragedy That Is George Floyd
The View from the Middle

I can’t be sure what the motivation was for the police officer in Minneapolis to kneel on George Floyd’s neck for over five minutes, but the reaction to the video has been anything but racist. The police officer’s actions have been universally condemned. In fact, every person that I have talked to or heard on TV have struggled to even imagine what could have possibly been going through the police officer’s mind as he listened to Mr. Floyd beg for relief and even for his very life.

Did Mr. Floyd break the law? Actually, I’m not sure yet. Did he deserve a death sentence even if he did pass a counterfeit bill? Of course not. This particular police officer’s actions were indefensible and even cruel, but what may even be more mind boggling is the reaction of eye witnesses. There were at least three other police officers who stood by and watched for several minutes as this insanity unfolded. These were not just your average citizens, but fellow law enforcement officers who, we assume, have been trained on how to peaceably take a person into custody. As I have heard from several current and past members of law enforcement, “once the handcuffs go on, and the person is face down on the ground, the game is over!”

For sure, this small group of police officers failed George Floyd and all of us, but there was a second wave of disappointment immediately apparent. As I watched the video go on and on and on (most people have described it as “difficult to watch”), it dawned on me that the person who was filming this absolutely disgusting and tragic event was also just watching George Floyd be killed. This cell phone film producer is, unfortunately, a reflection of our broader society. Our society now believes that our response to deplorable events like this is to just capture them on video. I can’t imagine watching a travesty like this transpire and thinking that my only responsibility was to memorialize the event on my cell phone. And it wasn’t just the camera wielding person! There were other spectators, and I use that word intentionally. Is this what we as a society have devolved to? Have we become observers of life instead of actual participants? Where was the hero to step in and confront this police officer? How about someone who would actually pull that officer off of George Floyd? Where are the people willing to get involved? Where are the real difference makers?

And the final layer of frustration comes from the rioters and looters that seem to inevitably take advantage of these situations. Despite George Floyd’s family and Black faith leaders encouraging peaceful protests in a search of justice and to make a comment on a broader issue, some have used this as an excuse to plunder, destroy and even kill. What does stealing a TV from Target have to do with George Floyd’s death. How does the destruction of uninvolved and often minority owned small businesses help anyone’s cause? This does not advance the case for George Floyd or for racial justice. At best it is a distraction to both and at worst it will cause a regression.

What we need right now are calmer heads with eyes on justice and progress. There are criminal and possibly even civil considerations that the Floyd family has to be addressing, and we should all be working to enable that effort. And if we really want racial harmony in this country we must condemn the actions of those police officers, the indifference of onlookers and the violence and criminality of the looters. When do the images of violence, destruction and absolute lawlessness make the bigger problem worse rather than better?