George Floyd and the following events

[stan]

George Floyd was not a model citizen. He had an extensive criminal background, but by all accounts, he was a fundamentally decent person. He most certainly didn't deserve to die. You can learn more about him at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd. His life consisted of ups and downs.

Will, what happened to him lead to a change in policing? Is the looting of private and public property justified or does it distract from the injustice that occurred? I would say the looters are uneducated thugs that are damaging the cause they claim to uphold. We are seeing some laws changing on policing which is encouraging. Time will tell I guess.

What are your thoughts on what is going on in the USA?

[Skye]

The death of George Floyd may have triggered the looting, but looting is theft. Looting is wrong. And you cannot a right a wrong by doing another wrong.

Yes, a lot of people truly believe in what they are fighting for. Black lives matter, this is what they are fighting for. But some people are also just taking advantage of the situation for their own gain.

[mjmnl]

It is really infuriating seeing how George was treated by the police, I can't even finish the video. Police brutality can also be seen throughout the globe. But I could not agree more with your insight that one cannot right a wrong by doing another wrong. The killing of George Floyd has opened up the doors to fight fiercely against the issue of racism in the US. There are rallies all over the United States with the majority being destructive and chaotic. There could be a better way to resolve this issue and they may opt to step out of looting and violence.

Also, mass gatherings during this pandemic may just put them into a bigger danger. There is a higher risk of transmitting the virus during these times, I just hope they do it responsibly and think of other people's health too with the government still trying to flatten the curve.

[Skye]

I am one with the people protesting George Floyd's death in the hands of the police. I watched part of the video https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...ath-video.html. 

But I do not condone the massive looting done to protest what has happened and all the other injustices. And you are right, mjmnl, they are putting themselves at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19.

[Bjun]

I think people were already angry and panicking about the pandemic, loss of jobs, uncertainty of the future, etc. What happened to George Floyd might have given way to express their rage and anger. Looting and arson definitely didn't help their cause. Instead of rallying to make their community better, they destroyed it (and their image) instead.

They didn't even stop with looting and arson. They wanted special treatment for black students in uni, they want "racist" movies and products removed. At this point, it's like they're offended by everything and people are just giving them whatever they want just to not be called a racist and condemned by society.

[Alex_Ivanovski]

Well said! I must agree about your observations

[Kamille]

What happened to George Floyd was horrific. It was heartbreaking to watch the 9-minute video clip.
The video of George Floyd's "murder" circulated globally and put into light what people of color in America have been dealing with their entire life. As for the looters, I think they are just taking advantage of the already volatile situation. It was reported that most of the people involved live on the edge of civilized society, or in bad neighborhoods exposed to lots of drugs and killing. All these added by the stress, isolation and anxiety over the pandemic.

One thing was made clear though, the world still has a long way to go before racism is no longer an issue.

[Alex_Ivanovski]

Let's hope some good things come out of these bad events. But I am afraid that at the same time a deeper divide has been created and the true problem has been exposed very publicly. It's something that has been simmering below the surface for a long time. If legislation policing and discrimination has been enhanced and lessons learned it will be a step into the correct direction. Overall I think much progress has been made in the last 20 or 40 years compared to how it was once before. There is still much more room for improvement though.

[Kamille]

I agree that this event created a deeper division that has seeped its claws underneath for years undetected. And now, because what happened was caught on video, people found a way to push this issue out on the surface. Its sad to see a whole demographic of marginalized people turning to violence at a time when we should focus on practicing social distancing and lifting the economy. Fear and anger go hand-in-hand; and people are scared of the pandemic, and now with another case of police brutality.

I think there should be a strict implementation of how much force police can use. I found this article that suggests that people of color are seen to be larger and more threatening, and that people are more likely to say use of force was justified against them.https://www.apa.org/news/press/relea...en-threatening The riots was unfortunate, but there are also millions who peaceably protested and was successful of getting the officer charged with second degree murder. I hope these little steps will lead to better places.

Whether this is a case of racism or some incompetent officer, I hope for the day that everyone wakes up and not have to fear for their lives, and people are treated and punished fairly regardless of their ethnicity.

[Lou]

I can't even watch the video of George Floyd while he was being held by the police. The moment he said, "I can't breathe", I had to stop the video. I am a mom and it pains me and angers me that a person in authority can take away my child's life just like that. 😭😭😭 But still, I disagree with the looting and damaging of properties. These criminal acts diminishes what the #blacklivesmatter movement stands for.

With the pandemic and the riots on the streets, it is really alarming. I pray that people find a better and peaceful way to let their voices be heard without any violence. I am also hopeful that those people who are taking advantage of the situation find it in their hearts to stop and think about their intentions. It is true that some people are magnifying the situation and make it look more than what it really is. It's sad to see others using the situation for their own gain.😢

[Bart94]

What happened is surely dramatic, but it seems people are mixing everything... For me the death of George Floyd is not a racism problem in first place, it's a police brutality in the US problem. There are similar events happening with white or other races people. Maybe more with black people but let's not forget the fact that there are more criminal acts commmited by black people than other races, in the US. This because there are a lot of black people there who are poor, it's not really about races. when you talk about statistics you have to be careful with the datas you compare or you get into the wrong conclusions.

And as it was said before, a lot of people are using this death as an excuse to act really bad, looting and damaging a lot. Not only in the US by the way. Even in countries where there's not big racism problems. But people want to feed their need for attention, they want to appear on social medias fighting for a cause... THat's why they try everywhere to find reasons to make remove statues everywhere. They usually didn't even have a clue who's the person was, and suddenly they get highly bothered because of some decades old events...What happened is surey dramatic, but it seems people are mixing everything... For me the death of George Floyd is not a racism problem in first place, it's a police brutality in the US problem. There are similar events happening with white or other races people. Maybe more with black people but let's not forget the fact that there are more criminal acts commmited by black people than other races, in the US. This because there are a lot of black people there who are poor, it's not really about races. when you talk about statistics you have to be careful with the datas you compare or you get into the wrong conclusions.

And as it was said before, a lot of people are using this death as an excuse to act really bad, looting and damaging a lot. Not only in the US by the way. Even in countries where there's not big racism problems. But people want to feed their need for attention, they want to appear on social medias fighting for a cause... THat's why they try everywhere to find reasons to make remove statues everywhere. They usually didn't even have a clue who's the person was, and suddenly they get highly bothered because of some decades old events...

[jcoppi29]

It's actually a scary and dramatic turn of events that reveal the worst of humanity when it feels cornered by circumstance. My personal take on this is that there are noble causes that need to be worked on when it comes to social justice and anti-racism, however, most of these noble causes get blotched over by its toxic representatives that over-passionately further the motions to the point of aggression, aiming for progress.

They feel they're furthering the cause, but unfortunately, they're bringing in more opposition and hostility and resistance against it -- by engaging in riots, group think, group identity, mob mentality and others. The discourse problem generally affects humanity a lot these days because it's become a verbal fistfight that escalates to worse things -- instead of the productive discourse that is harmless and effective. It's like a collective ego problem.

I abhor what was done to George at the same time I abhor the lootings and riots the extreme activists are associating with it. May he be given justice in the means that properly conveys the message instead of getting lost in the heat.

[Alex_Ivanovski]

Things seem to have calmed down in the USA. With an presidential election coming up later this year I wonder if it will influence the outcome of this? Time will soon tell.

[stan]

I am sure it will play a factor: https://www.orfonline.org/expert-spe...lection-67332/

[Alex_Ivanovski]

US elections are just around the corner and it certainly does seem like it will play a factor: https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2020/06/1...-u-s-election/