Cycle of Chaos
by John P. Flannery
We entered into this chaos because the law was not followed and not just in the case of George Floyd.
Four policeman, with people watching, choked a black man to deah, not with their hands but kneeling on his neck, ignoring his final plea, “I cannot breathe.”
George died.
This was murder plain and simple.
A horrible act seen by the nation.
This was the latest episode in discrimination that has been going on for more years than anyone wants to admit.
One can’t define “protest” as limited to a middle class march with signs and muted voices.
Not when a segment of society is oppressed by lawless and violent acts and young men and women fear for their lives because their skin color is deemed unacceptable by the powers that be and, in and of itself, a cause to abuse the person of color.
For many of those oppressed by lawlessness, the forms of “protest” reflect the lawlessness that prompted the response. Mostly that has been property crime. But not exclusively, and our government should make whole those property owners who bore the brunt of the intolerable policies of the government that caused this fear and violence.
We made a bargain with the people, all the oeople, when we declared our independence from a British King, insisting that all were equal, and it was a lie when first written, known to be false, for slaves, for persons of color, for women and for persons without property, but we have worked since, grown more equal, and with great past success, to perfect that original unfulfilled promise.
We have, however, refused as a nation to share our productivity with the workers who made this prosperity possible and the poverty trickles down.
Those who suffer most remain the poor and persons of color.
They have suffered more from the pandemic.
We have lost our way when it comes to our tolerance toward difference.
That is why the protests are not just in Minnesota. the nation recoils from these offenses against humanity because we the people know we’re better than this, we believe we are best when we are united as one from many.
Since the hated tyrant Trump announced for office, the gains in respect and dignity for differences between races and religion and nationality have been compromised, the fiber of unity and tolerance has been torn asunder and this national outcry for justice is the result.
Healing, coming together, will require a lot more than thoughts and prayers because our leaders allowed this crisis in the first place and now contemplate doubling down with violence and force against citizens and journalists for the depraved conditions that they made possible.
Trump and Barr seek license to use force by suggesting dark forces and that not just citizens are protesting.
This bogey man tactic, you know, alien vaguely identified trouble makers, is what despots have done throughout history, to cloak their corrupt methods of oppression including more violence against those who displease the government.
Politicians confound resolution when they resort to force instead of reform.
Reform is hard work but there’s not been a word of a single policy that might make a difference.
When it comes to discrimination and the denial of individual rights and liiberties, Trump has taken the land of milk and honey and transformed it into a vast wasteland.
JPF