If you can watch the full video of police officer Derek Chauvin and his complete arrogance and omnipotence while suffocating and killing unarmed George Floyd with his knee and not feel totally outraged, totally horrified, I don’t know what to say to you.
We have a major racism problem in North America. We also have an anti-semitism problem. We still have stigmas attached to mental illness and homosexuality. We have a lot of f’n work to do.
And when we stay quiet and shut up about it all, hate wins. Ignorance prevails. When we get loud and call things out as they are, when we make people uncomfortable, that’s what creates change. Even small change. That’s when we can hopefully and finally start treating people equally— regardless of the color of their skin, or gender, or sexual orientation or their mental health struggles, or their socio-economic status, or whatever. That’s when we’ll start to become a more progressive society.
It takes you and it takes me.
I hope every person of every race with any kind of social media platform shines a spotlight on George Floyd, because it’s happening every day in America (and Canada). I hope every parent will also talk to their kids tonight about tolerance and respect for all their peers. Because the more we talk about it, and teach it, the more we start to shatter stereotypes, and the more we start to create equality for all.
