The hard-to-heal wound of American society

DOUBLE CRISIS

On May 25, Floyd, an African American who had recently lost his job due to the Covid-19 pandemic, died after a police officer pressed his knee against his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds on suspicion of passing counterfeit money. Derek Chauvin, the police officer, ignored Floyd's distressed pleas, while three other police officers stood by and bystanders begged Chauvin to stop pressing his knee on Floyd's neck.

The protests turned into riots, with protesters smashing stores and offices. Photo: Reuters

A video of the incident was later posted online and quickly went viral. According to Chauvin, when Floyd was released, the black man lay motionless and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Chauvin and three other police officers involved in the incident were fired on May 26, and on May 29, Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

The incident immediately sparked outrage across the United States, with thousands of protesters quickly taking to the streets in Minneapolis and other cities. While most of the protests were peaceful, some turned violent, with protesters clashing with police, burning down homes, and looting.

The protests are like the last straw that triggered a “double crisis” when 2020 has already brought deep pain to the black community in the United States.

The protests clearly focused on the police force and security work, but it was nothing more than the "last straw" that sparked a "double crisis" when 2020 had already brought much pain to the black community in the US. The Covid-19 crisis has had a much stronger impact on black and Latino Americans, as this group has a higher rate of infection and death from Covid-19 than white people. In addition to health "injustice", economic instability due to stay-at-home measures has also caused people of color to suffer a "painful blow" in particular, they lose more jobs, are less likely to have financial stability...

A protester is arrested near the White House on June 1. Photo: AFP

As Americans grapple with tragic headlines about people of color who have died prematurely due to violence by white people or police in recent weeks, another video has emerged showing a white woman pretending to be threatened by a black man who was actually asking her to put her dog on a leash! According to Vox, this shows that, in addition to concerns about state-related violence, systemic racism in the US has created dangerous situations for Americans of color, even when they are doing the most mundane things.

ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

The response from the American public to Floyd’s death was swift and inclusive. Politicians, entertainers, athletes, and many other public figures spoke out. Former President Barack Obama issued a lengthy statement calling for the country to find a “new normal” for Black Americans. Former Vice President Joe Biden called the moment a “national crisis” that required “leadership to bring people to the table so we can find ways to eradicate systemic racism.” President Donald Trump also sent his condolences to Floyd’s family.

The protests that have erupted in Minneapolis and other places across the United States, and even in other countries, began as a way for people to express their anger not only over Floyd’s death, but also over the racism and inequality that have been latent in American society for centuries. But as mentioned, unrest grew as the protests morphed into looting, vandalism, and the burning of police stations and buildings.

Looters targeted stores in many places, including luxury boutiques and electronics stores. Photo: AFP

In Minnesota, the governor had to mobilize the entire National Guard to restore stability. This trend quickly spread to other areas. Last weekend, Atlanta, Brooklyn, San Jose, California, Miami, Chicago, Dallas... witnessed unfortunate scenes, with hundreds of radical protesters arrested. Even the White House became the "target" for the crowd to gather and surround, forcing Mr. Trump to temporarily take refuge in the basement...

The situation across America has not simply revolved around the death of George Floyd, but has escalated beyond the imagination of many.

It can be seen that the situation in Minneapolis in particular and in the United States in general is not simply about the death of black citizen George Floyd, but has escalated beyond the imagination of many people, to the point that a curfew was declared but was not very effective in preventing further protests. The situation was already tense, but the Commander-in-Chief of the United States made a speech from the White House earlier this week, while on the other side of the fence, the police were spraying tear gas on protesters, affirming that they would order the army to suppress the protests, saying that they were sending thousands of soldiers to the streets of Washington, DC, and threatening to deploy troops to states that were unable to regain control.

Of course, many people immediately reacted to the Oval Office occupant’s statement. But putting aside the debate surrounding the protests, we need to soberly look at a deeper issue that demands attention: the way people of color are treated in the United States. Many statistics show that people of color are targeted and treated unfairly by law enforcement. Black men are 1 in 1,000 more likely to be shot by the police, and are twice as likely to be targeted and pursued by the police as white men. They are more likely to be sent to prison, and often serve longer prison sentences.

Mr. Trump declared that he would restore "law and order" and deploy the army to suppress protests. Photo: Getty

These racial biases are not limited to criminal matters. Inequality is present in many aspects of life in the United States. Take the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, for example: the disease is disproportionately infecting and killing people of color, and disproportionately harming areas with large minority populations. This is the reality that people of color face every day in the land of the free.

Ultimately, in the constant stream of news surrounding the protests in response to Floyd’s death, perhaps more important is the possibility that people can “lose sight” of the real problem: the centuries-old racism embedded in the fabric of American society that continues to inflict immeasurable damage, much of it borne by communities of color.