As I write this blog today, the Nation is anxious and uneasy…waiting to hear the verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder case.
If the Minneapolis jurors “believe their own eyes”, the ex-cop will be headed for prison. However, if they (or if even one of the twelve) wants to pretend that they didn’t see what they saw, Mr. Chauvin will walk.
Every American who is familiar with this case knows what happened. And, in their hearts, they know why it happened. They also know that what the ex-policeman did to George Floyd was wrong, as was testified by other MPD officers, a MPD training officer, and the MPD Chief of Police.
That is why Chauvin was fired by the MPD immediately after the incident and it is also why the City of Minneapolis quickly settled a $27 million wrongful death lawsuit brought by Mr. Floyd’s family.
If the jury makes the wrong call othe criminal culpability of Mr. Chauvin, there will be Hell to pay in American cities. I dread the spectacle that will ensue, the property damaged, and the lives lost.
I just hope that right will win out over wrong, that the jury will do the right thing, and that a message will be sent to law enforcement…that “protect and serve” applies to all Americans, not just to white citizens. In essence, that Black lives matter as much as White ones.
UPDATE:
Wow! The jury found Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts!My faith in humanity is restored… somewhat.
However, I know that, without the videotapes of the crime being committed by a police officer on George Floyd, a Black man, the verdict probably would have been different.
We still have some way to go, as a society. But, today’s verdict is positive reinforcement that change can occur in my lifetime.
Moving forward, we can expect (as can law enforcement) that every time a police cruiser rolls into a Black neighborhood, everyone on the block will turn on the video function of their cell phone.
Evidently, juries believe what they see.
