Blog

Earlier this month, I received an email from one of my blog readers about George Floyd. I responded and am posting both emails here.

First, the email from the reader:

The trouble in Minneapolis? How about a sober and sane look at what happened. First a violent cop with a history of complaints regarding undue force and even his part-time employer echoing those comments.

The trouble in Minneapolis? How about a sober and sane look at what happened. First a violent cop with a history of complaints regarding undue force and even his part-time employer echoing those comments. Second a clear pattern of the melting pot of America…the four police involved in the event were a white, a Hispanic, an Asian and a black. Humm, how diverse can it get and two of them are relatively new rookies. Then you have a man being abused beyond what any hardworking honest American could or can tolerate. But wait, there’s more. The black man had three different illegal substances in his body. He’s passing a counterfeit bill and he’s being beat up. It doesn’t make sense or add up does it.

It is verified that the two, the cop and the deceased knew each other and worked in tandem at a night club providing security. And while the cop’s main job was to present a police presence in front of the club, he often was inside enforcing “law and order” and whatever else he decided necessary. And the whatever else is very interesting. A counterfeit bill. Humm, maybe there were substantially more of those bills and more participants than the cop and Floyd that were involved. True? Maybe and maybe not, but it’s clear the FBI is and has been looking and the cop would intuitively been a ringleader or at least the enforcer part of any illegal activity.

The cop was and clearly demonstrated he is an “alpha” male (my way or the highway kind of guy). From his actions, Floyd did not appear to be such a person, of course encumbered by drugs might account for that. Did the alpha male determine his compatriot needed a discipline lesson? It wouldn’t be the first time for that alpha male (but likely is his last).

You’ve got two people that knew each other in the questionable career of bouncing and muscle enforcing at a bar/nightclub, a place commonly known for alcohol, drugs, illicit sex slavery, and any number of less than honorable activities. Legal? Maybe some are, but not the drugs, slavery and counterfeit bills for sure.

This worldwide event was most likely an enforcement of “rules” within a bevy of illegal activity and within which both were involved, likely heavily involved. My proof…none other than the facts that are leaking out from sources not affiliated with the mainstream media. This thing is selling “clicks” and clicks are charged to advertisers. Right? Yes, right.

And what about the rookies. You attorneys ought to take the case. It’s winnable. A new rookie intimidated by a long-time violent cop? Their lives were also potentially in danger. Of course. Why else would they let him abuse any citizen that way and also provide cover? This thing is ugly but falls very far from the racism tag attached. The cop disliked blacks and/or Hispanics and/or Asians? Maybe, probably but so what? The crux of the issue most likely lays with the administration of the police department that let a violent cop remain in service.

So take that on…see what you think but I’ll not post any of these thoughts cause that just begs to ask for massive abuse by loud shouting liberals. I’d say progressives, but I classify that movement to actually be “regressive”.

That’s my observation and hope you see why it will be even more important to vote Republican in this next election.

Here’s my response:

I’d like to take a hard look at what you’ve written.

> Are you suggesting that the apparent diversity of the Minneapolis police force precludes the possibility of individual police officers being racists? If so, explain why those two things can’t coexist. 

> Floyd had illegal substances in his system? What’s the relevance? You mean to say, if he was doing cocaine he deserved to be choked to death? Are you suggesting those substances caused him to act violently? If so, the video shows no violent action on his part. 

> Floyd and Chauvin knew each other? I saw last night on CBS that the witness who made that statement now says he got the names wrong. Regardless, let’s assume they did know each other. The significance of that possibility is not yet clear.

> You’re suggesting Chauvin was enforcing some kind of street law against Floyd because, presumably, Floyd had violated some aspect of their mutual dealings in counterfeiting and other illegal activity. This is speculation, and I haven’t heard anyone on the news intimating as much. But let’s go with your theory for a moment. Are you suggesting Chauvin shouldn’t be prosecuted because Floyd was engaged in criminal activity?

Now, as to the key problems. I think there are two: racism and police procedures.

As for racism, I suspect that police departments are a microcosm of society at large, and racism is alive and well in society. We see it in several settings:

> Stop and frisk. Think about the number of black men we’ve seen shot by cops. Remember NYC’s infamous stop and frisk policy? A federal court found in 2013 the police stopped 4.4 million people over eight years. Fifty-two percent were black, and 10 percent were white, but blacks made up just 23 percent of the population, while whites comprised 33 percent. Which group was more often found to have weapons and other contraband? Whites, by a tiny margin. (I covered this in a March 2019 blog post.)

> The judicial system. Compare how Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy white man, was treated in comparison to Kevin Keith, a low-incomes black man in Ohio. (I covered this in the same blog post above.) 

> The death penalty. Those who murder a white person are more likely to get the death penalty than someone who murders a person of color. Take a look at statistics from the Death Penalty Information Center.  

> Give me enough time, and I’ll find data that evidences how race plays out in the economy (thought it should be self-evident).

As to procedures, I’m bothered by the number of blacks who are killed. On an intuitive level, something seems amiss. And we have an example of how bad procedures affect people of all races, like the 75-year old white protestor who was knocked to the ground in Buffalo. An attorney friend of mine, Jim McNamara, who handles primarily police abuse cases, tells me police abuse crosses racial lines. (McNamara will be a guest next week on my podcast Lawyer Up! (https://www.lawyerupcolumbus.com/)

I suspect  most police departments place too much emphasis on control and not enough on de-escalation. From what I read, unions are an impediment when it comes to disciplining bad actors. 

Let’s circle back to racism. I suggest you talk with some black men about whether they’ve been hassled by the police. That’s right. Ask hard questions to real people. Senator Tim Scott (R, S.C., who is black) says he’s been profiled by police. Read “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson about how blacks are treated by both law enforcement and the courts. If you don’t care to read the book, see the movie, (but the book is much more detailed and unsettling). I believe it was Stevenson who said, “It’s better to be white and guilty than black and innocent.” 

Here’s what makes the problem of racism so difficult to remedy. To understand racism requires that white people listen to what blacks are saying, and for many, that isn’t easy. Listening attentively requires an open mind to statements we find difficult to accept (because white people don’t suffer those problems), humility, introspection and an acknowledgment of how the system is weighted against blacks. Who wants to do that? It’s hard work.

Last point: this isn’t a liberal/progressive issue or a conservative issue. It’s a humanity issue.

__________________________________

Jack D’Aurora writes for Considerthisbyjd.com

______________________________________________________