8 Minutes and 46 Seconds
George Floyd Did Not Die in Vain
Cristal M Clark
I don’t know how many of my readers have actually sat down and watched cell phone footage of the murder of George Floyd. I did watch it over the weekend and to be honest it has haunted me so deeply that I have been having trouble sleeping since then. I’ve studied my share of horrific murders and cold cases through the years and one moment during the murder of George Floyd affected me in a very profound way that I have yet to shake it.
It was George crying out for his mom as he lay dying and unable to breath. That cry brought me to tears, shaking me to the core, breaking both my heart and my soul. That cry was heard worldwide by moms, and unified in one stance together we stood and said enough is enough. In that moment we all unified and stood up as any mother would for George Floyd as if he were our own child.
We want Justice for George.
We demand Justice for George.
I’ve been to some of the protests, both peaceful and as the anarchy ensued during the night trying to help keep the peace, but no peace was to be had over the weekend. I do not condone looting, damaging property, violence, but I heard what people felt. Many of them are feeling many different pains if you listen.
But right now, the pain and suffering we need to address is the systemic racism here in the United States. Every single state in this country is standing unified together without the leader of the United States of American and we are demanding an end to the suffering and inequality of the African American’s who are citizens of our nation.
Our nation which we are part of together.
When my kids were little, they never knew racism, when I would watch them play with other little kids I noticed, just as I do with my grandchildren now, little kids, they don’t see race as they interact with other little kids. They are just happy, excited and delighted to meet new kids and to be able play with another little kid. They just see another little kid.
Racism is taught, hatred is taught.
It is time we stopped teaching children racism and hatred.
President George W Bush stepped forward and like a President helps heal his hurting nation, gave a beautiful speech the other day that encouraged peaceful protests, that encouraged us to call for change.
President Barack Obama yesterday, he did it again, like a President he stood to help lead a hurting nation, to heal and to demand change in constructive and peaceful ways. He urged us to be strong and to stand alongside the youth of this nation and to demand change.
I refer to both as President rather than Former US President to illustrate that they truly were and still are thought of leaders of this nation, something they both demonstrated with the thoughtful words of hope and inspiration they have delivered through this senseless tragedy.
Donald Trump, has made threats, hid in a bunker, rampaged on Twitter, called people weak, urged law enforcement to harm peaceful protesters and use a show of force to stop protests around the nation and has yet to offer help, support, words of healing, promise for change, empathy and leadership here. The White House is currently being sealed off, barriers being put into place by a coward, racist Donald Trump and an administration living in fear of the people they are currently letting down.
I urge all American’s to remember these defining childish, pathetic behaviors and moments Donald Trump has shown in the face of a crisis when November rolls around. He may be great when it comes to business and economy, but he truly strives to simply drive our nation apart because he has no empathy whatsoever. That is just as inhumane as the killing of innocent people of color.
And we the people are driving for change, we are forcing that to happen. All 50 states in this nation are demanding change, every race in this country is standing as we the people without a leader and we are demanding change. We are succeeding! Finally we are making it happen.
Through the years I stood for change as blacks were killed at the hands of cops or a white men. I’ve written about it so many times in the past and here we are again. When the change doesn’t happen, I can’t help but feel like I have failed in some way to make it happen.
When I attended a couple of the protests I heard the very words that I have written in the past spoken and cried out from the mouths of our nation’s youth who are demanding we end systemic racism once and for all and I couldn’t help but feel this is a deeply painful time for our nation and the world watching this unfold but in those moments I stood proud of the youth in this nation for having the courage to stand up and rise about the systemic racism we continue to see.
We can no longer tolerate hate, we can no longer accept and allow injustice, we can no longer accept systemic racism. This is America and we must fight for equal justice for everyone in America, No more white justice, no more black justice, no rich justice, no more poor justice, one system for all of the peoples in America.
We must put an end to white privilege and inequality in our nation.
When the leadership in the Whitehouse fails us, we the people must rise up to that challenge and drive the need for change in non-violent ways ourselves. The proof of that is today, look around we are heard and supported through state and local governments nationwide, we are being heard and supported worldwide.
To the racists on social media dropping the word ni*g*r, sharing racially hateful messages, demanding white privilege, you are also being heard and the bad news is that people are quietly sharing your posts and words of hate towards blacks, hispanics and asians, support of the KKK, Neo Nazi’s, White Power, through private DM’s, people are sharing your hatred with the very people within your own communities, some of you have businesses and I don’t believe that I need to explain what that can do to your business. What we are watching in the United States of America is that the minority groups are about to change, those that are racist and full of hate are going to become the minority sooner rather than later.
It’s we the people not we the white power, we the people are no longer going to tolerate racism, hatred, inequality and injustice towards a person of color and we must let our voices continue to be heard.
I cannot claim to know and understand the pain and suffering of people of color, but I am a mom and when I heard George Floyd cry out for his mom, it brought me to my knees. And although I cannot quite put into words what hearing a grown man being murdered, crying for mom truly feels like, any mother who watched that video would tell you, it was gut wrenching, painful and you can’t help but to feel it hit you hard in your heart and in your soul. It leaves you unable to walk away and not fight for change.
I have spent years fighting injustice through our judicial systems, fighting for the rights of victims and fighting a system that rewards the rich and the white.
George Floyd’s death will not be in vain, he will be the first person I think of anytime I prepare to address a Judge or prosecutor, his cry for his mom will not be forgotten, I will think of George Floyd and that cry will make my arguments about inequality and injustice even more powerful.
We must change, we must abolish systemic racism and inequality like our nation once abolished slavery.
Always remember 8 minutes and 46 seconds a human being suffered, struggling to breath and died an agonizing brutal death crying out for his mom all because he was black and that never should have happened.
Cristal M Clark
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