George Floyd Validated

Holistic Church celebrates Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict! It is a black victory. It is a legal victory. It is smartphone victory. But let’s not forget that it is also a case of justice served; humaneness and common sense prevailing.

Thanks to Darnella Frazier who – at just 17! – had the courage and presence of mind to record the murder of George Floyd, we all witnessed it. I’m white and I can’t imagine how I’d feel if the verdict was different.

Were Derek Chauvin found not guilty it would mean to me personally that I can’t trust my senses, mind or heart. The event I witnessed – thanks to Darnella Frazier’s video – was MURDER.

I’m happy for George Floyd’s family and children because the verdict validates George’s life and cements his place in history. George Floyd’s death is a huge loss and leaves behind a void no “justice” can fill. But George Floyd’s tragic legacy and the legal victory that followed will live for generations to come and – I hope! – advance the cause of racial justice and lead to massive changes in law enforcement policies.

(I have to admit that Derek Chauvin defense lawyer’s emphasis on “contributing factors” had me worried about the outcome of the case for a while, even though it was absurd. Many of us have what could be considered “contributing factors” and yet, we are alive and well because we weren’t confronted by the likes of Derek Chauvin!)

I’m gratified and affirmed by the guilty verdict. (I hope that Derek Chauvin’s sentence will stand in proportion to his crimes.) I’m satisfied by the statements made by Vice President Kamala Harris and President Biden. (I doubt that the previous administration would have demonstrated similar level understanding, empathy or wisdom.)

I know that Black Lives Matter and I support the movement. I understand that one guilty verdict is only the beginning of much overdue justice and reforms, not the end. Still, this is one of the rare occasions when we can feel proud to be human.

 

Photo by Duncan Shaffer on Unsplash