RACIAL RECKONING?

There’s nothing as galling, especially these days, for some white people than seeing and hearing Black people continu-ally — some would say everyday — shouting: “Racist this, racist that… Racism, racism, racism…” ad nauseam.

“Stop it already. I’m tired of it, had it up to here with “you people” always crying racism… Get off it and get a life al-ready…”
Such are the sentiments of perennial hardcore multi-generational racists who are in perpetual (individual/collective) states of denial, living in their bubble-wrapped, pristine environs (for whatever their worth), and always pushing back, choosing not to see beyond their (im)perfect surroundings and interact with the real world, with other people who may not look like them. All of which serves to sustain their narrow view, as the real world unfolds.
So not long ago I mused about “racism fatigue…” a result of the issue, aside from the COVID-19 pandemic, that has been on many minds for over a year and counting… For whatever it’s worth daily lip service has become the norm as people/organizations attempt to curry favour with not just Black people, but others deemed socially or otherwise mar-ginalized, but are seemingly content to advocate on the periphery, until…
But the issue that has been on many minds in recent months, indeed everyday since May 25, 2020, what with the global media attention given to the serious and sordid matter of race and racism since the murder of one George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin almost a year ago.
On that day people around the world saw what until then was an example of unabashed American racism, its dubious, dark and sordid history of race and racism playing out (live) for the world to see. Furthermore on that occasion it was free, with a live audience seeing how America’s preferred peoples, the servers and protectors of the white peoples treat the children, grand, great-grandchildren… treat the children of the slaves.
Prior to that dark day, that sordid aspect of race and racism was more often than not played out in the shadows. Fur-thermore on that occasion it was free, with a live audience to see how America’s preferred peoples, children of the pil-grims, servers and protectors of the states’ white peoples, treat the children, grand, great-grandchildren… treat the children of the slaves.
It was an instance, occasion and example of ‘ol time’ American unabashed racism’ for the rest of the world to see, as well as a veritable event and spectacle that day, with a global audience invariably wondering what the logical outcome of the inevitable murder trial of a white U.S. policeman accused of murdering a Black man would be.
l too was able to watch a few episodes of the trial in real time as the saying goes, and was able to learn so much more about that Memorial Day incident. So much more to see during the trial that we didn’t see on that day the victim had his life squeezed out of his body. We’re seeing filmed images during the trial that we didn’t see on the day in question.
What’s particularly interesting is to see, hear and comprehend that the victim — his lifestyle notwithstanding — was just a regular, normal human being — with a voice… albeit heard under duress for the first, and fading 9:29 minutes of his life on that fateful day his life was ultimately squeezed out by a “rogue policeman.” Derek Chauvin.
(In the interim, another Black man, 20-year-old, Dante Wright, unfortunately had an interaction with another police; this time a female. She shouted: “Taser! Taser!… “Oh shit,” I shot him!”
Simple as that, another Black life was snuffed out by police.)
Meanwhile Chauvin’s next step was his coming judgement day.
It wasn’t long after I arrived home that Monday afternoon of his verdict that news broke that the Jury had stopped studying and was ready to render…
Guilty on all three counts.
No reason to celebrate some say. But the grieving family and thousands in the community who pounded the pavement for months, demanding Justice for George Floyd was naturally had reason to celebrate: to free themselves of the sor-row, grieving and pain… over their brother’s death.
In the interim more bad news: (another police shooting of another, hold your breath, Black person.
In the interim more bad police news: another police shooting of another, hold your breath, Black person.
Not only do Black people have to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s also that equally deadly racism/police shooting… killing pandemic of Black people.
In the interim more bad news police news George Floyd-Derek Chauvin murder case that breaking news bulletins were echoing on radio and television of another police shooting of another, hold your breath, Black person.
This time a 16 year-old Black girl in Columbus, Ohio, “fatally shot Tuesday afternoon while re-sponding to a call about someone armed with a knife, officials said.”
And as I’m letting that story sink in all I could think was: There we go again [the police] essentially snubbing their nose at the afflicted, symbolically flashing the afflicted community and others standing in solidarity with them an ‘I don’t give a ‘fuddle’ finger.
In a television interview, Eric Garner’s mother (that man who was manhandled/strangled on that New York City sidewalk a few years ago while crying out “I can’t breathe…”) in an interview said, “the Chauvin verdict sends a message: “Seems like the country is pivoting in the right direction.”
Only time will tell if the powerful police unions’ head honchos and members mot just in America, but also here in Canada, including right in Quebec, are prepared to not only respect, but more im-portantly to “Protect and Serve” all cities — regardless of race, ethnicity…
It would serve them, police and otherwise well, to get an anti-racism vaccine. Their lives would be so much more fulfilled… Purge…