As someone who avoids confrontation, who stays silent to avoid getting on someone’s bad side, who blends in to avoid standing out, who fears being mocked and bullied, I have to say today is not the day to remain silent. A cop pressing his knee against the neck of a black man pinned to the ground pleading for his life. Three more cops standing around, pretending nothing is wrong. A group of bystanders begging the cops not to kill him. This was the image that horrified a nation, even other cops and right-wing personalities who always sided with the police were quick to condemn the events that lead to the death of George Floyd. It isn’t right that George Floyd was killed over a counterfeit bill and a pack of cigarettes. It isn’t right that the state needed to be pressured by the public to elevate Derek Chauvin’s charge from third-degree murder to second-degree murder. It isn’t right that the state needed to be pressured by the public to charge Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane with aiding and abetting murder. If anyone still doesn’t understand the anger and hurt the people then feel free to comb through some links:
Nothing beats a primary source: blacklivesmatter.com/ Here is Letters for Black Lives, which can help you or your families to understand the issue from an immigrant’s perspective: lettersforblacklives.com/ This holds a compilation of various links to articles on discussions of race and police brutality: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d… Here’s a Tumblr master post where you can access links to donations and sources of information, including the preceding link, as well as some first aid tips and helpful tips: www.tumblr.com/blog/rockhoppr3… More donation places, as well as some petitions you can sign: tedlyanderson.tumblr.com/post/… If you can’t financially donate or leave your home, watch this video on the YouTube app or on your browser. Make sure ad blocker is off and the video itself plays unmuted, do not skip any of the ads. Ad revenue would then be donated to a variety of charities: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCgLa2… Remember to stay safe and stay smart.
