04/23/2021
By Kate Stone Lombardi
I wanted to write about something happy and spring-like, but I’m still reeling from the week.
First, the initial reaction to the Derrick Chauvin verdict. White people I know: “Justice!” Black people I know: “Accountability. But not justice.” Fair enough.
Do you know that every single day during that trial more than three people a day have died a day at the hands of police officers? (Just as a reminder, the trail started on March 29.) Each case is different, sure. Some may have been justified. But some of the victims were teenagers – a 13-year-old unarmed boy, a sixteen year-old girl. At least one victim was mentally ill.
It’s going to be hard to forget the Minneapolis Police Department initial press release after Floyd was killed: “Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction.” If it weren’t for that video….
I’m not a cop. I don’t know what it’s like to face split second decisions under pressure. But I also know that these numbers have not been on the rise. This is just business as usual. And it sure is a bad business.