The Aftermath

We went to War last year. The summer of 2020, our lives changed forever. For some more than others, the gut wrenching feeling of a terminal nature still exists in the pit of our stomachs. This isn’t about politics, this isn’t even about race... This is about justice and the legal system finally got it right. To be clear, this is about murder, grief, fear, pain and war.

I didn’t start this war or ask for it but I will continue fighting it as a social justice warrior. I come from a small island upbringing, crime was a rarity, much less murder. I remember thinking as a little girl... How is it possible? I learned of a murder in a mansion that I could see on my way home from school. I heard of the gory details and immediately thought, “this isn’t true. How could it be true?”

I still have a hard time coming to terms with murder. Breonna Taylor was awaken from her sleep to bullets that killed her. How is this possible? Especially from law enforcement who is supposed to protect you? I watched bits and pieces last night, clips from CNN and The Hill on YouTube of the witness testimonies in court. My heart is still hurting. This doesn’t feel like last summer, this feels like today, right now... In the moment. I could not imagine how the brave witnesses felt having to recount that day. A fire fighter and the store clerk were so remorseful, “if only” I administered CPR, “if only” I didn’t tell my Boss about the fake $20 bill, “I should’ve just not taken it from him,” we wouldn’t be here right now. But here we are. On the precipice of reform.

Just like that little girl who could not believe this to be true, rewatching that video of the murderous cops knee accompanied by two other cops, restraining an already dead George Floyd proved beyond a reasonable doubt what we all came to know as the truth. “This really did happen,” is all that I can say today.

We cannot change the fact that we have lost and continue to loose unarmed, innocent “until proven guilty” but not even given a chance to have a fair trial, black lives. Today we heard as did everyone around the world that Black Lives Matter and now they will matter to law enforcement. The needle of change has moved ever so slightly today. We pray for more because that is all that we can do as we fight for our lives in this war torn by hate country.

As I mentioned before, I have not seen the trial in it’s entirety but I would like to give credit where it’s due to the Prosecution team, the Jurors and to the Paramedic, Derek Smith, who did not hide his contempt for the murder committed by law enforcement that day. Thank you for your honesty. Instead of a knee on George Floyd’s neck for 9:23 minutes, chest compressions and cpr could’ve been administered to save his life. Why didn’t they try to resuscitate him? His lifeless body laid there waiting for the medics. You can’t help but think... Had it been anyone else, would Derek Chauvin have used less force?

“The verdict was read in Hennepin County court just after 4 p.m. Tuesday. In addition to the second-degree murder conviction, the jury found Chauvin guilty of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.” This is our first win of many to come. God bless America.