There is only one topic fit for this space this week.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
I thought for a moment, is this the right platform to be talking about this?
The answer is yes. Absolutely it is.
Every platform is appropriate.
We should be shouting for justice from the rooftops - in every form we can think of.
“To be silent is to be complicit. Black lives matter. We have a platform, and we have a duty to our Black members, employees, creators and talent to speak up,” Netflix posted on Twitter on Saturday.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
The death of George Floyd, unarmed Black man, under a white policeman’s knee was a breaking point for America and the world.
Floyd’s final moments - his repeated pleas for mercy and last words ‘I can’t breathe’ - were captured in harrowing videos on bystanders’ phones.
I can’t bear to watch past the first 30 seconds.
But following that is more than seven minutes of the police officer keeping his knee pressed on handcuffed Floyd’s neck with no regard for his life.
He continued to kneel on Floyd’s neck for two minutes and 53 seconds after he became unresponsive. The police officer has now been charged with murder.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
The primary responsibility of a police officer is supposed to be to protect people.
Floyd was not a violent criminal - he was being arrested on a suspected forgery charge and posed absolutely no threat to the three officers pinning him facedown on the ground while he was handcuffed.
This behaviour is absolutely unacceptable.
Hatred and bigotry should have no place in our society, and there is no excuse for the horrific racism and police brutality the Black community has endured for decades.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
We are lucky to live in such a diverse and accepting town - and to have such a passionate and proactive community.
Thousands, if not millions, of people around the world are making their voices heard and it fills me with pride to see Jasperites demonstrating for the cause.
Racism is abhorrent and should not be tolerated on any level - and we have to acknowledge that is a part of reality not just in America, but here in Canada and around the world, and we must put an end to it.
I understand that the colour of my skin means I will never understand. However, I stand.
Fuchsia Dragon
