I’m so tired of all the violence all the way around on every side possible. It’s wearing on me so heavy. I’m not going to go into every issue I have surrounding all this. But one thing I do want to understand, so if anyone can enlighten me please do! Why was there not any of this same outrage over Tony Timpa? Why didn’t he matter this much? I’m not saying George Floyd doesn’t matter at all because of course he does. But the thing I’m struggling with I guess is this doesn’t feel like really for George Floyd, more that he’s being used as a reason to get going. I’m not denying there is heavy racism still playing out everywhere, there’s no denying that. But it feels wrong to completely disregard one life and jump to burning buildings for another when the circumstances were almost identical- only two differences one was black and one was white, one had no mental health issues and one had schizophrenia. But Timpa’s officers were never fully charged, it was dismissed, and they were allowed back on the force. Floyd’s officer is getting charged and the others better be as well because just standing there watching. . . I can’t. I just feel like the riots and the looting and the protesting aren’t actually for George Floyd. I don’t know if I’m making sense but I’m open to any discussion to help me clear my mind and figure this out.
I'm in total agreement. When someone says, "Black lives matter," my thought is ALL LIVES MATTER. It doesn't matter if the harm was done to a mentally ill or physically ill person and the excuse is disability based; or it was an old person who was harmed-so it's age discrimination, or a woman and we want to make it gender based violence; or we can consider whether they were a Muslim, a Jew, a Catholic, or Mormon, a witch, or a Christian or other religion/spiritual believer and the excuse was religious based; or whether the individual was a Hispanic, Black, Brown, Native American, White, or Other race-and used race as the excuse for doing harm to a person; or whether the hate was towards someone straight, lesbian, transgender, queer, intersexed or other....these are excuses used when simply.......the excuse (the bias) doesn't matter.....what matters is the act.....and there is absolutely no excuse on this earth that gives any person validation for harming another. The protest focus is wrong.....the focus should be on everyone, no matter your race, color, creed, sex, gender, or age has the right to be treated fairly, respectfully under the law, by those who implement the law. Violence will only lead to more violence.
That's a much bigger, more inclusive cause, which would lend itself to a great deal more support by the masses.
My bigger concern, is that our country's focus is not on our safety, and this is the position other aggressive countries would like to see us in.......vulnerable with a tweeting president who can't show emotion (he can't even fake it)....and as a country, with this out of control behavior on the part of rioters...... could spread......just like the virus is now. People are angry about COVID-19, they are angry about being stuck home, domestic violence has drastically increased, especially with so many unemployed and hungry, and they now have a cause to direct their anger towards-the police....when we need them the most. Civil unrest puts our whole country at risk.
What happened to George Floyd was definately wrong and the police should get their consequences......but hate crimes-looting and destruction don't help their cause in the least and those that did....need to have their consequences, as well. Violence is not the answer.
