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I Can't Breathe - A Cry for Change

                                  Photo Source: Wikipedia

On the 25th of March, an African American man named George Floyd was brutally and inhumanely murdered by a police officer. The police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on George's neck for several minutes. Despite George repeatedly telling him that he couldn't breathe, Derek Chauvin didn't lift his knee. George Floyd begged and pleaded for his life, but the former officers showed no remorse. They treated him with such cruelty. He was a human being and they tried to strip him of his dignity in broad daylight. The video is heartbreaking to see. No one deserves to be treated like that. He was a father, a brother, a friend and an uncle. In his final moments, George yelled out for his mother. The ultimate plea for your life. A cry to be heard. To be seen. 

Police brutality and racism has a long history, not just in America, but all over the world. If someone has a darker complexion, they're looked down upon and seen as inferior. People who aren't white, are treated as if they're less intelligent. It's been happening for centuries and in 2020, it's still happening. It's a tragedy that race plays a role in how people are treated. For far too long, there's been a knee on the necks of countless individuals. For far too long, human beings have been cast aside and seen as less than because they were born with higher levels of melanin. You can't even take a walk outside without being suspected of somehow breaking the law. When you try to rise above your circumstances, there's a knee on your neck. You're not even given a chance. And that can be said in a lot of life's situations. 

Under the knee of racism and prejudice, no one can breathe. Who can stand to endure so much hate? The world needs more empathy and love. There needs to be a change. There will always be prejudice. There'll always be people whose hearts are filled with hate. But each time we show kindness to each other, we show that love is indeed so much stronger than hate and indifference. 

My heart goes out to George Floyd's family. And I believe that he will get justice. So will Breonna, Ahmaud, Collins Khosa and all the victims of police brutality. There will come a time when no one is gasping for air. When there will be no knee pressed against anyone's neck and everyone will be able to breathe. 


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Comments

  1. C. Barbee aka nabraska aka poet40210 July 2020 at 10:09

    Well written and well stated. Keep that light on, and keep fightin' young writer!

    ReplyDelete

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