Yesterday, Donald Trump said this about how people in Minnesota and throughout America are reacting to the death of George Floyd:
“Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
Trump, of course, did not come up with the “looting ... shooting” phrase himself. It was used by southern white police officials and politicians during the Civil Rights era, including infamous segregationist and presidential candidate George Wallace.
Trump later claimed he wasn’t familiar with the history of the phrase. Given his overall lack of knowledge about most things, that may be true.
But it hardly matters.
The president of the United States was advocating that American citizens be shot on sight for activity perhaps no more severe than breaking windows or stealing toaster ovens.
If you haven’t already, please take a minute to read the message I sent yesterday (copied below in case you missed it) about George Floyd’s death and some organizations working for criminal justice reform.
Thanks, and stay safe.
- Robert
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On Monday, a man named George Floyd died after being apprehended by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The entire incident was caught on video by a passerby. In broad daylight. From just a few feet away.
- George Floyd was face down on the bare asphalt of a city street as an officer’s knee — and full body weight — was driven into his neck for six or seven minutes.
- George Floyd was unarmed.
- He did not appear to be resisting.
- At first, he tried to inform the officer that he could not breathe.
- Even after George Floyd stopped moving — after he may already have died — the officer who was kneeling on his neck did not stop, did not attempt to check his condition, did nothing to provide medical help.
- Three other officers stood by and did nothing to prevent George Floyd’s death.
- The police apprehended George Floyd because they thought he resembled someone a store employee thought might have used a counterfeit $10 or $20 bill.
This is the reality — repeated far too many times to chalk up to a few “bad apples” — for people of color subjected to the criminal (in)justice system in America.
Meanwhile, angry Trump supporters in many states are storming capitol buildings and city halls wielding military-grade weapons in a flagrant bid to intimidate government officials into ignoring what experts are saying about safely managing the coronavirus emergency.
And the police somehow find the restraint to indulge this without summarily executing people.
Here are some organizations doing important work in the area of criminal justice reform:
The Bail Project
Black Lives Matter
Campaign Zero
Center for Policing Equity
Color Of Change
Communities United Against Police Brutality
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
Families Against Mandatory Minimums
Mapping Police Violence
The Marshall Project
Minnesota Freedom Fund
National Police Accountability Project
Reclaim the Block
The Sentencing Project
Stay safe.
- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen
P.S. This message is part of our ongoing outreach to help you stay informed and involved as our nation and the world grapple with the coronavirus emergency. Public Citizen — like many nonprofits and other small businesses — is feeling the financial strain of this crisis. If you can, please consider donating to support the critical work we’re doing together. Anything you chip in today will be matched dollar-for-dollar. Thank you.
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