By now, most of us have probably seen the clip of George Floyd suffocating under the policeman’s knee.
When I saw it, I was disgusted, infuriated and heartbroken.
He clearly said he couldn’t breathe, yet instead of loosening his control, the policeman pressed down even harder.
The policeman was stopping blood flow and oxygen from going into his brain. Did it not occur to him that George could die?
George was UNARMED and couldn’t move at all. There were FOUR policemen on scene and ONE of him.
It’s unbelievable.
If he were trying to rob someone, or was committing a physical act, you could say the policeman needed to “restrain” him. But George was accused of spending a counterfeit bill.
He was already handcuffed. The force used against him was completely unnecessary.
A few days later, riots and protests began happening worldwide. I wasn’t surprised.
Enough is enough.
It’s just so sickening to see this happening again and again. I couldn’t help but wonder, why did George Floyd die? Why do the police think it is ok for them to act this way?
For years, police officers have been getting away with this sort of behaviour. It’s like they don’t have to be accountable for their actions.
I was watching a clip on facebook, and a black man was sharing what it was like to be black. There are so many things he has to constantly think about.
He has to make sure his hands are always visible. If they’re hidden, the cops might think he has a gun or weapon.
He has to make sure to keep enough distance between him and other people, so that they don’t feel uncomfortable.
He has to constantly make eye contact, so he doesn’t look suspicious.
He only touches things he’s going to buy, so he doesn’t get accused of stealing.
There were more, but I can’t remember them all.
Imagine if you have to worry about all these things when life is already so tough. It’s so heartbreaking and unfair.
One quote that really stood out to me was, “You may be allowed in, but it doesn’t mean you’re welcomed.”
Not to mention, the system is against them. Black people are not given the same opportunities. This also applies to visible minority and those that belong to a lower socioeconomic status.
There is so much inequality, lack of access and control.
So now, people are done. They are no longer willing to stay silent.
This time, I’m hoping things will change for the better.
All over social media, I now see videos, posts and images of people sharing content related to systemic racism. People are taking more action than ever before.
Racism has always been here, and I have always been aware. But it wasn’t until this incident that pushed me to write a post about it.
I guess pain changes people.
Last but not least, I want to say, I support the BLM community. Black Lives Matter.
I want us to live in a world where we don’t get treated differently because of our skin colour. I hope you feel the same.
Grow with me 