Chauvin Verdict: What Next?

I said last summer and I say again that nobody condoned the actions of Officer Chauvin which led to the death of George Floyd. After this incident, there was actually a consensus as we’ve rarely had for any issue in America. It could have been a unifying moment for the country, but instead we got months of rioting and destruction along with condemnation of our systems, our police, and other individuals. There were dozens more deaths as a result of the riots than the one from the original incident. Where is the demand for justice for all those who died as a result of the riots and why did so many condone the rioters, labeling them “mostly peaceful protestors” and the like? Many who died in those riots were also black, people like retired police officer David Dorn, who was callously slain by a looter. Where is the outrage over his and the other deaths which followed? Don’t these black lives matter as well? There are so many more such questions like these I want to pose to you.

Two things can be true simultaneously. We can call out the behavior of Officer Chauvin, but we can also call out those who “protested” and the manner in which they “protested”. Chauvin was wrong, but so was the reaction to what he did. Are we any better off today following the events of last summer and the guilty verdict in this case? Did anyone or did the country as a whole change for the better in the interim? Unfortunately, I think not for both questions.

Ostensibly, last summer was a protest, but a protest against whom and against what? Nobody justified Floyd’s death. I challenge you to name one person, anyone famous or maybe just someone you know personally, who claimed justice was served by Floyd’s death. That person doesn’t exist. Many want to vilify and hold others accountable for Floyd’s death. Some blame Donald Trump for creating a toxic environment or for failing to take action, but neither Trump nor any other public figure nor anyone I personally know made excuses for what happened. Nobody said it was a good thing. Nobody said Floyd had it coming. Nobody said Chauvin did all the right things. Nobody said that’s just the way it is. Nobody. Not one. So, who, other than Chauvin, deserved the brunt of the protestors anger? Were the dozens of lives lost during the riots along with the billions of dollars lost and the thousands of businesses destroyed, not to mention the damage to the lives of so many business owners, employees, and their families, just the cost of making America more aware? Nothing says we stand for justice quite like looting and then burning the local Wal-Mart. Thanks for doing your part to make America a better place and raising my awareness about these matters.

George Floyd Riots Caused Record-Setting $2 Billion in Damage, New Report Says. Here’s Why the True Cost Is Even Higher – Foundation for Economic Education: Dozens of people were killed or injured in the violent unrest, and thousands of businesses and properties, many minority-owned, were looted, torched, or otherwise vandalized. Only now are we beginning to realize the full cost of the destruction. New reporting from Axios reveals that the total insured property losses incurred during the George Floyd riots will come in at $1 billion to $2 billion.

The rhetoric regarding race has only gotten worse in the last year. What could have been and should have been a unifying event has divided the country more than ever. The “mostly peaceful protestors” were not attempting to prick anyone’s conscience; they were not attempting to shame anyone for their actions nor were they trying to fix any system and make it better. I would stand with them if they had any of these intentions; we would have another consensus if that were the case. Sure, some believed they were fighting for justice, but they were drowned out by the rest of an angry mob. The mob wanted to vent its anger, but the anger was destructive and misplaced. There was no great moral cause here; there was mostly rioting, looting, and outrage to no good end.

In the end, the American justice system worked as it was designed despite the riots, not because of them. The riots sought to impose a different form of justice–mob justice. The mob is good at tearing down systems, but not so good at fixing any problems or offering any alternatives. Those orchestrating the “protests” were simply trying to blame people who are not responsible, to blame political opponents who actually are in agreement with them regarding the injustice of Floyd’s death.

And what was being protested? The answer provided is always “systemic racism”. But a systemically racist system would not have immediately fired Officer Chauvin from the police force. A systemically racist system would not have charged Officer Chauvin in a few short days after this incident (something that was done in record time in this instance). A systemically racist system would not have released the body camera evidence so quickly; it would have found a way to cover it up A systemically racist system would have had a phalanx of police officers and public officials lining up to defend Chauvin’s actions. A systemically racist system would not have convicted Chauvin. A systemically racist system would not have elected a black president twice along with a black vice-president last year; it would not even allowed those choices. A systemically racist system would not have allowed so many black senators, mayors, representatives, governors, attorneys general, and the like to hold office in order to represent both black and non-black populations. This claim of systemic racism is built on a lie, a lie to discredit political opponents who otherwise agree with their accusers on the evils of racism.

A systemically racist system would also seek out and encourage more people like Chauvin, not condemn such behavior. A systemically racist America would have hundreds, if not thousands, of black men being killed unjustifiably by police officers each year. That’s simply not the case. On average, there are 50 to 60 million interactions between police and the public each year. Of those incidents, a very small number result in the death of a black civilian, and most of these we don’t hear about because most of these are justified. Of the few we do hear about each year, most are not as clear-cut as the George Floyd incident. If we could find more clear cut incidents like the death of George Floyd or the death of Walter Scott a few years ago or the beating of Rodney King 30 years ago, we could have a real debate about this matter. Instead, we have a lot of incidents which are highlighted, but few that are worthy of discussion. We have people who want us believe something not true, so they can convince us to tear down something which is fundamentally good.

There have been several recent incidents in which police have taken lethal action after having been shot at, lunged at by knife wielders, or beaten by suspects. But for those pushing the “systemic racism” narrative, the circumstances don’t matter; it is only the headline “white officer kills black suspect” that matters. After George Floyd, the next story was about Rashard Brooks, a man who resisted arrest, beat two police officers, stole an officer’s taser, and fired upon the officer as he was being chased. Riots ensued in Atlanta after the police officer shot and killed Mr. Brooks. Shortly after, Jacob Blake was shot by police officers who were called to the scene of a domestic incident. Blake was violating a restraining order during which he digitally raped his ex-girlfriend, and when confronted by police officers he went for a knife in his car and then the police shot him. There were riots for days after in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The death of Breonna Taylor was another recent tragedy, but she was an innocent bystander, not a target of police. Her boyfriend fired on two officers, hitting one in the leg and when police returned fire, she was killed in the crossfire. But she has become a cause celebre and the Louisville police department is now being investigated for suspect police practices simply because two officers tried to protect their own lives when fulfilling an arrest warrant and fired upon by the target of the warrant.

In the last week or so, a black teenage girl, Ma’Khia Bryant, was shot by a white police officer. Bryant was wielding a knife and about to stab another black teenage girl when she was stopped by the officer. In this instance, a white police officer saved the life of a black teenager, but was condemned for it. This story is enlightening because it illustrates the dilemma police face. What would have been said if the police officer did nothing while Bryant stabbed another black girl? Would he have been condemned for not intervening to save a black life? The accusation that police don’t care if black people kill each other has been made in the past. How can police win in an instance like this? It seems as if the critics want the police to fail.

We are told by the one-channel media all of these are yet more instances of never ending systemic racism. Most of these situations have murky circumstances in which it is hard to second guess the police officer. We ought to at least examine the facts before jumping to conclusions, yet, inevitably riots have broken out within hours of these incidents. The only fact that matters to the protestors/rioters is “white officer kills black suspect”. But as demonstrated above, they are rarely situations in which police officer had subdued the victim or the situation is completely under control. I am very dubious of the claim of systemic racism when the best examples that are put forward are not good examples at all. The George Floyd incident was one of few cases where it is clear a police officer went too far, but it boggles my mind that all the other murky cases are lumped in with this one. There is no distinction made between the George Floyd case and others; all of them are used to to condemn all police and condemn law enforcement and justice in America in general.

The Narrative Rules

Ironically, Michael Brown’s death, which was the inspiration for the Black Lives Matter organization, is built on a lie. We were told repeatedly Michael Brown held up his hands and said “Don’t shoot” but was shot in the back by a white police officer in any case. If that story were true, we would all agree it was an injustice, but that basic narrative was contradicted by multiple eye witnesses. Michael Brown’s death was investigated multiple times, locally and nationally, the last time by the Federal Department of Justice during the Obama administration. The Obama administration, along with black Attorney General Eric Holder, wanted to lead the way in proving that Michael Brown’s death was unjustified, but even a partisan DOJ sympathetic to the cause of racial justice couldn’t find any police wrongdoing in this instance. DOJ Report on Shooting of Michael Brown (justice.gov) Yet the oft repeated mantra of Brown’s death: “Hands up. Don’t shoot.” prevails to this day.

There are those who make an issue only when there is a lethal incident involving a white police officer and a black suspect. Any other situation which does not fit this template is ignored. It’s not a national story when a police officer is killed by a black man; it’s not a national story when a white man is killed by police, no matter the race of the officer. Those are stories for the local news, and they are never elevated to national stories unless we have the right skin color for the officer and the victim. Because only certain stories are reported on, it seems to the public like there is an unending string of racist incidents, when there is actually not.

There are far more black men killed by other black men, especially in large cities in America. The chance of a black person dying at the hands of a criminal are far greater than the chances of a black person dying at the hands of the police. The ratio isn’t even close. If we want to make life better and safer for blacks in America, we should focus on ending this holocaust in our cities rather than strictly focusing on the much smaller number of deaths of black men by the hands of white police officers. But unfortunately, some black lives don’t matter to those pushing the “systemic racism” narrative, only the black lives that fall into the narrative “white police officer kills black person” matter.

I said in a post a few weeks ago, only Chauvin killed Floyd, not America Who is a Racist? – Seek the Truth (seek-the-truth.com):

While I don’t know what will or should happen in the Chauvin trial, I do know that what happened between Derek Chauvin and George Floyd should not define race relations for all Americans. They are two flawed individuals and their interaction should not be representative for the rest of us. Chauvin is not a proxy for my views, nor he is a proxy for the relationship I, nor any other white American, has with another black American. He is not a proxy for all police officers, and if found guilty, it doesn’t mean all police officers are guilty of racism by association. But we make this same mistake every time there is this kind of story. We’ll make the mistake we made with Trevon Martin and George Zimmerman, with Michael Brown and Darren Wilson. I wish we would stop taking a few individuals as representatives of entire groups.

But instead, our media draws our focus onto tragedies of a few black lives, tragedies that will advance a cause while ignoring the thousands of other blacks who die from violence annually. We ignore the plank in the eye and focus on the splinter instead. The girl whose life was saved when a police officer shot her attacker, publicly thanked the officer, but basketball player turned political activist Lebron James, sent a tweet about “accountability” including a picture of the to the officer, saying “You’re next”, a thinly veiled threat for which he was shamed into taking down a day later: LeBron James: LAPD union calls for NBA to investigate ‘you’re next’ tweet | The Independent. The man saved the life of a black teenager for God’s sake, but James can’t see past the narrative.

Are we going to listen to people like James, someone who has 50 million followers on Twitter, but routinely shows his ignorance on matters beyond basketball? James also recently compared NFL owners to slaveholders. LeBron James: NFL owners are ‘old white men’ with ‘slave mentality’ toward players – The Washington Post. If you are one of James’s 50 million followers, please stop and think for a moment about this particular comment. He compares black men who are extremely well compensated and idolized for playing a game to blacks who were not compensated at all for doing work against their will for the entirety of their lives. Is there any logic in what he says? Anyone who believes this believes only because they want this to be true, not because there is any supporting evidence. Maybe you want to believe you are fighting for today’s social justice cause, but let me be the first to tell you, James and those who agree with him are only making things worse, not better.

James isn’t the only one saying silly things, however. He is just one in a crowd. Others jumped in to attack the NBA for their slave mentality as well. The NBA owners are no better than slave holding plantation owners according to attorney Jeffrey Kessler representing the NBA players a few years ago NBA lockout — Jeffrey Kessler apologizes for ‘plantation workers’ comment (espn.com) Black TV personality Bryant Gumbel minced no words on the topic either saying NBA players are like slaves ‘Massa’ David Stern & the NBA ‘Plantation’ (finalcall.com)

We were told recently that Megan Markle, grade B actress turned princess with a dowry for life, is oppressed for being half black. So too are these NBA players who appear to live like kings. Wouldn’t most people want to trade places with these benighted poor souls? What is racism? – Seek the Truth (seek-the-truth.com)

I listed four examples of stories of so-called racial injustice that made the news in the last year, but there are dozens of such incidents which are highlighted but rarely support the narrative. The sole distinguishing feature in all stories is white cop and black victim. “Here we go again,” is the cry even before facts come out. The facts, in most, although not all, cases show the police usually acted responsibly, but sadly the world we live in today no longer cares about facts. Our media, along with BLM, only seek to blame someone else for these deaths. Can we use these deaths to advance our political cause? These are the people who need to be shamed, not the police.

Furthermore, in every instance it is assumed the motivation for the shootings is racism, but why is that assumption always made? I don’t know that it is true even for Derek Chauvin. Chauvin was found guilty of murder, but at his trial, no evidence was provided as to his racist intent. Not a shred. None. We still don’t know why he did what he did, but the public has been led to believe that racism is the only motivation in this instance. Racism was never formally charged and was never proven. Can you read Chauvin’s mind? What facts can you show that he hated and killed Floyd strictly because he was black? But the narrative that Chauvin is a racist is extrapolated to show that all of America is racist. There is simply no evidence for that.

But those nice people like Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon say something is wrong here. Shouldn’t we listen to them? Well, many do and so they are convinced that something is truly wrong here. The most troubling aspect for me is that Cooper, Lemon, and the rest of the one channel media want to condemn and second guess the police who are for the most part are just trying to do their jobs, while at the same time, they condone the violence of the mob. I’ll go into that more in another post.

What have We Learned Following the Conviction of Officer Chauvin?

I have a few final questions in the wake of the Chauvin decision:

Was justice served? Probably, but it wasn’t pretty. Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez made this bizarre statement following the verdict AOC called out over response to Chauvin verdict – Bing video How can America ever do anything right when people like her set the standard? A few days before the verdict was announced, Congresswoman Maxine Watters said the verdict must be guilty or there will be confrontation in the streets. She basically called for violence if she was not satisfied with the decision Maxine Waters calls for protesters to ‘get more confrontational’ if no guilty verdict is reached in Derek Chauvin trial – CNNPolitics The judge in the case called her out for this comment Judge in Chauvin trial calls out Rep. Maxine Waters for ‘abhorrent’ comment – CNN Video as did Alan Dershowitz, Harvard law professor and famous criminal defense attorney, who decried the manner in which justice was obtained in this case. Dershowitz believes as I do, Chauvin is guilty but is concerned about his accusers going too far. Listen to this interview of Dershowitz in which he goes into detail on his concerns:

What does this verdict and the events of the past year say about race in America? It says we can’t have a conversation about what is true and what is not. People who want to look at the facts are drowned out by people like James, Watters, and Ocasio-Cortez who don’t want to discuss facts and only want to condemn and tear down while they themselves enjoy the fruits of the systems they condemn. Our one-channel media as well thinks you must follow along with their narrative or you yourself will be the next one deemed a racist. How can we have a conversation about race in an environment like this?
Are things going to get better? Not until we all see what’s really going on here. Last week, Nancy Pelosi thanked George Floyd for his sacrifice Pelosi thanks George Floyd for ‘sacrificing your life for justice’ (msn.com). But he didn’t willingly give up his life, Nancy. He wasn’t a martyr like MLK. He wasn’t risking his life for others. People like Pelosi reveal the game with statements like this. She doesn’t want to solve problems, but she is thankful that the Floyd case allowed her to achieve political goals and allowed her to vilify her opponents as evil white supremacists who she claims have us surrounded. No, things are not getting better when the truth is being obscured for sinister goals. Things are also not going to get better because the Black Lives Matter organization doesn’t really want to improve the lives of blacks in America. BLM raised $90 million after Floyd’s death, but the father of Michael Brown, the progenitor of the BLM movement, received nothing and he is suing the organization for using his son’s name without helping his own family and his own community Michael Brown’s father, Ferguson activists demand $20M from BLM (nypost.com). He wants to know where the money has gone. Well, we now know that one of the BLM founders just bought a multi-million dollar home in Los Angeles and is living among rich whites; it seems a sizeable portion of that $90M goes to provide a cushy life style for BLM leaders rather than helping to improve the lives of blacks in inner cities Marxist BLM leader buys $1.4 million home in ritzy LA enclave (nypost.com). Karl Marx must be turning over in his grave after hearing that one.

If you donated money to BLM or believe in their cause, I am sorry you’ve been duped. They along with so many other voices who have spoken up in the last year have no interest in solving any problems regarding race. They, in fact, are the source of the problem today. They are raising the temperature while offering ridiculous solutions like “defund the police”, “abolish the police”, or “disarm the police”. The police know they are under attack and are simply withdrawing in many instances. We need the police and we need to support them; this trend will not make America better. In the last year, crime is up significantly in large cities, and who is impacted the most by crime in large cities? BLM and others say they are trying to help are exactly the ones who will be disproportionately hurt by the lack of policing. More black lives will be lost because of the attack on our systems which have done far more good than harm.

We need to keep talking about this issue of race because it is the big lie in America today. Next time, let’s look at Senator Ted Cruz’s anti-discrimination bill for which all the liberal social justice warriors in the Senate voted against and let’s look at Senator Tim Scott’s state of the union rebuttal for which he earned the moniker “Uncle Tim”. Who are really the racists here?

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