Civil Twilight (1)

            This article almost didn't happen. Ironically, someone made a very reckless decision with some things that I was working on. It's one of those situations where you can act or choose to sit back. You can confront the person head on. That is an option. There's no use in standing by with electronics in hand. Drop them and be a part of change.
            The language I suggest is designed to make someone who acts early, look foolish. A person could easily read a piece of things I have put together and reach conclusions. A world of people who are read by skimming headlines. Here, clarification is grinding through the questions I am going to ask. Then, I will attempt to answer them.  My points are sometimes trapdoors. 

            As I was playing with this idea, I had three general observations. One was that we keep arguing about masks and that relationship with breathing. Another was protecting others despite your personal interpretation of freedom. I also had this idea that everyone should be able to carry themselves around with dignity.

            When I started looking at approaching a way to write about this something tragic happened. In Minneapolis there were some reckless actions by authorities where one man lost his life. Bystanders attempted many of the things I'm going to mention below. However, I watched the extended video after my writing, before editing this. 
            Part of me was enthusiastic that people tried to stand up to the officers. Another knew the outcome. That's the worst. Especially since I wrote the breadth of this piece by voice-to-text and then retired upstairs to edit. In that time, I had a long discussion with an old friend. We watched the videos together (via Skype). Any sense of good energy from talking with a friend was replaced with more questions. 
           

            They are currently rioting and burning a lot of the city. They'll end up wrecking their own property values and creating uncomfortable places in history. Businesses that may not want to or be able to return. We shall all pay for these reactions later. 

            On social media I've seen folks arguing about oppression by authority. The discussion centers around storefronts and governments trying to force people to breathe a certain way. Folks that are talking about this are enjoying fresh air while doing so. Though many cities have a haze of smoke. Countless businesses have broken glass facing the unrest. 

            There was a young man named George Floyd. His life ended during an abuse of trust. I've not seen anybody try to draw the correlation between these reckless authorities and the pandemic. Across the world people are locked down and slowly trying to breathe. The folks might consider that what happened to him is not just about race. There is a lack of awareness and knowledge. Stifling the public and minimalizing people who are not “essential.”

            Most seem to be sitting back observing and recording the dilemma they're going through. Wouldn't it be interesting for them to take a stance and then action? Stepping forward to close the social distance. A breath of fresh air, in an exercise of freedom, mask or not. 

            Where were the bystanders while that incident was going on? We see the people who want to reopen their states and they try to gather; they seem to get shunned. A lot of folks give people without a mask the look of disgust. As if they have no dignity to protect others.

            Then you have this cop who's cutting off a man's air supply. If you've not seen the video, I don't recommend that you watch it. Those of you who have watched mixed martial arts know that people constantly push away for position. While I was editing this piece, I saw the longer video. A young martial artist is one of the people telling the officer to let up.

            Mr. Floyd was laying on the ground. He was continuing to try to force his nose into the asphalt. That would have given his chin a scrape on the blacktop. However, that would provide slack for his throat. Trading the scuff and open wounds for fresh air. A horrible situation to watch as he is losing the battle for survival. 

            The word careless would only be the first step of a ladder to describe what happened. Much like all of us have let authority run wild. It's as if we hope to sue them later or have a discourse no matter what their consequences are. How many people are thinking of the word incompetence? Are you considering action, yet?

            Perhaps you're upset that entertainment and fun is shut down. Your chosen occupation isn't desirable or essential leaving a disconnect in the social status. What makes those other people more important than you? Maybe you're thinking the economy is withering in a way that it won't come back next season. Perhaps you're just angry because it's such a hassle to try to work your job with new protocols. A little extra frustration as the kids can't attend school.

            All these changes have the improbable chance of being undone. George Floyd can't be replaced by his family receiving some sort of wrongful death stimulus. The man struggled and fought and clearly communicated. They ignored his cries for help. They checked on him after the fact. Ordinary people kept telling them to just check a pulse. 

            Many people feel the same way about our socioeconomic world. They're scared to death about the biological aspects that might happen. George was fighting against someone kneeling on his windpipe. An image that will mark this time. This incident changed the conversation. In November, this will be one of the top three issues for voters. 

            People stood by and listened to the authorities who suffocated him. Society makes it very ugly for people to stand up. Suppose it hadn't been filmed, one of the bystanders takes off running and tackles the officer. But now, there's two people in jail. Would we be so upset having read about it in the murky waters of the press? So, the phone and the video are necessary when we don't trust one another.
            What were the police waiting for? Maybe for the ambulance to come and take him away for drug related circumstances. Does the response time of the EMTs play into the accountability here? Every part of the incident is puzzling. No one has the answers for reopening or how to be a society either. 

            This all becomes complicated so quickly. Using the technology is not a bad thing. But it's not the only thing either. There are videos and photos from storefronts and individuals on every side. These same places are now the heart of a volatile city. They're certainly not staying at home or distancing. Imagine the contact tracing now. 

            We've fought so much about public education. Not wanting to accept science and questioning math. Lying to each other with statistics. Now when the time for action and accountability comes there's no clarity. These ideas of Creationism and the Intelligent Design of how to undermine anthropology. We question Covid-19 and refuse to believe medical science.

            Anyone who broke the situation up should be given some sort of award by the mayor. From there, some higher awards. Making sure we get them in front of radio and television for some interviews. Telling their story of action. Yet, here's this man who they watched and were able to do nothing about. Some did attempt to yell, to approach and they were met with commands. Even the threat of pepper spray as the knee sank deeper.

            Filming people from the sidelines is not action. It's rather ugly to think about that being any substitute for having the integrity to walk up to the officers. I'm not faulting people for fear. It's the lack of education and communication that we must stand up for one another. As I watched the video during editing, I felt empowered to see that folks tried.