"My Daddy Changed the World"

George Floyd's six year old daughter

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My words dried up for a time. Each week, the times are hard, then something happens to make them harder, until it is one long stream of terrible news and hard existences.

Then the policeman held his knee on George Floyd's neck for eight minutes 43 seconds; another officer's knee was on his back. "I can't breathe," he pleaded. The arrogance of the policeman's face as he held his knee in place, on George's neck, while bystanders yelled, "you're going to kill him", I don't think I will ever forget. George died before our eyes, on our tv screens, a father, a son, a brother - an African American man.

All four policemen are now charged with murder, as they should be.

I spent last weekend in silence, indoors, and am only emerging now from the latest instance, among so many, of police brutality towards the African American community.

This time, the protest marches did not stop. They spread around the world, we other countries appalled at what has happened to the America we once admired. The president, as could be expected (since these protests are the culmination of his three and a half year reign of racism, division and tyranny) fanned the flames. "When the looting starts, the shooting starts," tough talk from a bully. Who had people teargassed and clubbed out of his way so he could stand in front of a church holding up a Bible, for a photo opp.

He could not be more unfit for the position he holds.

I was surprised the Bible didnt burst into flames in his hands.  His eyes are devil eyes - cold and dead. I wonder if he has so much hair to hide the horns. His wife has the most unhappy face I have ever seen.

There were verified reports of organized neo nazi groups burning and causing damage, in an effort to discredit the peaceful protests. trump's endless tweets fanned the flames.

I felt hope when Barak Obama came on tv to encourage young people to take this as a moment of transformation, to use this momentum to keep moving forward. All of the civil rights leaders I am listening to on the news are talking the same way - time for change. Time for justice.

At George Floyd's funeral today, civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton told about a protest in the past when he was confronted by a white person and told "N**ger, go home." He said at this protest, he felt someone tugging on his coat. He turned to see an eleven year old white girl looking at him, and he braced himself for what she might say.

"No justice, no peace," she said, and raised her fist. When he told this at the funeral, I think we all know something has changed this time. Enough is enough.

People have been marching all over the world. Yes, racism is everywhere. We all have to deal with it in our own communities. Barak Obama said change can be made at local levels, that we can make our voices heard to our elected officials at every level. It does have an effect; I see it in my own town.

This instance of police brutality, on the heels of so many other instances,  was so blatant and so arrogant, it was a turning point. The hate speech we have been listening to for over three years has had the effect of empowering racists to be much bolder. It is happening on a smaller scale in Canada, increasingly since the USA has been in such turmoil. It gives permission and emboldens the dark hearts among us. It must stop. We are so much better than this, as a race, the human race, when we open our hearts and come together, as we do in every disaster. The disaster of American politics under trump has hopefully brought us together; so many white people marching everywhere; the policemen who laid down their shields and took a knee in front of the protesters - those were the police who got great responses.

One person at the top needs to go and all his cohorts with him. We need sane and reasonable voices of integrity to begin to address all the harm that has been done. I worry about the far right who are now out in such great numbers, should the next election not please them.

One day at a time. The way forward is with open hearts, open ears, and open hands. George Floyd's six year old daughter said "My daddy changed the world." I hope that maybe he has.