The broad daylight extrajudicial execution of George Floyd two days ago, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as he and others begged his uniformed killers to spare his life, is a devastating and grave injustice. Most people who have seen the video of the cold-blooded murder of Mr. Floyd are thoroughly disgusted and horrified by the callous, ruthless, cold-blooded, seemingly rehearsed, and agonizing murdering of a fellow human being. Most people feel, like I do, invalidated, powerless, and emasculated to the core, as we could not jump through the screen and push the killer off Mr. Floyd’s neck and form a protective circle around him to fend off those ravenous savages. Mr. Floyd’s killing should not be referred to as police brutality, it’s far more than that; it’s the tip of an iceberg better be described as what it actually is: systemic racism. Law enforcement infrastructure, legislative mechanisms, legal system, and justice system (including the Supreme Court’s protective-shield laws around rogue officers) must be fundamentally reconfigured, in order to protect Black Americans, to the same degree and no less, as they do White Americans. The relentless onslaught against Black people in America must stop. Immediately. The only way this could be achieved is by granting Black Americans an equal voice in the essential reconfiguration process. More broadly, these rights and input opportunities must be granted to all minorities in America. The freedoms and rights granted by the United States Constitution are intended for all Americans. “We The People” in the Preamble to the Constitution refers to all Americans. No exceptions. It is the law of the land, enshrined in the founding texture of this nation. It should be unequivocal then, as a clear declaration of the cumulative totality of the United States Constitution that Black Lives Matter. And if this is ever in dispute, then Black Lives Matter is a clear declaration of all those who believe in justice for all humanity.
Azzam Elayan, PhD
May 28, 2020
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