The killing of George Floyd

Dear Editor,
THE recent killing of African-American George Floyd by a white Police Officer in the US city of Minneapolis, and images of the officer kneeling on the victim’s neck despite his cries of not able to breathe, highlight the oppression African-Americans have experienced daily for 400 years. It also raises questions about US democracy, human rights, and the right to life of African- American men and women.

The current rebellion in response to Floyd’s murder across US cities manifested by mass demonstrations involving thousands of citizens in more than 70 cities, along with images of burning buildings, remind the world of the flaws in US democracy. Not too long ago, US Ambassador Sarah-Ann- Lynch lectured Guyanese on elections, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and the adherence to constitutionality. On the latter issue, the US has demonstrated a chronic inability to constitutionally honour the right to life of African-American men and women. As Ambassador Lynch watched with the world, the demonstrations and America burning, I wonder what is going through her mind. If our present elections crisis had degenerated into riots even infinitesimal in scope to what is taking place in the US, the Ambassador would have rushed to mobilise other members of the diplomatic community, and put out a statement on the situation. Yet, she and they are very silent on developments in the US. While this is not surprising, it is very revealing.
It will be a flawed reading of the demonstrations and riots in US cities to believe that it is simply about protesting of the killing of George Floyd. While the killing is the catalyst for the uprising, there are many other issues at the root of the crisis. These include the disparity in the number of African-Americans, other minorities, and sections of the white working-class who die disproportionately from the coronavirus epidemic, and is directly linked to social inequality and poverty.

The massive daily protests we witness daily are questioning the very basis of American democracy, and are seeking to establish a new non-racial, social and economic contract of governance in that country.

The Chinese and Hong Kong authorities, while correctly pointing to external interference as a major element in demonstrations and riots in that city – the same claim cannot be made by the US authorities. The world had seen, for more than a year, the civilised police methods and tolerance demonstrated by Hong Kong authorities and the mainland China government in dealing with protesters. It is doubtful that the US government, under Donald Trump, could match the civility of the Chinese authorities in handling of the Hong Kong demonstrations and riots. “Protest America” is, to date, only a few days old, and Trump’s response to the crisis is for stronger police actions against protesters, and threats to deploy the army rather than with calls for healing and addressing the systemic racism in the American system. His response or non-response is unsurprising, because he has openly promoted white nationalism from his bully pulpit.

Pictures of the White House in darkness, and under siege found their way into millions of homes around the world; and the news that President Donald Trump was forced to seek refuge in an underground bunker, hiding, not from a “nuclear attack”, but from his own people. Is this, in a real way, “ poetic justice”?
What a pathetic situation! Madam Ambassador, your thoughts.

Regards,
Tacuma Ogunseye

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