STRANDED IN GERMANY - PART 5

The Corona Virus pandemic has made the past few months stressful for me and no doubt, for most of us, especially those already challenged with health issues, loss of income and/or homelessness. The protests during this pandemic are exposing racial discrimination in health, education, and employment. The ludicrousness is that the COVID-19 epidemic has been overshadowed by a more serious pandemic from which America has not recovered over centuries - systematic racism and the obscene imbalance between the rich and the poor in our country.  

There is an unconscionable amount of suffering hidden in plain sight among the politicians who claim to represent the people while legislating poverty through tax cuts to the rich, slashing of social services including health, education and welfare, mass incarceration polices aimed at increasing the profit of privatized prisons, denial of basic rights of America’s non-white population and refusal of transparency of the most powerful man in America.

Parallel to the pandemic is the suffering experienced by the African-American community at the murder of George Floyd by police officers Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. Bombarded with content on social media and streaming platforms we are reliving this cruel murder on a daily basis. In spite of massive world-wide protests, new incidences of police brutality, BBQ Becky, Permit Patty and Cornerstone Caroline videos documenting white privilege intimidations and assaults on people of color continue to surface.

The cretinous and callous murder of yet another unarmed black man, George Floyd on May 25 has only highlighted that injustice and the abject vileness of white supremacy are still ever-present in this nation. The Corona virus has forced us to stick together. The virus does not choose. Our focus at this time has been simply to stay alive whether or not we believe everything we are being told or, adhere to any and all of the circulating conspiracy theories. COVID-19 should have been a wakeup call for you. Although this pandemic has shown us that we are all equal regardless of race, culture, religion or wealth it is still painfully clear that we are NOT equal. 

The commentary I see on social media condemning protestors for looting and burning makes me sick. Why are white people more concerned about looting and burning than the murder of innocent black people??? How do you manage to keep your head in the clouds while watching Golfcart Gail, Central Park Karen, Amy Cooper and countless other white women call the police on black men FOR NO REASON other than knowing they will be found guilty because your white skin automatically means you speak the truth. Because you have the possibility of wielding your white privilege without challenge or question. Because you enjoy seeing fear in the eyes of black people who know that any call to the police can end in their death. Because your white skin means there’s only one side to the story – yours! Aren’t you the little girl in the picture smiling while watching a black man being tarred, feathered, castrated and hung from a tree?

Police killing black people is a public health crisis. Black people must constantly be prepared for the death of a loved one. Every time my husband leaves home I fear that he won’t return. We’ve set up a standard communication procedure – we call one another every 5 hours when we are apart, just to check that we are alive and safe. Wherever your head is right now, you must acknowledge the fact that systematic racism is an institutionalized part of our history and daily lives. And you must except the fact that America will fall if the violence against and oppression of people of color continues.

The world’s eyes are now on America. No longer can the “land of the free and the home of the brave” hide behind the “mask that grins and lies”. Your wicked underbelly has been exposed. It’s time for the silent white population to stand up and stop the genocide, the lying and the blatant acceptance of atrocities against Black people in America. We built this country that provides you freedom, security and abundance. Yet you deny us even basic rights to clean water, housing and health services. 

I am happy that the murder of George Floyd has demanded international attention and response. Perhaps we are on our way for much needed changes in the politic and legislation of America. Perhaps we are on the way to developing a structured economy that is not dependent on a division creating abject poverty and obscenely disproportionate wealth. Perhaps we are on our way to a society that does not judge people by the color of their skin.