When the worst case scenario occurs, both perpetrator and victim suffer. As I listen to the news related to the George Floyd murder, I ache for all involved. Why did this happen? What could have saved Floyd's life.
To me, the officer who killed Floyd, clearly was lost in a fit of rage, hate, harm, and hurt. He didn't listen to the voices around him telling him to release Flyod--he simply continued to kneel on Floyd's neck until he died. From what little I've read, this officer showed a lack of control in the past and was allowed to continue to serve without needed retraining or a change of careers. Too many appeared to let this officer off the hook too many times in the past leaving him ripe for murdering Floyd. And clearly this officer didn't take the time to right his path so such a grievous, deadly, hateful did not happen.
I hate when I hear of situations like this. I ache for everyone involved. I ache for the family members of both victim and perpetrator, I ache for our whole country because no one wants such hateful and hurtful events to happen.
Too often, too many of us stay silent and passive when harmful, hurtful events occur. We don't speak up or get help for ourselves or others in order to right our ways. We allow hate to fester, bad habits to continue, ignorance to thrive, and prejudice to reign. This kind of dangerous passivity sets the stage for greater hate, harm, violence, and death. We have to work to avoid the worse case scenarios by speaking up when problems are small and righting the paths at that the first moment we notice struggle, trouble, and other wrongs.
The George Floyd situation did not have to happen, and now that it did happen, many, many people will suffer. We must learn from this. We must right our ways. We must eradicate systematic racism, prejudice, and hate in every organization, community, and family.
We all have to work for this, and if we do we will save lives and make better. We can do this.