Comment by ReticentVole | Hacker News Reader

Comment by ReticentVole | Hacker News Reader

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There was a struggle to get George Floyd out of his car, and again into a police vehicle. Bodycam footage from the police, or a statement from them, has not been provided. We don't have the full facts.

We know that George Floyd was a repeat criminal, with a record of armed violence, who was being arrested for another criminal act.

Having a knee on his neck so long? Police incompetence.

You know what else is police incompetence, by the same police force? The death of Justine Damond: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Justine_Damond

Killed by a Minnesota police officer fast-tracked through cadet training for diversity reasons.

Where were the protests for her? Why is it just regular police error when a white Australian woman dies in the USA, after having done nothing, but a huge injustice and evidence of massive inequality when a man with a history of violence, in the process of resisting arrest, is killed by the same incompetent police force?

Because there is no systemic pattern of cops killing Australian women, over and over and over and over again and not being charged at all. The police officer responsible was immediately fired and charged with murder, of which he was convicted [0]. Justice was served, what would people protest for?

Compare that to Floyd, where it took sustained protests to get the main perpetrator arrested.

When something terrible happens once, it is sad. When it happens over and over again, its not "bad apples" but a systemic problem that needs to be fixed. The protests are about similar incidents (cops killing black Americans) happening throughout the country. The people who protest see that reality and are moved enough to get out there and do something, anything in the face of that injustice.

The basic governing principles of the criminal justice system in the US is that the punishment should fit the crime. Regardless of however flawed human being George Floyd was, he did not deserve to die as he did. Many, many Black Americans did not deserve to die.

Please educate yourself if you're genuinely interested in learning about the reason why so much of the country feels the need to come out and protest during a deadly pandemic.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Justine_Damond#Tri...

https://www.nber.org/papers/w22399

> who was being arrested for another criminal act

ReticentVole believes the penalty for a criminal act is death.

> but a huge injustice and evidence of massive inequality when a man with a history of violence, in the process of resisting arrest, is killed by the same incompetent police force

Oh, you're an all-lives matter person! Why didn't you say so? Go fuck yourself.

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