Comment by Ar-Curunir | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Ar-Curunir | Hacker News Reader

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Excuse me, but this is absolute nonsense. Did George Floyd deserve to die because he went to prison? (That too, prison in a society that specifically targets and incarcerates people of colour)? White media always character assassinates PoC in these situations; I'm sure if the McClain incident blew up, somebody would have found something negative about him.

The fact that you're more concerned about what white people will think about who's being talked about, instead of the fact that a black person was killed entirely without reason, shows me that you don't really "support BLM". MLK said the same back in the 60s, and nothing has really changed:

"First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom [...] the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; [...] who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action";"

https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham....

On Rosa Parks:

Parks was considered the ideal plaintiff for a test case against city and state segregation laws, as she was seen as a responsible, mature woman with a good reputation. She was securely married and employed, was regarded as possessing a quiet and dignified demeanor, and was politically savvy. King said that Parks was regarded as "one of the finest citizens of Montgomery—not one of the finest Negro citizens, but one of the finest citizens of Montgomery"

Did only finest citizens have a right to sit wherever they wanted on the bus? No. Is it smart to run a test case like this with a person who is not going to be dragged down in character assassination? Yes.

Actually, Rosa Parks was chosen by the black community because she was more respectable - the original black woman who stood up to segregation in seating was Claudette Colvin, but she was pregnant at the time and unmarried[0].

[0]: https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-43171799

I am not sure why you are presenting this statement which says exactly the same as I did as an argument against what I said.

> Parks was considered the ideal plaintiff for a test case against city and state segregation laws,

George Floyd wasn’t a test case. He wasn’t a selected volunteer to go have a racist murderer-in-uniform kneel on his neck so that legal action could be taken. So, you know, it “ain't the same ballpark, it ain't the same league, it ain't even the same f**in' sport.”

No one is arguing that GF was a volunteer. It seems you missed the parent’s point.

It literally does not matter who is picked as a "test case". The police shot a fucking 12-year old kid.

> White media always character assassinates PoC in these situations

The media has consistently supported the BLM narrative, refusing to so much as consider white victims of police brutality or explore other factors (e.g., crime rates) which might have contributed to the disparity in killings.

BLM probably wouldn’t have gone far if it weren’t pushed by the whole of the media. Of course there was a time when the media was anti-black subtly or overtly, but the idea that the media is trying to impugn the character of black Americans in 2020 is beyond credible.

You have to remember, he did not just commit countless petty crimes, "something negative", he did an armed home invasion. It's hard to emphasize with someone like that and someone like that won't be missed by most people.

Its rather easy to emphasize with him. You have to breath. He has to breath. Try holding your breath until you absolutely can't do it any longer then imagine someone was keeping you from taking that breath. See trivial.

He wasn't killed while doing a home invasion or even because of it. He was wantonly senselessly murdered by someone who figured they could trivially get away with it by being deliberately smothered for over nine entire minutes when he was accused of passing a fake 20.

There can be no increase of justice obtained by unjust means, no decency obtained by indecent means, no peace in our streets obtained by unlawful violence by men who have no respect nor love for the law but kill under color of law and degrade and destroy the power of this essential institution to preserve this peace by their actions.

You say casually that we wont be missed by most but if we allow this behavior to continue we have a lot to lose and much to miss starting with peace. If the Derek Chauvins, trash in uniform, are allowed to dispense death penalties I cannot imagine why you believe they will reserve their wrath for the especially guilty. Something that ultimately we struggle to accurately judge when given the benefit of careful deliberation and extensive process.

There are many more worthy victims than Floyd but if we can't punish his killers for killing him slowly and deliberately I have little hope that they are future victims will receive justice.

> It's hard to emphasize with someone like that and someone like that won't be missed by most people.

It either isn’t for most people, or empathy with the victim isn’t necessary for people to see that he was murdered and the murderer should be punished. (I would hope both are true, but from civic standpoint, the latter is probably more important.)

https://www.vox.com/22372342/police-reform-derek-chauvin

> The Data for Progress poll asked respondents about another policing issue in the news: Derek Chauvin’s murder trial. Most respondents say he should be found guilty for his role in George Floyd’s death: 68 percent of people feel this way, including 91 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of independents, and 46 percent of Republicans.

Looking at his history, he was clearly someone who was constantly trying to turn his life around and move past the mistakes of his past and become rehabilitated; he actively spent time volunteering and checking himself into places to get help. That should be something that we aim to encourage in society. I'm sure a lot of people affected by the positive impact of his volunteering will miss him.

You also probably won’t be missed by most people either, yet nobody would say your death would be justified.

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