What must we understand about America's current crisis

As I write this article, a worldwide phenomenon is arising. Certainly is nothing new, it has been in a dormant stage with small flares now and then, however, two weeks ago, on May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46 year old black man, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota during an arrest for allegedly using a counterfeit bill.

The whole world witnessed the horrific murder by a police officer that violated every standard of decency held sacred by decent Americans when he pinned Floyd's neck to the tar road with his knee and eventually killing him. The riots which followed and the destruction of livelihoods in Minneapolis were tragic. While many protesters took to the streets to demonstrate their anger, indignation, and frustration at the injustice suffered by a black citizen, another group has resorted to violence by destroying private and public property, and even assaulting other citizens and officers. The road back from a national trauma, such as this is a long one and we will live with the consequences of our choices during this incendiary moment for years to come.

The reality is that now America is dealing with an eruption of civil protests and riots on its streets. Few years ago, I read about the crisis of the 1960’s, during the height of the era when America was finally waking up to the problems of racial inequality in its midst. Today, in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, we are experiencing significant reaction that will have lasting implications.

Once again the problem of racism has been brought out into the national debate. Racial inequality has been a problem for America since its founding. The founding fathers enshrined within its founding documents the principle that "all men are created equal." What was created, however, was not a just society in which these principles could be lived.

George Floyd’s girlfriend and family urged residents to stop burning and looting in his name, saying that Floyd loved this city and would be devastated by its destruction.

Progress has been made through the years, but there’s still a long road ahead to reach the great society envisioned by Dr. Martin Luther King’s words, "A place," he said, "Where children will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." And that’s the pressing concern not only in America right now, the content of one’s character, but all over the world where masses started also to protest with various consequences.

A Wall Street Journal article, put it this way into an immediate perspective. Please, as you read this consider carefully what this writer, a man long experienced with these issues, what he was saying. Let’s begin. I quote, "The devastation will likely continue after the ashes cool and the remains of shops and other businesses are swept away. A pattern known as the Ferguson effect…" named after the city in Missouri, Ferguson, Missouri, "…has emerged across American towns and cities racked by anti-police protests in recent years. To avoid charges of racism, officers have stepped back from fully enforcing the law. In this state of police nullification, entire neighborhoods have descended into free-fire zones where street violence and homicides have skyrocketed."

Continuing on with that article. "After the 2015 police shooting of a black man in Cincinnati, civil rights activists descended on the city to decry the institutional racism of law enforcement. When officers subsequently declined to enforce the law up aggressively, there was a significant increase in murders in one crime-ridden black district. The civil rights advocates who had led the protest didn’t have to live with the consequences of lawlessness when they returned to the safety of their own neighborhoods." (to be continued)