Contributing to the Conversation: George Floyd

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Feeding Curiosity at large.

Besides the hushed pings from targeted likes, I’ve been silent on the murder of George Floyd. There are reasons for this. Most everyone is saying what can be said. This was disgusting. He was murdered and Justice demands her recompense. Reiterating this point ad nauseam seems unnecessary, as so many I know have expressed this better than I could. Perhaps more importantly, the internet and social media is a horrendously, abhorrently inhospitable place to discuss nuanced and difficult topics - especially when we, as a national community, remain in the throws of our disgust and frustration. What I will attempt to say is something novel in order to add nuance to the conversation - something I believe all of my readers and friends on social media are thankfully inclined towards. 

“Expectation isn’t justification. ”

To the left, the modern visibility of the mistreatment of black Americans has led to justified outrage. The constant reminders of what may happen when interacting with the police weighs heavy on the minds of many, and that pressure formed a diamond etched with the question, “when will this end”? When George Floyd was senselessly murdered, no one was surprised that some of that pressure was released in the form of the Minneapolis riots. Target was looted, an Autozone burned, but is anyone shocked [1]? 

However, one’s actions being understandable, doesn’t make them acceptable. Are the owners of the Stop-N-Shop gas station that was looted responsible for Derek Chauvin’s evil [2]? Were they there to prevent it? Did they encourage Chauvin? If not, how can we, as a society who demands justice, commit injustices against our neighbors in the act of voicing our demands? 

I don’t believe many of those on the left believe that the riots are acceptable, but what I generally see lacking from that side of the isle is this piece of nuance: Expectation isn’t justification. 

To the right, there may be bad apples everywhere, but should we be forced to stomach them? This was certainly an evil act. It may be the case that violence against black Americans by the police is not disproportionate, but should one’s reaction in these times be a defensive reaction [3]? I understand that the narrative is “white cop on black male violence = America itself is racist”, and that you wish to defend the values of America that actually lead to slavery and Jim Crow ending, but evil is evil. Should we accept progress as perfection, or statistically infrequent violence as acceptable? Perhaps now is the time where the right can offer solutions. Couldn’t the party which, traditionally, favored less government power offer a means of regulating our government’s monopolistic hold on violence, embodied by the police? When our countrymen and women are suffering, shouldn’t we ask, “what can we do to fix this problem?” instead of dismissing it? Remember, even if a certain amount of injustice is expected, expectation isn’t justification.