An irrevocable damage
was done
I feel no sense of
justice because very little can be righted that was manifestly wrong, if not
evil. There have been life-changing consequences for which all the parties
involved have become the story of our times.
His name was George
Floyd, he was 46, he was black, he had family, he did not resist arrest according
to the storekeeper that called the police, he was already subdued and
handcuffed, yet, Derek Chauvin, the policeman who knelt on his neck until he
expired just lost his job, leaving us seething with rage that such a blatant
public murder has not already had the perpetrators and conspirators charged.
Mayor Frey of
Minneapolis said, “Being Black in America should not be a death sentence.” But
we are still handwringing, genuflecting and outraged, a man is dead and there
is no Lazarus moment to be expected, George Floyd is gone forever after a chance encounter of hardly 10 minutes with law enforcement.
Having humility when
humbled
In New York’s Garden
of Eden, the Central Park, Amy Cooper who called the cops on Christian Cooper
because he had the audacity to ask her to respect the rules and put her dog on a leash has now lost her job. Her Oscar-winning theatrics of feigning being attacked
by an African American what seen for what it was, white privilege deployed to
maximum effect to compel a situation where Christian Cooper could have lost his
life, if an irrational mob of policemen had attended the scene.
Another chance encounter
of hardly 10 minutes again brought to an end many things for Amy Cooper, the
loss of her dog companion, the loss of her high profile job at Franklin
Templeton, and the loss of many other significant things to do with her person,
her status, her standing and probably her relationships.
The unpredictability of
chance encounters
It is scary how chance
encounters can change a life or bring about the loss of life. The many
unscripted, inadvertent, and unintended situations that bring us before
strangers of whom we know nothing but in the unfortunate majesty of time,
moment and place can in short order our carefully ordered lives.
Nothing prepares us
for the outcomes, but we must be prepared in character, in virtue, in humanity,
and in consideration to do no harm, bring no hurt, attend to heal, flee from a threat, assess the situation in the mind and heart of the other to treat our momentary
neighbour with respect and courtesy just as we would like to be treated.
Blog - Couscous from
a Bicycle
Blog - Bottling Anger
If only the police in
Minneapolis had given just that little consideration to the humanity of George
Floyd, he would still be alive, the four policemen would still have their jobs,
the community would be at peace and life will go on as usual. Maybe not the
best, but better than the situation right now.
Amy Cooper was in a
public place violating the rule to keep her dog on a leash. She was informed by
a stranger to follow the rules. She could have apologised, put her dog on a leash
and walked away. She did not have to stand her ground or prove a point. The
simple recognition in humility of her being in the wrong and the act of
contrition of doing the right thing would have saved her from the heap of global
opprobrium.
Having the presence
of a sense of responsibility
She was however
deficient in capacity just like the four policemen of the temperament, wherewithal,
and facility to deal with random strangers in chance encounters, knowing you
that you have opportunity, power, and privilege that could be abused, whilst
have a mind of understanding the responsibility that comes with it is redolent
of a strong character ready to exercise the characteristics of emotional
intelligence and the consideration of others.
The absence of a
sense of responsibility will eventually catch you out and it is rarely in
familiar settings, but in these chance encounters where some hand of fate tests
your mettle, your humanity, your reasonableness, and your ability to handle
unexpected situations without losing your head.
A brutally objective
test
The test is usually
brutal and the life lessons when that test is failed can to so consequential
that Karma is running a far second to when retribution and punishment have
breasted the tape on your behalf and in your name. You cannot pass a test that
requires the study in preparedness on every topic in the syllabus of character
and virtue, because it adaptively examines your weakest points.
If anything, our
greatest prayer should be that in whatever random situation we find ourselves
in chance encounters with strangers, that we are not found wanting and the
experience would enrich the lives of all concerned.
What would be the aftermath
the Amy Cooper or George Floyd situation, I cannot tell. For George Floyd, may
his soul rest in peace and some justice be found for his brutal and untimely
death at the hands of law enforcement. For Amy Cooper, I wrote a ditty, she
will live if she wants to and she has the opportunity to change her life for
the better. Whether she has the capacity to weather the storm depends on what
wholesome relationships she has cultivated before now.
Oh
dear, it's Amy Cooper,
She did wrong to Christian Cooper,
Now her embarrassing blooper,
Is dog shit without a scooper,
She thought white was really super,
Called the cops on him like a trooper,
Now lost her job, what a whooper,
Please, don't be like Amy Cooper.
She did wrong to Christian Cooper,
Now her embarrassing blooper,
Is dog shit without a scooper,
She thought white was really super,
Called the cops on him like a trooper,
Now lost her job, what a whooper,
Please, don't be like Amy Cooper.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are accepted if in context are polite and hopefully without expletives and should show a name, anonymous, would not do. Thanks.