Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 10-2-20

Editorial/Columns
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Justice Hard To Come By
e should have recog-
nized the writing on the wall. The day the City of Louisville announced that it was going to give Breonna Taylor's family a $12 million settlement, a week before the grand jury was set to reveal what charges they planned to level against the officers who shot her, we should have known something wasn't quite
right.
The move didn't follow the
typical government script that normally involves dragging out lawsuits for years. And forking over large sums of cash without a fight isn't in the DNA of most Municipalities.
But, for some reason though, Louisville didn't wait for the legal proceedings to fi- nalize. And now we know why.... They already had plans to let Breonna's killers off the hook
The money, I can only imagine, was their way of making the situation less painful. The same way a nice
rapist might offer his victim lubricant before an assault.
IwouldbelyingifIsaidI was shocked by these turn of events. What would have been surprising is if true justice fi- nally prevailed following one of these tragedies without peo- ple feeling the need to march through streets and set cities ablaze, things that would never have to happen if some- one like Breonna were white.
When a Black police officer in Minnesota accidentally shot and killed an Australian woman who startled him while he and his partner sat in a squad car, there was no need for her family to demand ac- countability. In that case the officer was charged, convicted and sentenced in, what seemed to be, a matter of months.
Unfortunately, when the scenario is reversed, there never appears to be that same type of expediency. Instead of being hurriedly shuffled through the court system, and
being deemed guilty until proven innocent like everyone else, white cops often enjoy the luxury of the benefit of the doubt while the process is drawn out until the govern- ment can find a nice loophole to slide them through.
When people scream "Black Lives Matter," and call for policing reform, this is why. It is horrible enough that the reckless actions of these officers led to the loss of an in- nocent woman's life, but the fact that they will get away with the murder (one they at- tempted to cover up) makes the entire episode even more stomach turning.
What happened to Bre- onna Taylor, and the after- math, stands as further evidence to support why it's so important for people to be- come more politically active within their own communi- ties. While voting in the presi- dential election is cool, making sure that your life matters to the people in power, in the city where you sleep, is a lot more crucial when it comes to your overall well-being.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbar- ronice@gmail.com.
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Don’t Listen To Desantis If You Want To Live
If you want to live or not get COVID-19, don’t listen to Gov. Ron DeSantis. Wear your mask, wash your hands. Order “take out” food from restaurants, buy and mix your own alcoholic drinks at home, make sure you social distance wherever you go, and avoid large in- door family or social gatherings.
By now, you should have adopted an attitude that COVID-19 is stealthy lurking in every person you inter- act with and should still be treated as if it is a rat- tlesnake.
More importantly, it is very clear that DeSantis is more interested in filling the state coffers with tax money than he is in valuing your health and life. Don- ald Trump and DeSantis are comfortable that loss of American lives will be collateral damage when it comes to restarting the American economy.
There is no doubt that Coronavirus cases will surge within the next 10 days and the number of deaths will begin to increase again.
However, how you respond to the 100 percent re- turn of businesses, restaurants and bars will determine the future of your health and that of your loved ones. We urge you to remember the news scenarios where people attended social events, Trump rallies and wed- dings, and ended up infecting family members, co- workers and prison inmates more than 200 miles away.
There were at least eight deaths of people who did not attend the events, but attributed to others attending these events. In the end, we each have to accept respon- sibility for our actions. However, with that responsi- bility, comes a requirement to protect the lives of others.
Remember, contracting COVID-19 can lead to life- long heart problems, lung problems, amputations and death. No amount of money is worth the damage to your health.
Blacks, Asians and Hispanics need to be extra care- ful because these groups have risks higher than any other ethnic group. Your options are clear, if you want to live and stay healthy. Politics are one thing. Your life and health and that of your loved ones is another. Don’t let your health be politicized.
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