Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,
When I feel devastated and discouraged––as I do now––I often turn to Mama Carol for wisdom and advice.
After Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd, I texted Carol: I hope police officers will think more carefully before they brutalize Black people. Carol responded: I don't think anything will change. There is something inherently wrong in a person who acts that way.
She was right, of course.
So now we deal with the murder of Tyre Nichols. I asked Carol if she had watched the video. Yes, I saw it. It is awful. I think everyone should see it so we don't become complacent with the number of these kinds of events. I don't ever want to "get used to it." I also asked her to help me understand what had happened. She wrote: The only thing I can think of is that this country was built on greed and lack of concern for others. Police across America have shown this mentality over and over. If you watched the video or read about it, you know the events of the night did not take place as the police reported them,
I'm sorry the police report has "the cussing pastor" across it. The person who shared it is known by that name.
Because the proceedings were captured by cameras, we know Tyre Nichols ran from the police only after they attacked him.
The "officers" punched Nichols, kicked him in the head, pepper-sprayed him, and hit him with a baton WHILE HE WAS RESTRAINED. It destroys me to hear him calling for his mom. I can't begin to imagine what this young man's family is going through. That's a pain no one should have to experience.
The officers talked, laughed, tried to get their stories straight, with Nichols propped up against the side of a car. It took 23 minutes before an ambulance showed up. Some EMTs had already arrived, but they didn't do anything for him. He died in the hospital, three days later.
I'll leave you with this image of a 29-year-old man who was stopped for alleged reckless driving near his mom's house. He was a dad, a skateboarder, and an aspiring photographer.
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
