I saw the video of a police officer kneeling on the neck of a man for almost 9 minutes, killing the man, and I was horrified. Why? Because this was one man who believed that his life mattered more than the life of this other man. Because no one should be killed without cause. Because the man who died was an image-bearer of the Most High and, as such, possessed God-given value. And I am appalled that we don't think so anymore.
It is unavoidable to acknowledge that a lot of basic American moral values were originally rooted in the Judeo-Christian ethic. You can see it from the beginning with the reference to "all men are created equal" and that "they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights." "Created" and given rights by the divine? Undeniably Judeo-Christian. The early fathers believed that the only way this republic could survive and thrive was if it had its own internal morality. John Adams wrote, "Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other." But, of course, we've come a long way from those days. Without even realizing it, we've managed to undercut the very foundation upon which this nation was built.
So, we no longer believe that human life is "created" and, necessarily, that any "Creator" endowed us with rights. The value of human life is a variable. Pre-birth? Apparently a relative scale based on the mother's perception. Kill it or not; it doesn't matter. Old people? You know, we should let them go, too, if they want. Why? Because we are not created, there is not higher power, and your stupid "unalienable rights" endowed by some "Creator" exist only at our whim.
The response to George Floyd's murder illustrates it. I am horrified at the brutal murder of a valued human being. That makes me a racist because it is not because he was a black man. I am a racist because his skin color didn't matter to me; his value in God's eyes does. And, in the declaration that I value all humans, I become devalued in the eyes of the world today. Why? Because no lives matter in and of themselves. (Do you disagree? Police kill more white people than black, but no one is protesting the deaths of white people, are they?) Only those lives who are deemed worthy at the moment. All value is applied fluidly at the time, not by God, not by something higher than ourselves that can say definitively so. George Floyd's death was a tragedy because the masses currently place value on the lives of the oppressed groups and minimize value on the police or the "power" groups. For now. That will change. Because all value is fluid and we can apply it and we can remove it ... which means it isn't real.
I am devastated that a segment of American society perceives that, just on the basis of their skin color, they are viewed as less and face hardships and discrimination not in line with the value God places on them. I despise how one gender treats another purely on the basis of their gender without regard to their personhood. I abhor the violence some in this country apply to others because of their particular preference for sexual practices. None of this is up for debate with me. I don't think that one group deserves greater honor than another or that these values change with time. That's because I believe that we are created, we are created equal, and that God has endowed us with value and rights. My earliest training on the subject of race was, "Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight." It frustrates me, then, that including "white" in the list of those who are precious to God classifies me as a racist. I'm just sorely disappointed and even surprised that this apparently consistent and universally-valuing view decreases my value and makes me a bigot.
11 comments:
Just an aside, but I'm really annoyed that Floyd's death is ruled a murder in the court of public opinion before the cop is brought before judge and jury in an actual court where a ruling has yet to be made. I don't give a flying rat's backside how it looks on that video (and it looks really, really bad). None of us have enough info to make that judgement based on that video.
Other than that, loved the post.
I don't understand. In all deaths, examiners will determine the cause of death, decide if it is natural or not, and then deem it a homicide or not. That's what they have to do before they arrest anyone or put them on trial because before there is a homicide no such arrest or trial would make sense. The autopsy determined the cause of death (which was "cardiopulmonary arrest" caused largely by " law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression" with drugs in the system as a contributing factor) was not "natural causes" and, therefore, was homicide. Now they can begin the investigation into who, what, when, where, and why, but without that first ruling, it's not possible. That our society routinely tries and condemns the suspect before the courts ever get to it is outrageous, a complete violation of American jurisprudence, and a negation of the bottom-line, "Innocent until proven guilty" premise. As in so many other cases, "That applies to us, not to those we don't like."
I agree with Art that jumping to conclusions before any evidence is available is a bad idea, and that people should slow down on making conclusions.
You'll note the number of people claiming that Rayshard Brooks was "asleep" when he was shot despite clear video evidence of him "sleep resisting arrest", sleep running" and "sleep pointing" a weapon at the cops.
I believe that firing the cops before giving them due process is a mistake because doing so gives the defense an additional weapon that stirs up doubt at trial. It's possible that both cops could be found not guilty because the respective mayors were in a hurry to make a selfish political move.
I've mentioned it elsewhere, but One Blood by John Perkins does an excellent job of making the same point that your post is making.
What's interesting is that, coming from a Christian, "all lives matter" is actually elevating the value on individual human lives.
As we move further into a post christian, post Truth society the notion of the Constitution acknowledging rights bestowed by The Creator, will be increasingly ignored and twisted into "rights come from government">
I keep hearing about increases in violence against African Christians recently as well, I guess those don't matter either.
You're mistaking a charge of murder with a conviction based on trial deliberations that prove murder. One can say Chauvin was arrested on a charge of murder (in whatever degree), but to say that a murder actually took place before one is ruled to have committed a murder is not for us to say. We can say, "it looks like murder to me", but that's about as far as we have any right to judge.
Many look at the video and insist the cops didn't care about Floyd's cries for help. While it may appear they were indifferent, to insist that's the case requires an ability we do no possess as humans... particularly with only a brief video by which to judge. This is the problem I have with those who feel they can refer to this death as murder. It's based on one's reaction to that brief video.
And by the way, the medical examiner's report says there is no evidence of Floyd having been strangled, and it is said that the drugs in his system routinely cause respiratory issues. To appear to be indifferent to his cries of "I can't breathe" may be their understanding of this fact. There could also be the possibility of "Yeah, I've heard that before" and between this case and the Eric Garner case, I can envision suspects exploiting this situation claiming breathing difficulties whenever being restrained after resisting arrest.
But I digress a bit...
In any case, there's no need to speak of murder from the arm chair. Not without the caveat that it is one's opinion as opposed to stating it as fact. "Murder" implies intent. From what I've read, in that state 1st and 2nd degree (to which Keith Ellison upgraded the charge for Chauvin) require intent. That's a hard bar to clear based on the video alone.
No, Craig, they don't matter either. In our current world, only those lives that are currently "in vogue" matter and anything else is racism, bigotry, hate.
Actually, Marshal, I was mistaking your "Floyd's death is ruled a murder" with a problem with forensics when it was actually a problem with my understanding of your point. I think, in the end, you were saying what I was agreeing with. These officers shouldn't be tried in the public media.
Stan,
Lives only seem to matter when they can help people achieve political or social agendas.
I've been critical of people referring to Floyd's death as a murder since it happened. I think people probably do it for a few reasons.
Stupidity
Trying to advance an agenda
Trying to influence the jury
It's even worse when elected officials and members of the media do it.
Stan,
Thanks.
It also makes me wonder how all these protesters and rioters would feel (if any of them actually have the capacity) were all tests and evidence proved nothing the cop did had anything to do with Floyd's death. Their willingness to believe the worst is so easy and can't be pure emotion, but also an expectation that evil was perpetrated by another white racist cop. That expectation is the result of false presentations of arrests by those arrested or their friends and families, and the mythology within some communities of the bad cop. From the routine traffic violation to the far more serious, too many encountering cops insist the cop was wrong and not themselves. This becomes something that's taken for granted and from that I would suspect there is an unwillingness to admit that cops are ever in the right. Thus, cases like Floyd's need no further info beyond that brief video clip and "they know" the cop was guilty of some great evil.
I suppose what disturbs me more is not merely the assumption that the officer was "guilty of some great evil" (I don't know that he was or wasn't, as I'm not privy to the case or his mental state), but the next step that assumes that all police are guilty of the same, whether they've been caught or even yet carried it out. "You're white, so you're racist" carries on in "You're a cop, so you hate black people" (even when the officer in question is a black person) so that not only is the suspect already convicted, but so is the entire police force of the United States. "No justice" is their promise and their aim is to deliver.
Art,
I think that the facts not supporting the narrative wouldn't change a thing. The "Hands up, don't shoot" narrative is still believed even though it is false. The Baltimore case was an instance of black cops, black mayor, black everybody in power and it is still an example of "racism". The facts don't matter because if they did people would acknowledge the culpability of the DFL and public sector unions in the problem.
Stan,
It's the converse of "Not all Muslims are terrorists" trope. It's one of the acceptable times where the vast majority (99+%) can be demonized due to the actions of a tiny minority. It's also the one unquestionably protected prejudice. The prejudice that states that when a white person kills a black person, that the white person is automatically "racist".
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