The world was transfixed on television in April by two events unrelated apparently to the Covid-19 pandemic.
One of them was Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral with all its colorful pageantry and pomp that distracted for a few hours the common peoples who forgot their fear and dread of the virus. People were fantasizing the impossible dream. Even in death, the Royals seemed to do it better than us mortals.
The second one was also about death but this one was apparently about racism but in my opinion, it was about everything, the clashes that exist between whites, blacks, rich, poor, those who have and those who have not, the core of the social injustice and classism lived not only in America but all
over the world.
The ex police officer Chauvin found guilty of murder was not alone. We as a society should share the blame. We are responsible for having unfortunate people like Floyd who roam the streets committing petty thefts, intoxicated by illicit drugs, aggressive and combatant toward the authority in this case the police who arrested him but his rebellious attitude was not merely against the police officers but against the system. The system that lead him and so many other unfortunate minorities suffer under a gigantic gap between communities.
The jubilant reaction of the black people and few other ethnicities is not a response to a jury verdict. It is a cry for help. It is a show of solidarity against an unjust society. Racism played its part. Racism is an abject feeling and a subject of many books trying to explain the unexplainable.
The black communities for a number of reasons among which the historic past from the tragedy of slavery al the way to the social barriers they encounter from childbirth to adulthood in this and many countries around the world.
The white communities by fear of the stigma that black people can be dangerous as they are seen or perceived in their majority uneducated and possibly in drugs and the majority of inmates in most prisons are indeed blacks. The very nature of our unjust society makes the black population at risk for committing crimes and ultimately may end up in jail or worse, death
as we witnessed in Floyd’s case.
I know many readers may disagree that the minorities who have little opportunities in the land of opportunities, are subject to bad street influences that lead them to bad outcomes. There are obviously exceptions. Oprah, Queen Latifah, many sportsmen and sportswomen, actors and many celebrities but these are really exceptions in our society.
We as a society should give opportunities to all regardless of color, religion, gender and a citizen should be treated civilly and fairly. We are all responsible for Floyd’s death. We should try to correct and this tragic and very sad moment in our history becomes an opportunity to ameliorate our society.
And focus on our common enemy, the Covid virus.
DR. ALBERT LEVY
Family Practice Physician
www.manhattanfamilypractice.com