The murder of George Floyd last May 25 was not the first of its kind, and it seems that it will not be the last. The killing of a defenseless black man at the hands of a white policeman, an incident that has been repeated repeatedly, is followed by every wave of widespread anger and violence, but it was not as acute and dangerous as the United States is now.
Perhaps the video clip that documented the pressure of a white policeman on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes contributed to anger, and perhaps even angered that three white policemen participated in the crime by not interfering to stop the killing.
But what is certain is that there is a structural defect in the position of blacks in American society, and this failure did not change the arrival of a black president to the White House Barack Obama, who remained in power for two periods from 2008 to 2016. Even different laws and legislations have not succeeded in bridging the rampant racist chasm. In large sectors of the American police.
On paper only
The United States adopts laws that reflect the theoretical equality of all its citizens regardless of their skin color or their religious or ethnic background. With racistly motivated crimes taking place, demonstrations and protests take place, criticism and accusations are leveled at the police, and politicians are calling for and the president promises to reform the criminal system.
In a clear indication of the defect in the application of the law, the black population is 13% of the total American population, while they represent nearly 40% of the total prisoners in the country.
With repeated violations by black police officers of black men, the "Life of Blacks is Important" movement appeared to coordinate efforts to combat this racism, and to work to reform the criminal system.
what's new?
New to this incident was related to its timing. It came at a time when the United States is suffering from the biggest economic crisis it has been experiencing since the Great Depression of the 1930s, as a result of the Corona epidemic that pushed 40 million Americans to join the queues of the unemployed in the past two months.
The spread of the virus in high proportions among Americans of African descent has called for painful memories in the minds of millions of this societal group, linked to being at the forefront of disaster victims in the United States. The Corona crisis also shed light on the reality of the living and health conditions of African Americans.
For example, the percentage of people with corona in Minnesota - where George Floyd was killed - reached 20%, while the proportion of blacks does not exceed a barrier of only 7% of the total population.
The consequences of the Corona epidemic have led to a lack of confidence in the local and federal authorities with their failure to manage the crisis and the rise in injuries among blacks.
The nature of President Donald Trump and his handling of the crisis compounded the reaction of blacks and other angry people.
Trump threatened the protesters and demanded that the governors of the Democrats be "strong" in the face of "anarchists", and called on them to use the National Guard forces in their states.
Trump has not yet demonstrated the necessary leadership qualities at this exceptional moment in American history, nor has he addressed a conciliatory conciliatory speech to the American nation, and instead resorted to Twitter threatening angry protesters.
Renewed demands
The leaders of black organizations are calling for training police officers on the need to respect the rights of blacks and the rest of the minorities, and this request is not new, but it has not been invested seriously before.
Black activists are also calling for a reform of the criminal justice system. Any black defendant who violates the law receives a heavier penalty than his white counterpart, who commits the same crime.
Justice can only be achieved or approached in light of equal opportunities between black and white Americans, and here the opportunities for reform cease and do not move forward because there is no will to overcome this dilemma.