At this stage of my life, I have seen a lot of events that captured the attention of all Americans and the rest of the world. The tragedy of 9/11 became everyone’s challenge no matter where you lived on this planet.
Anyone who thinks that the killing of George Floyd is going to be an afterthought come this November is deluding themselves, starting with the president of the United States.
The COVID-19 virus will become front and center should a new wave of infections be reported in the fall. The nation will look to the White House for a plan that will ensure that we don’t go through another round of home confinement.
But any politician who thinks that the Floyd debacle will recede into the shadows is a politician who will have a shorter tenure in office than expected. There is also no doubt that between now and election day, there is bound to be another foolish act by some overly aggressive cop.
After a long career in public service, I am proud of my relationship with the police. I have supported hundreds of pension and disability bills, attended countless events over the years in support of our cops and love and respect these people for the risks that they take every day.
But we have sadly found out that around the country there are still police personnel that just don’t understand how to deal with the minority community.
Many police departments have been aggressive in promoting community policing and getting their members to be more understanding of the problems of the minority. But, just like in state government or any government, there are bad apples and they have to be rooted out.
Any cop who has a record of continuous misconduct has to be assigned to duties that take them away from the public. And depending on what those actions are, they have to be removed from public life for the sake of the citizens and the reputation of their departments.
The U.S. Congress can’t be let off the hook this time around.
At this very moment when the nation is trying to deal with massive public protests, there are still a bunch of Senators who want to spend the summer proving that President Trump didn’t get any help from the Russians in 2016.
They have a dislike for former President Barack Obama that lingers and lingers. Some of it is based on pure politics and some of it is just plain racism.
Our federal and state officials have to face the fact that there must be a new standard for how the police can interact with the minority community. Should there be a ban on chokeholds? Should records of police disciplinary actions be made public? Should there be massive amounts of dollars spent on job training programs for the minority community to give wayward youth some semblance of hope? Should the government provide more health services in areas that are undeserved?
The massive death count among minorities as a result of the Covid-19 disaster has to be addressed with more funding for clinics and health outreach personnel. And yes, looting should become a federal crime.
There is no way to legislate against bias. You can’t pass a law to make people more accepting of their fellow man or woman. You can’t force people to give up their contempt for people of another color or race. There is no way to pierce the heart of a hard-nosed bigot.
But you can pass laws and provide funding for programs that will not only help minorities but also help others who continue to suffer from the government’s failure to understand what the needs are of the masses.
There is also one other critical way to address our national crises. It’s called the ballot box. Election after election, we hear the same story. Voter turnout continues to be at a much lower level despite the public’s unhappiness with most politicians.
The key to increasing voter participation is to make it easier to vote. Why not mail a ballot to every eligible voter, as six states currently do? It is no secret that some Republican members of Congress will do anything to stop people from voting.
Many state governments do their share of mischief by knocking people off the voter rolls, closing polling places, reducing the registration days and trying to limit voting hours. Florida tried to impose a fee for voters to participate but the courts took care of that fiasco. It is a sad commentary that in the world’s greatest democracy, there are people in government who don’t want you to vote.
Will the memory of the killing of George Floyd quickly fade away?
Like similar cases, this one may become a blur when November rolls around. But somehow, I believe that there will be enough people of good conscience who will tip the balance in favor of a better America.
