The brutal televised death of George Floyd was one that shocked the entire country. The outright racial bias and overall cruelty shown to a man that wasn’t even resisting made people think that your friendly neighborhood cop may not be all that friendly. 

On May 25, 2020 George was unjustly murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bystanders tried to do anything to help Floyd but the officer was unwavering and rested his knee on the neck of Floyd for 7 minutes and 46 seconds until he suffocated to death. 

Though sadly one of many cases, the very televised police brutality shown to Floyd revealed the unchecked racially motivated police brutality and systematic racism that is still deeply intertwined in the United States. The brutal murder of George Floyd was far from isolated but seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, inspiring hundreds of people to expose the cruelty and bias of the police system. 

In his memory thousands of protesters moved into a global movement against police brutality and the systemic racism that had been allowed to remain in this country. One such protest was a large-scale lie in which protesters lied down on Portland’s Burnside Bridge in the exact same position Floyd was held in as a tribute to his life taken away far too soon. This protest was one of many that were part of the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Much like the Civil Rights movement of 60 years ago the BLM movement was a peaceful protest used to inspire people to act and expose unconstitutional treatment of American citizens. One advantage the BLM movement has over the civil rights movement was the internet that allowed thousands to bear witness to the hatred that the protectors of this country had. Now policing has changed irrevocably forever. 

Police believed that they could do anything and get away with it and in far too many cases they have, but Floyds tragedy changed that. Several accountability laws have been renewed, all touching on factors that were present in floyds murder. Police are required to use body cameras and are required to report excessive force on their coworkers. 

As usual with these kinds of protests there were counter protest groups. One of these being “Blue Lives Matter”. This group is insulting not only to the BLM protesters but also every single person of color who has faced the brutality and cruelty of racist policing. Blue lives are not the ones being terrorized for simply existing by the people who are supposedly sworn to protect them. 

Black families have to instruct their children on how to behave in police encounters simply so that they are treated even a little bit more human and that is what is wrong with this country. All lives matter but Black lives are the ones that really need to matter to everyday people when they are the ones forced to live in this way. 

 Floyd’s murder showed that when you do a wrong like that no matter who you are you cannot get away with it. If karma doesn’t come for you, people will work their absolute hardest to give you what you deserve.