Today's op/ed piece in the New York Times from Nicholas Kristof poses a great question.
What if There Were No George Floyd Video?
A great, even important question.
We wouldn't be trying to, at long, long last, heal these racist, racial wounds in the nation.
George Floyd's death should never have taken place, of course. At least we are finally, finally addressing these problems, these issues, this issue of race in America.
But by way of asking this question and addressing these issues, Mr. Kristof also makes a great and important point---and indicts our own state of Missouri, too. He states:
There is no video to show that a black boy born today in Washington, D.C., Missouri, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi or a number of other states has a shorter life expectancy than a boy born in Bangladesh or India.
Get that.
To repeat, a black boy born in these states, including our own home state of Missouri, has a shorter life span expectancy than that of a boy born in Bangladesh or India.
That is obscene.
It's also racism. It's one of the many results of racism in our nation.
We have got to do better.
And we've got to do better quickly.
Now would be good.
Additional links:
Opinion | Nicholas Kristof: When Whites Just Don’t Get It Aug. 30, 2014
Opinion | Nicholas Kristof: When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Part 2 Sept. 6, 2014
Opinion | Nicholas Kristof: When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Part 3 Oct. 11, 2014
Opinion | Nicholas Kristof: When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Part 4 Nov. 15, 2014
Opinion | Nicholas Kristof: When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Part 5 Nov. 29, 2014
Opinion | Nicholas Kristof: When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Part 6 April 2, 2016
Opinion | Nicholas Kristof: When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Part 7 Oct. 1, 2016
