Black lives do matter

Black Lives Matters held a peaceful protest downtown here in South Bend tonight. I wish I had known they were meeting (I learned after the fact).

America's conversation about black lives and police brutality is long overdue... Decades, many decades--if not a century--overdue!

I can only imagine some police forces HATE the fact that no matter where they turn, we citizens now have cell phone cameras that are ready to capture every indiscretion, every brutal act, and yeah, in some cases, the good things they do.

Where would we be today if cameras had not been there as George Floyd died at the hands (knee) if the Minneapolis police? Watching the nearly nine video is painful, horrifying.

Just last year, my South Bend had its own run-in when a white South Bend Police officer Sgt. Ryan O'Neill shot Eric Logan after it was reported Logan had broken into some parked cars. O'Neill did not turn on his body cam and later, a special prosecutor deemed O'Neill's actions were justified. O'Neill claimed Logan came at him with a knife.

I feel every time a police officer is charged with a brutal act and when asked about their uniform body cams, all too often they said they hadn't turned theirs on. In those cases, I think they should be fired on the spot. There is absolutely no excuse not to have their cameras on! Their cameras are supposed to be for their protection as well as ours. Let's face it, in this day and age, an officer's good word of honor is not good enough.

What really scares me is how so many juries have been remiss in convicting police officers when shit like the events of these past few weeks (decades) have occurred. All police officers have to do is claim, "I was afraid for my life."

Cell phone cameras are thankfully making such pitiful claims harder to take seriously. Watching Floyd's killer's face on the video is stupifying. He looked defiant, uncaring, proud even. With him forcing his knee into Floyd's neck... with his hands in his pockets clearly showed his callousness to life.

I personally have had a bad run-in with our city’s police force (in 1996) and my experience vastly pales to the treatment of our black and Hispanic brethren.

I want to trust those who protect us but we all have seen the reasons why we do so with trepidation.

When Floyd's murderers are brought to trial, we must be ready if their juries turn a blind eye. What happens then? Action? What?

Can we get past that peacefully? History says otherwise.