Flawed or not, Floyd did not deserve to die

Published 1:30 am Friday, June 19, 2020

Editor,

Regarding the June 16 letter to the editor, “Floyd was perhaps a ‘nice guy,’ but his background was flawed,” I am writing to express my astonishment that the writer of this letter is focusing on George Floyd’s supposed “flaws.”

It is irrelevant that he used a $20 bill that he may or may not have known was counterfeit. His prior record and any substance issues are irrelevant. His positive qualities and his personality are also irrelevant.

The only relevant point is that he was yet another black man whose life was taken by a white police officer who has now been charged with murder. This is the “last straw” moment in the way that black people have been treated in this country and it is fueling a movement that, I hope, will result in real change and racial justice.

Yes, we should remember George Floyd and the names of all of the other black men, women, and children whose lives were taken by police officers with too little accountability for their actions.

Remembering their names brings into focus that these victims of police violence were real people who were loved by their families and friends.

Is the writer of this letter really saying that we should not be outraged by George Floyd’s murder because he had “flaws?” Or because we may not have known how the story started? Is the writer trying to dismiss or minimize the importance of this moment in our history? I hope not.

Cathryn Booth-LaForce

Freeland