a perfect storm

I was appalled like most humans watching the image of George Floyd. It wasn’t a grainy, disjointed or partial video showing an atrocity like so many before. With those images there is always something missing; the perpatrator left out of the frame or a blurred picture because of distance. We knew the outcome because we were told but still relied on witnesses to explain the events leading up to the tragedy. This was different. It showed the prolonged murder of a black man by a white policeman for all to see. As he begged to breathe the policeman seemed indifferent as he continued forcing his knee onto his neck. His colleagues were accomplises because they made no effort to intercede. The final shot of the police rolling the obviously dead body on to a stretcher was sickening. The explosion of emotions and violence that followed have played out across the country with frightening regularity.

After the second night of violence in Minneapolis I commented to several friends how grateful I am living in Salt Lake City where we are immune to this level of protest and destruction. While other cities saw large armed protests calling for the reopening of their particular communities, we did not. This is not to say people weren’t frustrated but generally speaking our state leaders hadn’t been heavy-handed in dealing with the pandemic and the populace understood that. How wrong I was. I greatly misjudged the fear, anxiety and hatred people were harboring, even here in Salt Lake City. My wife and I were running a variety of errands Saturday; one of which was to find screen protectors for our phone. Simple enough task you would think but since Apple wouldn’t let us in the store without an appointment, we decided to find a Verizon store. The closest was on 4th south and 8th east which took us directly through the protestors at Washington Square. As we approached the scene in our car we censed a scary and foreboding attitude in the air. From a distance the crowds didn’t appear as massive but once you were stuck in the middle of the chaos we were quick to see something completely different and decided to get out of there as quickly as possible. Watching the news later we realized we barely missed the burning of a police car and the smashing of windows.

The pandemic set the stage for this and frankly I’m not surprised by the hostility but rather the spark that set it off. Between being quarantined for extended periods-months for some, and millions losing their jobs and relying on the government for stimulus money to pay the bills, it was only a matter of time before all of that fear and anxiety exploded. For 2 1/2 months we have been told “Stay safe” and “We will get through this together” while the death totals and infection rates are posted. We hear “Wear a mask” and “Keep a proper Social Distance” to the point of nausea so I really get the frustration. I hope a leader emerges from this that can articulate the need for a serious conversation about race in America-without the violence. This important cause has everyones undivided attention but looting and burning businesses does not honor the memory of George Floyd.