In just the short time since the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, Rayshard Brooks was shot by a policeman at a Wendy’s in Atlanta. Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by a policeman in Kenosha. And we learned of the earlier homicide of Daniel Prude in Rochester during a mental-heath crisis. With each incident, we ask ourselves, “Again?”
Anyone with an open mind and heart can see that deadly incidents with police happen too often, and too often the victims are people of color. It doesn’t take much empathy to understand the outrage of the communities where these events occur.
Saugerties citizens have gathered each evening for 100 days to declare that Black Lives Matter. I attend most days so that I don’t forget these outrageous incidents. I stand with my sign to remind my fellow citizens that this is an urgent problem which must be corrected. Certainly I believe that if all well-meaning Americans, including all well-meaning police, put our hearts and minds toward solving this problem, real progress can be made. Further discrimination must also be addressed.
But as a first step, we can immediately address the grievous problem of the killing of our fellow citizens by those we pay to protect us. By our actions we can show that in America black lives matter, as do all lives.
But if we choose inaction, what does that show?
Kathy Gordon
Saugerties
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