As I write this post, I realize that there will be some negative feedback from those on both sides of these issues. I have read many comments on both sides and I want to inject some of my thoughts. The two issues that I am addressing in this post are the conviction of Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd and the failure of the Democrat party to hold Maxine Waters responsible for her reckless statements at a rally in Minnesota. 

Derek Chauvin:

Derek Chauvin was a Minneapolis police officer who was videoed while he had George Floyd in custody. The video shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd who was cuffed and in a face down position. The video sparked nationwide protests due to Floyd’s death while in custody. Reports state that Floyd had a pre-existing heart condition and that he had dangerous levels of drugs in his system. Might Floyd have died anyway due to these factors? Perhaps, but does that alleviate Chauvin of his responsibility for Floyd. Chauvin’s lawyers tried to make the claim that Chauvin’s actions were in line with his training. The jury disagreed with this assessment and returned guilty verdicts in the charges against Chauvin. Many protest that the jury was biased against Chauvin. Many protested Floyd’s death over the summer last year. The defense had the opportunity to drop those jurors biased against Chauvin. Undoubtedly, the defense will offer this argument in the many appeals they will make going forward. 

The real question, I feel, is this: are police officers responsible for how they treat suspects they have in their custody? Society answers this question, yes. There are many laws on the books which dictate how prisoners are treated. Derek Chauvin chose to ignore the pleas of the crowd saying that Floyd could not breathe. Could he have avoided conviction if he put Floyd in a seated position and more closely monitored Floyd’s medical condition? Well, it certainly would have helped his case. We ask a lot of our police officers and rightfully so. We give them great power and with that power comes a greater measure of responsibility for how they exercise that power. There will always be post-incident quarterbacking and there should be in each case where there is injury to either a police officer or a suspect. Chauvin chose not to respond to Floyd’s distress. Now he is paying a heavy price for his failure to assume his greater responsibility. 

Have there been cases where a prisoner uses medical distress as a way of resisting authority? Absolutely, but that does not alleviate the responsibility for a police officer to address those issues. In fact, it is important that if a police officer feels that he is losing his sense of concern for people and begins to see everyone not in a uniform as an enemy, then he needs to consider stepping back and reconnecting with the people he is serving. My hope is that Derek Chauvin is not subjected to even greater punishment while he is incarcerated. Should he serve time for the conviction? Yes, convicted people should serve their sentence. However, can he be free from jailhouse retribution for being seen as an enemy? Let us pray that he is kept safe from such retribution. 

Maxine Waters

Related to the issue of Derek Chauvin is the failure of the Democrat party to hold one of their own responsible for her reckless statements. This past weekend, Maxine Waters, a congressperson from the state of California, attending a rally in Minnesota. At that rally she remarked that they were “looking for a guilty verdict” and that if one was not given then the protestors should “get more confrontational, we’ve got to show them we mean business.” Democrats in the House did not support a censure resolution that was brought by the Republican leader in the House. Did Maxine Waters’ statements rise to the level deserving of censure? I would argue that they do. When taken alone, the statements seem innocuous; however, when you remember the “protests” of last summer resulted in billions of dollars in damage across the nation, her calls to be “more confrontational” border on reckless incitement to riot. Her statements do not uphold the system of which she is a part. We must have trust in our judicial system. When a member of Congress undermines trust in the judicial system by condoning violent protests and riot, then they are violating the trust that is given them with their office. 

Why did Democrats fail to censure Maxine Waters? Politics, pure and simple. The Democrats wield the power of the mob to enhance the power they hold in government. If people fear what might happen if they do not vote for a certain party, then that party gains more power in government. If people fear what might happen if they voice their opinions, then they are more likely to keep opposing opinions to themselves. Does this support a healthy democracy? It is important that all viewpoints are expressed without fear of retribution, especially physical retribution. I might disagree with someone’s opinion, but do I want to force silence on them? No, I want them to voice their opinion and allow me to voice my opinion so that we might come to a better solution to the problems that face our society. When one party seeks to silence the voices of others, then they do not truly believe that their positions are supported by the people. That is the great danger that our society faces with the cancel culture that is being used by both parties today. (More so by the liberal side than the conservative.) 

Should we seek to express support for those whose positions with which we agree? Yes, but that is not to say that we should destroy the lives and livelihoods of those with whom we disagree. Can a person hold a wrong opinion or make insensitive statements? We are all human and we all have baggage. If I have a “wrong” opinion, then perhaps you should try to point out how my opinion is wrong through statements supporting your opposing position. You should also afford me the opportunity to refute those statements with my own positions. That is how we grow as a society. In understanding how others see the world, we gain a greater insight into practical solutions to those problems. If I try to enforce my opinion on others, then I have become a tyrant. This country was founded on the principle of opposing tyranny. If you do not agree, read the Declaration of Independence sometime. 

What do you think about these events? Do you think I am wrong? Feel free to respectfully post a comment below. I, of course, feel that my thoughts are reasoned and principled, but that is my opinion. Can you see how the responsibility that we have comes with the positions that we hold in society? That might be something that you should consider. I hope that you have a good day. God Bless.