The entire world witnessed the taking of the life of an individual while in the custody of the protective forces on May 25, 2020.
George Floyd, a black man who was choked to death by the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sent shockwaves across the world and reminds us of the many prejudices and stereotypes which mar societies, communities and peoples’ the world over.
Amidst the cries to resist racism and ‘Black Lives Matter’ in America, England, Australia, France and elsewhere, there are similar cries in predominantly ‘black’ communities – like Dominica – where prejudices and stereotypes serve as tools to pitch one against the other.
The Alternative Peoples’ Party (APP) calls for a halt of racism with all its extensions. The wanton control of a people, perpetuated by hatred, division and indifference are as terrible as the racism itself – if not worse. People cannot thrive where prejudices exist and believe that there is need for a coast to coast action against such prejudicial and racial attitudes.
We mourn with our brothers and sisters of America. We pray that the relatives of Mr. Floyd find peace and comfort through their period of grief, but most importantly, we hope that justice for Mr. Floyd is swift. The words of Dr. King that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” could not be more appropriate today, especially since there are several injustices on our shores.
If nothing else, let the death of George Floyd take us to the place where we take a conscious and very sober look at our own actions as people against our own people. If we only look closely, we might see there might have been several metaphoric George Floyd moments in Dominica.
Let us address our inactions now.
Tahira Blanchard
Interim President
Since charity begins at home.It behoves me to be a little more interested in my fellow blacks, than that of other races.
I want them to be respectable men and women, getting an education/learn a skill.Stay far from trouble, including alcohol and elicit drugs.Don’t be lazy and don’t go around having children with Tom Dick and Harry.Mary the one you love and be good mum and dads.And the last one,not the least,accept Christ as your Lord and Savior.If this is done, We blacks will not go around murdering each other and even worse comparing ourselves with the whites and say.
“More whites are killing each other than us.”
Nonsense talk.
Let me remind you,I am a follower of Christ and a happy REPUBLICAN.
Suffice to say I didn’t bring up your wife, you did. Hope you didn’t marry your white wife out of convenience, we can tell that’s how you fellas speak. They are usually more supportive off the cause and plight of black people than you fellas are, yet your mindset is that you need to appease her by putting down your own people.
No one has come up with the right answer for the murder. It could have gone the opposite way. Black does not mean you are second best but, your attitude. The public love to see a policeman around, smartly dressed in uniform, doing a good job protecting the public, they even look out for you. The people enlisted in the force and their standard of training before release them to the public left a lot to be desire. A person broke the law, a policeman’s job is to take that person safely into custody. He is your prisoner. You override your power of arrest, you are disciplined and charged. You cannot give George back his breath.
My very first comment on this issue was.It appears that, The policeman had a score to settle with Floyd.Like Floyd have something damaging over his head,and his desire was to silence him.
I also said,I don’t know whether his action was based on race.Only God can answer this one.
Now we are hearing,they were co-workers at a security firm,and Floyd was instrumental in he being short paid/decrease in salary.
I have not seen the racism every one is talking about in the U.S.Maybe because I am not looking for it.
My wife showed me a video,where a White police asked a White man to come to him crawling on his knees,and then shot him dead.
What was done to Floyd was sickening.But we tend to overlooked what blacks are doing to each other.From May 29-June 1st in Chicago 82 shootings, 22 killed.Not yesterdays weekend, the one before,
that in 24 hours 18 was killed same Chicago.
A retired police captain was killed another one in California.Blacks killing their own.Is this racism also?
Oh oh well here we go again, it’s JJ the Republican. But JJ u overlooked the white fella in Vegas who killed 59 other whites, never mind the high schools mass k*ll*ngs by whites on whites and many more to you were probably racist, we suspect u up to something or hiding something.
I didn’t bring up your wife, you did. Hope you didn’t marry your white wife out of convenience, we can tell that’s how you all speak. They are usually more for the cause and plight of black people than you guys are, yet your mindset is that you need to appease her by putting down your own people.
I think it’s a good idea (re diversity) to have another option of Political party in Dominica, especially now, but that name says nothing actionable/identifiable about the party. It’s merely an “alternative” either for good or bad. That name needs updating to inspire.
Now, on similar note, this idea may seem foreign to many of us but I dare say that by default, the inherited political party system unwittingly divides us as a people and country.
More importantly, drawing from a mix of all our best minds, Dominica should develop a VIABLE LONG-TERM NATIONAL PLAN, that must be adhered to regardless of which party is at the Helm.
The constant changing of plans and erratic ideas from some of our mis-leaders is frustrating any national effort for sustainable development that would benefit all Dominicans rather than the few miscreants dabbling in a system rife with corruption.
“If we only look closely, we might see there might have been several metaphoric George Floyd moments in Dominica.”
Good try but I still can’t understand why a political party that wants to be the alternative choice cannot draw a straight line between George Floyd and what has happened to Dominica in the past and what is happening now.
Anyway Dominica has a handful of evil people, in my opinion , that are dangerous and cause serious threat to our country and the way they going on if they don’t stop I can see a George Floyd like thing happening in Dominica. At this time let me greet some folks. Good afternoon PM, Savarin, Tony, Valarie, Mills and Corbett.
Here is what I wish for all those that trouble Dominica according to Paul:
News Translation – Gal. 5:12
I wish that the people who are upsetting you would go all the way; let them go on and castrate themselves.
(KJV). 12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
In other words, I wish those who trouble you would…
we might see there might have been several metaphoric George Floyd moments in Dominica. are you all for real Alex!
If we put education before feelings . A REPRESENT A POLICEMAN and B CULPRIT. A had a date with a beautiful woman, B broke the law where A had to take action, A loses his temper, manhandled B and kill him. Any human being whosoever kill another human being must be put to death. The world committed more and more crimes, hoping that B would get his breath back ,and it did not work. No ne is above the law,. THOU SHALL NOT KILL. A so called white police caught a so called black person break the law, don’t intervene, get a black police to deal with it, or, all should respect and obey the LAW?
Racism must be severly condamned ; but in the present case, nobody knows whether the race has anything to do with it.
The death is surely a consequence of an very unsuitable action but let the justice do its job before coming to the conclusion that it is a racist act.
If it is proven that this is the case, then the cop must face a double court sentence : murder + racism
kubulol, kubulol, kubulol,
You seem to be on a lonely road with this trend of thinking, the whole world is protesting, not just the killing but Racism in policing in America. Your brothers in America are suffering heavily under racist policing it this country. Don’t you see the similarity with this criminal kneeling on the neck of a Black man and Colin Kaepernick kneeling to protesting brutality and racism against African American males, even young kids they brutalize?
Do you know they worked together in a night club? Come on now, come on.
Tell me kubulol, do you believe this police would have treated a white person in the same manner?
“If we only look closely, we might see there might have been several metaphoric George Floyd moments in Dominica.”
Very well said! Any time a person is mistreated by a police officer and this is witnessed by others or caught on tape, his superiors should have a public hearing on the matter. The victim should never be allowed to continue to be mistreated by that police officer or the entire police department in any way. Not because the victimized citizens are not physically dead they did not experience a situation where their human rights were illegally taken from them, leaving them in metaphoric states of losing their breath. This cannot be right.
Now, keep speaking on the issues and allow the media to question you openly on them, whenever necessary. Also, allow all other members of your party to speak for themselves. We want to hear what they think about the issues too. We want Dominica to be an open democracy of good law abiding people. Just stick to the issues!