Parker: Cooled enthusiasm for lauded Chauvin verdict
Going to shade these celebrations about the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict.
Actually, perspectives offered by Bishop William Stokes earned recognition. He released a statement late Tuesday.
First, let’s set the stage for the Episcopalian state leader.
Almost cried after hearing the Derek Chauvin verdict. Tears welled yet never fell. Heart ached but never really broke.
Fell asleep for one hour then woke at 10:27. Needed five more minutes to find sleep again then came back to reality at 12:28 a.m. Had one email from Bishop Stokes.
Stokes wrote, “It appears that justice has been done in the decision of a jury to find former Police Officer Derek Chauvin guilty of all three counts with which he was charged. He is a convicted felon, guilty of the murder of George Floyd. As a nation, we can find some satisfaction that our system worked in this instance. Nonetheless, we must all recognize that we are a long way from having a just society. There is much work still in front of us. The verdict today does not bring George Floyd back to life. His family and community will continue to suffer the deep pain of loss. Moreover, the verdict does not make up for the times, too numerous to count, when justice has not been done for Black and Brown people in this country.”
“Consider Daunte Wright, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Rayshard Brooks, Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson, Elijah McClain, Tamir Rice.”
Those short-list dearly departed represent a tip of the cold-blooded iceberg of black and brown people killed by police. Anyone believing that the Chauvin verdict represents a new day dawning for black men living in a white world, needs a refresher on U.S. history.
The media, yeah, that’s me but have no personal membership in the Super League of mind benders, should feel shame about this new assertion that we have crossed the crossroads.
The non-religious version underscores our nation’s exhausting inability to offer life, liberty and pursuits of happiness universally.
One victory, aided by 38 witnesses, dozens of video clips, world anger, and a valise of photos hardly resolves our nation’s deplorable history of racism and violence. A jury of deaf, dumb and blind kids would have reached the Chauvin verdict. The six white, four black and two multiracial jurors of Hennepin County needed less than 10 hours for their decision.
Since Floyd’s death last May, 181 Black people in the U.S. have been killed by the police, according to data from research group Mapping Police Violence.
Just like COVID-19, police kill black and brown men and women at disproportionate rates.
Stokes said, “The verdict (Tuesday) does not cleanse this nation of the systemic racism and White Supremacy that is so deeply embedded in our nation’s history and on-going life, a fact which continues to make life miserable and dangerous for a significant portion of our citizenry who suffer from injustice each and every day.”
For the record. The U.S. falters and fades because it no longer fears God or other supernatural powers (insert your deity here).
Stokes offered, “the stated mission of the Church, indeed God’s mission, is “to restore all people to unity with God and one another in Christ” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 855). The jury decision in the Derek Chauvin case offers us a unique opportunity as a church to engage in God’s work of justice and healing. I pray that we will all commit ourselves to this sacred work and pledge ourselves to strive for justice and peace among all people as our baptismal promises command us to do.”
Amen.