This appears to be a matter of tit for tat. Robert E. Lee’s statue was taken down, now George Floyd’s is vandalized, within 48 hours of its unveiling in Union Square.
Just a few days ago I screened Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing, released in 1989, because somehow it escaped my attention back then and I never saw it. The film is enjoying a kind of revival these days because the issues it highlights are more relevant than ever. Not to spoil the plot but the climactic finish is triggered by the murder of a young black man by the police, George Floyd style.
The film is also dedicated to a handful of blacks who were killed by police violence. Point being, this has gone on under our noses for years, along with other horrific stories about a young man who was killed for being black while jogging and a young woman who was shot dead in her own bed. It was the compelling video of George Floyd that finally brought this issue to the proper conclusion, the conviction of the murderer.
There are people in this world who would prefer that Floyd’s death and all the others continue to be swept under the rug.
As a person remarked on Twitter, “I thought at first that the paint was tears.” it might as well be, tears not just for Floyd himself, but for all the others.
This is a breaking story. As more developments become available, we will update you here.
Someone put some effort into that. Imagine what they could do if they weren’t bigoted.
Also, you might want to add *which* Union Square this is.
One can destroy a statue. Much harder to destroy the truth.