By Pamela Cruz
De acuerdo con una encuesta de Axios-Ipsos, a un año del asesinato de George Floyd, hecho que desató la mayor ola de protestas y disturbios raciales en EE. UU. desde el asesinato de Martin Luther King, 75 por ciento de los estadounidenses cree que su país es racista.
On a day like today, but a year ago, the U.S. and the world were shocked by a news story that would shake the bowels of this country: it exposed racism and police brutality against people of color. On that day George Floyd was killed by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis.
Floyd's martyrdom lasted 9 minutes and 29 seconds until he took his last breath, but his death would not be in vain. As little Gianna, George's daughter, told President Biden at the funeral, "My daddy changed the world. And he did.
After the heartbreaking images of George Floyd brutally murdered were released, the whole world raised its voice against injustice, abuse and a disease that has become epidemic in the country, racism.
In commemorating these events, U.S. President Joseph Biden received Floyd's family at the White House today. He told them that the change in justice in the country will not be restricted to convicting agent Derek Chauvin.
"To make real change, we must be accountable when law enforcement officers violate their oaths, and we must build lasting trust between the vast majority of men and women who wear the badge of honor and the communities they are sworn to serve and protect. We can and must have accountability and trust in our justice system," Biden said.
In that regard, he detailed that negotiations on the George Floyd Police Justice Act in Congress are ongoing.
"I have strongly supported the legislation passed in the House and appreciate the good faith efforts of Democrats and Republicans to pass a meaningful Senate bill. I look forward to getting that bill on my desk quickly," he added.
And, given the various attacks against minority communities in the United States, it is imperative to act from all trenches, in legislative matters at the federal, state and local levels, but also as a society.
"We have to act. We face a tipping point. The battle for America's soul has been a constant tug-of-war between the American ideal that we are all created equal and the harsh reality that racism has long torn us apart," the president said.
He added that this is the best time to act against an evil that has invaded the country since it was created.
"It's our finest hour, where the American ideal wins," he finished.
The condemnation of Chauvin
After more than two weeks of an intense trial, one of the most high-profile in recent years, held in mid-April, Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges he faced: second-degree murder, which carries a penalty of up to 40 years in prison; third-degree murder, which carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison; and second-degree manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
However, because he has no prior criminal record, Chauvin could get a maximum of 40 years in prison, so state prosecutors have asked for a harsher sentence than the jury recommended.
The former police officer is awaiting sentencing, which is expected to be read on June 16 in a Minneapolis court.
In that sense, both Floyd's family and the leaders of the movement to end police violence in the U.S. and society in general, believe that the conviction against Derek Chauvin "is not enough".
George Floyd Act has yet to see the light of day
The bill drafted by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, to be dubbed the "George Floyd Police Justice Act," has yet to see the light of day, even though President Biden himself called on Congress to reach an agreement by Tuesday.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers still can't agree on police reform to end abuses and eliminate the use of chokeholds by police officers, the militarization of police departments and "legal immunity" for officers.
