By Pamela Cruz
According to an Axios-Ipsos poll, one year after the assassination of George Floyd, which sparked the largest wave of protests and race riots in the U.S. since the assassination of Martin Luther King, 75 percent of Americans believe their country is racist.
On a day like today, but one year ago, the U.S. and the world were shocked by a news story that would shake the very core 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 the country's justice system 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 with honor and the communities they are sworn to serve and protect. We can and must have accountability and confidence 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.
In the face of the various attacks against minority communities in the United States, it is imperative to act from all sides, in terms of legislation at the federal, state and local levels, but also as a society.
"We have to act. We are facing 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," he 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 court 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, punishable by up to 40 years in prison; third-degree murder, punishable by up to 25 years in prison; and second-degree manslaughter, with a maximum sentence of 10 years.
However, with no prior criminal record, Chauvin could get a maximum of 40 years in prison, so state prosecutors have requested a harsher sentence than the one recommended by the jury.
The former police officer is awaiting sentencing, which is expected to be read on June 16 in a Minneapolis courtroom.
In that sense, both Floyd's family members and 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 not yet seen the light of day
The bill drafted by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, to be christened the "George Floyd Police Justice Act," has yet to see the light of day, despite President Biden's own call to Congress to reach an agreement by this Tuesday.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers continue to fail to reach agreement on police reform to end abuses and eliminate the use of chokehold techniques by police officers, the militarization of police departments and "legal immunity" for officers.
