The silence is killing us

A third rail, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track.

In business you learn to avoid third rail topics.  These are the topics that invoke so much passion and require a nuance that may not be available to you in a typical business discussion.  The big three in the US are Race, Religion and Politics.  All issues deemed so controversial that they are “charged” and “untouchable” to the extent that any person who dares to broach the subject will invariably suffer politically

I’m not going to steer clear today and I recognize the potential consequences, but the silence is killing us.

Everywhere I turn today I see images of George Floyd on the ground handcuffed pleading that he can’t breathe while an officer presses his knee into the back of his neck.  A person dying on screen in a movie or television show immediately changes the rating for the program, however images of this man dying in real life are coming at me from all directions and jumping off every device/screen at all times of the day and without warning.  The images are devastating but the silence is killing us.

The code of silence among police officers known as the Blue Wall of Silence facilitates criminal behavior by protecting those officers who are in fact committing criminal acts themselves.  Protect and serve means on occassion you have to police those tasked with policing us. The silence of these good officers is killing us.

The code of silence in poor communities across the country known as the Stop Snitching movement amplifies criminal behavior by protecting those people who are making the community a dangerous place to live.  The silence of the hardworking law-abiding citizens is killing us.

The collective silence when it comes to admonishing people who are rioting and looting. Fighting against injustice by dishing out more injustice legitimizes criminal behavior. By handing over the moral high ground it takes the spotlight and pressure off of the original crime. This sets the stage for it to ultimately be minimized and forgotten. The silence of people who are traumatized, sad, hurt, angry but know that rioting is the wrong way to express that anger is killing us.

The code of silence from the business community, the third rail nature of a topic like police brutality or citizens rioting allows criminal behavior to continue by ignoring what is happening and trying to turn the page as quickly as possible to getting back to business.  The silence of our businesses and business leaders is killing us.  

If you don’t like what you are seeing and you are sick and tired of being sick and tired then I implore you to speak up.  Your words are important.  I will admit that I wanted to sit this one out and not say anything. I simply could not do that.

The silence is killing us me.

City of Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights

Office of Police Conduct Review (OPCR)

Velma J. Korbel, Director

350 S. 5th St., Room 239

Minneapolis, MN 55415

E-Mail:  [email protected]

Phone: (612) 673-3012

Fax: (612) 673-2599

TTY: (612) 673-2157

Office Hours:

8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Monday – Friday