It takes 8 minutes and 45 Seconds to End It All, C.M.
It takes 8 minutes and 45 Seconds to End It All
Caeli McKamey
George Floyd
He grew up in a predominantly black Houston neighborhood where he met his friend Harris. George Flloyd, 46, nicknamed "gentle giant" as the 6 foot 6-inch teen football star.
One of his old classmates, Donell Cooper, said he had a "quiet personality but a beautiful spirit" (Walters).
He was a father. His friends and family called him "a beautiful spirit who was always cheerful." (Walters). In 2009 he served five years in prison for a home invasion and armed robbery.
He was out of work, looking for a job. Job applicants with criminal records of any kind are denied while the real perpetrators roam free.
Once they go to prison, they are "erased" from society. Progress, journey, commitment, and family no longer matters. They are only cell numbers. One of his friends Harris, convinced him to move to Minneapolis to start fresh to re-enter the world. Floyd started working security at a Salvation Army store, as security and driving trucks.
He lost his job from quarantine. He passed a $20 counterfeit bill at a grocery store.
Police arrived, no warning. May 25, 2020, George's last day on this earth fights on the ground, hands cuffed behind, while a white officer, Derek Chauvin, presses into his neck with his knee for 8 minutes and 45 seconds. He shouts, "please don't kill me." Ten minutes later, the ambulance arrives; George was registered dead and dehumanized.
Whatever the ethics say about stealing, killing someone over $20 is malicious murder. In the video, the white police officer is smirking; Now, he can enjoy prison.
Walters, Joanna. "An Athlete, a Father, a 'Beautiful Spirit': George Floyd in His Friends' Words." The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, May 29 2020, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/29/george-floyd-who-was-he-his-friends-words.
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