Black Lives Matter protests: Larry Fitzgerald demands ‘Stop killing our sons and daughters’ in NY Times essay - MassLive.com

paksijenong.blogspot.com

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who has long been one of the most respected players in the National Football League wrote an editorial for the New York Times, Sunday in response to George Floyd death in police custody and the demonstrations that have followed nationwide.

Floyd, 46, died while handcuffed after Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck until he became unresponsive. Three other policemen watched and did not intervene. Video of the events sparked protests across the country.

Fitzgerald is from Minneapolis. He expressed that seeing what happened to George Floyd hurt more because in addition to the horrible act, it was tearing apart a place he cared about:

“The streets you see in chaos now are the same streets I walked with my mother as she taught me about being active in the community. ... For as long as I have known it, Minneapolis has been a city of peace, family and contentment. But not right now.”

Fitzgerald has long been active and honored for his work in the community working with and funding charitable organizations that create activities for kids in the summer, help connect kids in need with educational technology. He paid to refurbish a basketball court at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Minneapolis and funded safe helmets for a youth football program. He’s placed special emphasis on charities that help cancer patients and military families.

Fitzgerald quoted from Martin Luther King’s “The Other America” speech, which the civil rights leader gave multiple times in 1967 and 1968.

But 36-year-old, 11-time Pro Bowler’s most powerful words were his own:

"People of color across this nation are screaming to be heard. Stop killing our sons and daughters. Stop terrorizing our communities. Give us justice. When those screams fall on deaf ears the pain of being unheard bears down on your soul. Have you ever been frustrated at being in an intimate relationship where you feel your concern is unheard and disregarded? When you try to communicate but your voice does not get through? In those moments the wounds of disrespect can lead us to raise our voices and behave in less than civil ways. Our intrinsic need to be understood intensifies our reactions. Our desperation to be heard can override our better judgment.

The screams of disrespected voices are ringing out in our nation right now. We must never condone violent riots that take lives and destroy futures but we must also hear the desperate voice of protest that is calling out for justice."

The end reads like a speech:

"Our first step must be to listen to one another — to sincerely lean in and hear what the person who is different from us is saying.

George Floyd, in your final gasps for breath, we hear you.

Breonna Taylor, in your besieged home, we hear you.

Ahmaud Arbery, as your footsteps pounded the ground, running for your life, we hear you.

Victims of violence, poverty and injustice, we hear you.

Communities and lives torn apart by riots, we hear you.

People of privilege learning a better way, we hear you.

Mothers and fathers of every race doing the best you can to teach your children to love and not hate, we hear you.

May God give us all ears to hear so that the cries of the unheard are never again compelled to scream in desperation."

Related content:

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich calls George Floyd’s death ‘a lynching’ in emotional video

After attending Black Lives Matter protest, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara releases heartfelt statement on experience

Boston Celtics’ Wyc Grousbeck says he needs to uphold Celtics values of civil rights, calls Jaylen Brown ‘a special person’

Roger Goodell endorses peaceful protests, admits ‘we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier’

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"Stop" - Google News
June 08, 2020 at 07:21AM
https://ift.tt/3dKaiip

Black Lives Matter protests: Larry Fitzgerald demands ‘Stop killing our sons and daughters’ in NY Times essay - MassLive.com
"Stop" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2KQiYae
https://ift.tt/2WhNuz0

Bagikan Berita Ini