For this Week, the World of Sports and Virtually Everything Else, is Insignificant

It is Monday, June 2nd as this is written.  I note that because there will probably be so much new by the time you read this.

Writing about sports, or even some of the things you see here, such as music, or the personalities of the people I’ve come across seems so trite and insignificant to the real issues we face. 

Our country is not in a good way right now. 

This is what we know. 

On May 5th, we all witnessed a killing in plain sight.

A police officer, in Minneapolis, suffocated an African-American man who was lying on the ground handcuffed and helpless. 

Who has ever seen a more horrendous sight? 

The man was pleading for his life, to no avail.

The scene had to enrage any decent human being.

What transpired from that point on bordered on the surreal.

All of the officers involved in the incident were fired. Okay.

To witness a fellow-policeman within a few feet of the incident and not making a move to stop the murder was as bad as the killing itself.

Then, it appeared things got out of hand.

Charges weren’t leveled against the police officers for several days. 

There might have been an explanation for that, including rules and regulations, but that was never revealed.

The officer who snuffed out the man’s life was ultimately charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. 

Why weren’t the charges more severe? They still might be, but last week they weren’t.

We knew there would be protests in Minneapolis. As well there should have been. 

The news conferences held by the Mayor, the Chief of Police and other officials, including, of course, the Governor of Minnesota, were numerous, as they should have been.

But amidst the talk of unifying the community, you got a sense that if things got heated, there would be a lack of control and command.  It was never more evident than when a police precinct was set on fire with no answer by the city.

So protests ensued, not only in Minneapolis, but in many other major cities.

It is not necessary to go into specific detail, except to relate what we all saw.

Peaceful protests, a staple of what this nation espouses and respects, evolved into outright riots, resulting in the looting of stores, and the burning of police cars and buildings.

It reached a crescendo Sunday evening, May 31st, when, in Washington, near the White House, and on nearby streets, throngs of people were no longer protesting, but clearly out to do damage.

A famous church was set on fire. Flames were lighting up the streets and the sky. Unbelievably, there was a curfew established for 11:00pm.

Why was it not sooner? 

More than enough time for a mob to do damage, and then ignore the curfew.

I wondered how many of those on hand even knew the name George Floyd, the man whose life had been taken.

We also know, of course, that organized and paid for groups, were the center of the demonstrators who were in the process of defiling and destroying businesses of Americans.

The sad scene of looting and burning in cities throughout the country was appalling and depressing.

It’s obvious that these groups took advantage of a horrible chapter in this country, that unfolded on that Minneapolis street, and added yet another horrible chapter.

I have no idea how all this will be resolved.

I just hope it’s sooner than later.

But something has to give. 

George Floyd’s death is unspeakable.

And there had to be protests for the act that ended his life.

But America cannot be torn apart as a result, and there has to be a show of strength in response to lawlessness. 

Maybe, by the time you read this, there has been a quieting down.

In any event, for this week, at least, the world of sports and virtually everything else, is insignificant.