All That's Necessary
AJ Robinson

According Anglo-Irish statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”  Burke offered this observation in the Eighteenth Century. It concerns evil.

I don’t allude to Dumb Donald.

Right away, you may think, I’m going to talk of the Great Orange and his administration. After all, look at all that he and his minions have done over the last three years and all of it right out there in the open, as Republicans in Congress have either remained silent or gone along with their actions. I’m not referring to them.

Dumb Donald, as the most visible member of this terrible cabal tormenting America, is but a symbol. Hitler came to symbolize all that was evil and corrupt in Germany, but it was the common foot soldiers, the butchers and bakers in the ordinary towns that carried out the abuse and killing of their fellow humans. Although America has not yet sunk so low, yet, I see events that make we weep, ashamed to be an American.

The killing of George Floyd is the latest in a list of terrible acts, but what made it worse were the people standing around watching. Granted, most were common citizens and forgivable, but what of all the officers who went along with the act? That long video, 8 minutes and 46 seconds long, is difficult to watch, but watch it we must if we intend to make our nation great.

Guilty knowledge is important. In the recording of the murder of Floyd, we see the officers say nothing and do nothing to stop Derek Chauvin from committing murder. They do not, it seems, oppose his act.

Watch their postures, gestures and facial expressions. Do they seem concerned for wellbeing of Floyd? Are they worried Derek Chauvin is killing Floyd? Is there any apprehension in their demeanor that signals they think they’ll get in trouble over this? They’re smothering a man in front of witnesses, many of whom are recording the act.

The cooperating police officers do not appear to be worried. By implication, we might conclude they agree with the actions of Chauvin, that is, jamming his knee into the neck of Floyd to the point of killing him. From the recorded evidence, it’s hard to believe they do not agree, to some degree, with the actions of Chauvin.

Highly questionable police acts abound.

There are many other highly questionable police acts and one that is quite troubling. In Buffalo, New York, an obviously elderly white man simply walks up to some police apparently to ask a question. He’s not threatening, he’s not excited, but he is brutalised.

An officer knocks him to the ground. He bangs his head. Blood appears to emanate from his ear or the back of his head.

The police then march forward, apparently told to ignore him by someone in charge. The intent of the officers is to attack other protestors. What do the officers do about the injured old white man?

One officer does start to go for him, but is pulled away. As for the rest, they do nothing. They walk past him without so much as acknowledging his existence.

Think about that for a moment and let the words of Edmund Burke haunt you. Later, the police department issued a press release saying that the man merely tripped. Again, consider that for a minute.

What if there was no video of the event? Many people would accept the police version of the event and the matter would drop. Doesn’t that kind of call into question their other press releases?

Trump, in my opinion, is the most corrupt and incompetent president in the history of America. There will come a time when he is gone, a day I will celebrate. Only then will America be able to get back to normal.

That said, the sight of police officers, men and women who have sworn an oath to protect the innocent, to serve and to help those in need, to see them ignoring an injured man, a man who assaulted by one of their own, is truly the deepest cut to my soul.

America, as a nation, is at a crossroads. We have a decision to make and I’m not just talking about the upcoming election. I’ve seen police officers “bend the knee,” as a popular show says, and reach out to their citizens, and bring peace.

I hope to see you along the trail.

Then I’ve seen officers act like thugs and attack people. You tell me, which path forward are we going to take? I know which way I’m headed. Am I going it alone or will others join me?