NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE
Lawyers of George Floyd Family to Open UN Human Rights Case, Seek Sanctions
Against US
If there ever was a clear cut case for human rights abuse, it is the ongoing
and pervasive disregard for communities of color by the police and
concomitant prison-judicial complex in America.
by Raul Diego
June 01st, 2020
By Raul Diego
Over the past few months, the latest in a long history of extrajudicial
killings of Black Americans has claimed the lives of three people: Ahmaud
Arbery, a 25-year old man gunned down in February by a gang of armed white
men who chased him through a South Georgia neighborhood; Breonna Taylor,
massacred in her own home by police officers who were serving a no-knock
warrant on her apartment last March in relation to a drug case that had
nothing to do with the budding 26-year old emergency room technician; and
finally, George Floyd, whose murder by a Minneapolis police officer was
graphically recorded on video and has now sparked national rage on a level
never seen in this century.
The common denominator of all of these patently evil incidents is, of
course, the color of the victims' skin. Racial tension in this country is
more American than apple pie and nothing confirms this more than the
excruciatingly slow and protracted process to emerge from the foundational
tenets of slavery, which built it.
It was only in the 1960s, a time still in living memory of most human beings
currently inhabiting this planet, that African Americans were afforded some
measure of civil rights beyond that of a house pet. Yet, even these meager
advances have only been begrudgingly accepted by entrenched White
supremacist attitudes, which don't always require a matching dermal tint to
manifest.
The police, however, are among the least subtle agents of the structural
racism that courses through the veins of America. No one privy to their
behavior since the merciless beating of Rodney King can deny just how bad
things have always been for the African American community behind the camera
lens. But now, with literally millions of cameras to catch these disgraceful
acts of wonton, state-sponsored violence we have reached critical mass.
A Case for the Age
Lee Merritt and Benjamin Crump, attorneys for the families of the three
victims of police brutality mentioned above, have announced that they intend
to bring a case before the United Nation Human Rights Committee on behalf of
their clients and seek sanctions against the United States for violating the
human rights of African Americans.
Should they be successful in this legal endeavor, it would be almost
unprecedented and significant. But certainly not new. Other minority groups
have attempted a similar tack, such as the Native American community of
Standing Rock, which tried - but failed - to bring a similar suit against
the United States through the OAS in 2016. Another hurdle for Merritt, a
civil rights attorney himself, and Crump, is the fact that Donald Trump
pulled out of the UN human rights council in 2018, leaving the question of
how far-reaching any potential judgment in favor of the families may
ultimately be.
Nevertheless, taking advantage of the global spotlight that George Floyd's
murder and the subsequent social unrest has that is has brought upon the
U.S. to bring such a case before an international body like the UN may have
a ripple effect throughout the world and open other avenues to hold the U.S.
accountable for its continued treatment of African Americans and other
minorities.
If there ever was a clear cut case for human rights abuse, it is the ongoing
and pervasive disregard for communities of color by the police and
concomitant prison-judicial complex in America. It is high time that the
world looks at this country's track record on these issues and does
everything possible to stop it.
Keep the Pressure On
Even as the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police receives non-stop
national and international coverage, the same behind-the-scenes forces that
perpetuate the problem are working to deprive Floyd's family of the justice
they deserve. From the outrageous coroner's report that partially attributed
the death of a man executed on video to "underlying health conditions, and
any potential intoxicants in his system," to the ridiculous third-degree
murder charge initially levied on the killer, historical precedent demands
that we not allow this to become another news story we remember the next
time it happens.
In an interview about the case with RT at the Hennepin County Government
Center in Minneapolis, Lee Merritt expressed surprise that officer Chauvin,
who killed George Floyd was arrested so quickly, but made sure to underscore
the fact that he, as the attorney representing the Floyd family in the case,
had yet to see Chauvin's mug shot or any other evidence that the disgraced
police officer had actually been apprehended. "I'm not even sure that the
man is in custody," said Merritt, adding that he questions whether the
speedy announcement of his arrest was made to "pacify the crowds" instead of
providing any kind of justice.
