We have absolutely been transfixed on the George Floyd situation in this country and abroad as it was a brutal injustice and vicious crime filmed for all to see on May 25, 2020. We collectively witnessed a murder.
On the same day Christian Cooper, a Black man in Central Park (of all places) in NYC was bird watching when a white woman, Amy Cooper, was walking her dog off-leash – which is against the park’s policy. He kindly asked her to put the dog on a leash and all hell broke loose.
Amy was insulted and called the police in advance letting Christian know, prior to making the call, that she was going to tell them an African American man was threatening her life, which is exactly what she did. Christian was smart enough to start filming at precisely the right time and managed to capture her admitting she had every intention of lying to the police and weaponizing her privilege to put him in his place even if that meant a jail cell. She committed a crime.
Is that any different than saying I’m not sure if Derek Chauvin is a killer but he killed George Floyd?
There are similarities in both situations. The police were called in both cases, Floyd was for allegedly using a counterfeit $20.00 bill (which ended up costing him his life and was proven to be an actual $20.00 bill later on) and Amy as aforementioned called in a false report because she later said she was “scared.”
What if Christian didn’t have his phone on him that day or if his battery was dead and he didn’t film the situation? He could have very well ended up JUST like George Floyd, that’s what could have happened. Even if he didn’t end up dead, we have repeatedly read news stories about black men serving 20, 30, 40 even 50 years for crimes that they did not commit based on a witness testimony even where some of those witnesses recanted or admitted that they were threatened to make up stories to get convictions. Without question, our entire system needs an overhaul.
Christian Cooper could have easily spent the next 30 years in prison for a crime that he did not commit because more than likely, the white woman’s word would have been taken over his and she KNEW it and made the call anyway.
When the police arrived, both Christian and Amy were apparently not at the scene. Perhaps Amy came to her senses and they called some sort of truce, but did she do it because she KNEW she lied and put a black man’s entire life at risk …. or was it because she was thinking about her job and/or going viral online with his tape.
What was she “scared of?” SHE was breaking the law not him. Why was she scared of a man in the park asking her to obey the law and put her dog on a leash? Was that life-threatening? Yes, because it was a black man and as far as she was concerned, he was out of his place. Would she have called the police on a white man who was birdwatching and say “I’m going to call the police and tell them that a white man is threatening my life.” With Central Park’s history and Black men, Amy knew EXACTLY what she was doing. She said she’s not racist, I say the sky is never blue.
Like a toddler in a playground who is mad because she didn’t ger her turn to get on the swing, she cried out “I’m going to call the police and tell them an African American man is threatening my life.” Then she DID it. Amy Cooper flat out lied and committed a crime by calling the police with a false report. This is considered a crime against justice. But that’s not the best part of the story.
Christian Cooper has appeared on several news outlets, a soft-spoken man who is well-educated decided to take the high road after Amy Cooper apologized to “that man” (whose name was in all the news outlets to pronounce). She apologized to “that man” for her egregious and intentional misstep. Derek Chauvin committed a crime too and didn’t move while onlookers shouted in horror that he was hurting George Floyd.
Christian Cooper has gone back, according to some reports, bird watching while the rest of the entire WORLD is fighting for George Floyd who is now dead. No doubt if Christian had the misfortune of also being killed because of the situation, the world would have also come to his defense. But did he come to ours?
Christian has decided to take the high road, even saying that he wasn’t sure if Amy was racist but what she did was racist. Is that any different than saying I’m not sure if Derek Chauvin is a killer but he killed George Floyd?
Christian even went further by asking people to stop threatening her life, immediately putting more value on HER life than his own. Finally, his “high road” without question just created a six-foot ditch for other black men and women who may NOT have the benefit of cell phone footage on the day that they too may be harrassed or the victim of racism that could end up in their deaths.
Almost immediately after Amy Cooper did what she did and got away scot-free WITH the full support of her victim, a socialite called the police in NYC on a black woman minding her business and sitting down outside of a building. Hey, if Amy can do it and get away with it, why can’t I?
Nothing can repair itself. Until it is fixed it will keep malfunctioning. Racism is that thing that can’t repair itself. Christian not only let himself down, but he also let the community down and once all this calms down and life, hopefully, gets back to normal, a black mother will join a growing list of black mothers who have lost their son or daughter again because another racist will think they are above humanity, the law, and black people and they will take another life knowing there is a great possibility that they will get away with it. George Floyd is not only the saving grace in BOTH situations in finally (and hopefully) moving the needle but he should be a reminder to Christian that even in death, HE fought to his last breath and didn’t give up and didn’t have a chance to take the “high road.” Someone will live because of George Floyd.
Rodney King also took the “high road” when HE could have been a source of support for other black men stating at his press conference with a swollen face and black eyes “Can’t we all just get along?” 29 years later he’s dead and we’re still here … in the same place. Fighting for our rights as black people while others watch birds in the park.
