Editorial

Time for U.S. to show its might as champion of human rights

The world has been shocked and watched in horror at the six days of civil unrest in the United States (US) following the death of a black man in Police custody.

Many states as well as countries in Europe have been expressing their anger after a video recording emerged showing a black man lying on the floor with a white Minneapolis police officer pressing the knee into his neck.

The video has subsequently sparked a wave of protests, some very violent in the US with demonstrations around Europe in support of George Floyd who died in that tragic incident on May 25.

The death of George is the latest in a series of deaths of black men and women in the hands of white policemen in the US which has startled the world.

The killing has also highlighted the systemic problem of human rights and equality for minorities, especially blacks in the country.

Perhaps, that could be the reason for the charged atmosphere across the country where some of the civil unrests have turned violent with police being targets because of the latest killing by now-fired police officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged with third-degree murder in Floyd’s death.

The latest fatality in the hands of a white police officer brings into sharp focus the long held view by African-Americans that they are discriminated against and the police in most cases trampled upon their human rights.

The ongoing racism-tinged civil unrest is, therefore, a wakeup call to the US to demonstrate by example the human rights it purports to promote by dealing sternly with persons behind the criminal injustice.

Although, the main perpetrator has been charged, demonstrators are also calling for the arrest and prosecution of three other officers who were with the officer who put his knee on the neck of the deceased.

The latest civil unrest gives the US the opportunity once again to prove to the world that the perceived targeted brutalities of black Americans is not sanctions and that it has what it takes to punish the offending officer and serve justice.

The U.S. police brutality and murder involving African Americans who are sometimes tortured by officers and sometimes murdered are legendary, and it is time the US shows to the world that these unjustifiable killings are stopped and all black people treated equally before the law.

The whole world’s attention is now focussed on the US and looking forward to what it is going to do to reassure everyone about what it truly stands for.

The standing of the US as the number one human rights defender in the world has been seriously called to question and such happenings only reinforce the belief of some that blacks are deliberately discriminated against in the US. 

Now the whole world would be watching to see what the US would do in the latest unjustifiable killing of a black man which has sparked a wave of civil unrest akin to the days of Martin Luther.

It is time these senseless killings of minorities across the world and in particular in the US, is stopped and all those who kill with impunity brought to book so that America can retain its credibility as a country that promotes human rights of its entire people.

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