And into the frying pan.
Today was suppose to mark the end of the coronavirus quarantine. It was suppose to be a day when we can finally begin to rebuild some semblance of our old normalcy. Yet here I am, typing this on June the 1st, under curfew conditions in San Francisco because protests and riots have broken out all over America. We’ve come out of one hell and onto the next. The uprising is caused by the brutal killing of George Floyd - a black man - at the hands of police in Minnesota last week. In what is another graphic episode of police brutality towards African Americans, it seems to have lit the fuse to an explosive tinderbox that’s been at a boiling point for a very long time.
No doubt the COVID-19 lockdowns and the disastrous economic situation - 100,000 plus Americans dead, and 40 million plus unemployed - are contributing factors to the sudden and rapid proliferation of chaos. It’s morbidly interesting that both sides of the political spectrum - even Republicans who have generally sided with police - have condemned the horrific murder of Floyd, and yet this is the one to break the proverbial camel’s back, the very last straw. Having been stuck inside our homes for three straight months with huge looming economic uncertainty probably added significant fuel to the fire.
The people was waiting for something to rebel against, and police corruption is as good a platform as any.
So it’s great to see crowds fighting out there in the streets, protesting for justice. Though I have to say it seems we’ve forgotten about the coronavirus entirely: can’t exactly socially distance amongst a protesting crowd, can you? I fear in two weeks’ time there will be a huge spike in cases, though I obviously hope I am wrong. Also, shame on the opportunists who are using the peaceful protests as a cover to destroy businesses and loot from stores. Destruction of property is never the answer and should not be tolerated. These terrible people completely undermines the message, and the damage caused will have negative ramifications long after this is over.
But it isn’t over yet; San Francisco’s curfew is indefinite. I pray the worse isn’t yet to come before the eventual resolution, whatever it may be.
The E30 BMW probably belongs to someone who works here.