One year ago today, the nation watched as an unarmed black man was pinned to the ground with Minneapolis Police Officer Derrick Chauvin’s knee pressed against his neck for almost 9 minutes. We all watched in horror as the man pleaded over and over that “I can’t breathe”. The plea was disregarded and the man was killed. Chauvin was convicted of murder.
This has been all too familiar in our nation. That is the unfortunate truth of the matter. Today, we are hearing the same cry of “I can’t breathe”. But, this time it is the nation crying it. It is the nation that is being bombarded by unconstitutional laws by one party that is systematically stripping away our rights and our freedoms.
Today, a new Derrick Chauvin has emerged from the shadows to foment anger, hate and murder. This time Derrick Chauvin is the Republican Party. In the last several months, they have placed their knee on the neck of democracy and liberty and is pressing down until they both die. Here are just a few examples of this crime being committed against our nation.
Since January 6, there has been a call for an impartial, non-bipartisan commission to look at what happened so we can learn the truth about what happened, who was involved and what we need to do to keep it from ever happening again. So, the Minority Leader in the House appointed one of his members to “negotiate” an acceptable measure to make the commission possible.
He came up with a bipartisan agreement and said it would be fair and equitable. But, McCarthy backtracked and said it was a “partisan witch hunt”. He refused to support the very agreement he wanted. Then Sen. McConnell said the same thing. After stating on January 7 that the former guy was responsible for the insurrection, McConnell now says we “just need to move forward”.
Instead of supporting the police officers who were seriously injured or died as a result of the insurrection and the other people who died during the insurrection, they have decided to slap them all in the face and pretend it never happened. It is a blatant attack on our rule of law and right to know the truth and hold those responsible accountable. They are “setting the rules” and we should all just shut up and follow their deceitful arguments.
The insurrection was caused by the “big lie” that the election was stolen. The party has decided that six months after the election, they were going to “hire” their “own companies” to “audit” the election results. They started in Arizona where a sham “audit” is taking place by a company owned by a person who openly stated and wrote several times he believed the election was stolen.
This “audit” is being held in secret with very little oversight. One of the “auditors” was actually a Republican who was on the ballot during the last election and a big proponent of the “big lie” theory. Once the Arizona Republic made that fact known in their reporting, the man was “let go”.
Now, the party is using the same false narrative and the big lie to try to force additional “audits” across the nation. This is not about “election integrity”. It is all about they lost and can’t take it. So, in their zeal for power, they decided that making people believe our election is fraudulent is their best path to power. Especially since they have no policies to argue about.
The party has also passed and are considering more laws to suppress the vote. Again, this isn’t about “voter integrity” it is about power. History says that if the voter turnout is low, Republicans win. If the voter turnout is high, like in 2020, Republicans lose. So, to keep the voter turnout low, make sure fewer people can actually vote. So, Derrick Chauvin has his knee on the neck of the right to vote.
The party that claims the government should never be allowed between a patient and their doctor is getting between the patient and their doctor. This new Derrick Chauvin is placing his knee on the neck of patient liberties, privacy and right to care from their doctor.
We have seen this in the laws they have passed against abortion and transgender treatment for minors. They have declared that only they have the authority or right to determine what kinds of treatment these people get, if any. They have decided that a woman does not have the religious right or the civil right to determine her own body’s health. Only they can say how a woman can be treated if she becomes pregnant, not the woman, not the family and certainly not a doctor.
The same is true for transgender minors. Only the party has the right to determine if they deserve or need any medical treatment that will help make their lives easier and healthier. And, since the party doesn’t believe in the rights of transgender people, they decided that these minors have no rights at all. Furthermore, they have decided that the parents of these minors have no right in determining the best medical treatment for their own children. Only the party has that right.
The party has decided that things like Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project are bad because they teach children the real history of racism and slavery in our country. They have decided that our children do not have a right to learn these things because, well, they might actually see the real problems they have caused in our society. The truth cannot be allowed to be taught, so the party has made it illegal to teach them. Derrick Chauvin has his knee on the neck of the truth.
After a 30 year fight about being able to teach Yoga in public schools in Georgia, the state finally agreed to allow it. However, they also made it illegal to use the actual words to describe the exercises. And, parents must sign a consent form that clearly states that the parent understands that “Yoga is a form of Hinduism”. Derrick Chauvin has his knee on the freedom of religion and free speech.
The party has decided that anyone who claims to be Republican who says the voter fraud thing is a lie or said that the former guy should have been impeached for his incitement of the January 6 insurrection must be cancelled. Everyone who has spoke up in such a way has been cancelled by the party. They have either been censured or they have been called traitors.
Yet, a Senator can send out a tweet praising the Russian Military and denouncing our own military and no one says a word of dissent about it. When Kremlin Kruz denounced our military, not one member of the party said one word of dissent. Derrick Chauvin has his knee on the neck of our national security.
So, there are a few examples. We are facing the new Derrick Chauvin with his knee pressing on the neck of our nation. The party has declared war on democracy, freedom of health care, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to vote and our national security by attacking our military.
One year after the horrific murder of George Floyd by Derrick Chauvin, the party has become our Derrick Chauvin and is kneeling on our necks. They are trying openly to snuff out the life of our democracy, our nation and our way of life.
Today, America is on the ground with Chauvin’s knee on our neck and us saying “I can’t breathe”. If we aren’t careful, we will be the new George Floyd murdered by our own Derrick Chauvin. Furthermore, if this continues, George Floyd’s will continue to be victims because the party doesn’t care about him or his people. The party would rather they not even be allowed to remain in the country.
Fight back. Vote the party out of power for good!
Lean Left World 