Entry tags:
a day of pondering
A year ago today, George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis by police. I'm remembering the local riots and global protests in response. I went to a few of the largest protests, both in downtown Minneapolis near me and in south Minneapolis where he was killed. Just in general, a lot happened locally during the last year because of this murder.
In addition to all of that, we've had the epidemic lockdown, widespread job loss (my local employer is expecting a 2nd round of layoffs), and now evictions are resuming. I said that 2020 was a worse year than usual. This year is already worse than that, as a local journalist pointed out with this graph. Shootings last week alone are twice what they were last year.
Basically, the statistics are bad. Bullets are flying everywhere, all the time. I've seen an unverified statistic that year-to-date totals for this time in 2020 were "only" 81 gunshot victims, but so far this year we're at 209. Some events just in the last two weeks or so:
And the illegal fireworks have started in earnest already. There is no quiet peace here in the #WarzoneInMinneapolis.
I haven't felt very productive while working from home today. It doesn't help that I'm doped up on antihistamines, thanks to my current allergy season and spending so much time outdoors in the garden recently. Here's hoping for better times soon.
"We sure could use a little good news today." (YouTube)
In addition to all of that, we've had the epidemic lockdown, widespread job loss (my local employer is expecting a 2nd round of layoffs), and now evictions are resuming. I said that 2020 was a worse year than usual. This year is already worse than that, as a local journalist pointed out with this graph. Shootings last week alone are twice what they were last year.Basically, the statistics are bad. Bullets are flying everywhere, all the time. I've seen an unverified statistic that year-to-date totals for this time in 2020 were "only" 81 gunshot victims, but so far this year we're at 209. Some events just in the last two weeks or so:
- There was gunfire at George Floyd Square while a reporter was live on air performing a news segment this morning.
- Bullets hit a youth center about 3 blocks south of me.
- While filming a reaction to that shooting, those people also were shot at.
- Stray bullets killed a kid in the back seat of a car, about 8 blocks northwest of me.
- Stray bullets killed a kid playing on a trampoline, about 2 blocks south of me.
- Stray bullets hit a kid in the head in the back seat of a car, about 6 blocks north of me.
- A mass shooting downtown killed 2 people.
- A home invasion was attempted by 10 men together at a house about 5 blocks east of me.
- A small apartment building about 2 blocks away burned at 3:30am last week. I can't even find a news story mentioning it, despite me being awake listening to the many sirens and watching Citizen app updates about the fire.
And the illegal fireworks have started in earnest already. There is no quiet peace here in the #WarzoneInMinneapolis.
I haven't felt very productive while working from home today. It doesn't help that I'm doped up on antihistamines, thanks to my current allergy season and spending so much time outdoors in the garden recently. Here's hoping for better times soon.
"We sure could use a little good news today." (YouTube)