That conviction of the cops for the Floyd murder is a major victory

[malaise]

against the war on black people. Our human rights matter.
Thank you Feds. This needs way more coverage.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jury-reaches-verdict-federal-trial-3-officers-george-floyds-killing-rcna17237

[Chainfire]

1. It must certainly be a wakeup call for cops.

Not only can you go to jail for doing it, you can go to jail for not stopping it. Its a big deal.

[malaise]

3. Silence is consent!

This is a BFD as Biden would say

[spooky3]

2. Yes, it is. But as a commentator on NPR yesterday said,

She doesn’t think it’s a turning point, because there are likely many incidents where we have no video evidence, in which perps wouldn’t be held accountable. Therefore much more needs to happen.

[malaise]

4. Agree but remember that today

we all have cameras.

[HipChick]

6. Exactly....

[malaise]

8. Hey you

Long time no see 😀😀

[spooky3]

7. Yes, that gives me hope.

[Hortensis]

10. The turning point will be attitude change from two main drivers --

fear of not being able to get away with failing to do one's duty and, a biggie, a shift in notions of what is acceptable behavior for "people like us."

It was normal for people to chuckle and shake their heads (I remember!) as tipsy friends staggered off to their cars -- before MADD succeeded in getting laws changed and the friends started being arrested, prosecuted, and jailed. After that the new normal became to cut people who insisted on driving drunk from invitation lists. It, and they, were no longer seen as respectable.

I believe this verdict is part of a sea change that began accelerating with the phone cameras Malaise points out and social media. This should increase its speed further.

Most cops want to be the good guys, not just be accepted by colleagues, but some of them need instruction in what that means.

And they all need the excuse -- and additional power -- that increased risk of consequences gives them to refuse to participate in wrongdoing. Risk of being sued, and even prosecuted, became a solid excuse a long time ago for refusing requests for another drink.

[2naSalit]

9. Is too!

[crickets]

11. Good.

“This is just accountability. It can never be justice because I can never get George back,” Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. “And no matter how many times that I pray at night and I think about my brother 24/7, it still is going to be hard.” [snip]

“These officers tried to devise any excuse that could let them wash the blood from their hands, but following these verdicts George’s blood will forever stain them,” Ben Crump and other attorneys representing Floyd’s family said in a statement after the verdict was announced. “Today’s guilty verdicts should serve as the guiding example of why police departments across America should expand and prioritize instruction on an officer’s duty to intervene and recognize when a fellow officer is using excessive force.”