Dear community:
We must stand opposed to racism, whatever the cost.
The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis was not just a case of excessive force or brutality. It was a murderplain and simple. Police officer Derek Chauvin asphyxiated Floyd to death by kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes, while three other officers watched and did nothing to stop him. Chauvin could see that his actions were being recorded by a bystander and did not seem to care. He looked blankly into the camera as Floyd died underneath him.
Breonna Taylor was shot to death in Louisville by cops who had mistaken her apartment for someone else's. Theirs are only the latest names to be added to a grim and ever-growing list of people of color killed by the police: Eric Garner and Laquan McDonald and Alton Sterling and Sandra Bland and Tamir Rice and Philando Castile and Michael Brown and Amadou Diallo, and on and on. No other major country loses as many of its citizens to police violence as ours does.
As a person of faith, I condemn without hesitation this vile act of racism on our brothers and sisters. It should be a wake-up call for all of us who believe in human dignity, life and the common good. The LGBTQ community must pray on this and must say no to the racism in the face of white privilege. We can no longer be silent when some in our community promote racism in the guise of comfort and white privilege.
I know because of my faith that God's breath is the origin of life. Also, George Floyd is a child of God, and he and his wonderful family will not be silenced.
We must challenge racism anywhere it raises its ugly head, especially within the celebration of LGBTQ Pride, I call on our religious, political and cultural leaders to find courage and speak out as you did when you spoke out in support of LGBTQ Marriage.
In closing; Archbishop Wilton Gregory, head of the archdiocese of Washington, D.C., said "The horror of George Floyd's death, like all acts of racism, hurts all of us in the body of Christ since we are each made in the image and likeness of God, and deserve the dignity that comes with that existence."
My prayers are with the Floyd family.
Joe Murray
Executive Director
Rainbow Sash Movement ( LGBTQ Roman Catholics )