By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO — After a Minneapolis jury on Tuesday convicted former police officer Derek Chauvin of murdering George Floyd, Jewish organizations and individuals issued their reactions. Among them:
Anti-Defamation League: “The jury’s decision to hold Derek Chauvin accountable for the murder of George Floyd is a critically necessary first step in securing #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd. And yet, no guilty verdict can change the fact that George Floyd — and Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, and too many others — should be alive today. Our country’s policing and criminal legal systems have targeted and devalued Black, Brown, and Indigenous lives for centuries. The issue is much bigger than one traffic stop, one no-knock raid, one police shooting, one department, or one city. It is long past time for our country to tackle systemic racism, reimagine what public safety looks like, and create transformational change to ensure justice and fair treatment for all people. Black Lives Matter, and our society’s laws, practices, and institutions must reflect that.”
American Jewish Committee: “Nothing can bring back the life of George Floyd. But, at the very least, justice has been served today.”
Jewish Family Service of San Diego, Michael Hopkins: –The guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd provides accountability and is a critical step in the right direction, as we recognize that acts of hate, racial oppression, and the dehumanization of people of color continue at devastating rates in our country. We hope that this verdict is the start of real change—a change in our justice and policing system from the inside out. We must continue to take action and right the wrongs of systemic racism. As individuals and as an organization we need to continue to listen and learn about these disparities and their impacts on people’s lives in our community. We must address the deep, pervasive systemic issues that lead to these horrific and unacceptable tragedies. We must build a stronger community rooted in equity and justice—one that supports healing, demands meaningful and transformative action, and moves forward for a better future for all of us. At JFS, we are committed to this pursuit. We are stronger together, and together, we can make a more equitable and just San Diego for all.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.): “I’m thankful for George Floyd’s family that justice was served. America was forever changed by the video of Derek Chauvin killing George Floyd. However, a guilty verdict doesn’t mean the persistent problem of police misconduct is solved. We’ll keep working for meaningful change”
U.S. Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) : “I am grateful for the jury’s guilty verdict today, but true justice would be having George Floyd at home with his family. One guilty verdict doesn’t change the reality of being Black in America. For decades, Black Americans have had difficult conversations with their children about the dangers of police interactions gone wrong. And for decades, they’ve been subjected to video footage of their loved ones beaten and brutalized when the worst happens. We have to do better, and we will do better. Americans across the country have been following this trial and this verdict sends an important message of accountability. But for George Floyd’s family, this trial has been deeply personal. My heart breaks for them and my thoughts are with them during this incredibly emotional and difficult time. Last month, the House passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a bill to reform a broken system. It’s time for the Senate to pass the bill and for us to start the hard work of doing right by Black Americans. Black lives matter, and George Floyd should still be here.”
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California) –“No jury’s decision can bring back George Floyd, or undo the pain felt by his family, his friends and his community. But the verdict today is a measure of accountability, and true justice will take time. Just as we come to grips with one tragedy and verdict, we must grapple with new cases of police violence, including the deaths of 13 year old Adam Toledo in Chicago and 20 year old Daunte Wright in Minnesota, just miles from where George Floyd was murdered.
The jury is in – but now it’s up to us to carry on the hard work of societal change and, as Dr. King said, ensure that while the moral arc of the universe is long, it still bends towards justice.”
Jewish Democratic Council of America: “The horrific murder of George Floyd was a reminder that significant reform is long overdue to combat systemic racism in America. Despite today’s verdict, we know there is more work to do to fulfill the fundamental Jewish value of tzedek tzedek tirdof – justice justice you shall pursue. Like justice, Black Lives Matter is a Jewish value. Even though Derek Chauvin was rightfully found guilty, the fight to address racism and injustice in America continues. As President Biden told us, the verdict in this trial is a ‘step forward in the march toward justice,’ but it’s a long road. Jewish Dems are committed to bringing to bring real change, justice and equity for all. As President Biden said, ‘George’s legacy will not be just about his death but about what we must do in his memory.’ Now is the time to create lasting change, and we call on the Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to honor his memory and begin the hard work of police reform in America.”
The Workers Circle (CEO Ann Toback): “Today’s guilty verdict is a critical counter to the culture of impunity and white supremacy that infects law enforcement in the United States. But even as we commend this verdict, we must remember that it will not bring George Floyd back to his loved ones, nor will it bring back the thousands of people of color who have been murdered by the police for generations. With this verdict we insist ‘never again’ must be our goal, and we recognize the systemic change that is needed. Millions of people of color are forced every day to confront the possibility of being targeted by racist police violence. For far too long, this police violence has continued unchecked. At the root of this violence is a culture of white supremacy that has poisoned our public safety, our democracy, our economic and educational systems, our health care, and the life of our communities. Systemic racism puts people of color at grave and continual risk, ensures chasmic inequality, and diminishes our humanity. We will not stand idly by while the city, state, and federal government continue to put resources behind – and legitimize – brutal, discriminatory policing. We will not be content even with the conviction and jailing of the perpetrators of the murder of George Floyd, as important as that is—too many lives have been lost for too many years. Our country’s system of policing itself is guilty and we cannot allow it to continue without comprehensive change. We recommit ourselves to reimagining public safety that respects human dignity and ensures people of color and communities of color the rights, freedom, and safety that are so long overdue. And we continue to partner with organizations led by our sisters and brothers of color as we work to end centuries of systemic racism in our country.”
Lawrence Tribe, Harvard Legal Scholar: “Chauvin might never see the light of freedom again. That would be just. But it wouldn’t be nearly enough. The SYSTEM that let him murder George Floyd must be changed. But for a bystander’s iPhone camera, Chauvin wd’ve gotten away with murder!”
David Axelrod, former White House adviser — “The thing that was so chilling about the George Floyd death scene was Chauvin’s defiant stare at horrified bystanders as he kneeled on Floyd’s neck. Today, a jury stared back. Chauvin stands convicted of murder. Justice was done.”
Rob Reiner, entertainer — The arc of the Moral Universe has bent towards Justice.
San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer: “Relieved to see the #DerekChauvinVerdict was correct — but much work remains to win #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd. Today could mark a turning point in the fight to dismantle the structural and systemic racism that plagues our nation — if we commit to continuing the difficult work ahead.”
San Diego City Council President Dr. Jen Campbell: “While no actions could take away the pain of his loss and the frustration felt across the country, it is a step in the right direction. Our City Council will keep working toward the goal of equity and social justice to create a better San Diego.”
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com