ON THE DEATH OF G E O R G E F LOY D The Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts mourns the senseless murder of George Floyd. This is the latest in a long line of unarmed black men and women who have died at the hands of those who were sworn to protect them. These murders outrage us, as does a system which too often allows the perpetrators to go unpunished, even when the crimes were caught on video for the world to see.
As a Jewish community, we share a collective memory of the deepest and most violent consequences of inequality and oppression. We understand the importance--the necessity--of a strong response; a response to the systematic injustice and oppression of the black community and a response to the authoritarian rhetoric from the top levels of government.
As the wave of protests erupts across the world, we are disturbed, too, by the dozens of documented incidents of police brutality. There is video evidence of countless “less-lethal� weapons being used against non-violent, unarmed protesters and against the press, including tear gas, clubs, and rubber bullets.
This is a time when we all must stand together, to show our support for the larger community, to support responsible law enforcement, and to add our voices to the chorus demanding reforms. It is our duty to oppose all forms of prejudice and oppression. It is our responsibility to repair the world. We can do that with our time, with our enthusiasm, our words and activism.
We have recently marked the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, where the 1989 Democracy Movement protestors encountered tanks and guns, ending in the deaths of hundreds, perhaps thousands of Chinese citizens. We are now living through a dark historical parallel where some of our own government leaders are threatening to use our military to quell this American uprising.
This is a critical moment for our nation. Our history as the Jewish people and our shared values demand that we reach out to those who are working towards a more just, tolerant, and safe America for us all, and to make it known to the world that we all stand together.
What are we to do?
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MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER
| JUNE 19, 2020
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