At first, I was very hesitant to write an article about the current issue of the George Floyd protests. It was because there’s a lot I had to say about the leadership of the country, the police officers and the media. Then, I realized at times like this I should speak up and share my opinion. I’ve always believed that one should form their option on a topic after researching facts and assessing what they think of them. So, that is where I started. I started doing my research soon to realize that the facts presented to me are in fact opinions of the media. Therefore, I decided to write this article to show the important things the media is misrepresenting.
First of all, the image of the protests is tainted by the media. They are depicted as violent protests when many of them are in fact peaceful. It is very disappointing that instead of covering why the protests are happening in the first place, the media tries to draw a violent image of the protests which draws the attention from the actual problem at hand.
As a matter of fact, the police are the ones being violent towards the protesters. They are utilizing rubber bullets which they claim are not harmful but have caused some fatal injuries. The protesters that are labeled violent are also the ones protecting cops that are being taken advantage of by people who claim they are part of the peaceful protests.
Secondly, people watching the protests on TV and people in power have been wondering how to put an end to these protests. Most think that the conviction of the officers involved in the murder of George Floyd will end the protests. It is very sad that people have to protest for days in order for someone to take accountability for their actions. However it is only when justice is served and someone takes responsibility for their actions without the need of protests that these protests will end.
In order to end these protests, the solution is not a temporary fix. The government along with other institutions should work on changing and improving the systems that promote racism, racial profiling, police brutality and lack of representation. Any other solution will only be temporary and will not guarantee that protests like these will end.
Lastly, I hope you now realize that the media is not showing you the bigger picture. So, I encourage you to inform yourself on matters like these formulate your own opinions and work towards improving the systems in place.
Betselot Dejene