Twin Cities tonight

[Scarlett]

8 minutes ago, Arctic Mama said:

I think watching one’s husband calmly, slowly, and casually murder someone while working might shake the confidence of even the most devoted wife.  I don’t blame her, it would break every illusion of safety and trust within the marriage.

Yeah, it shakes me up when dh yells at the dog!  

[Corraleno]

The independent autopsy was conducted by the former Chief Medical Examiner for New York City. He concluded that the cause of death was "homicide caused by asphyxia due to neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain." He stated that weight on Floyd's back, the handcuffs, and his face-down positioning further restricted his ability to breathe and also contributed to his death.

The criminal compliant against Chauvin explicitly states that "Police are trained that this type of restraint with a subject in a prone position is inherently dangerous." Fellow officers suggested twice that Floyd be rolled onto his side, and Chauvin refused, and he continued to kneel on Floyd's neck for two minutes after being told the victim had no pulse.

[JadeOrchidSong]

Written yesterday evening: So tired. We stayed up to watch our street. We took a walk on Lake Street around 8 and talked to the dozen neighbors guarding our Longfellow Market, the last standing grocery store on Lake Street, small in size. Shopping there this morning for coffee for the hubby felt emotional. We get our coffee beans and grind them right there, the aroma irresistible, though I never drink coffee for my easily stimulated heart. 
While chatting with the neighbors, five national guard cars/truck came to park right at the market. I was incredulous, "Are you here to guard Longfellow Market? Then we can go home to sleep. Thank you so much!" 
To Kurt I whispered, "We don't need this many (national) guards to protect Longfellow Market." 
Well, obviously I was shortsighted and kind of foolish. The guards talked with us and with each other. Meanwhile a car with two people in it drove by, with the woman driver sticking her head out yelling, "Fuck you!" 
"They are cooking in their heavy uniforms at this temperature." I whispered to Kurt about the guards sympathetically. 
A few minutes passed. The guards hopped in their vehicles and drove away. Then I realized how mistaken I was. 
I hope they are doing their job peacefully and effectively. 
God bless the protesters and the police and the national guards. God protect lives and properties. God change the hearts of anarchists and criminals to stop burning our city.

Written last night: I am sitting in my front yard guarding our street till 2 in the morning. Neighbor across the street is sitting in his porch while another one at the corner of the block across the street is also sitting in the front yard. We are pretty inconspicuous; no one can see us unless they come real close. Nearby Brackett Park has its full lighting on, with easy view of any movement. Let's pray this will be an uneventful and boring night.

ETA: I later learned that a group of people dressed in black were inside Longfellow Market trying to loot and make trouble. That was why the store called for help and the police and national guards came. But by the time they arrived, the rioters were forced out of the store by the defender team. Thank God! 
Last night dh slept the first half of the night while I stayed on the lawn close to my front door keeping watch. Then dh got up and joined the defender team for Longfellow Market at 2 am. He can back at 4:30 and reported it was quiet except that the police made arrest of two rioters with weapons and destructive tools in their car by the market. We will continue to guard this last standing small grocery store as needed. 

[Scarlett]

That sounds so distressing. Glad you guys are safe and glad your market is still standing.  
 

 

[katilac]

 

On 6/1/2020 at 2:14 PM, Corraleno said:

<snip of important stuff, go read her entire post if you haven't>

No, the charge is murder because he was murdered.

 

On 6/1/2020 at 4:39 PM, Corraleno said:

<snip of important stuff, go read her entire post if you haven't>

The criminal compliant against Chauvin explicitly states that "Police are trained that this type of restraint with a subject in a prone position is inherently dangerous." Fellow officers suggested twice that Floyd be rolled onto his side, and Chauvin refused, and he continued to kneel on Floyd's neck for two minutes after being told the victim had no pulse.

These two said it better than I could. 

It wasn't an accident. It wasn't a failure to get help. It wasn't a lack of training. 

It was murder. A man was murdered. By the police. 

[JadeOrchidSong]

Biked and prayed on Lake Street. It is hot, but not unpleasant. The sun is very friendly. 
I was going to clean the red spray paint on one of the bus stop shelters but found it is cleaned already and I'm very happy to see a couple bus stop shelters intact and look especially clean and neat in the afternoon sun. 
Food. Food. Free food everywhere. Cleaner than usual streets. Many people serving the community with free dry food. One group of young people organized their own stand and are serving hot lunches, lentil, chicken fried rice, chicken curry, chili, sandwiches, water, juice, snack. The parking lot has many dry food stands and a tent with bread in it. 
Demolish professionals are working on the ruined sites. The building compound with Le Nuevo Rodeo is flattened and is not recognizable any more. Target has people inside it doing cleaning and repairing jobs. Arby's ground is completely cleaned and only a big pile of rubles is left with many cleaning tools including buckets, brooms, and duspans gathered in one place. 
Every day is different from the previous day. A few businesses are open, compress boards removed from their glass doors and windows. Merlin's Rest even has 5 tables outside with customers eating there. The MN Barber School is open for haircut, where I had my hair done a few times. A Vietnamese girl student there convinced me to have a layered cut 8 years ago, promising me my hubby would love it, which turned out to be a pleasant surprise; I got compliments left and right. Tires Plus where we get our cars serviced is open, too. 
When I was in Guangzhou, I co-led an international house church wth my African brothers and benefited so much from their mentoring. For the 8 years I was a Christian there, we did many ministry together and got to understand each other very well. They had amazing language gift, able to quote the Bible from memory from cover to cover in Chinese. When I was hospitalized for heart problem, one of the African brother and his Chinese wife brought me delicious hot lunch every day by taking two buses from their home. Other African brothers also brought me hot food, too. They were all very nice cooks. Since coming to the US, I have few opportunities mingling with black people. My first baby shower here was lovingly organized by my friend Latifat from Nigeria, a very precious gift. 
There are not many protesters today, only a few people are hanging around. One person is on the makeshift stand speaking passionately about justice. He is a very contagious speaker though he has not before been a speaker in public. 
Two signs on the Target wall really touched my heart. One says "Respect my skin. Don't fear." Another one says "We want to live. Review ur cops better. Let me live." I as a person of color have never experienced racial injustice from anyone anywhere in the US. It breaks my heart to see how the black community suffers injustice for so long. I remember a few instances of black victims of injustice. To this day, I do not understand why Castille's killer is not prosecuted! Any cop let loose without any prosecution for their crimes are adding to the fuel of angry fire. This time, justice has to be served and no senseless killing can be afforded to let go unpunished. 
Hope. Hope is a beautiful word. Today I feel hopeful for my Lake Street and my city. I feel hopeful for real changes. I feel hopeful we will examine our own hearts for sin, because sin is the root for injustice. God bless Lake Street. God bless Minneapolis. God bless America.