Opinion

Tom Kelly: What is wrong in America is being fuelled from the door of the White House

Tom Kelly

Tom Kelly

Tom Kelly is an Irish News columnist with a background in politics and public relations. He is also a former member of the Policing Board.

 Donald Trump has described himself as the "president of law and order" as he threatened to deploy the military if state governors did not halt ongoing violent protests across the United States
 Donald Trump has described himself as the "president of law and order" as he threatened to deploy the military if state governors did not halt ongoing violent protests across the United States  Donald Trump has described himself as the "president of law and order" as he threatened to deploy the military if state governors did not halt ongoing violent protests across the United States

A few years ago I picked up a book called - When Breath Becomes Air. Written by a young neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi, it is his unadulterated narrative about living, working and coping with incurable cancer.

This is perhaps one of the most life affirming books you will ever read. It is not maudlin or overly heroic. It is a story with an inevitable ending but no less compelling. His wife (a witness to his endurance) wrote up the last moments of Paul’s life in the book .

They are worth repeating here: “ As the room darkened into night, a low lamp glowing warmly, Paul’s breaths became faltering and irregular. His body continued to appear restful, his limbs relaxed. Just before nine o’clock, his lips apart and eyes closed, Paul inhaled and then released one last, deep and final breath”. As his wife said - this was the life he was given and he lived it.

In some ways, Paul’s death, (although struggling to intake air needed to breathe), is quite comforting, as we sense he was simply letting go.

Contrast the context between “when breath becomes air” to “I can’t breathe”; the last words uttered by George Floyd. A 46-year-old man, who writhed on the roadside in handcuffs, whilst a fully armed police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Three other police officers watched on. Mr Floyd repeatedly said “I can’t breathe”, “Mama'' and “Please”. Even though the body of Mr Floyd went limp and had no pulse, none of the officers present attempted to revive him.

In fact, the arrival of paramedics didn’t even cause the arresting officer to remove his knee from Mr Floyd's neck.

Incredulous and distraught members of the public witnessed the incident. George Floyd didn’t simply slip away into the dark of the night. He was not restful or relaxed. He didn’t sigh goodbye with lips apart. He gasped until he couldn’t catch air. I guess none of us could imagine having a loved one pinned to the ground, distressed, dying and whimpering for help- only to be ignored by police whose motto is: “To protect with Courage, To Serve with Compassion.”

That’s right “Serve with compassion.”

Did I mention George Floyd was black? Because it matters, it really does. And he was not the first black man to utter those words in recent times. In 2014, Eric Garner, another African-American, also died in a chokehold by police officers in New York. Neither Floyd nor Garner were angels. But they did not deserve to die in the manner they did. They both were fathers, sons and brothers and clearly loved by their family circles. In 2019, a staggering 1,100 people were killed by police in America. Black people accounted for 24 per cent of those deaths despite only making up 13 per cent of the population.

Of course, the crazy nature of American gun culture makes policing much more difficult than in Europe. Police in the United States are heavily armed. Organised crime and gangland culture are widespread, so there is some sympathy towards what police sometimes have to face.

Racism haunts policing (and much of the political establishment) in America, even 50 years after the death of Martin Luther King. At the time of MLK's death, Robert Kennedy appealed to all Americans to keep in check their instincts to avenge or revenge. He said America had to make stark choices. He asked those who were angry, black or white to dedicate themselves, “To tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of the world”.

Bill Clinton, in his inauguration speech said: “There was nothing wrong with America that can’t be cured by what is right in America”. At the moment, what is wrong with America is being fuelled from the very door of the White House and only the American public can put that right. And maybe then, everyone can breathe again.