I find it very scary now. I'm very glad I don't live near what is happening. Now the police are being filmed on live TV shooting at reporters and their camera person. This was a white female reporter in Louisville KY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlTHbtIvEV8
I don't know what the cameraman looked like. Even though they were rubber bullets this is not okay! I hope that police officer is fired and charged too.
May George Floyd rest in peace indeed. Maybe our resident medium @Vestralux could take a look. I was terribly upset by the murder of George Floyd and then our Wednesday night meditation helped me through that. It is the most heartbreaking thing. This poor man crying out for his mother.
Before I speak about my impression of Mr. Floyd and how he appears to me now, I want to mention that it is very, very common for people who have died suddenly and traumatically not to cross over right away—or even for a very long time in many cases. This can even be true for children, sadly. However, time doesn't really seem to pass for spirits, so they don't appear to feel it like we do.
Frequently, these individuals don't even realize they've passed, and when I encounter them, they're in a confused, dreamlike state and can't understand why no one has been responding to them. This condition may be frightening to some or feel absurdly hopeless for others. Plenty may even be quite angry about it. (People FAR too often interpret the anger they sense from spirits as evil or demonic, when all they're really doing is screaming into the void/at a hapless homeowner: "I STILL EXIST DAMMIT.")
Anyway.
Despite the horrifying circumstances and the suddenness of Mr. Floyd's murder, three things happened that I believe allowed him to cross over very quickly. The first is that, despite his terror, he became consciously aware that he was dying; it was a conscious death (a blessing his killer surely did not intend to give him but nonetheless). The human energy field has a toroidal structure with a vertical and a horizontal axis. Where these central lines meet, there's a (usually) bright orb of energy that is more or less positioned in the area of the heart (though it can and does move due to trauma, or poor physical or mental health). When this orb passes down to and through the navel, a person is dying—without exception. This was happening to Mr. Floyd while he was still conscious and aware, which is how his body-mind understood that he was dying.
The second thing that aided his rapid crossing over is that his very last act was to call out for his (deceased) mother. Most people saw this plea as all the more tragic. But it actually had the effect of opening his crown so that he could fully see and receive the spirit of his mother who was already stepping through the portal in order to guide him back with her. George Floyd left this dimension in very much the same state that he first entered it—surrounded by the weightless peace of his mother's love, and the love of something far greater.
A third thing also occurred that is very rare: within hours, he had the support of many thousands—likely even millions—of people whose hearts were breaking for him, and many of whom were surely even praying for his spirit's transition to peace.
I don't believe that anyone is instantly changed or totally healed the minute they die, or even the minute they cross into the higher spheres because I've personally never seen it. But the moment we cross over, we're bathed in a healing balm and the process of repair is begun. I believe that's what is happening for him now.
ETA: Just because loved ones show up to meet us, doesn't mean we'll be able to see them. This is why the importance of a conscious death, whenever possible (aided by loving and knowledgable guides), is so very important—and something we have lost sight of in contemporary Western culture. This is why I believe there are so very many departed spirits still here. The ratio between living and dead would shock most people, I think.
After the arrest of a CNN reporter Omar Jimenez live on air the other day, more have also been arrested or injured by police.
*CNN Political commentator Keith Boykin was arrested and held for 4 hours while documenting the riots in NY ( I believe). He identified himself and was still arrested and held for over 4 hours.
*In Minneapolis, Freelance journalist Linda Tiradoo was shot in the eye by a rubber bullet. She identified herself as a journalist. Protestors took her to the hospital where she underwent surgery and unfortunately will be permanently blind.
*Also in Minneapolis, WCCO’s award-winning veteran photographer Tom Aviles has been struck by a rubber bullet and taken into custody by the State Patrol Saturday night. During the arrest, they forced him onto the ground.
Aviles is OK. We’ve called our CBS attorneys, and they’re working on freeing him. In MinnealHe was with veteran producer Joan Gilbertson, who is OK. They both identified themselves clearly, that they were members of the local media, and WCCO journalists.
Joan told us the patrolman said, “You’ve been warned, or the same thing will happen to you. Or you’re next.” Joan says she had her hands up and said, “Don’t shoot me, don’t shoot me.”
Major rioting going on in Scottsdale at the Scottsdale Fashion Square. The Apple store is one of many where hundreds of people are breaking into stores and looting. The Kierland Commons Area in Scottsdale is also apparently under attack and there is a strong police presence (finally after not being present). . Police have (reverse 911?) called local restraints near Kierland Commons to tell people get out as rioters are headed their way. The mall has been breached from the inside too and people are running out with merchandise. Urban Outfitters, Att, Crate and Barrel, Neiman Marcus, Dicks Sporting Goods, PF Chang's all some of the places being hit and destroyed.
A Mercedes dealership has also been hit.
Dion Johnson was shot and killed by a trooper in Phoenix this week. He was apparently asleep in his car which was blocking a highway. The trooper was not wearing a body camera. While there have been rallies for him this week, the Scottsdale rioting seems very different.
I can't believe what the poor businesses across the country have had to endure because of Covid, they just open up and now this, some hadn't even opened back up in this mall yet.
I was surprised it was third degree murder as well. Please remember that I don't practice in the state that Mr. Floyd died in, so I can't say for certain what will happen. However, I can describe what usually happens if a similar case happened in Tennessee.
First of all, despite the fact that many people are clamoring for it, I agree with the district attorney that first degree murder is not warranted here. Yes, it was a terrible death. However, first degree murder is literally defined in most states as have at least one moment in time where you, the defendant, actually intend to kill someone. This can be as little as one second in time.
The problem in this case is that they probably won't be able to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer who killed Mr. Floyd actually intended to kill him. There is no motive that they can present to a jury (such as "he killed him because they knew each other before, because the victim slept with the defendant's wife, etc. etc.) Although one doesn't have to prove the existence of a motive to prove murder, it certainly helps a jury at trial.
Also, for policy purposes, district attorneys tend to use first degree murder sparingly. It is reserved for the "worst of the worst" killings that they have a good shot at winning.
Having said that, I am surprised that they didn't charge him with second degree murder (which is basically the same as first degree murder, but you don't have to prove that additional element to show that the defendant made that split-second decision to kill the victim.)
If this case occurred in Tennessee, the district attorney would likely charge the defendant with second degree murder. Again, the district attorneys would do this with the mindset that first degree murder would be harder to prove and, truthfully, because they wouldn't want to charge an officer with first degree murder(politics) and because they prefer to leave first degree murder for the "worst of the worst" cases (policy).
Another possibility would be felony murder. This holds the same penalty as first degree murder, but with far fewer complications. Basically, if anyone dies while the defendant is in the commission of a felony, a theft, or an assault, then the defendant is guilty of murder. No mindset is needed here. If I were a district attorney, I would argue that the defendant was guilty of felony murder via aggravated assault in that he kept Mr. Floyd from breathing even though the technique was not approved by his department. He may argue that he was justified (police force under color of law), but that would be another argument for the courts to listen to.
Having said this, if they charged him with second degree murder and/or felony murder (assuming there are equivalents in the state Mr. Floyd resided in), it is typical for the charge to be reduced in exchange for a plea deal. For example, if I had a defendant who was charged with theft over $10,000 (which carries three to six years), I could help my client plead guilty to a lesser offense, such as theft under $1,000 (a misdemeanor that carries less than a year.) I would do this by looking at the alleged items stolen, see whether or not they were recovered, see if insurance covered for the loss, see if the victim is overinflating the value of his loss and/or making up items to get more money, etc. But the district attorney likes to "overcharge", in that they go as high as they can so that they have more leverage. So sometimes I may be forced to advise my client to plead guilty to a lower felony (such as theft over $1000, which carried 2-4 years).
Consider this-as the defendant is already charged with third degree murder (which is basically voluntary manslaughter), the district attorney does not have much leverage to entice the defendant to plead guilty and accept a plea deal.
If I heard the case as it is now, I would predict that the officer will likely be found guilty of third degree murder in that his actions recklessly caused Mr. Floyd's death. However, this means that the worst possible outcome for the officer is that he goes to trial and loses. He has no incentive to plead at this point. Had he been charged with first or second degree murder, then the district attorney could entice him to take a plea to voluntary manslaughter because the officer knows that if he is convicted of the other two charges, then he would be serving more time.
I hope this helps a little. Basically, politics and policy are involved.
Thank you for your very thoughtful post about the passing of George Floyd.
I agree. I bet the wife is filing for divorce so that if and when Mr. Floyd's family decides to sue the officer, any assets he has will be with his soon-to-be ex wife. If I were advising the wife, that is what I would do.
You're so welcome, friend. ?
I personally found it to be so filled with grace that it was humbling, awe-inducing. It moves me to tears to think about it now. It's hard to hold such a profound paradox, maybe, because of course it was also an utterly senseless and brutal scene on this side of the Veil. One that demands justice and deserves the outrage it's inspired. But I think we owe it to his memory to try.
Me? For Congress?
Where they get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars even when they shut down the government? And get the best possible health care while simultaneously vote to diminish ours? Also to have all the perks that come with high office....
But then I would have to deal with Trump.
Ugh, no. Not worth it. Maybe after 2020, but not while he is there. Just....no.
But honestly, thank you for the thought. I appreciate the fact that you think my idea has some merit. But the problem is that unless the public itself pushes for this, it will not get done. Especially now. So let's hope the collective wakes up and demands so action so that this doesn't continue to occur.
But seriously, I wish that they would offer more classes and/or evaluation services for officers. My uncle is a police officer, so I know what he goes through. And while there is additional training available, it tends to focus more on weapons and combat technique and less with people skills. I think it should be mandatory for officers to take a class every year where they learn the dos and don'ts of arrests, using current events as examples. We attorneys take classes every year where we examine the latest cases and apply them to our practice so that we can better serve our clients.
Further, did you know that even though we take the bar, attorneys are forced to do at least 15 hours of continued legal education a year for as long as we practice. Further, we have to pay for it at our expense. Failure to do so means you lose your license to practice.
Personally, I think it is a good thing, as it ensures that attorneys can keep up with the current case law and focus on areas that assist them in their practice. But from what I understand, police officers are not required to take additional training every year until they retire. Even the officers who take training tend to focus on classes that involve firearms, fighting techniques, investigation, etc.
But they don't typically take classes on how to deal with situations such as what we saw with Mr. Floyd. Can you imagine if just one of the three officers who was with Mr. Floyd actually stopped the situation from escalating as opposed to just watching? Can you imagine the benefits that such a class would bring if they did make it mandatory?
I hope they will eventually.
There's no reason why she can't be trying to protect herself *and* her assets. Police officers have an ugly relationship with domestic violence, and we all watched this one commit murder. What's more, he had a ridiculous history of internal complaints. But let's try and imagine that Chauvin was somehow husband of the year. It doesn't matter. Anyone with half-a-mind knows that he is now a national pariah. The most hated man in America. Protestors had already spray painted "Murderer" on their property before his wife filed. So either way, it appears she had reason to be afraid as a result of her association with him.
And not for nothing, but whatever her reasons for filing, she didn't murder a man, as far as I know.
You're so welcome, friend. ?
I personally found it to be so filled with grace that it was humbling, awe-inducing. It moves me to tears to think about it now. It's hard to hold such a profound paradox, maybe, because of course it was also an utterly senseless and brutal scene on this side of the Veil. One that demands justice and deserves the outrage it's inspired. But I think we owe it to his memory to try.
Oh my yes!! So very awe-inducing. You have given us a gift tonight by sharing what you saw and gracefully honored his passing.
Ok, everyone. I have a couple of observations, and I hope that you will comment to let me know if I am off-base.
First, the situation is probably going to get much, much worse.
Consider the fact that Trump is in charge of the country right now. This is a man who, just weeks ago, was telling his followers to protest against Democratic governors for daring to impose social distancing orders to save lives during this pandemic. Remember how he encouraged his followers to march and protest against the Michigan governor? How he tweeted for her to "negotiate" with them after they paraded around the building with their guns?
But now...suddenly Trump doesn't like protestors. You won't hear him say "there are good people on both sides" here. Because now we have a new group of protestors who are bringing attention to the fact that..well, African Americans are not so happy with a country run by Trump.
Now, I am not saying their shouldn't be protests. People can protest peacefully whenever they wish to. But what has made this situation so volatile is the fact that Trump has disrespected our state and local officials for so long. He has constantly harrassed and belittled investigators, governors, etc. that any attempts of telling people to respect authority (aka-police officers) is simply not going to work. How can you ask citizens to listen to the badge when you constantly disrespect the law?
Basically, we have a huge population of young people and a sizable African American population who are ticked off. They have been ignored and belittled for so long while they watch Trump at his rallies with his followers going around protesting with their guns. When the virus hit, many of them lost jobs and had to watch loved ones suffer from Covid 19.
Trump, of course, will continue to flame the fire. He will try to frame himself as the "law enforcement" president in an attempt to get voters who are disturbed by the riots to vote for him. He will portray Democrats as "anti-law" and do whatever it takes to use his fear-mongering to scare enough voters to his cause.
I admit it. The riots scare me too. I don't want people coming to my office and breaking my stuff. So I sympathize.
Having said that, many of these protestors are not taking part in the rioting and violence, and I am seeing footage of some who are keeping the perpetrators of these actions from escalating (by standing in front of businesses and urging the rioters to go away, etc.)
I think the time has come for Democrats to get mean.
Not now, of course. Wait until after the Democratic convention, when you have Biden and his VP make their appearances. Keep Biden the same way that you would keep the back-up quarterback (The back-up quarterback is always the most popular person on the team when no one sees him play and the current quarterback is struggling. It makes the fans start to beg the coach to make a change.) By limiting him now, you give Republicans less time to come up with material to use against Biden.
Having said that, Democrats do need to get mean. They need to play adds showing the death toll for Covid-19. They need to show ads with the historic unemployment numbers. They need to show shots of cities burning and protests over the last few years. Then they need to ask "Do we need another 4 years of MAGA?" or "Is this Trump's vision when he said he could make America great again?"
Further, Democrats need to point out, over and over again, that if Trump is elected to another term, then he will gut social security so that he can build his signature wall. They need to point out the fact that Trump already diverted funds from the military to do this, and so it is realistic to assume that he will do the same with our benefits. Just as Republicans say over and over about how Democrats are "socialists" and want the country to become communistic, Democrats need to portray Republicans as uncaring capitalists who don't care if people die on the streets from hunger so long as they get their tax breaks.
The Covid 19 and these riots have pretty much ensured that the country is spiraling out of control right now. The economy will continue to get worse, many businesses will close their doors as consumer spending will continue to be limited, and you have a sizable portion of the population who are at the breaking point in terms of frustration. However, Covid 19 will continue to make its run in rural America, and people like myself who have been largely shielded from the virus and the riots will feel the effects of the pandemic soon enough. Already, meat and vegetable prices have skyrocketed. A pack of meat that was 2 dollars is now at least 8 dollars. Milk and other items are becoming more and more limited.
Trump knows this. And he always tried to take the focus off the country by doing something so outrageous that it dominates the news cycle and distracts people. He is desperate to get back to his followers again and have rallies that he can televise so that he can try to intimidate the rest of us.
But people are tired. So, so tired of this. And hopefully the younger generation is so fed up with Trump that they will make their votes count in November.
But....there is something else. I don't know what it is, but my gut tells me that something big is about to happen. Something that will bring attention back to Trump, but not in a good way. I can't explain it, but I sense that something huge is about to happen in October. I don't know why, but I sense that someone has something damaging on Trump. A piece of information that is so bad that it could ruin Trump forever.
Why October? Because of the infamous "October surprise." You don't want to give Trump and his team time to reframe the issue.
The Democrats and Trump's enemies have been just too quiet lately, if you get my meaning. And I suspect that it is intentional. Despite all the big mistakes Trump is making, Democrats are being remarkably low key in their responses. They know he will never resign (even if he shot someone in broad daylight), so someone is waiting to release their information when it will make the biggest impact.
Does anyone else have this feeling? That someone who hates Trump is making preparations to release something huge in October that will result in a landslide for Democrats? Or is this wishful thinking on my part?
Oh, I agree completely. My point is that they announced that she was divorcing him. This tells people that (1) she is not to be associated with him, so they should leave her alone, and (2) she may get all the property from the marriage, so if protestors target the property, they may be hurting her, an innocent third party.
Regardless, this announcement for a divorce is strategic. She is protecting herself and the property. It doesn't matter if she is doing this while hating the officer's guts or if she is doing this at his direction so as to ensure that their property is spared from the inevitable "wrongful death" lawsuit. Many women are typically taught to "stand by your man," so the very public announcement tells me that this divorce is at least partly for strategic purposes.
It occurred to me the Chauvin might have been an abusive husband, or that his wife was somehow afraid of him. Cops sometimes used other cops to help them inflict fear on people they want to control (as we can see from the other cops who stood by and let Chavin kill). His wife is safe now, at least and until he posts bond, if he does. She's got a window of opportunity during which she can file to divorce him and be safe, and she took it. That's what I'm getting. Protecting assets is secondary.
To all of you living in the States, my heart goes out to you. This situation is quite horrible and reminds me of previous deaths in the past few years. Philando Castile comes to mind. It is mind boggling that these things can still happen in a Western country. I cannot phantom the fear African Americans still feel going about their daily lives. It's horrifying that this is real.
I have always touched upon racism like this in my lessons. Using these topics to help my students understand/learn about the English language gives extra weight to my teaching. It is not simply teaching a language, but to help people to wake up and think about what kind of human being they want to be. Little things like that help, I hope, to spread light and awareness of what is right and wrong on a very basic level.
That said, we have seen this before, many times. This kind of behavior, the callous divide, has been part of the States for a very long. The outrage and protests won't be enough. Changing certain people's minds when it comes to people of color won't either. So, as Americans, what is it that you all think should happen?
I think the time has come for Democrats to get mean.
Not now, of course. Wait until after the Democratic convention, when you have Biden and his VP make their appearances. Keep Biden the same way that you would keep the back-up quarterback (The back-up quarterback is always the most popular person on the team when no one sees him play and the current quarterback is struggling. It makes the fans start to beg the coach to make a change.) By limiting him now, you give Republicans less time to come up with material to use against Biden.
Having said that, Democrats do need to get mean. They need to play adds showing the death toll for Covid-19. They need to show ads with the historic unemployment numbers. They need to show shots of cities burning and protests over the last few years. Then they need to ask "Do we need another 4 years of MAGA?" or "Is this Trump's vision when he said he could make America great again?"
Joe Biden's campaign has been producing digital ads that put the COVID death toll and the unemployment figures front and center and place the responsibility for them squarely on Trump. I don't know if they're also featured on TV, since I don't watch TV. What I like about these ads is that they're very focused and consistent. They don't throw spaghetti at the wall about all the bad things Trump has done–it's COVID and the job losses over and over again.
I suspect that the Biden campaign campaign is plotting out its strategy over a longer timeframe and will kick in with the healthcare message in late summer/early fall, when most people begin to tune into the election. The Democrats were very effective in conveying the healthcare message in the run-up to the 2018 midterms.
As to October: The period from October 4-23 is particularly challenging for Trump astrologically. During that time, Pluto will be opposing his Saturn and Saturn will be opposing his Venus. Both of these influences are at work on Trump throughout 2020, but they converged for one week at the end of January/beginning of February. Now they will do so again for three weeks leading up to the election.
On another astrological note: The upheavals we're experiencing in the US are related to the US Pluto return that is exact in 2022. That is, Pluto is returning–for the first time–to the place it was at when the US was founded. Pluto (ruler of Scorpio) is the planet of transformation, and will dig up something and reveal it to the light, in all its messiness, so that it can be healed. It's no surprise that slavery–which was tacitly accepted in our founding documents–and its legacy are being churned up by Pluto now. We made progress on the legacy of slavery in the Civil War. And again during the civil rights movement. But Pluto is saying we have more work to do to heal. I don't expect it to be easy–in fact, Pluto-related issues often are (or at least feel like) a matter of life and death–even after Trump exits the presidency in January. We all have to contribute to the healing, and casting Trump out will be a victory, no doubt. But his departure won't mean the end of the work we have to do.
ETA: I wonder if the Pluto return will also bring up the shameful treatment of Native Americans that is another legacy of the founding of this country? Their needs should not be forgotten, simply because they are a smaller percentage of the population. The humiliation and trauma that Native Americans have endured over the centuries is almost too painful to think about.
George Floyd left this dimension in very much the same state that he first entered it—surrounded by the weightless peace of his mother's love, and the love of something far greater.
@vestralux, This brought streams of tears to my eyes. Thank you for stepping into the Liminal to give us comfort. His death has weighed so heavily on me, as if it was the sum total of all the aberrant injustices served on black lives & I’ve had to step away from media. Your words are soothing to my soul.
Meanwhile, I’m open to suggestions on how to constructively channel my own mounting anger & frustration - how do we ensure that these baseless, indefensible, unjustifiable deaths will stand for meaningful, tectonic-shifting change?
@lynnventura The moment I heard she filed for divorce ... just hours after his arrest ... I sensed that she felt safe to do so, and that he had been abusive. A cop that has gotten 18 misconduct violations over 19 years seems likely to have a temper or be abusive at home. And she is Asian (Vietnamese), which makes me think he wanted to feel superior to his spouse and have that power. She was quoted, after one of his violations, saying he was "a big softie" at home, and that rang warning bells to me. I could be way off base, but my gut said "abuse," not "asset protecting." Then again, I'm more of an optimist. I do worry for her, though, if abuse is her reality, because she is going to have an evil police union wanting her to stay quiet in order to protect Chauvin.
Thank you so much for posting this... what a beautiful and encouraging message is Biden's!
And what a contrast to the scumbag(s) in the WH, undoubtedly cowering down in his burger wrapper littered bedroom watching his surrounding big screens and fuming at his own impotence.
Joe Biden is really stepping up, and manifesting not just his desire to win, but his true character as a deeply concerned and grounded spirit with everyone's well being at heart. He has deep reservoirs of strength that may not have been readily apparent to most, but do shine in a crisis as we are all going through this time of mind boggling Plutonian transformation and abject chaos.
I see that Biden is a Scorpio w/Sagittarius rising and a natal Pluto retrograde, so he's no stranger to profound soul gripping changes, like the storms of transformation that have us all enthralled currently. Coincidentally, Bobby Kennedy had the same birthday as Joe's, November 20, and I am mindful of the parallels.
Biden needs our prayers for protection and gratitude for being the voice of reason and a real source of optimism in this time, as I know President Obama would have been in the midst of it all were he still in office. Perspective is all important now.
I drew an I Ching hexagram this morning on the current explosive energies surrounding us , and perhaps it resonates with Joe Biden as well as our collective soul...
"Wounded Brightness"...
'Beneficial is laborius persistence'