George Floyd: Tribute to a Hero

Salsa Musician Issues Message to Officers
Charged and Reflects on Victim's Legacy

By Ramón “Ray” Delgado

I have a question for the officers that have been charged in the death of George Floyd. What made you take a job that you clearly didn't know how to do? Did you really think your bias would remain at home when you headed to work? Did you really think you had your demons under control? Did you ever stop to consider how someone's famly and friends would be impacted by your decision to use excessive force, especially when it wasn't necessary? Let me tell you something! You all had an obligation to deal with any issues you may have had regarding race the minute you applied and were hired for the job. You all should have understood that we live in a multicultural society. You didn't have to like it, but you should've respected that fact if you were patrolling communities of color. You all should have been aware of the fact that taking a life solely because of your preconceived notions about people of color would rob a mother, a wife and children of their hero.

We've lived in a divided nation for far too long. Too many decades have passed, and perhaps centuries, and no one has made an attempt to institute real reform when it comes to policing in America. How many George Floyds and Eric Garners will it take before we're able to hold every police officer and department accountable through legislation and/or transparency? There have been too many questionable and unjustified killings of unarmed Black men, and the problem can no longer be ignored.

Without question, a police officer's job is extremely difficult. There are times when decisions have to be made within a matter of seconds. However, police officers also have a responsibility to serve and protect and must do so with dignity, integrity and respect. If successful, they'll be able to take comfort in the fact that they did their job and that they, as well as the suspects, arrived at their destinations without incident.

Police officers must also realize that they're not above the law. When reform comes and the "Blue Wall of Silence" is destroyed, they won’t be able to simply get a slap on the wrist or  become a cop in another city or state. Harboring racial animosity will have consequences, and reform will force them to realize they serve various communities, not a community. That said, it's important to remember that not every police officer is bad. The majority of them just want to get through the day, safely, and go home to their families. It's the overzealous, racist or rogue cops that are the problem. Unfortunately, many good cops are afraid to speak out because they may be targeted by the department or officers in their precinct. The case of Frank Serpico is a classic example. A cop may hear their partner telling racists jokes or making racist remarks, but they remain silent because the behavior is regarded as normal or a rite of passage in police culture. In the wake of George Floyd's murder, police officers, particularly those of color, have an opportunity to help change the culture by denouncing and reporting these incidents.

When it comes to policing, my definition of a hero is someone who goes home and displays love for their family and promotes harmony and unity in their neighborhood at the end of their tour. They're admired and respected by many in and outside of their community. Most importantly, heroes focus on savings lives instead of taking them. 

I suspect George Floyd was looking forward to going home and being with his little girl on May 25th, but four ruthless men who took an oath to protect and serve denied him that right. The only right he was afforded, was the right to remain silent.....forever. They took his life. They made his family and all of us feel pain. They made his family and all of us angry, but they helped launch a movement that won’t end until sweeping reforms are implemented within America's police departments. George Floyd, to millions in this country and abroad, you are a hero. It is in your honor that we're fighting for justice and legislative reform from Congress to change the way we police this nation.

Descansa en paz, mi hermano.

Ramón "Ray" Delgado is a resident of East Harlem, New York. In the early 1970s, he was a sympathizer of The Young Lords Party, a Puerto Rican activist group that addressed economic, social and political issues in the community. He worked in the substance abuse and human services field for many years and served as a shop steward in the National Organization of Industrial Trades Union-IUJAT. Mr. Delgado is also an accomplished musician who works with local Salsa groups. He is the founder and bandleader of "The Ray Delgado Project".