Everyday, Black Americans are reminded how minuscule their pain is in the eyes of their white counterparts.
On Monday, a video surfaced of Utah residents protesting coronavirus regulations. These citizens rallied outside the Washington County Administration building in hopes to have local government lift mask policies. The local ABC affiliate was on hand to document the demonstration. While interviewing protesters, a woman identified as Shauna Kinville compared wearing a mask to the suffocation of George Floyd.
"When George Floyd said 'I can't breathe' and he died. And now we're wearing a mask and we say 'I can't breathe' and we're being forced to wear it anyway," Kinville said.
Anyone can see that comparing these two situations is like putting apples next to systematic racism. Although slightly inconvenient, wearing a mask can actually save a life. It should be done to protect those around you and prevent the growing pandemic from getting worse.
Conversely, George Floyd's life wasn't saved by someone who was sworn to serve and protect his community. Instead, he was killed for two glaring reasons—his race and his place in society. Floyd's death is also a habitual cycle of state-sanctioned murder that has been happening to Black people in America since 1619.
As a result, Kinville comments serve as the perfect microcosm for people to highlight how little a Black life matters in America.
