Trimess

Sunday, May 31, 2020

Kayla Watt

A Trimet driver’s view on riots downtown

I was driving my passengers to the max yesterday for the protests downtown. I listened to the chatter and opinions about this issue from my passengers, and I practically bit my tongue in half. I may not be able to openly state my opinions while operating but I can do it here. Welcome to my thoughts.
Martin Luther King Jr. realized the importance of violence towards the end of his life, it’s meant to shock and awe when all other measures have been exhausted. I’ve watched countless peaceful protests, movements, and petitions be passed around for equality and justice for people of all color, and on Memorial Day of this year, I watched an unarmed man surrounded by bystanders begging for his life, screaming that he couldn’t breath, take his last f*#%ing breath. I watched as the painful realization sunk into those filming. Anger washed across my country filled with people of all color, the realization that murders would continue without extreme action sunk down to the depth of my heart, and the hearts of those at the epicenter of change and chaos.
Fighting racism soaked in teargas and milk.
I’m never going to stop advocating for this change, I will never stay silent. Nothing seems to be working other than riots. At least make policy changes to reduce the chance of an officer being able to choke someone to death without repercussion or consequence.🤦🏻‍♀️🤬🤷🏻‍♀️
The man who killed George Floyd was an officer for 19 years, in that time he succeeded in murdering two other men of color(Alaska Native and Latino) but those were covered up, he did it in the same fashion. Those are the only ones investigated that we know of, you know this man is a cold blooded killer hiding behind a god damn badge. He wanted to kill George Floyd in front of those kids. He got off on it. He’s a sick f*%# who deserves the death penalty.
I’m tired of the apathy so many people in my life carry, I would rather watch a thousand Targets burn before I see another story about a 15 year old kid getting shot in broad daylight for walking in the mother f#*%ing street. Trayvon Martin. I would rather burn my own home down before I watch anymore injustice occur like it did in the murder of an unarmed black man going for a jog. Ahmaud Arbery. I would rather watch the Morrison bridge fall before reading stories of another woman being murdered by police in her own home because they got the wrong f#%*ing address. Breonna Taylor.
The names go on and on.
A line in the sand has been drawn by the murder of #GeorgeFloyd #IcantBreath
If you’re not willing to stand with the people, you’re on the other side. Choose wisely.

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