The verdict has been rendered in the Chauvin trial. The people of Minnesota can celebrate a breakthrough: For the first time in their state, a conviction has resulted in the case of a killing by a police officer.
At the same time, George Floyd is still dead. And the catalogue of police shootings grows longer every day. The “public safety” system requires fundamental transformation. Some cities have already begun the process of defunding the police, in order to transfer the funds to services that are not only human but also humane.
WILPF US is grateful to the jury for their decision in this case. Our legal system is also on trial, and this verdict is evidence that positive change is possible. Still, the situation in the U.S. remains fraught.
WILPF US recognizes that the peaceful world we long for and strive for is possible only by ending the traumas of injustice that can lead to violence and wars. In the U.S. the injustice of racism must be confronted. Our issue committees continue their crucial work in multiple other areas: resolution of conflicts in the Middle East, protection of the planet from climate chaos and toxins, disarmament, peaceful relations with Cuba, reframing of economics to serve everyday people, and much more. At the same time, national WILPF is developing cross-cutting strategies for supporting our branches and members in anti-racist work.
You can help in that work, as an at-large member, at the branch level, and through national work. Watch for future eAlerts and eNews articles for more action items. If you are ready to contribute time and energy at the national level, email me at President@WILPFUS.org .
I issue this frank statement, knowing that we yearn for ours to become a better country and for this jury verdict to mark a turning point toward that. However, wishful thinking does not serve us. That transformation is possible only if we start from an honest assessment of the circumstances.
Darien De Lu
President
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, US Section
