中新网4月22日电(辛海观) 当地时间4月20日,美国前白人警察德里克·肖万跪压非裔男子弗洛伊德致其死亡案迎来判决,肖万罪名成立,最高或判75年。美国总统拜登随后发表讲话,称系统性种族歧视是美国灵魂的污点。
在弗洛伊德一案中,前白人警察肖万最终受到法律的裁决,是非裔美国人反对种族歧视斗争取得的一次重大胜利。半个多世纪前,马丁·路德·金说,“我有一个梦想”,2020年,弗洛伊德说,“我无法呼吸”,他的生命就此葬送在白人警察手里。马丁·路德·金为之奋斗终生的梦想,过去了五十多年,依旧只是个“梦想”。
弗洛伊德的悲剧仍是千千万万非裔美国人正面临的残酷现实。甚至美国现任副总统哈里斯也曾公开承认,美国确实存在两套司法制度,很多手无寸铁的非洲裔美国人被警察杀害,这样的事情已经延续了几代人。然而,非裔美国人反抗种族歧视的决心决不应被低估。弗洛伊德之死唤醒了沉睡在“美国梦”中的少数族裔。千千万万遭受歧视的非裔正在团结起来,投入到这场反种族歧视的斗争中。
但事实上,在美国遭受歧视的只有非裔吗?当然不是。针对亚裔的种族歧视和仇恨犯罪也日渐攀升,美国亚裔的生存现状不容乐观。76岁亚裔老奶奶当街被暴打,亚特兰大六名亚裔女性遭枪杀,CNN亚裔记者报道抗议时被警察摔倒在地并送往监狱搜身……美国少数族裔反抗种族歧视的斗争远未结束。共享“美国梦”的,不应该仅仅只有白人,而是应该包含在这片土地上生活的所有人。
正如美国《独立宣言》所说,“人人生而平等”,肤色绝不能成为评判人种优劣的依据。否则,就在不远的某一天,包括亚裔在内的其他族裔会沦为下一个弗洛伊德。
Martin Luther King's dream still a far-off U.S. pursuit
By Xin Haiguan
(ECNS)--Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis Police officer who knelt on African-American George Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes till Floyd died last year was found guilty Tuesday. Chauvin could face up to a maximum of 75 years in prison. In an address, U.S. President Joe Biden accused systemic racism of being a stain on the American nation’s soul.
The verdict against Chauvin marked an essential victory in African-Americans' anti-racial discrimination fight. Over half a century ago, Martin Luther King Jr. said "I Have a Dream." Over half a century later, Floyd died of the violence of a white policeman, leaving the world his last words "I can't breathe." The dream that Martin Luther King Jr. pursued all his life has not been realized even though half a century has passed.
Tens of millions of African Americans like Floyd still suffer from racism and discrimination. Even Kamala Harris, Vice President of the U.S., has publicly said that there are "two systems of justice" in America and generations of unarmed black men have been killed. However, the determination of African Americans to contend with racism should not be underestimated. Floyd's death awakened more American ethnic minorities who were lost in the American Dream. And African Americans who have been discriminated against in the long term are uniting to get their voices heard.
Meanwhile, Asians' living conditions in the U.S. are not optimistic. Racial discrimination and hate crimes targeting them are increasing day by day. Six women of Asian descent were shot dead in Atlanta in March, a 76-year-old Asian woman was attacked in downtown San Francisco in March, an Asian-American producer from CNN was wrongly zip-tied and arrested by Minnesota police while she was covering the Daunte Wright protests in April. The struggle against racial discrimination in America is far from over. All people living in this land, not only whites, should be given rights to share the American Dream.
As the Declaration of Independence of the United States declares, all men are created equal. Skin color should in no way be used to judge whether a race is superior or inferior. Otherwise, the tragedy of Floyd will eventually hit other races, including Asian Americans.