The Sparkly George Floyd Floating in the Sky

Recently school board member Teresa Dunaway posted “Stupid as Hell” on her Facebook page regarding the “George Floyd Hologram Memorial that came to Richmond.  

Cole Pillow responded with,  

“If you think this is stupid you don’t belong on the school board. Do you know how much this means to the students of color you represent? How inspiring this is? For once in their life they get to see someone who they can relate to up there and you’re calling it stupid? When I was in high school, I looked up to the school board. I respected you all. But now I feel ashamed that you represent the students of Charlotte County. This isn’t what we are about and it isn’t what we want to teach younger generations.”  

Frankly, I am disappointed.  Following the George Floyd murder at the hands of police officers, our country was almost universally united.  We believed it was wrong. We agreed changes were needed.

Now, his memory has been hi-jacked by political groups.  Ten weeks of rioting, looting and peaceful protests followed. 

Please notice Floyd has been upgraded from a troubled man who was in the process of overcoming his past” to “a respected community leader.” The first is admirable, the second a lie.  

Regarding the Floyd hologram, Dunaway said, “Stupid as hell.” Why is that offensive?  Doesn’t she have the right to think something is stupid?  Frankly, I have to agree with her and hundreds of others (including most of the black people I know) who are not impressed.  Personally, I would think a hologram of anyone including Jesus Christ floating in the sky is stupid. 

You are welcome to disagree. This IS America.  You can love the hologram, hate it or anything in between.  You can be inspired or impassioned or think it is stupid. It is your choice.   

If I visit your home and see your “black velvet portrait of Elvis that glows in the dark” it is none of my business.  However, if you create a hologram of Elvis in public I get to comment. It is now public property.

The really offensive thing about this is the response to it.  How dare anyone make such condescending and patronizing comments about Black people? 

“Do you know how much this means to the students of color you represent? For once in their life they get to see someone who they can relate to up there and you’re calling it stupid?”

Let me get this right.  “People of Color” have no one in the history of America “they can look up to.” NO ONE.  How racist, how insensitive, how degrading is that? How dare any white person make that comment?

How dare anyone say there are no Black people for young blacks to “look up to.” Apparently, the writer doesn’t know any, but I happen to know many local Blacks I admire and look up to.