Letter from... America

By Megan Kovach

From racial justice and gun violence reform, to rising coronavirus cases and vaccine rollouts, and a new presidential era committed to combatting climate change, the United States remains a worldwide focus as the country navigates its way through a tumultuous 2021.

During a historic trial last night, the jury reached a verdict on the former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty on all charges for the killing of George Floyd and now faces up to 40 years in prison.

The death of George Floyd made international headlines last summer, igniting protests against racism and police brutality in cities, countries and communities across the world.

The incident of George Floyd’s arrest was caught on video, where the world witnessed former police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes, despite Floyd’s pleas of not being able to breathe, ultimately leading to his death.

The conviction of Derek Chauvin is a ‘rare, but giant step’ for America, said President Joe Biden, as George Floyd’s death served as a catalyst for the worldwide social justice movement ‘Black Lives Matter’, advocating the rights, freedom and equality for all African Americans.

Despite the progress America has made from the Derek Chauvin sentencing, the country still has a long journey towards achieving racial justice.

Last week in Minnesota, 20-year-old African American Daunte Wright suffered a tragic death at the hands of another police officer, who mistakenly fired their gun instead of a taser. The fatal shooting of Daunte Wright took place just 10 miles away from the scene of George Floyd’s murdered.

Furthermore on gun violence, the United States has witnessed a shocking 156 mass shootings in 2021 alone, according to a report by the Gun Violence Archive.

The latest shooting occurred only a few days ago in Austin, Texas, where three people were pronounced dead at the scene as a result of a shooting by a former Texas Sheriff’s deputy.

On 15 April, eight victims were killed during a catastrophic open fire at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, with four additional shot and several others hospitalized with severe injuries. The 19-year-old gunman reportedly took his own life at the scene of the crime.

The rise in gun violence and mass shootings in America has been declared a nationwide epidemic by President Biden, placing further pressure on Congress and the Biden administration to pass to gun reform policies in regard to the Second Amendment.

From epidemics to pandemics, states across the country continue easing the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, with some states now diminishing the mask mandate policy altogether.

Despite the rise in coronavirus cases nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its latest figures stating that half of all adults in the United States have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine jab, translating to almost 130 million people over age 18 having one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in America.

In Florida alone, the vaccination age has just been lowered to 16, as many of the American people make preparations to become vaccinated as we enter the summer season.

On the Presidential front, Joe Biden will host a virtual Earth Day Summit tomorrow and Friday, aimed at encouraging countries including China, Russia and India to take stronger action towards reducing emissions in relation to the Paris Agreement, as President Biden pledges to make the United States a leading force in fighting worldwide climate change.

With plans in place and an administration focused on achieving racial equality, combatting climate change and overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States presses onward with its agenda of being the land of the free and home of the brave.