‘No room for bigotry, hatred and small mindedness’: US Air Chief’s impassioned memo after George Floyd’s death

Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, June 3

Chief of staff of the US Air Force General David Goldfein has sent a memo calling the death of George Floyd a “national tragedy” and promising to do more to fix the issues of racial discrimination within the ranks of his own force, CNN reported on Wednesday—an impassioned plea that comes at a time when the country roils in the aftermath of Floyd’s death.

Goldfein announced in his memo that he and Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett have directed the service’s inspector general “to do an independent review of our legal system, racial injustice, and opportunities for advancement”, CNN said in its report.

The memo said “there is no room for bigotry, hatred, and small mindedness” in the air force, and that every member “needs to know we have their back”.

“The death of George Floyd is a national tragedy. Every American should be outraged that the conduct exhibited by police in Minneapolis can still happen in 2020. We all wish it were not possible for racism to occur in America, a country founded on the sacred ideal that ‘all men (and women) are created equal’ and have the ‘unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ But it does, and we are at a moment where we must confront what is,” CNN quoted Goldfein as having written.

“To the Airmen who are mourning, angry, or weary of the battle against racial prejudice, discrimination, bias, and systemic discrimination, Chief Wright and I recognize your pain. As the Air Force’s military leadership, we reflect on and acknowledge that what happens on America’s streets is also resident in our Air Force. Sometimes it’s explicit, sometimes it’s subtle, but we are not immune to the spectrum of racial prejudice, systemic discrimination, and unconscious bias. We see this in the apparent inequity in our application of military justice. We will not shy away from this; as leaders and as Airmen, we will own our part and confront it head on,” the memo said.

The memo acknowledges systemic discrimination and calls for inclusiveness within the ranks and file of the air force, saying: “We must look inward at our Air Force, and at every echelon of command, so we emerge stronger as a profession of arms. It was our very own General Benjamin 0. Davis, Tuskegee Airman, who said, ‘The privileges of being an American belong to those brave enough to Fight for them’.”

“It is time for every one of us to strive for understanding and a culture of inclusiveness and belonging across our Air Force,” CNN quoted Goldfein as having written. “I don’t have the answers, but I do know there is no room for bigotry, hatred or small mindedness in our force. Period. Every member of our team needs to know we have their back.”

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in custody of Minneapolis Police last week. A video the incident shows a policeman kneeling on his neck and pinning him down as he pleads for air, before he stops moving completely.

Floyd’s death sent ripples of anger across the nation and sparked off massive street demonstrations, many of which even turned violent, against racism and violence targeting America’s black population.