George Floyd is not the one on trial.

Despite what you may hear in comment sections, the trial going on in Minneapolis is for Derek Chauvin who has been charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Chauvin is accused of causing Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020 when Chauvin held his knee against Floyd’s neck for nine and a half minutes.

There are many sides being argued in Floyd’s death, so many that seem to get lost amidst the heated debates surrounding this case. However, regardless, of whether you believe Chauvin is guilty or not guilty, whether you believe Floyd was a good or bad person: this trial is not to persecute a man who has not been alive since May.

We at The Daily Eastern News often see remarks made about Floyd’s past and his faults, but it is important to remember none of that had anything to do with the way Chauvin treated him. 

To put it bluntly, Chauvin treated Floyd like he was nothing. While we cannot say for sure until Chauvin’s trial is over whether those actions resulted in Floyd’s death, we can say that in our eyes Chauvin acted in a way that is inappropriate for someone who is supposed to keep people safe.

At the end of the day, this trial is for Chauvin and for his actions to be looked at closely. It should focus on the way he treated Floyd and if that was the cause of Floyd’s death.

There is no need to bring up Floyd’s past. He was tried and served time for the crimes he committed.

Floyd cannot come back to life and defend himself so stop putting a dead man on trial.