The Police Sanctioned Murder of George Floyd and the Parallels with Libby Zion’s Death
By
David Gottfried
The defense in the George Floyd case is arguing that since George Floyd may have taken some drugs, the Nazi-Cop should be exonerated. Although it is indisputable that being deprived of oxygen for several minutes will kill anyone, even an Olympic athlete, the defense urges us to forget that and to concentrate on Floyd’s alleged use of drugs.
All too often, a guilty party is absolved of responsibility because the person he wounded or killed supposedly did drugs. The media and our penal system have contrived to make middle America believe that the use of drugs is, in and of itself, a sign of depravity or wickedness and always deserving of punishment. If that punishment is at the hands of a Nazi Cop, so be it. Speaking of Nazi Cops: At the 1968 Democratic Convention, Senator Abraham Ribicoff of Connecticut railed against the Chicago Police, rightly calling them “storm troopers in blue.” Some people thought old Abe was being a bit over the top in his criticisms. I hope people will realize that he hit the nail on the head. Just look at that pig’s composed, serene face as he deprived Floyd of oxygen. He is completely at ease, as secure in committing atrocities as a member of Hitler’s SS.
As I said in the title, this case reminds me of the Libby Zion case. She was admitted to a NYC hospital with a deadly fever of 107. The hospital did not properly attend to her case, and did not even give her any antipyretic treatments (Anti fever treatments, such aspirin and lots and lots of ICE or an ice bath), even though standard medical practice holds that when fevers surpass 105.9, “heroic measures” (Merck’s manual) are required. Heroic measures mean throwing her in a tub with ice.
Her heartbroken family brought a medical malpractice action against the hospital. The hospital’s defense claimed that she did drugs. The hospital was absolved of guilt.
I don’t think the testimony of her drug use should have been admitted as evidence. Actually, I think her case came close to what in law is called “res ipsa loquiter,” or the “thing speaks for itself.” In these cases, Plaintiff doesn’t have to prove anything because the basic facts prove the case. In Libby’s case, she was on fire with a soaring fever, the hospital did not do a damn thing to fight the fever, let alone diagnose the cause, and she croaked. But the specter of drug use was employed to sully her reputation and defend a clearly culpable hospital.
The legal system must cease and desist from behaving like ancient soothsayers seeing sin in every deviation from hoary convention.
Tell your Congressmen, Senators and shout it from the mountain tops: Keep irrelevant evidence of drug use away from the ears of the all too often easily confused and addled jurors.