Yesterday, the three men who killed Ahmaud Arbrey were found guilty. Its likely that they will all be sentenced to lengthy prison terms and the possibility exists that the three will spend the rest of their lives in prison.
Despite the outcome of the trial, I do not feel a sense of happiness or even relief. For starters, none of these men will be home with their families on this Thanksgiving Day. Ahmaud Arbrey's family and friends will forever have a missing chair at the table. Whaever hopes and dreams his family had for him, died the day that he was murdered.
The lives of the families of Arbrey's murderers will also forever be changed. While they will get to visit their loved ones in prison on Thanksgiving, there will no longer be those fun family get togethers. They will sit in prison as the lives of their families go on without them. Their families will have to forever deal with the noterity that comes with having their names attached to one of the darkest moments of 2020 history.
I so wish that we could go back to that February 23, 2020 day and have Ahmaud's three killers see the future and reflect on how their actions would change so many lives. Maybe, just maybe they would pursue a different course. Maybe they would show some humanity instead of racism and ego, and let Ahmaud be. Just a fantasy though... I won't feel like celebrating until a day comes when I and my brothers & sisters can just exist and do normal every day stuff without fear of being profiled, chased down, harrassed, and possibly murdered.
