Sin Chew Daily

George Floyd, an African American man killed by a White police officer kneeling on his neck and strangulating him to death, has sparked tremendous public furor with almost 40 cities including Washington, DC imposing curfews, and Arizona, Texas and Virginia declaring a state of emergency.

Close to a thousand people have been arrested but there is no sign the tension will ease anytime soon.

The protests have escalated and extended to the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and other parts of the world. Riots in Portland, Oregon, went out of hand with protestors seizing the opportunity to loot Apple and LV stores.

The United States government should listen to its people and respond to their frustration. Protestors should stick to peaceful demonstrations and refrain from damaging public properties or engaging in looting activities.

Floyd was unarmed when he was killed by police brutality. The victim being a Black and the cop a White, the matter has been spontaneously connected to racial factor which can readily stir up public sentiment. Floyd's death has exposed a series of issues from long-time racial discrimination, suppression faced by the lower class of the American society and excessive force employed by law enforcers.

President Donald Trump has vowed to restore law and order by enlisting the help of the military. He even warned that protestors could have been attacked by the "most vicious dogs and ominous weapons" had they breached the White House fence. Trump's strong reaction did not help ease the tension but further exacerbated public wrath.

A melting pot of cultures, the US might look good in its unparalleled diversity but the baseline could be tainted with ugly racism. Despite championing human rights, freedom and democracy, Washington is powerless in freeing itself from the scourge of racial discrimination until this day.

Barack Obama achieved a milestone in the US history by winning the presidency in 2008 as the country's first ever black president. Racial discrimination, nevertheless, remains unshaken to this today.

During Obama's eight-year tenure, issues related to racial discrimination have never been tamed down the least.

Right from slavery to civil rights campaign, one can deduce that indeed the US has made very little progress in addressing racial inequality. Racial issues are complicated and owing to uneven wealth distribution, racial conflicts are hard to resolve.

Racial discrimination has always been a tough problem in the absence of an effective solution. Floyd's tragic death has highlighted the stubborn underlying problems in the American society as well as all other human societies worldwide.