04/21/2021 BREATHE
Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. [Revised Standard translation]
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD GOD formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. [King James translation]
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by GOD and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…. [English Standard Version translation]
Summary
Breath is important.
Byron Lee Williams, 50 years old, was chased down by the police for riding a bike without lights in Las Vegas early in the morning on September 5, 2019. The police handcuffed Williams and pinned him to the ground. Body cameras recorded Williams as saying, “I can’t breathe!” a total of 17 times before he lapsed into unconsciousness and died. https://www.ktnv.com/13-investigates/i-cant-breathe-death-of-man-in-vegas-police-custody-still-under-investigation
Eric Garner told the police “I can’t breathe” more than 11 times when he was put into a chokehold by a NYPD police officer on July 17, 2014. They were his last words. At the time Garner was being arrested on suspicion of selling loose cigarettes in front of a store.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-police-garner/new-york-police-weigh-officers-conduct-in-2014-i-cant-breathe-death-idUSKCN1SJ0YI
Christopher Lowe, 55 years old, died July 26, 2018, while handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser in Fort Worth Texas. While he was being handcuffed Lowe told the officers he was sick and screamed “I can’t breathe!” Lowe also complained about not being able to walk. Once inside the car, Lowe started beating his head against the inside of the car. The officers’ response was to threaten to pepper spray Lowe. When Lowe said he wanted to go to a hospital, instead of calling an ambulance, the officers delayed by asking Lowe for his name. Lowe died in the cruiser and was pronounced dead after his arrival at the hospital. https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article224615845.html
George Floyd was 46 years when he died on May 24, 2020, in Minneapolis, MN. Transcripts of the minutes leading up to George Floyd’s death reveal that he told the officers “I can’t breathe” more than 20 times, only to be told by an officer pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck “It takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk.” George Floyd was killed in police custody. He was arrested on suspicion of passing a fake $20 bill. At one point a witness said: “You got him down. Let him breathe.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_George_Floyd
Breath is important. The above cases are just part of the tragic history of the “I can’t breathe” deaths of individuals in police custody. https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-nw-nyt-i-cant-breathe-cases-20200629-lww5co52b5fpvatwtprt5vhndq-story.html
Breath is important. “I can’t breathe” is associated with the Black Lives Matter movement. It is associated with the need to seek justice against the unlawful police action.