Image: @kevinhart4real / Instagram
‘You (the media) should be on the side of the solution, not the problem.’
On Sunday Kevin Hart posted a video message telling the media that they need to project the protests in the right perspective rather than focusing on the looting and rioting angle.
Voicing his outrage at the senseless death of George Floyd, who died on 25 May after being suffocated by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes, he asked the media to be ‘a part of the solution’.
“You guys control the narrative,” he said, visibly disappointed.
“So I feel like you guys have a job to do about pushing the correct narrative. Right now, I’m watching that narrative slowly change into the rioting, into the looting.”
“The media, you should be pushing that there needs to be a change as well,” he continued.
“You should be pushing it, not just the people who are protesting — you know why they’re protesting. You should be on the side of the solution, not the problem.”
Focus on the message
As protests continue unfolding in response to George Floyd’s death across all 50 US states, Hart explained the media was digressing from the message of the protests: “We’re not talking about the reason, we’re not talking about why we’re witnessing what we’re witnessing. There’s a reason. I don’t want to lose sight of that reason. That reason is because another man died in the hands of a police officer.
“George Floyd, rest in peace, as we know was killed by a cop. It was another senseless death. When I say “another,” that’s because we’ve got several that we can talk about. Several that we can talk about, that’s the reason. So within the narrative, when you know that people are looking for justice, when you know that people are looking for this to stop, when you know that you’re looking for correction, your job should be pushing that as well.”
In a tweet, the actor also pointed to another blatant violation of human rights, where a black CNN reporter was arrested whereas a white reporter was allowed to cover the protests.
‘Bring Justice’
Upon hearing the news of the arrest of the guilty Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, the 40-year-old comedian blasted the law saying Chauvin should be charged with first-degree murder instead of third-degree murder, and that the other three police officers present during Floyd’s death should be charged as well.
“That’s bringing justice,” he said.
“That’s making people feel like something is going to change. … Everybody’s conversation should be about the change. You can’t just keep saying equality. We have to take actionable steps and go in that direction.”
In a recent update, CNN reported that Chauvin was charged on Wednesday with a new, more serious count of second-degree murder, and the three other officers present during his killing were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
“I strongly believe that these developments are in the interest of justice for Mr. Floyd, his family, our community and our state,” said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison while announcing the charges.
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