I'm kind of half-watching the sentencing of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. Various people are now speaking about how terrible and worthy of severe punishment the deed was and there's a split screen of them on the right, Chauvin on the left. Chauvin is probably glad he's wearing that COVID mask.
I have no idea if there's a spark of humanity and decency in Derek Chauvin. If there is, it must be severe punishment to have to sit there and listen to these speeches. If I were in his position, I think I'd break down and tearfully ask the court to just have someone shoot me on the spot and end it all. I can't help but wonder what this man might think the rest of his life will be like.
Commentators are saying that the sentencing guidelines demand a minimum of something like 12.5 years. The prosecution is asking for thirty. The popular/safe wisdom would be somewhere in the 20-25 range…but even if what he gets is on the low end, Chauvin still faces Federal charges and perhaps civil suits. And there are probably people who, if he ever walks out of prison, would like to beat the crap out of him and kneel on his neck for a while. He will never put his crime behind him.
I have zero sympathy for the guy. If he was ever a decent human being, I guess I feel sorry for that decent human being for turning into the fellow I'm seeing right now on the split-screen. He looks like he's paying careful attention to what's being said by the people who for the most part are crying and/or damning him to Hades. Maybe it's not that. Maybe it's an act and he's thinking about all the police officers who have been involved in altercations where someone died and he's thinking, "How come I'm the one who has to pay for it?"