US President Joe Biden called systemic racism a “stain on our nation’s soul” in a televised address to the nation last week after a white former police officer was convicted of murdering a black man during an arrest.
Biden spoke out after a jury in the Midwestern city of Minneapolis found Derek Chauvin guilty of intentionally suffocating handcuffed George Floyd as he lay defenseless, with the officer’s knee pressing on his neck for more than nine minutes.
The president called for “confronting head on systemic racism and the racial disparities that exist in policing and our criminal justice system” — but pleaded for protesters to steer clear of violence.
Photo: AFP 照片:法新社
A jury deliberated less than 11 hours before finding the 45-year-old Chauvin guilty of all three charges against him — second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. The unanimous verdict came after a racially charged three-week trial that was seen as a pivotal test of police accountability in the US.
Appearing alongside Biden, Kamala Harris, America’s first black vice president, spoke first to articulate the “relief” the nation was feeling over justice being served, but acknowledged that the result could not “take away the pain” of Floyd’s murder.
She vowed to work with Biden to urge the Senate to pass “long overdue” legislation on police accountability, saying black men had been treated as “less than humans” throughout US history. “Here is the truth about racial injustice: It is not just a Black America problem or a ‘people of color’ problem. It is a problem for every American,” she said.
(AFP)
一名白人警察被控在逮捕一名黑人男子時將之謀殺,上週被定罪,美國總統喬‧拜登隨後在電視上發表全國演說,將結構性的種族主義稱為「我們國家精神的污點」。
美國中西部城市明尼亞波里斯之陪審團裁定德瑞克‧蕭文有罪,因擔任警察之蕭文,以膝蓋壓制喬治‧弗洛伊德之頸部超過九分鐘,故意使其窒息,當時弗洛伊德已上手銬、無力抵抗。宣判後,拜登總統發表了演說。
拜登呼籲「正視結構性的種族主義,以及維安與刑事司法系統中,因種族而異的差別對待」,但他懇求抗議民眾避免訴諸暴力。
陪審團經過近十一小時之商議,才判定四十五歲的蕭文被控的三項罪名皆成立──分別為二級謀殺罪、三級謀殺罪,以及非預謀殺人罪。經過為期三週、種族意味濃厚的審理,陪審團做出了一致的裁決。該案之審判被視為對美國警察課責制的關鍵考驗。
美國第一位黑人副總統賀錦麗與拜登共同出席該演說,她先說道,全國上下對司法公正感到「鬆了一口氣」,但她承認此判決並不能夠消除弗洛伊德被謀殺所造成的傷痛。
她誓言與拜登共同敦促參議院通過「老早以前就該完成的」警察課責制之立法,並說在整個美國歷史上,黑人都「不被當人看待」。她說:「這是種族不公的真相:這不僅僅是黑人的問題,或『有色人種』的問題,這是每一個美國人的問題」。
(台北時報林俐凱編譯)
Tangbao are one of the most internationally renowned delicacies, that win the hearts of both locals and tourists. Their charm lies in the paper-thin flour wrapper that needs to be folded evenly almost 20 times. Folding a tangbao requires skill to deal with a bulging filling and a thin wrapper. Tangbao are served in a bamboo steamer in which they are steamed, not only adding to the visual appearance, but ensuring they do not get cold before reaching the table. The best way to enjoy a tangbao is to dip it in a mixture of vinegar and soy sauce with
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) announced a seismic change in direction on March 19, hiking interest rates for the first time in 17 years. The move represents an unwinding of an ultra-loose — and maverick -- policy aimed at putting Japan’s “lost decades” of stagnation and deflation behind it. The last time the BoJ raised interest rates was in 2007, but its war against deflation began in earnest in 2013 under then-prime minister Shinzo Abe. “Abenomics” combined generous government spending and central bank monetary easing. The BoJ spent vast amounts on bonds and other assets to pump liquidity into the
A: Wow, YouTuber Xander 73’s channel “73_Tricking” now has over 10 million subscribers, making him Taiwan’s first 10-million YTR. B: Cool! But what’s “tricking?” A: Basically, it’s a sport derived from extreme martial arts. B: Xander 73’s income is as high as NT$600,000 per month. What’s the secret of his success? A: He often uses English catchphrases in his videos to attract more viewers from around the world. This shows how important English is. A: 哇,YouTuber奇軒的「奇軒Tricking」頻道訂閱突破千萬人, 成為台灣首位千萬YTR! B: 好厲害,但什麼是tricking啊? A: 聽說是極限武術所衍生的運動。 B: 奇軒月入60萬,成功的秘訣是什麼呢? A: 他常使用英文標語,所以能吸引全球觀眾,可見英文多重要。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
Have you ever wished for an extra hour to prepare for exams or finish homework? In some countries, people actually adjust their clocks to gain or lose an hour, all for the sake of Daylight Saving Time (DST). Specifically, clocks are set forward by an hour in March and then set back in November. One of the primary reasons for implementing DST is to make better use of natural daylight so that people can reduce energy consumption. The concept originated with Benjamin Franklin in 1784 and became widely adopted during World War I. Today, this system is in place