As you all well know, the country is convulsing with the greatest social upheaval since 1968. The brutal murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis served as a sort of catalyst for people to release pent-up frustration. It is understandable that there would be civil but noisy protests in New Jersey and other states.
What is not acceptable is the looting, burning and smashing that everyone sees on television, the Internet and social media. That sort of thing is to be condemned. Police and the relevant authorities will arrest anyone involved in vandalism, looting, burning and the like. Such despicable activities do nothing but dishonor the memory of George Floyd and numerous other victims of police brutality.
Having said that, I, Lev Zilbermintz, president of the Garden State Chess League, do direct that all league members and teams follow the law when engaging in protests. New Jersey has seen its share of peaceful protests over the past weekend. That is an example of how people can express their disagreement in an acceptable way while avoiding disgusting scenes that we see on TV and Internet.
We can use chess as a way to channel our creative energies and get away from negative issues. As you all know, chess is seeing a huge increase in online use because of the coronavirus. John Moldovan is running tournaments online. The United States Chess Federation and FIDE are also running online events, with many grandmasters participating. I urge GSCL members to play in these events. There is Internet Chess Club, chess.com, lichess.org, to name a few.
It goes without saying that we must still use face masks, gloves and practice social distancing. At the same time, if you see anyone engaging in looting, vandalizing, etc., call police immediately!! The Garden State Chess League roundly condemns looting, vandalism, burning as seen in various media. Our society is better than this.
Lev Zilbermintz
President
Garden State Chess League
