It's been three weeks since George Floyd was murdered at the hands of police in Minneapolis, and I'm yet to see the affects in person.

In the days that followed Floyd's death, protests and riots ensued over a series of nights throughout the Twin Cities. One of the worst areas hit by violent riots and looting was East Lake Street in Minneapolis, which earned significant coverage on social media and in local and national news.

Living outside of the Cities, my only exposure through all of it has been through social media. I've not yet visited Lake Street or any of the other areas his by violent riots and looting, though Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok and even Youtube have been full of videos, photos and posts showing the worst and best of the past three weeks. I've seen photos on Instagram of friends helping clean up E Lake Street. My wife posted videos to social media as she and a friend helped serve people at a church in St. Paul. Some other friends took to Instagram asking for donations to go towards relief efforts.

A new video posted to reddit reveals what East Lake Street looks like now, and it's a stark contrast to what I saw the last time I was there.

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If you've ever been down East Lake Street, it's clearly a shell of what it once was. Building after building is boarded up, many covered in graffiti. People are noticeably absent, giving the area a ghost town-like feel empty of the life and vibrancy it had just weeks ago.

While I may not have yet visited East Lake Street or sought out other areas affected by protests or rioting, my heart still hurts for Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Minnesota at large. I want better for us all. Together, we can do better.

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