I find it interesting that over the course of two days, we remembered the murder of George Floyd and honored our fallen military for Memorial Day.

Both events are worth noting, given the cruelty of what happened to Floyd and the sacrifices of those who died serving the country.

Five years ago, on May 25, Floyd, who is black, died under the boot of white police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis after passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a store. After Floyd’s death, the nation erupted in protest with people of all races and nationalities turning out to seek racial equality.

In Woodland, local demonstrators spoke out against Floyd’s murder through peaceful protests.

In fact, the Tuesday after Floyd’s murder, at the urging of then-Mayor Richard Lansburgh — a former police officer — the council went silent for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, believed to have been the time Floyd was under Chauvin’s boot. (Later, it turned out Chauvin kept his boot on Floyd for just over 9 minutes.)

It was a powerful statement.

“Even though our city is struggling to get back on its feet dealing with the effects of COVID-19 our city is now facing an even greater challenge,” Lansburgh said at the time. “This last week has raised concerns about the fate of our state and our country as we try to understand and live with the consequences of the senseless murder of George Floyd in Minnesota.”

During the previous weekend, there was a peaceful protest in downtown Woodland at Freeman Park, where around 200 people went silent, waved signs or called for justice. Many locally elected officials were present and some Woodland police officers also stepped up to show their opposition to Floyd’s murder.

The Woodland School District also offered counseling for students who may have been traumatized by the murder, particularly since students were also having trouble with the discontinuation of classes because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Memorial Day is another matter. We don’t see protests, of course, but we do see a somber day of remembrance because members of American Legion Post 77 go out of their way to embrace ceremony and ritual.

Typically, flags are placed on the gravesites of veterans at the Woodland Cemetery on Saturday with the Avenue of Flags raised on Sunday. On Memorial Day Monday, a small group of vets plants U.S. flags along Main Street with the actual service held later in the day at the cemetery.

There are between 100 and 300 people who attend Memorial Day services locally, which usually includes singing the National Anthem, a guest speaker and recognition of deceased service members along with a rifle salute and the playing of Taps.

Beyond the planned services, family members may spend time walking quietly among gravesites to seek out relatives or friends who have died and share stories.

While services have not been held as of this writing, I would think this year there will be references to the return of MIA Army Cpl. Albert “Junior” Estrada, who died at age 17 during the Korean War. His remains were only recently identified and burial is scheduled in June.

I think both Floyd’s memory and Memorial Day merit our attention. Our country simply can’t tolerate racial injustice as it has in the past. And we must remember those who died in service to this country, where race is truly irrelevant.

The distinction may be lost on some, but to remember both Floyd and our fallen servicemembers, we must continue to share their stories both in the court of law and among ourselves so their sacrifices won’t be forgotten.

Jim Smith is the former editor of The Daily Democrat, retiring in 2021 after a 27-year career at the paper.