Trayvon Martin: A Wake Up Call to All of Us

The Basics- On February 26, 2012,  17 yr old, African American male, Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in Sanford, Florida. The shooter, George Zimmerman, is a 28-year-old white man. Zimmerman admits to killing Martin, but claims he was acting in self-defense. Three weeks after Martin’s death, no arrests have been made and Zimmerman remains free. Zimmerman called the police to report Martin’s “suspicious” behavior, Zimmerman was in his car when he saw Martin walking on the street. He called the police and said: “There’s a real suspicious guy. This guy looks like he’s up to no good, on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around looking about… These a**holes always get away”. Zimmerman then went after Martin against the instructions of the police. Zimmerman was carrying a a 9 millimeter handgun. Martin was carrying a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea. Martin weighed 140 pounds. Zimmerman weighs 250 pounds. Martin’s English teacher described him as “as an A and B student who majored in cheerfulness". Martin had no criminal record.Zimmerman called the police 46 times since Jan. 1, 2011. According to neighbors, Zimmerman was “fixated on crime and focused on young, black males.” Zimmerman “had been the subject of complaints by neighbors in his gated community for aggressive tactics”. Three witnesses say they heard a boy cry for help before a shot was fired. The police did not test Zimmerman for drugs or alcohol. Drug and alcohol testing is “standard procedure in most homicide investigations.” The Martin case had been turned over to the Seminole County State Attorney's Office. Martin’s family has asked for an FBI investigation.

The Newz Report- This case is a perfect example of why race is still a major issue in this country. I am not trying to say that racism is rampant. However, the fact is that black males are still viewed as a threat and do NOT receive equal treatment in the eyes of the law. If you disagree, imagine what would have happened if a large, armed, Black (full Hispanic, Arab, Southeast Asian...non white) man attacked a young white boy. Not only would that black male be arrested, but their would be a national uprising! The stereotype of young black males being gang related and violent has long plagued the lives of progressive minded African Americans. However, it is acts like this push Blacks to a point of distrust against mainstream society. People often wonder why African Americans seem to have a chip on their shoulder, but they never stop to examine the possible causes of our anger. 

Trayvon Martin is not an anomaly. Trayvon is Jordan Miles, Gena 6, and four little girls. He is the wrongly accused prisoners under the Patriot Act. He is the manifestation of all the injustices of our nation's experimental democracy. And while Zimmerman is still a free man (and probably trying to move out the country), Martin stands as another black face erased. Another Dream Deferred. Cases like this make me afraid of the potential of raising a black male in this modern climate.