First let me give all my condolences to the Martin Family & Friends; I cannot even imagine what they've have been through before and after this trial. But know that Trayvon's story will be one that is forever etched in our minds, as he is etched in their hearts.
Everyone to some degree has been following the Trayvon Martin case, in which George Zimmerman was just acquitted on all charges. And while I would like to go on about the verdict and how there's no justice in our country, I don't really feel all that angry about the verdict. The attorney's did what they could for their respective parties and the world as an audience. Both had to not only defend their clients, but also had to "entertain" nearly 6 Billion people in the process as it was recorded for broadcast around the world. (How many court cases in a year get that type of treatment? Not a lot right)
I'm not so much upset with this verdict, but I'm for the most part disappointed by it. Here lies a young black male who just stepped out to get an ordinary Arizona Ice Tea and a pack of skittles; two items that would not only be the last thing he would ever bought, but the rallying cry of young people everywhere; claiming his innocence. Trayvon's story is a sad one, mostly because its a story that has been told time and time again. A story about young black men who just went to the corner store/barber shop/etc. only to have life ripped away from him in the back of police cruiser or behind the barrel of a gun. Its stories like this, that we hear all the time through various mediums and despite the attention, Trayvon's Case is no exception. So why do I feel so disappointed by the verdict? Because it once again strips the life out of another young man based on the context of his skin.
Trayvon, was accused of being a hoodlum & a troublemaker in the area where the crime happened; was shot and killed because one person truly believed that he was up to no good. And the court, and America as well feels he should walk free because he was "Standing his Ground to those effin punks." And what is an "effin Punk?" What does one look like? Did Trayvon fit the description of an "effin Punk?" Are people like Trayvon generally considered "effin Punks?" As a black male am I an "effin Punk?" Its questions like these that black males since for years law enforcement has been arresting us and throwing them into the prison systems at alarming rates. Even people like me, that have no criminal record whatsoever, can be subject to arrest one day should we "fit the description." But since we live in a world where people distrust the government, people are more likely to take matters into their own hands. Accusations and actions similar to the one Zimmerman took could happen more often to a new set of black youths trying to survive; now with the title "effin Punk" branded on their heads.
I don't know Trayvon Martin, neither do I know any of the hundreds of black boys who could not walk among us today; but their stories and struggles is one I've heard before and one I might continue to hear as I get older. As someone who will become a parent one day, it frightens me that I might have a child whose life could be ended so tragically because of one single dispute. This saga cannot end here! we have to keep pushing! Not just for Trayvon, but for all the black youths... born and unborn!
RIP Trayvon Martin
1995-2012
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