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I have watched the details of the Zimmerman murder trial
closely as I always find it curiously convenient which stories the media selects to
distract our attention. There have been numerous cases of young African
American males (and other minorities of various ages) who have been senselessly
murdered or convicted unfairly for similar crimes. I, therefore, begin to ask
“why this one….why now?”
Not long after huge debate over gun control following the Sand Hook tragedy, we found
ourselves in the middle of a trial for justice for a man who “Stood His Ground”
against the threat of a 17 year old African American male who “suspiciously”
was walking through the neighborhood eating skittles while on the phone with a
female friend. I don’t know about you, but who has a conversation on the phone
with someone while scheming to break into someone’s home? A better question is
why would you need to get out of your car to determine what street you are on
when there are only three streets in the neighborhood and you are on the main
street AND are an experienced Neighborhood Watchman?
I am prayerful that justice for Trayvon will be served. What horrible precedent will be set if Zimmerman is allowed to go
free after deciding he is above the law? With that kind of enforcement of
“Stand Your Ground” -- WHO is to judge when a person feels "threatened" enough to
draw a gun and shoot someone they feel is "suspicious"? Additionally, the restrictions placed
on our constitutional right to bear arms will make it so much easier to selectively decide who has the ability to protect themselves and who does not...
As we await a decision from the jury, Facebook and Twitter
are abuzz with posts and tweets, some very contemptuous, about feelings
relative to race and privilege in this country. The timeliness of the
controversy around the Aaron Hernandez case and the divide amongst fans
relative to his affluence as a rule out for his guilt despite the presented
evidence is curious to me. There are even tie-ins with Paula Dean and her
recent fall from grace which seem to be fueling a large racial divide around
the outcome of this case. It doesn’t seem to matter that both Trayvon and
George are minorities (as Zimmerman identifies himself as “Hispanic”) but the idea
that “if I feel threatened and think someone is doing dirt against me” I should have the right to “Stand My Ground.” All of the tension and racial debate combined with these ideas make me nervous. Are we slowly allowing the premise behind the movie “The
Purge” to manifest in our reality? (Does the scene at 1:11 below seem eerily familiar to you?)
If there is a “Not Guilty” verdict, I pray that each of you
will consider what is really on trial here and look more closely at the impact
a precedent like this will have on each of us… individually …as “The People.”
With more restrictions placed upon our civil rights and regulations that begin
to close in on who will be allowed to own weapons, we “The People” seem to be
slowly backed into a corner by those in authority, while we argue and point fingers at one another!
Please do not fall
victim to further division amongst us … many of whom will be impacted the most
by the precedent that could be set here.
United We Stand, Divided We Fall…
…Justice for Trayvon is Justice for All …
One Love ... Acu <3
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