The Baltimore Sun has a story today about how Trayvon's killer, George Zimmerman, apparently took a good beating before using his gun. Certainly it's starting to appear that Zimmerman "disrespected" Martin by stopping to question him and that after Zimmerman started to return to his truck Martin gave him a little payback.
The picture that has been given to the public is that of Trayvon Martin as a 10- or 12-year-old -- literally. The family didn't dare release to the public photos such as the one above which show Martin with gold teeth, or the photos from his MySpace site showing him festooned with tattoos (who allows these permanent modifications on a child?). Likewise, the oft-seen photo of Zimmerman is from a 2005 arrest on charges from which he was found "not guilty." Today he is the much slimmer and wimpier looking guy pictured above. Martin was 6'3" while Zimmerman is 5'9". I know which of the two I would bet on in a street fight.
The character of both Zimmerman and Martin are the subject of legitimate investigation. Martin was in Sanford with his father because he had been suspended from school for 10 days. The family first said it was for five days and was for being "tardy." When this lie didn't wash they said it was for being in some place he wasn't supposed to be. A 10-day suspension is a pretty big deal, and the public has a right to know what it was for. Likewise, one of Martin's friends posted something on his Twitter account about him taking a swing at a bus driver. Although the account has now been scrubbed, the public has a right to know about this. I think we all can agree that someone who would take a swing at a bus driver is an extremely violent individual.
As awful as the death of Trayvon Martin is, it doesn't hold a candle to the brutal burning of a white 13-year-old that occurred just a few days later. This child was almost home when two 16-year-old black teens started following him. They followed him onto his porch and doused him with gasoline, and lit it while one said, "This is what you deserve. You get what you deserve, white boy." No doubt about this being a hate crime, but society's response has been a giant yawn.
It's no secret that there are far more blacks who commit hate and other violent crimes against whites than the other way around. Nobody cares about these crimes. The white boy who was set on fire doesn't look like Obama's son might look, so he says nothing. Certainly there needs to be a full investigation into the events surrounding Trayvon Martin's death, but the need is for an investigation, not a lynching.
As a child of 11 I took a small thrashing for daring to attempt to deliver newspapers in a black neighborhood. I had been warned by these kids that they didn't want any whites in their neighborhood and I ignored the warning. In the end I had only bloodied knees and gravel burns, plus terribly wounded pride. But I still remember thinking, as I peddled my bike towards home, that if what had happened to me had happened to a black child in a white neighborhood, "every TV station in Memphis would be down here." And they would have been.
Nobody needs to tell me about racial discrimination. I know all about it.
2 comments:
You are right - there should be a full investigation; however, no matter the height a loaded gun vs unarmed and the gun will win every time. Armed "Neighborhood Watch" volunteers make me nervous. Someone armed roaming the streets using their own judgement.
Lib, I am inclined to agree with you. I would possibly support a law outlawing the carrying of guns by "Neighborhood Watch" volunteers. BUT, my objection is that both parties are being portrayed falsely.
Oh, and it's just come out apparently that the 10-day school school suspension was for drugs. There is other evidence on Martin's Facebook page that he may have been dealing. This doesn't mean he attacked Zimmerman, it just means he may be more of a thug than the Angel everyone is making him out to be.
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