Much has been said about the Trayvon Martin MURDER. As a father, Black male, and a citizen of These United States, I have struggled to make sense of what I have read, watched and heard concerning the senseless act perpetrated against Trayvon.
Like many of you I have tried to be objective. I have dissected the reports and articles looking for one discernable thread of reason for why Mr. Zimmerman pursued the young man, did so with his weapon, and instigated a confrontation – all of this while being advised by the police not to do so.
Here’s the problem: I can’t make sense of it at all…NONE!
If I am to give the initial response by the police credence – which by the way I don’t – I might find reasoning in their decision to label this incident as self-defense or the now infamous assertion of stand-your-ground. However, after hearing and seeing the evidence adduced thus far surrounding the case, I am incredulous at why the gunman is still free. Common sense should have prevailed once the evidence was evaluated, leading the police to delve further into what happened; where further investigation conceivably should have lead the police to arrest Mr. Zimmerman if for nothing else, manslaughter.
Am I to interpret that a license to carry a gun is also a license to hunt, KILL!? Because that is in fact what this self-proclaimed vigilante did, hunt this kid. He demonstrated a preconceived notion of ill intent on behalf of the young man by characterizing him as “…these expletive always get away…” as well as muttering another invective, purportedly calling Trayvon a coon – although it is not clear that this is the word he actually uttered. He showed blatant disregard himself for authority by ignoring the instructions of the police dispatcher not to follow. He further exacerbated the potential for a misunderstanding and confrontation by taking his weapon with him when making contact. Finally, one can purport that if in fact he believed the person to be a deadly threat, he clearly understood the advantage he held with respect to his weapon and the imminent arrival of the police. Therefore, if I am the reasonable person I believe myself to be, I come to the conclusion that Mr. Zimmerman became the aggressor once he decided to pursue Mr. Martin, thus inciting a fight or flight response from Trayvon to defend himself. And if I give this reasoning credence – which by the way I do – then the assailant would be Mr. Zimmerman, thus making Trayvon’s actions self defense, not Mr. Zimmerman’s.
So as I see it Mr. Zimmerman was the antagonist and instigator in this tragedy, not the victim. All indications are that he willfully and knowingly pressed the situation with Mr. Martin with the intent to confront. His actions from beginning to end were unconscionable and provocative, eschewing common sense and pragmatism, acting far beyond any rights or authority he had as a simple resident of that neighborhood. His bravado was clear on the 911 call, in his complete and utter dismissal of authority, and in his callous, asinine, murderous decision to pull the trigger.
My heart breaks for Trayvon’s family. I cannot fathom losing a child. What’s more, I cannot fathom losing my child to what is tantamount to a modern day lynching. The alleged rogue justice meted out by Mr. Zimmerman cannot be condoned or tolerated in any society, let alone ours. If we allow Zimmerman’s actions to stand as an acceptable precedent, I fear the consequences such unfettered stupidity would unleash.
Sadly, there is no justice for Trayvon. I understand that even if Mr. Zimmerman is found guilty of something in this tragedy it would never satisfy the emptiness, grief and anguish his family most assuredly feels. The anger is inextricable here. I fear that just as in the Rodney King case, the OJ Simpson case and the Casey Anthony case many of us are going to be left in a perpetual state of wondering why? How? Crimes such as these and their outcomes erode the foundation of our faith regarding the justice system, causing many to pause and wonder who the law is actually there to protect.
Admittedly, this is one of the toughest things I have ever written about. I have edited my script so often, removing the anger and frustration, choosing instead to grapple with reason. I continue, as I am sure many of you do, to watch and follow this case as things unfold. The anger is unabated at times, repressing common sense, ushering in feelings of disdain for a system that is so obfuscated at times that it can defy common sense and reasoning. Though I believe and support the voices of the many denouncing the injustice done to Trayvon, I cringe at the abhorrent response of others who through ignorance and disillusionment insight and provoke violence as an intelligent response or remedy to this tragedy -- I will, however, save that topic for my next blog. For now, I am left with a profound sense of sadness and anger for a life lost, a family devastated and a country where there is evidently justice for the chosen, to include the egregiously guilty, as is the case with Mr. Zimmerman.
S. McGill
One of the most powerful things in the world can be obtained and used liberally by anyone who chooses to use it. "If" can be the beginning of something great or the acquiescence to defeat. How will you use your "if"?
