Trayvon Martin was a seventeen year old African American
male who was shot and killed by a Caucasian (some say Hispanic) neighborhood
watchman, George Zimmerman. I am not here today to speak on the injustice of this situation,
which has been all over the news and todays media. I chose to look at what
methods both Zimmerman and Martin’s family took for society to see their respective sides as innocent.
I was first introduced to this story about two weeks ago,
almost a month after the shooting. When I read what those who were “fighting
for justice” had to say about Martin, I could not help but side with his family.
On their Facebook page, Justice for Trayvon Martin, the supporters were sure to
use images of Trayvon which made him seem as an innocent child. The picture
which is the face of Justice for Trayvon shows a young boy who looks no older
than fifteen when he was reported to be killed at seventeen. The biography makes sure to emphasize the good that Martin has done and
his immense innocence. This does not mention the fact that Martin was suspended
for having drug paraphernalia more recently.
George Zimmerman, on the other hand, has been repeatedly
attempting to make himself look innocent and remorseful of the situation while
old news from his past continue to arise. Originally he was reported as a white
male which his family later began to argue that he was Hispanic (trying to pull
the race card there?) Now he is identified as a half-Hispanic male who
reportedly was fired from a security job for being too aggressive.
But do these old facts make this a black and white
situation? In cases like these we always tend to look at a person’s past as if
that will somehow explain everything that caused this death. Martin having drug paraphernalia
does not mean that he was a vicious drug user that was out to rob houses that night
when Zimmerman caught him and was attacked. And Zimmerman having “problems” at
work (a statement that was not given by reputable sources) does not mean he can
bring himself kill an innocent child. I personally do not know what happened
that night and I hope that justice is served on this case but I cannot forget
that every man is innocent until proven guilty.
Ashley, I think this is such a wonderful take on the Trayvon Martin case. Often times, when such a tragedy happens, we're quick to try to pull the race card and forget all other factors in the case. While we see these hateful things being said about Zimmerman all over the internet, I do think it's great that you are at least considering that there are two sides to every story. To be honest, I, too, was rather outraged when I heard the news because all I could think was another innocent Black kid was killed by someone and that person is still free. Reading this entry, however, really helps put things into perspective and he really is an innocent man until the courts decide otherwise.
ReplyDeleteAshley, I didn't know about Martin's possible drug issues in the past, which is surprising because I've read many news articles chronicling the incident and Zimmerman's legal journey. I think the reason many news sources are glossing over Martin's past (and slandering Zimmerman) is because most of society has decided where it stands on the issue. Right or wrong, we're all too quick to judge. Who knows what really happened that night in Florida? And given the racial and political tension involved with the case, how can we ever discover the truth? While the media and many Americans have made up their minds, I believe this issue is too messy to resolve without further evidence.
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