I was having fun last night when the news came across my phone. I was at a local Historical Society event that was USO themed. There was laughter, singing, dancing, and a few drinks. There were many races all coming together to have some fun. Then the news announcement on my phone. Zimmerman acquitted.
It didn't feel real. How could it be? He clearly killed that boy. Shot him dead. The boy was not armed (unless you consider skittles as such a choking hazard that they should be outlawed).
Let's, for just a moment, take race out of this all together. You have a 17 year old kid walking home from the store in the rain. He is wearing a hoodie. It is completely understandable that he would pull the hood up to shield his head from the rain. You have a neighborhood watch person in a truck. I am sure he knew it was raining. The neighborhood watch person, first, failed to recognize one of his own neighbor's sons. Honestly, if you are going to have a neighborhood watch, you really need to know who your neighbors are to be able to protect them. If you do not know who your neighbors are, you do not need to be participating in a neighborhood watch. Second, he failed to listed to the voice of authority on the issue and defied a direct order to stay in his truck and wait for the real police to show up. He got out of his truck. Third, he chased the boy down. From the boy's point of view, a strange man in a vehicle was following him. He couldn't shake him. It was raining, late, and no one was out. He tried to lose him. The stranger was not wearing a police uniform. The stranger was not wearing any visible official signage to denote he was part of anything, let alone the neighborhood watch. He was a stranger to the boy... which goes back to my first point. Zimmerman did not know all his neighbors and all of them did not know him. Treyvon had a right to stand his ground too. He was cornered by someone he didn't know and who could have been a threat.
Even this could have been cleared up after the police arrived. However, Zimmerman brought a gun. A neighborhood watchman brought a gun. A jittery, obviously jumpy, neighborhood watchman was carrying a gun. He pulled that gun and took a life. After being the aggressor, after stalking a teen, he pulled a gun and ended a life. He was just acquitted.
The bottom line is this, He was told to stay in his truck. He did not. Everything after that point was his fault. The heightened fear Treyvon displayed. The desire to run that Treyvon displayed. The necessity to fight back that Treyvon displayed. They were all because Zimmerman defied a direct order, by the voice of authority he is supposed to report to, to STAY IN HIS TRUCK!
Very few things have the ability to affect me so violently that I feel ill upon hearing it. This verdict shook me to the core.
Neighborhood watches are to be watches. The first line of defense. You are to know who your neighbors are and protect them by watching not doing, noticing not judging, and then reporting to police not taking the law into your own hands.
Zimmerman failed. He didn't protect his neighbors. He judged them. He didn't watch his neighborhood. He judged it and he walked. He walked because of the Stand your ground law. On the surface, the law sounds perfect. You have a right to defend yourself from possible harm. Great. Well, what about Marissa Alexander?
Marissa Alexander was given a 20 year sentence for firing warning shots at her abusive husband in the hopes of avoiding another vicious beating. She had already taken out a protection order against him. She declined a plea deal for three years in prison because she didn't actually shoot him. They were warning shots. She was clearly defending herself. She got 20 years in prison. The stand your ground laws did not help her. She was trapped. Had no where to run. She fired warning shots and was given 20 years. Zimmerman chased a boy down. Confronted him. Fought with him. Then pulled out his gun and shot him. He was allowed to use the Stand your ground defense and was Acquitted. How is this fair? How is this justice?
Our country needs some major changes. At this point, if you have enough money or have the right connections, you seem immune. This is not equality. This needs to change. He didn't accidentally hit someone with his car. He had to consciously pull out his gun and pull the trigger. It isn't the same as looking down for a second and not seeing someone. He saw, he chose, he killed.
My heart goes out to the Martin family. I cannot begin to imagine the hurt you are feeling. I cannot imagine the hole in your lives that this has left.
My heart goes out to our minorities. This injustice only solidifies what you have to deal with on a regular basis. Unequal "equality". It is not fair. It is not right. It is time to have our voices heard. Peacefully.
My heart goes out to our nation. Justice was spit on yesterday. A guilty man walked free...again and an abused woman is serving prison time for warning her husband not to abuse her...again. These are just two incidents amoung thousands that happen every year.
We need to wake up. We need to demand truly equal representation under the law. Sweeping legislature that does not allow individual pockets of hate, discrimination, and supression to pass judgements that are so obviously unjust. Vigilante,Race, gender, sexual orientation, domestic... violence should not be tolerated in any instance. This should be federal law that trumps state law because this is a human rights issue. We need to protect ALL of our citizens, not just the privileged few.
I was having fun last night. Real fun. Fun that was color blind. Fun that was status blind. Just fun. Now it's time to get to work. It's time to push for change for all of us. True equality, Now! Nothing less.
