Trayvon Martin and the Race Divide

The cause célèbre du jour is the tragic death of 17 year old Trayvon Martin. He was shot and killed by neighborhood watch dude George Zimmerman patrolling his neighborhood late at night on February 26 in Sanford, Fla. The night of the incident, police found Zimmerman standing over the dead body of Martin, shots fired from Zimmerman’s gun. Zimmerman’s faced was bloody and bruised, and the back of his clothes wet. Zimmerman had earlier made a 911 call stating that there was suspicious black youth walking in the neighborhood. Police told Zimmerman not to follow the youth, that they had sufficient information to handle the situation.

Martin was wearing what is popularly known as a hoodie…a sweat shirt with a loose hood and pockets in the front in which to place your hands. Watch any security tape involved capturing a crime, and odds are the perpetrator of the crime is wearing a hoodie.

Subsequent 911 calls from neighbors indicate there was a ruckus of sorts, with someone hollering help several times, and then a shot fired. Zimmerman told police he shot Martin in self defense. Florida is a stand and hold statute, which means if you are being attacked, you have no duty to retreat. You may defend yourself, including shooting the person with a licensed weapon if you feel that your life is in danger.

Martin himself was a good looking young man with a good school record and no history of trouble. He was on the way home from a convenience store. The family of Martin wants an investigation as to why Zimmerman wasn’t arrested for killing their son, an understandable request resulting from this tragedy. However the police determined that Zimmerman’s account of events were backed up by the physical evidence. His face was bloody and bruised. He claims he was physically attacked by Martin and was being held down on his back by him Zimmerman claims the voice on the 911 tape calling for help is his. In addition, there was an eyewitness, whose identity is now being protected, who described the guy on in the red sweater was being held down and beaten by the guy in the hoodie…the statement being taken the night of the incident.

The race mongers have now taken over this incident in a manner reminiscent of the Duke Lacrosse team debacle in which a hooker claimed she was raped. After nearly destroying these young men’s lives, the over zealous prosecutor was disbarred from the practice of law when it turned out that this woman had made the whole thing up looking for money.

I don’t know what happened in Sanford, but it certainly shows that racial tensions are just below the surface in this country, and those who make a living exploiting them will gin up the hatred leading up to the election in the fall to serve as a motivator to get out the liberal base no matter what the truth may or may not be.They are marching in the streets. Athletic teams are wearing hoodies in sympathy for Martin. Students are walking out of the classroom to demonstrate. Petitions are all over online, and the liberal press is positively orgasmic over this story.

By the way, where were these folks at the two shootings at St. Dominic's church by black thugs killing an old man and maiming his wife in the street, and killing someone coming out of morning mass in cold blood in the church parking lot? No race there, I guess.

There should be a thorough investigation to determine the facts. And the facts should be decided by what actually happened rather than a template of what some folks would like to have happened. If Mr. Zimmerman, himself an Hispanic, shot this young man in a racial vendetta of profiling and over zealousness, he certainly should be charged and punished especially because the 911 operator told him NOT to follow the young man.

On the other hand, if the facts show that Zimmerman was attacked by Trayvon Martin and he was acting to defend himself not knowing what Martin had hidden in his hoodie front pockets…then this is just another race baiting bugaboo being used to divide the nation by those with questionable intent.

Both blacks and whites should want the truth. The fact of the matter is that black on white violence is relatively rare. Black on black violence is rampant, a fact that the race baiters conveniently forget.

And one more thing, once again Barack Obama had entered the fray stepping up  up his class and race warfare efforts prior to the election. Rather than doing the responsible thing telling everyone to remain open minded until the investigations are complete, he is playing the emotional race card…if I had a son he would like Trayvon…President Obama, for once act like President and keep your mouth shut on this until the facts are known.

Justice demands truth...not emotion.