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| Words and photo by F LoBuono |
I'm not interested in discussing the legal aspects of the case. I am not a lawyer. Besides, The People have spoken and the law and verdict must be respected. However, I say this: my heart is broken. A 16 year-old boy is dead. Trayvon Martin. A sixteen year-old boy. A boy who went to buy candy and never returned. Now, a mother has no son. A father clings to memories of the boy whose photo he clutches in his hand. TWO families are broken. Why? A reasonable question to ask. Did race play a role? Perhaps? Many say likely. Fear? Certainly. Finding the answers, if we can, may help us to heal.
But my focus is on the singular force that altered the fate of not just two men, but two families. It is a small object that weighs no more than a few pounds. It was legally obtained and easily concealed. And it changed everything. EVERYTHING. That gun not only killed Trayvon Martin, it emboldened George Zimmerman to the point of unnecessary confrontation in the first place. The bottom line is: NO GUN - NO DEAD BOY.
Justice, as written by Florida law, has been served. I hold nothing against the jury or defense lawyers. However, morally, this is a tragedy in every sense of the word. It moves me to the point of exasperation. A young man, walking home from buying candy, walks no more. Ultimately, I don't care if he was white, black, or green. He was a young man, a boy, with every right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These things, he was denied. And there are no words left to describe the grief . . .
Trayvon could be any one' s child. Anyone's......it is that simple for me. I tried my best to find the teachable moment in this tragedy; for the younger children in my life as well as for the grown ups. First line is all I have. I am saddened once again at the shocking result. I hope Florida and the parents that live in that state rethink what they want for ground rules. The current standards failed every one including Mr. Zimmerman. I care about the children though....more than the adult that failed to act in an honorable way. A coward that bit off more than he could chew that used his weapon to murder a child. And then that coward claimed self defense. That same coward who had 100 s ofprevious calls to 911 for black kids in his neighborhood. Not one call about a white kid. Of course that is irrelevant for this one case for Trayvon. But it speaks to his character. Coward. That is what bullies are at the end of the day. I'm pretty happy Trayvon went down fighting. It is the only thing bullies understand. Unfortunately it did cost him his life because it was not a level playing field. Guns are not the great equalizer. They are deadly when stupid has their finger on the trigger.
ReplyDeleteWell said and full of feeling, Elaine. I turn to comments here because FB comments are veering into place I do not want to go. Rather I will say that yes, as you say, Frank (and I wouldn't have thought to phrase it that way, but it is true and powerful for being true), Trayvon Martin was denied his right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. How he was denied Life is clear. Liberty—he was not free to walk as a young black man/boy nor to wear a hoodie without being percieved as "suspicious." And, the Pursuit of Happiness—all the kid wanted was a bag of candy, his own little momentary pursuit.
ReplyDeleteThank you, guys, for your well thought, well conceived and well written responses. Good stuff!!
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