"They always get away." These were the words George Zimmerman uttered as he followed and later shot Trayvon Martin -- words that reflected his belief that Trayvon was one of "them," the kind of person about to get away with something. How ironic these words sound now in light of the jury verdict acquitting Zimmerman.
Trayvon is dead, and Zimmerman is free. Who was the one who got away?
Can we respect the jury verdict and still conclude that Zimmerman got away with killing Trayvon? I think so, even if we buy Zimmerman's story that Trayvon attacked him at some point. After all, who was responsible for initiating the tragic chain of events? Who was following whom? Who was carrying a gun? Who ignored the police urging that he stay in his car? Who thought that the other was one of "them," someone about to get a away with something?
The jury has spoken, and we can respect its conclusion that the state did not prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. But we cannot fail to speak out about the tragedy that occurred in Sanford, Florida, on the night of February 26, 2012.
Was race at the heart of it? Ask yourself this question: If Zimmerman had seen a white youth walking in the rain that evening, would he have seen him as one of "them," someone about to get away with something?
We'll never really know, of course. But we can seriously doubt it without assuming that Zimmerman is a racist in the conventional sense of the word.
Racial bias reverberates in our society like the primordial Big Bang. Jesse Jackson made the point in a dramatic way when he acknowledged that he feels a sense of relief when the footsteps he hears behind him in the dead of night turn out to belong to white feet. Social scientists who study our hidden biases make the same point in a more sober way with statistics that demonstrate that we are more likely to associate black people with negative words and imagery than we are white people. It's an association that devalues the humanity of black people, particularly black youth like Trayvon Martin.
George Zimmerman probably saw race the night of February 26, 2012, just like so many of us probably would have. Had he not, Trayvon probably would be alive today.
The jury has spoken. Now, we must speak out against the racial bias that still infects our society and distorts our perception of the world. And we must do something about it.
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Sincerely, Richard Cohen Contact online. |
https://theblacklist.net/
Comments
Mr. Cohen,
With all due respect, I do not agree that race was the primary motivation for setting Mr. Zimmerman free. I believe that this is yet very clear example of creating a wedge between the Black and Hispanic community. Very soon, these two constituencies will make up the majority in America and whites will be in the minority.
The very last thing white America wants to do is to see these two groups merge and follow common interests and goals. You see the Hispanics know little about the Blacks who marched, fought and won the very civil rights that are now being used by them to demand immigration reform. They have no idea that the favored treatment they are currently receiving will only last while they are 'useful'.
It is up to aware Blacks and Hispanics to educate both groups of the power of unity rather than division. On that note, let me say, murder is murder. Whether the person was Black, white, yellow or brown matters not. What matters is the rule of law - not man's law - God's law. Anyone remember, "An eye for and eye. Tooth for tooth?" Yet, the white American judicial system is making this nation more dangerous and politically polarized than ever before.
So race was a 'factor', yes, because of the media portrayal of all Blacks as dangerous, violent and 'getting away with something', which is ludicrous. Mr. Zimmerman seems to have become a victim of the media hype and got caught up in the moment. Too bad. His life will never be the same and of course, the same can be said for the Martin family and relatives.
But what must never be lost is the underlying motive for the huge media hype about this case - keep the Black and the Hispanic community from ever coming together to deal with the issue we both share in common - global white Supremacy syndrome. Peace.