Slowly, steadily, relentlessly, the news of Trayvon Martin’s killing has spread from Sanford, FL, to kitchen tables and sidewalks around the world. In less than a month, “the hoodie” has become the symbol of all that’s wrong with the “Stand Your Ground Act.”
“If I had a son,” said President Barrack Obama this morning, “he’d look like Trayvon.” Transparent code for what I would never have to tell my son: Please don’t wear a hoodie, don’t be outside after dark, keep your eyes down, do nothing that could be suspicious.”
Walking while black. Driving while black. Standing on a corner while black. Shopping at the mall while black. White people can have no idea what that means to black people, how it affects the foundation of one’s life and the raising of one’s child. We can try, we can listen and learn. We can be outraged. We cannot know.
What can we do? First, we can do the symbolic. At 3 p.m., Sunday, an ad hoc group offers us a somber, peaceful opportunity to respond publicly. The Hundred Hoodie March begins at Rockford City Hall, continues across the river and concludes at Founders Memorial. And, please, they ask, wear a hoodie.
The Rockford march is one of dozens spreading around the country. Follow Rockford’s on Facebook.
Second, we can learn and listen.
The Trayvon Martin killing comes in two parts: (1) the legal nightmare created by the National Rifle Association and state legislatures who support the Stand Your Ground Act; and, (2) the cultural collision created when fear, ignorance, anger, aggressiveness and hopelessness mix with centuries of racial stereotypes to bring us the tragedies of two families — Martin’s and George Zimmerman’s.
The 17-year-old high school student died in February when Zimmerman, a 28-year-old neighborhood watch captain, tracked him, ignored the cautions of the police to stay in the car, and then pulled a gun and shot Martin dead.
Trayvon Martin looked suspicious, Zimmerman said in his 911 call. He fretted that these people always get away. There’s one place where Zimmerman may have said “F-word coons,” a classic racial epithet that eventually could undermine his claim of self-defense.
Zimmerman has not been charged because in Florida and 20 other states, the Stand Your Ground Act says you can defend yourself — with deadly force — if at any time, any where, for any reason, you think you are in imminent danger. You don’t have to prove it; you just need say it. Unless there’s evidence to the contrary, you’re free to go. Gang bangers love this Stand Your Ground Act.
There’s no Stand Your Ground Act in Illinois. We use the more common Castle Doctrine, a descendent of old English common law that says a “man’s house is is castle,” and he’s free to defend his dwelling with lethal force if he’s threatened. Some states with Castle Doctrine laws also include a vehicle and the workplace.
Let’s make sure the General Assembly has no intentions of inviting the NRA in for a confab on legislation promoting a Stand Your Ground Act for Illinois.
That’s the legal side. The cultural collision is tougher, less tractable. We’ve generations piled on generations of being fearful and suspicious of anyone who doesn’t look, act, talk and think like we do. That fear and suspicion cuts across all races and ethnicity. It is not simply white ignorance of black. It is black of white; Latino of black; the combinations are virtually unlimited.
I make three presumptions: I will never need to tell my son not to wear a hoodie. I oppose the Stand Your Ground Act. And, I know this stew of tragedies did not have to happen.
ABOUT WORDS: The word “racism” by itself doesn’t help because most people go from “racism” to “racist,” which is a judgment and label and can only alienate. “Institutional” or “structural racism” are useful words. But the phrase that most applies to this tragedy is something we can all become aware of and work to overcome: “racial conditioning,” – the barrage of message EVERYONE is assaulted with that perpetuate the lie that white is good and Black is bad. It penetrates our unconscious, and even if we are consciously “anti-racist,” it affects us. And sometimes people act quickly – especially when they’re scared, sometimes with tragic results. Everyone is affected by racial conditioning, and we need to all unite to uncover it and overcome it to the best of our ability. And we all need to know that just because we have been affected by racial conditioning, that’s not an excuse for behavior that demeans or hurts or kills another person.
You are jumping the gun on this story – so to speak. A witness has come forward and the “evidence” he gave, something liberals don’t always bother to look fors in these incidents – it’s much easier to stir up race hatered, said the boy was on top of Zimmerman and Mr. Z was yelling for help. A witness told them he was going to call 911 and report the incident and the boy was killed.
The witness said TrayVon Martin was the agressor, with Zimmerman receiving a broken nose and abrasions on trhe back of his head where the 17 year old was hitting it on the sidewalk.
The only thing to do with racism is that black males commit 2 time the crimes as their white counterparts, as so Zimmerman was following him as was his job.
Hey, Ted. Glad you’re reading and congrats on the wins. On the other hand, what in heaven’s name does any of this have to do with liberals? Lands, man, it’s just wearying to have everything framed in us-versus-them political terms. And, anyway, go back and read what I posted again. Didn’t say what you said I said.
Honestly Ted, where was this witness before now? The 911 tape demonstrates that George was following Trayvon. If George had just stayed away, perhaps the entire situation would not have happened. How is it that George is not the aggressor? Trayon was a 17 year old of slight build and George was a MUCH bigger guy and he had a gun. How could George have been intimidated? If he had stayed away and not confronted Trayvon there would be no story. And honestly, the color of those involved shouldn’t matter. The police did not do their job and investigate this incident. How is it that the boy that was killed had drug and alcohol tests run on him and the guy that shot him did not have any drug or alcohol tests? That seems to show some bias. Both should have had the tests. Rich, poor, black or white all such incidents deserve proper investigation. That did not occur in this case and hopefully in the future police will do their jobs and properly investigate.