Editorial
St. Trayvon Martin
And as to his beatification, even if Trayvon Martin is not necessarily the panacea for today’s race related elements, the fact is that there’s progress – another down payment, excuse the pun – in terms of social capital towards racial equality.
Of course, we sneer at the use of the ‘equality’ here. We know that as long as the American system continues to exist the way it does, things will be slow to change. It is the system that failed Trayvon Martin. It is the system that allowed someone to bring a loaded weapon to an altercation with a kid. It is the system that presented young black males as threatening – and it is the system that puts the burden of proof on the prosecution to demonstrate, beyond reasonable doubt, that George Zimmerman felt threatened enough to use his gun on poor Trayvon Martin’s heart.
In this, the big old system proved fair and just. The 6 jurors did their job and now, they can go back to living their American dream. Bless their hearts.
Nonetheless, Trayvon Martin is still dead. What does a death in the black community mean? After all, black kids are killing each other each and every day. What is another one to us? After all, this black kid “did drugs”, “he had a gun”, “he wanted to be a gangster”. “He was bad”. What are we to do? Surely, he cannot be like those beautiful angels shot to death in a school in Connecticut.
No. This is different. This was a 17 year old boy who wore a hoodie and was “threatening”. What are we to do as a society but to close our books and go home for the weekend?
And to this, we say No. Enough. We will not go quietly into the night. We must yell out in anguish until we pass out of breath. We must say his name over and over and over again until God hears us. We must call out for justice – not against George Zimmerman – but for the system. That evil system.
The Habari Network Editorial Board,
