As
I get older, I become more observant. I watch for signs
of sincerity from my vantage point of societal politics.
As an idealist, I listen for the sincere dissemination
of news, fact and information so that I can accurately
inform my constituents in order that they may make informed
decisions. In regards to the ongoing saga surrounding
the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on February 26,
I�ve observed the behaviors of America�s constituencies - as usual, divided along
racial lines, with each protecting their interests. No
surprise there. For the group supporting George Zimmerman,
protecting liberty is sacrificed in favor of protecting
their interests.
As
I noted in a previous commentary on this topic: Trayvon
Martin was shot by an over-zealous citizen patroller under
the guise of looking and acting �suspicious� and the usual
suspects have staked out positions based on long-held
perceptions of crime and race. Analyses of the prima facia
incident would hopefully lead one to make judgments based
on not only the inherent fairness within the human spirit,
but because each of us has a stake in advancing good public
policy.
What
is keenly obvious was the immediate and acutely polarizing
divisions of opinion along racial lines, no matter how
straightforward the facts: A white Hispanic male citizen-patroller
follows a young, Black male - who in an instant becomes
�suspect� because the white male perceives him as suspicious.
The citizen�s civic duty results in the shooting death
of the �suspicious one,� a Black male - again.
What
immediately unfolded following the shooting was an oft
visited scenario that leads whites to question the unknowns,
and thereby �reserve judgment�. On the contrary, Blacks,
nationwide, acknowledged the �knowns� in this equation:
the shooting in the back of an unarmed Black male; the
circumstances of the shooting; the timeliness of the police
response; and collusion between law enforcement and in
this instance, the shooter. Anything other than the �knowns�
creates a �cloud� that leads Americans to miss the point:
an unjust shooting of an unarmed American.
As
Black Americans across the nation cry racism, whites across
the country see a �rush to judgment.� I posit that, as
a Black American, the rush is toward justice so often
deferred and ultimately, denied, when Black males are
the victims. Blacks have elected (this time) to not accept
America�s
legacy of unequal protection under the law - in this case,
protections to ensure the integrity of a thorough, transparent
investigation by the Sanford, Florida Police Department.
Why would anyone malign such a demand? White commentators
across radio, internet and television networks persisted
in their assertion that Blacks �drummed up� the cry of
racism. Come now. Really? The facts justify our cry.
What
we see in this criminal case is law enforcement�s selective
and deliberate �leaking� of information aimed to disparage
murdered victim Trayvon Martin. Leaks, such as �multiple
school suspensions� and marijuana use, formed �clouds
of distraction� - tools used successfully in the past
to exonerate guilty white males. In reality, even if true,
the leaked information has absolutely nothing to do with
George Zimmerman�s illegal act of fatally shooting an
unarmed, innocent person.
Much
like the tactics of neo-conservative politics, a disinformation
campaign began to cloud the issue. The shooter�s family
began appearing on news networks, recounting both Zimmerman�s
�Black friends,� and how he was attacked and physically
assaulted by Martin. His nose was broken in the confrontation
and his head bashed repeatedly against the concrete�so
claimed his family. The attempts to try Zimmerman in the
press and defend his character, reputation and behavior,
were nothing more than obvious attempts to protect �one
of their own.� In the name of justice and liberty, we
cannot allow such clouds to blind us. Not again.
Yet,
we do know that the police failed to interview eyewitnesses
immediately following the shooting. Why, when memories
are freshest immediately after an incident? In a CNN Interview,
an eyewitness contradicted Zimmerman�s story by saying
the shooter (known only because he was the one who got
up and walked away) was on top of the �the smaller man�
and that they were in the grass, as evidenced by the police
surveillance video that showed police wiping grass - not
blood - off the shooter�s jacket.
This
witness is relevant because white America sees the need to �wait until all the �facts�
come in to determine guilt.� Insane! Enough facts were
already known to gain an indictment and arrest at the
scene of the murder. Such rush to judgment occurs most
of time when Black males are accused of a crime! What
Black America wants is what ALL Americans should want:
justice.
The
good thing is the disinformation campaign began falling
apart and even the defenders of traditional processes
were left in an indefensible posture. The clouds of distraction
began clearing and Americans are seeing this incident
for what is: premeditated murder. That�s their story and
this time, they�re sticking to it. Perhaps, we�re fortunate
to have so many non-Blacks with us on this one.
Allow
me to also add that this cloud-clearing was no organic
evolution of American justice. It came only because of
the well thought out strategizing of the Martin family
and their advisors. To hire a legal advocate who understands
social change and the power of organizing, to understand
the tactics of �trial by press,� to understand the need
for demagoguery in a time of desperation, is not by accident.
I applaud the Martin family for �doing something� now!
Most of us wait, expecting someone else to act, but the
Martin family took matters into their own hands.
Although
enough evidence existed to arrest Zimmerman on day one,
we prayed that the Florida Attorney General�s investigation
would lead to his arrest. It did. Now, we stand vigilant
as the motions and hearings begin, as he has pled not
guilty to the 2nd-degree murder charge. The trial could
be years away.
Meanwhile,
the Black community and our allies will Occupy For Justice
by occupying the Justice Department on April 24 at 11am
in Washington, DC to continue
the pressure on our elected officials to dispense justice
in accordance with the facts and the law. The involvement
of the DOJ and FBI must label Zimmerman�s cowardly and
heinous act for what it is: a hate crime and an attempted
cover-up by the Sanford Police Department.
What
I know is that guns only embolden typically rational humans
to act in inhuman ways. The Sanford Police Department
initially believed Zimmerman�s claim that he acted within
the Florida�s
NRA - and Wal-Mart-backed - �Stand Your Ground� law. This
belief clouded George Zimmerman�s mind and, apparently,
the mind of the police, too. A rational, unclouded mind
hopes that members of the police department also will
be arrested. Anything less is justice denied.
BlackCommentator.com
Columnist, Perry
Redd, is the former Executive Director of
the workers rights advocacy, Sincere Seven, and author
of the on-line commentary, �The
Other Side of the Tracks.� He is the host of the internet-based
talk radio show, Socially Speaking in
Washington,
DC.
Click
here to contact Mr.
Redd.
