Shooting black kids is okay.. or America, we have a problem.

I couldn't settle on a catchy title and I really don't want to make this about George Zimmerman. This business of white adults shooting black teenagers for any reason that they see fit is getting out of hand.  The statistics say that black men are more likely to be killed by another black man  than a white man and I know America has other problems. However I am not interested in statistics and today the rest of America's problems can go to hell. This is about a Florida court finding it to be no big deal that a man with a gun stalked a young boy in his car, followed him through the streets, got out on foot to go hunting for him, and in the ensuing struggle became "fearful for his life" and killed that boy. That this is somehow plausible and even acceptable to so many, including apparently six jurors, sickens me. 

I have heard and read all I care to about "the facts" and "the evidence" and the prosecutors' witnesses. You know what? I don't care about any of those The only pertinent fact IMHO is that an adult who had a gun killed a kid who didn't have one even though the kid had committed no crime and was doing nothing more offensive than walking. . I know that a reasonable person placed in that situation does not kill that boy. I can say this because I have been in that situation MANY times in my life. When I have seen boys walking through my neighborhood who I knew didn't belong there, and whom I suspected might be up to no good. And I have yet to shoot any of them. Was it reasonable that Zimmerman wanted to keep tabs on Martin to make sure HE didn't break into anyone's home or what have you? Sure .. Was it reasonable that he would get out of his car and go hunting for him? Especially after being told by the police NOT to do so? This is where Zimmerman loses credibility with me. You already called the cops.. They are sending someone out.. Why are you still stalking this kid? People have argued that he is not a racist. To this I say bullshit. Here in America we are all racists. We all have views of other ethnic groups. Some positive, some negative, all based on race. So can we shitcan that argument for all time? Yes the more enlightened among us can rise above these prejudices and still  love and be fair to others not like ourselves, but that does not change the fact that we have those feelings? Not one iota. And frankly I have seen no evidence that George Zimmerman is particularly "enlightened." 

But let's not leave out the Sanford Police Department's role in this travesty. THEY are the ones who basically brought Zimmerman in for a "chat" and let him go without due diligence. Even if George Zimmerman is not a racist, the officers who performed the initial investigation most certainly are. How else do you explain their behavior? A 17 year old kid lying dead and you just "question" the guy who killed him? You just accept his story that the kid was beating his ass and that he, being a good citizen, was initially perfectly willing to accept said ass whuppin but later changed his mind and shot the kid? And even though he had the gun the whole time, he waited until there was an altercation to reveal that fact? Had not identified himself to the kid at all? And basically it takes weeks of public pressure for anything substantive to be done? The biggest light of shame in this absolutely must fall on George Zimmerman, but let us not leave out the cops who botched this thing from the git go. And no one will convince me that Trayvon Martin wasn't unimportant to them because he was JADN (just another dead nigger.) People will take offense at this characterization. Too bad. All too often, we've seen the courts and law enforcement treat the death of a young black person as if it was of little more importance than a cat being stuck in a tree.

Which brings me back to my original point. America has a serious problem in this area. It's a recurring theme in our history. And a message that keeps being repeated. "Killing black people is okay..." Amadou Diallo, Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin and now this Jordan Davis kid. People are really quick to buy these "plausible explanations" for why these people got shot. Again I must remind that I am fully aware of the statistics for black on black crime and that many more black people are killed by other black people than by white folks.  But here's where I part ways with the "facts." Generally, these other homicides have a "reason" behind them. Women are killed by exes, people, both perps and robbery victims, are killed in robberies. Gang violence claims a huge number as does drug related crime. But tragic as any of those circumstances may be, and they ARE tragic, "walking through the neighborhood" or "playing music too loud" should not be on any list of reasons to be killed. But if you are a young black male, that is very much the reality. And that shit has to stop. I don't do drugs and I haven't committed any robberies lately. But I walk through the neighborhood and play my music loud several times a week. To think that I am putting my life at risk every time I engage in those two activities (at least I would be if I lived in Florida)!?!? Boggles my mind!!! 

So this has really been a long winded rant leading up to a very simple plea. If you are a transit cop, or a beat cop, or a neighborhood watch wanna be cop, or just a random dude pumping gas, STOP SHOOTING BLACK PEOPLE. I appeal upon anybody who reads this who knows someone who fits the George Zimmerman "profile" .. talk to them.. let the know that if they kill somebody you will testify against their asses. Let them know that taking another human life is not an acceptable way to deal with anything. Remind them that these people that they harbor this hatred for are still human beings. They are somebody's son husband father daughter mother wife. They have every right to life that you do. Even if they are the biggest scumbags on Earth.. you have no right to execute them. We have a judicial system that is supposed to handle that. Though at this point who trusts that beast? I sure as hell don't. We've all heard the reports that Trayvon Martin was a "thug" and a "troubled kid." So f-in what? This is the same "blame the victim" defense that rapists use to justify rape. "She was dressed provocatively" and "she was asking for it!" Trayvon Martin was a kid who no doubt had done plenty of stupid things in his young life. Maybe more than some of us, but probably less than others. To my knowledge he had done nothing that warranted killing him.  Period.


The media has been blamed for leaping to conclusions on any number of these cases and in some ways I guess it has. But frankly these stories need to get out. They need to spark dialog. And they need to spark action. The George Zimmerman's and Michael Dunn's of this world need to be outed. We as a society need to place a scarlet letter on them so that everybody who comes in contact with them knows what's in their hearts right up front. As long as they stay hidden from view, events like this will keep happening and everyone will keep acting surprised and outraged. The fact is racism, bigotry and hatred are alive and well in our country. We need to accept that fact and deal with it head on. The first step is talking it out. Face to face, man to man, woman to woman. whatever. Not talking head style on CNN or Fox News. I mean real people talking real issues. Agree, disagree, argue.. whatever.. but for the love of God.. talk.. get to an understanding. Even if you agree to disagree, I have often  found that you can learn more from talking with people who disagree with you.than from affirming yourself with those of like mind. It's more enriching to be challenged than to hear "you're right" all the time. Though clearly in this instance, I am obviously "right."