AFTER George Zimmerman was found “not guilty” by the jury for the death of 17-year-old African American teenager Trayvon Martin, civil rights advocates, community leaders, and the family of Trayvon Martin called on the Obama administration to file federal charges against Zimmerman.
They say that Martin’s civil rights were violated by Zimmerman, stemming from racial hatred.
Rallies and demonstrations have been going on across the nation to protest against the decision of the jury. Protesters contend that Martin is dead because he was profiled as a criminal by Zimmerman, just because he was black and wearing a hoodie. All he was doing that tragic night was walking back home to his own neighborhood.
Critics of the decision allege that the jury (composed of six women: 5 Whites and 1 Hispanic) was also biased against Martin because he was black. They allege further that the Stand Your Ground law has not been a right accorded to people of color in the court of laws.
The Stand Your Grand law (which was enacted in 30 states, including Florida) takes away the duty to retreat and gives the person the right to “stand his ground” to protect himself. This means people could defend themselves even outside of their homes, with deadly force if necessary, if they believe someone was trying to kill them or seriously harm them.
It did not matter to the jury that Zimmerman went against the instructions of the police dispatcher, for him to stay in his car and wait for the cops, who were already on their way.
Neither did it matter that Zimmerman, who followed the teenager like a “wanna-be cop,” went over and above what he could do as a neighborhood watch coordinator.
The juror interviewed on CNN said they concluded that Zimmerman acted in self-defense because during the few seconds before he pulled the trigger, Zimmerman was really scared for his life.
The juror said they did not believe race played a part in the shooting of Martin by Zimmerman. He would have done the same thing in self-defense, whether Martin was White, Asian or Hispanic.
But many people disagree and contend that at the heart of this tragedy is a hatred against people of color.
This is why civil rights advocates are putting more pressure on President Obama, the first Black president, and Justice Department Secretary Eric Holder, the first Black DOJ chief.
Clamor to repeal the Stand Your Grand law has also grown stronger, with people calling on others to boycott Florida until such legislation has been outlawed.
When Martin was killed by Zimmerman in 2012, Pres. Obama expressed sadness and said Trayvon could have been his son.
Last Friday, Obama said “Trayvon could have been me”… and shared his own personal experience to share the perspective of African-Americans and why they react the way they do to the acquittal of Zimmerman.
The president, however, reaffirmed his earlier message.
“The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy. Not just for his family, or for any one community, but for America,” Obama said. “I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher.”
The president went on to remind Americans: “But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities.”
“We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis. We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this. As citizens, that’s a job for all of us. That’s the way to honor Trayvon Martin.”
In his speech, Justice Sec. Eric Holder shared parallels between his own life and the claims of many that Zimmerman racially profiled Martin. Martin was African American. Zimmerman’s father is white, his mother Peruvian.
As Washington Post reported, Holder recalled being pulled over twice by police on the New Jersey Turnpike as a young man and having his car searched, “when I’m sure I wasn’t speeding.”
Another time, he said, he was stopped by law enforcement in Georgetown, while simply running to catch a movie after dark.
“I was, at the time of that last incident, a federal prosecutor,” Holder said dryly, prompting some in the audience at the Orlando Convention Center to gasp in disgust and others to shake their heads. “We must confront the underlying attitudes, mistaken beliefs and unfortunate stereotypes that serve too often as the basis for police action and private judgments.”
While he personally denounced the Stand Your Grand law, he could only say that the Justice Department will continue on its investigation of the case, to determine if a federal case may be filed against Zimmerman for violating the civil rights of Martin.
We asked our viewers of Balitang America if they agree with the jury’s “not guilty” verdict on our daily poll, Isyu Ngayon. A big majority of those who voted (63 percent) said yes.
Some asked other kababayans to let Zimmerman go on with his life and start anew. “He was acquitted by a jury, I don’t think you want hang a innocent man.”
Others argue that this boils down to the issue of race. “Wala pa ring karapatang patayin ang isang tao dahil lang sa kulay ng kanyang balat at stereotypes.”
Some lament over how both parties have politicized the issue. They say “the jury has spoken and the law was interpreted by the judge. Juries do not decide on cases just because how they feel about the case, they vote on the judgment based upon the evidence presented to them.”
Still another person shared online how the tragedy causes him to worry as a parent: “A lot of people make this about race. One day they will realize that they’re really supporting the fact that any lunatic can provoke then open fire on their kids without witnesses and claim self-defense. Zimmerman is a coward that rightfully got his butt kicked by an unarmed high-school kid. I’m happy the last thing Trayvon did in this world was to defend himself,” said rl10001.
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
