Trayvon could be my son

Yesterday afternoon, George Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder. Finally! Except I don't feel at peace with the situation. I remember the Casey Anthony trial. She deserved the verdict that she got. The state should've had her dead-to-rights but they botched the case. Now with Zimmerman I expect nothing less. The Sanford Police already did their best to screw up the investigation and any chance at a conviction, I expect the same for the prosecution. That's really sad.

It's not that I'm bloodthirsty for a Zimmerman conviction. That certainly won't bring Trayvon Martin back. I would like to see the wheels of justice work just as hard to convict Zimmerman as they would to convict any black man had he killed a white victim. There you go playing the "race card" again. Yea who cares. In fact if there were such a thing as a race card, it's like the Jack of Spades. It might win you a book occasionally, but it's not the end all be all. It pales in comparison to White Privilege, which is definitely the Little Joker; it'll win 98% of the time. Now if you don't know anything about spades disregard that last part and continue reading.

I've been pretty silent on the Trayvon situation, especially as far as blogging and social media goes. Honestly, I just didn't have the energy. I was too outraged and simultaneously discouraged. But the other day I thought about my 15 year old nephew. He's 6'4 and expected to be seven feet tall by the time he's finished growing. And guess what, he's black. Unlike Trayvon he's not a feathery 140 pounds; he's well on his way to 200 pounds of teen muscle.  If you don't know him, he can definitely be an imposing figure. But then again people tell me i'm physically intimidating and I'm a mere 5'11, 200 pounds. When I look in the mirror I see an average sized black man, but the white women clutching their purses feel otherwise.  And when I look at my nephew I see a huge kid who still watches cartoons, reads comic books, and is generally a fun, goofy guy. But I also know that's not how the world will see him.

And that's where the Trayvon Martin situation frustrates me. Trayvon was supposedly minding his own business walking to his home; yet "fear of the black man" led George Zimmerman, a guy with less authority than mall security, to pursue Trayvon despite warnings from the 911 operator; and to pursue him with a loaded gun.  How can I raise a black child in a world like this, let alone a black son?! Why am I forced to tell my children they must operate under a different set of rules than those established by society simply because hundreds of years of racism has led many people to believe their skin color is inherently criminal?

And then there's Geraldo's comment about the "hoodie being just as much to blame".  He later apologized, but he meant what he said the first time. He meant to blame the victim. Because in his world of privilege, a black man isn't allowed to cover himself in adequate clothing for comfort or protection from the rain. So I guess that means I'd have to tell my son that if it's cold and raining he has to get wet or freeze just so a certain segment of the population won't think he's suspicious. That's ridiculous.

I then think about two little boys i know. They're cute and adorable. They're mischievous like any other toddler boy. I said that to say there's nothing inherently bad or evil about them. I know their parents will raise them with good values and to be productive citizens of society. It breaks my heart that one day someone might think they're criminal, even if they're not doing anything wrong, simply because they're Black.

Over the past month and a half since I found out about the Trayvon Martin situation, I've engaged in many conversations about the case. I'm always amazed at how people really think there's two sides to this case. I consider myself a fair and reasonable negro, but there is no way I can even remotely conceive of a situation in which George Zimmerman's actions were appropriate.  Regardless of Zimmerman or Trayvon's race. I hope a reasonable and fair jury thinks the way that I do. But I'm not holding my breath. I just hope we as a society are ready for the result and response, no matter which way the verdict turns out.

Felt good to blog again,
J-Full