"In Memoriam..."

The sad truth about this tragedy is this... It didn't have to happen.

George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin are both responsible for this.  Did George Zimmerman fear for his life in the encounter that he forced upon Trayvon Martin?  Well, a jury of his peers accepted that argument.  Should he have been on the street, armed with deadly force, profiling and then following a black 17 year old merely walking along the streets minding his own business? No, of course he shouldn't have, but he did, and so he bears the majority of the blame.  

But in this, young Trayvon also shares some of the blame for his own death.  Like all foolish teenagers who at that time of life believe in their own invincibility, Trayvon was still a boy in a man's body.  And he made a tragically inmature decision to turn and fight when confronted by George Zimmerman.  In my family we were taught a fundamental truth from our earliest childhood days... My mother would tell us, "If you see trouble, go the other way, because if you're not there, you can't be in it..."  I don't think Trayvon ever heard that advice.  My parents instilled this belief and course of action in their children because they knew we lived in a world and in a society where the color of our skin would lead others to prejudge us and assume the worst about us first.

My heart bleeds for the loss of another young life snuffed out before it began... but I see it and deal with it in my work everyday and I know it will go on, perhaps not as famously as in this case but even tomorrow will bring another tradgedy to the lives some family I've yet to meet.  But this is the truth that I know, until we (people of color) stop glorifying violence and a culture of death, it will continue to be easy for the George Zimmerman's of the world to see us as criminals up to no good, even if all were doing is trying to enjoy an iced tea and some Skittles.

"Fear Eats the Soul"