TRAYVON MARTIN COULD BE MY SON OR NEPHEW
I am so proud to be a Black Woman in America! We are making history again by taking a stand against stand your ground laws and about the senseless random killings of our black males. Black people are extremely strong and I don't think people give them enough credit for surviving all that they endure. The Death of Trayvon has been a like a Tsumani waking up the world. We know that the story is not a new one as the same story is repeated daily, but this story in particular was no longer a story, but a major drama series that all channels were tuned into for watching and listening.
The outpouring of love and support for the Martin and Fulton family was humbling. I asked myself if I could have been as calm, cool and collective as Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin were regarding the death of their son, the trial and the verdict. It truly takes special people walking in their Faith to have stayed as strong as they did, for as long as they have. To have people make assumptions and character assassin your child can be like pouring salt in the already irritated wound.
For this past year I personally felt like I knew Sybrina Fulton, Tracy Martin and Trayvon Martin as I was taking the journey for justice with them. When you have the responsibility for the life of a child it can definitely pull and tug at one's heart strings. Our children depend upon us to guide their way, protect them and love them; and when we as parents lose control of the safety that is so expected from us, by our children, it can truly shatter the worlds of both.
The Protests and Marches exemplify that we are a people of Pride and we do not have intentions of laying down anymore and playing dead. Our lives have value just like anyone else, we are educated, we are mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, sons and brothers. We deserve the right for fair treatment and justice under the laws of the land that we helped build. This country is our country and we have the right to experience freedom on the highest levels offered by God. No indivdual has the right to dictate the life expectancy of another solely based on assumptions or racial bias. We as a people have sat down quietly for way too long now, and it's time for change. We can be the change agents if we continue on the peaceful path while still penetrating the system with our voices.
The case of Trayvon Martin has reopened the necessary dialogue regarding race and the judicial system. We can be hypocritical and make the claims that ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, or we can actually change the laws to reflect the laws and claims already on the books. How can we have laws that state all men are created equal and then we treat various races differently? How can the laws be changed to reflect equality for all men, if the very people in charge of enforcing these laws manipulate them to satisfy their own biases?
The justification and camoflauge of injustice is becoming old and tiresome, enough is enough already.
Trayvon Martin will forever be in our hearts and we cannot allow our voices to be silent or become weary, for the battle is not over, it has just begun. This battle wears the faces of our children and our grandchildren; and we are truly stronger than we give ourselves credit for, so therefore we need to step up to the plate and bat peacefully. We have been through a great deal of innings, but in the game of baseball you keep coming back even after three strikes, there are more innings to play.
The reaction to this verdict has become a wake up call for America, as well as a mirror on what has been transpiring from generation to generation. The world is viewing how we handle our own households before we try to dictate theirs. If we as a country cannot treat our own fairly, how can we step foot into another country and dictate Democracy? Again, that would be considered hypocracy.
Trayvon Martin's death has sparked questions needing answers, as well as confirmations about unequal treatment in our world and in our judicial system. We may all have our various versions of what transpired between the late Trayvon Martin and the freed George Zimmerman, but the bottom line is the life of a Black young male was taken too soon, especially for a teenager that was just walking home and minding his own darn business.
Tears have been shed around the world for the loss of Trayvon Martin, a teenager who was just being a teenager; who lost his life soley due to the assumption of one man. This man started a fight and then killed a young man who was defending himself from being attacked(everyone has their own version, this is mine). This was the only person left standing and his word took precedence in a society who didn't believe the decease to be worthy of a guilty verdict. We welcome the discussion just as warmly as we want to bring true awareness inside the hearts and minds of the people.
We do not want to lose anymore of our children, so let's join forces and allow our voices to be heard. We must embrace our Black Men, young and old and let them know we are there for you, WE GET IT!
Written by Sharock P.
