"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Thomas Jefferson
On the night of February 26, 2012, the blood of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman spilled in the streets of Sanford, Florida. While Zimmerman left the scene sporting only butterfly bandages, Trayvon spilled so much blood that he died tragically on that rain drenched street. Jefferson's "Tree of Liberty," parched from lack of nourishment, drank its fill that night!! But, in this real life Jeffersonian tragedy, who plays the role of Patriot and who plays the role of Tyrant?
Having some experience with it, I know that the criminal justice system is not necessarily equipped to provide the MORAL justice we seek. Why? Because the "system" often employs people ill-equipped to participate in it, and the laws supporting the "system" are often horrifically flawed. State laws such as Florida's "Stand Your Ground" are often vile, ideologically motivated, and ill-advised. Prosecutors and/or defense attorneys are sometimes incompetent or inadequately resourced. Judges and/or jurors often harbor secret biases or prejudices. These biases are exacerbated by imbalanced jury pools heavily weighted against minority inclusion. Lack of minority inclusion is accomplished by insane drug laws which permanently strip minorities of the right to vote or serve on juries.
So, is it really surprising that Zimmerman was found "not guilty" by a nearly all-white, all-female jury incapable of relating to the plight of a Black teenage male, dressed in customary teenage clothing, innocently walking home from the store with tea and Skittles (while talking to his girlfriend on the phone) in a predominantly white neighborhood? Not really. The script was written, the scene was set, the lines were rehearsed, the actors were in place, and the die was cast long before the verdict was rendered. Final Scene: The victim, Trayon Martin, transformed into the scary, vicious, monstrous perpetuator.
Michael Vick kills dogs and gets jail time...Plaxico Burress accidentally shoots himself in the leg and gets jail time...Marissa Alexander, a Black Florida woman who fired a warning shot into the ceiling while being threatened by her husband, gets 20 years in prison...while George Zimmerman takes the life of an innocent teen, walks free and is returned the gun with which he does the dirty deed. The dutiful neighborhood watchman...free to racially profile, stalk and perhaps kill again!
But, the story shouldn't end there. An epilogue is still to be written. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice." He lived in a time when "southern justice" was criminal in its treatment of Black people. Obviously, King was speaking not about mere criminal justice, but moral justice. In a twisted and perverse way, the verdict delivered by the jury in the State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman may serve a higher purpose...the purpose of bending the arc of the moral universe more quickly toward true justice...a battle lost on the road to ultimate victory.
Zimmerman may have been judged criminally "NOT GUILTY," but he is morally RESPONSIBLE for the death of Trayvon Benjamin Martin!!
The Zimmerman verdict highlights a moral gap in America's views on race, class, culture, public policy, and criminal justice. I'm hopeful that it will serve to accelerate the closing of those moral gaps in our society. And while George Zimmerman and the other Tyrants of "gun culture" stand their ground inside "Castles of Paranoia," Trayvon Martin will take his rightful place alongside the many Patriots whose blood have nourished the roots and splattered the leaves of that precious "Tree of Liberty."
We should follow the dignified and elegant example of Trayvon's parents while heeding the President's call for calm reflection. Still, how much more "Stange Fruit" must the "Tree of Liberty" be forced to bear?
...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ZyuULy9zs
Until we rendezvous...
Peace!!
Mr. D, I was not at all surprised by the verdict. I felt before the trial started the verdict was already "NOT GUILITY". My verdict is YES, but now what! what do we do as a community besides march to get the well deserved justice. I can predict what we will do, not a darn thing. We will continue to set back and just talk about it. Yes, there are a few of us have the notion to do more, but we can't do it alone. African Americans, are the largest group to pump billions of dollars per year into the white American economy, and the figures show this year we will top the previous years numbers by one trillion dollars. Do we have power, I would say we have plenty of power, say so and might. I feel deeply for the Martin family, their son could have been one of our sons. If we want to pay Trayvon the respect he deserves, I would dare to say, lets us reach into the power we posses,(our pockets) to hurt the Florida economy the way our feelings are hurt. We can make CHANGE with every dollar we earn by providing strong and honest law practices, CPA practices, teacher coalitions, ground root education in our community regarding politics, and banking practices (etc).
ReplyDeleteI am tired of marching, YES, but now what!
Frankie, it is always great hearing your insightful comments. I think we must remain hopeful in the aftermath of these horrific events. Marching doesn't solve problems, but it may awaken the unconcious, motivate the shiftless, and shame the beneficiaries of white privilege.
DeleteWe must mobilize our power to VOTE for changes in the law and public policy. We must also remind our youth that evil snakes don't change their hearts, they just shed their skins. In the sixties, Malcolm said it's the ballot or the bullet. We must first use the power of the ballot coupled with moral discipline...because the alternative is to join the NRA enmass and, like the original Black Panther Party, arm ourselves for "self-defense."
I can't say I was too surprised by the verdict. The Black man in general is not valued highly in America ...
ReplyDeleteSup, Morgan!! As usual, you speak truth. The value of young, Black men are at an all-time low with heavy trading. Even during slavery, whites couldn't just kill a brother without paying a fine!! It seems that America valued us more when we were chattel property than as full human beings.
DeleteThanks for checking me out brother, and keep writing great work!!