Racism, Lies and Videotape

I have been searching for the past week to strike the right tone on another post about Trayvon Martin. I have rewritten the post at least four times, dissatisfied, because I am so angry. I was first focused on Trayvon, the kid who wanted to do something in the aeronautical industry, the kid who transferred in to arguably the best public school in northern Miami-Dade County, Dr. Michael M. Krop SHS and who was spending his afternoon classes at the George T. Baker Aviation School. Yes, this is the same kid who was suspended for possession of a trace amount marijuana and a pipe, the same kid who might have written graffiti (WTF) on a school door with a paint pen. But the last I heard, suspension was the penalty for those behavioral problems, not death.

I have struggled with the fact that while Trayvon Martin was wrapped in a body bag and taken to the morgue that no one even bothered to ask around in the neighborhood that he was visiting to see if anyone knew him. No one thought this black teenager could possibly have been there for reasons other than criminal or mischief ones. And no one did any testing of George Zimmerman to see if he was under the influence of anything other than his own bias.

I have read moving posts on the I Could Be Trayvon website. 

I am newly worried about one of my African-American GAL youths, who is a talented but sometimes angry 17 year old male and who is often out late, and reliant on public transportation that leaves him walking through neighborhoods to get home.

I've heard Rush Limbaugh saying that George Zimmerman just "got a little overzealous" and Geraldo Rivera say that it was a hoodie that was as much at fault in Travyon Martin's death as it was a gun and a gunman.

We have all heard that Trayvon Martin assaulted George Zimmerman, left him bloody and in fear for his life, leaving poor, poor George with no other option than to kill the young man he may have called a coon on a 911 call. (Which hey, I'm so surprised, isn't a racial slur, Joe Oliver! Thanks for educating me. Not.)

But all I need to do is watch that silent video above. It answers so many questions for me that all I'm left with is wondering when we'll hear about an arrest. And not just of George Zimmerman.

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Hoodie Salutes

The Miami Heat via LeBron James' Twitter account.

U.S. Representative Bobby Rush, D-IL, who was pulled from the House Floor.

NY Senators Kevin Parker, Bill Perkins and Eric Adams, wearing hoodies in the NY Senate Chamber.

Keith Olbermann

Everyday Americans Plan Support

Image credit: Seth Wenig, AP

And finally, there's this guy, who sure thing, was pretty dangerous in his prime. ;)

Muhammad Ali, The Greatest.

© Bright Nepenthe, 2012