The Lynching of Trayvon Martin

Reuters reports that:

"The February 26 shooting death of Trayvon Martin has shaken Sanford, a small city near Orlando, Fla. The 17-year-old was shot by George Zimmerman, the white neighborhood watch captain of a local gated community. His only crime was walking from a 7-Eleven to a nearby home in the pouring rain.

Martin's parents and black community members are outraged at the way Sanford Police have handled the investigation. There have been no charges in the neighborhood watch shooting, and there are accusations of police misconduct and witness contamination.

Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee claims he does not have probable cause to arrest Zimmerman, but that may not actually be true. Just before the shooting, the neighborhood watch leader called 911 to report a suspicious person, explains the Orlando Sentinel. Sources tell ABC that he was ordered to wait for officers to arrive.

Instead of listening, Zimmerman got out of his car and went after the teen on foot, chasing him between two rows of townhouses. A fist fight broke out, and a 13-year-old boy told the news outlet that he saw them on the ground but separated. Even though he outweighed Trayvon Martin by more than 100 pounds, Zimmerman claims he then shot the unarmed teen in self-defense."

CNN provides additional details:

"When you add it up, it just doesn't even make sense," said Ben Crump, the Martin family's attorney. "Trayvon Martin, a kid, has a bag of Skittles. (Zimmerman) had a 9 mm gun. Trayvon Martin didn't approach George Zimmerman, George Zimmerman approached Trayvon Martin. So how can he now assert self defense?"

According to CNN, the case is now in the hands of the State's Attorney. Yet, while Trayvon Martin's family continues to grieve over the loss of their dear son, George Zimmerman remains free as a bird. That's a damn shame!

This situation raises serious questions. Why did Zimmerman leave his home to harass Trayvon Martin after the police told him not to? Why did Zimmerman chase Trayvon Martin? Zimmerman weighed 100 pounds more than Trayvon. Trayvon Martin was unarmed. Why did the police believe Zimmerman's ridiculous self-defense claim?

The answer to all of those questions can be summed up with one word, "race". Trayvon Martin is a modern day Emmett Till. Martin's killing is a modern day lynching. He was harassed and killed just for being a young, black man in a predominately white community. By virtue of his skin, he was presumed to be a criminal, a thief, a thug and a gangster. There is no other rational explanation for this horrific tragedy.

Black people, are you going to let Zimmerman get away with killing this young brother? What are you going to do?



We cannot let this injustice stand! We must keep up the pressure on the State's Attorney Office through petitions, demonstrations and blogging. We must call for the immediate resignation of Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee. We must demand that the police department release all of the 911 tapes regarding this incident.

Get involved today. Let your voice be heard. Start by signing this petition calling for George Zimmerman's prosecution! We cannot rest until Zimmerman is arrested and charged for killing Trayvon Martin!

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.