Racially-Charged Politics in America

The oldest race-relations entity in the United States has gathered a petition with 450,000 signatures for the purpose of proving to the justice department that they must, as a result of popular outrage and demands, reopen a civil rights investigation against George Zimmerman, the neighbourhood watch individual who took his assumed duties very seriously indeed. He is partly Hispanic, and the teen-age Trayvon Martin with whom he had a violent encounter, was black.

Although it might make sense that two visible-minority groups, both of which have suffered injurious rights issues in their country might find common cause with one another in insisting on the values of equality being extended unconditionally to their individual ethnic groups, relations between the two are not always harmonious. But that's an aside. What black Americans, incensed that Mr. Zimmerman has been found not guilty of second-degree murder in the death of the youth contend, is that his racist attitude caused the death.

It's far more likely that he viscerally reacted to the incident of seeing a young man he didn't recognize in his neighbourhood as being a punk, out for mischief, set on doing no good to anyone. It's how he characterized his initial response to the presence of Trayvon Martin who did him no injury, but simply was walking along in the gated community on his way from a convenience store to the house where his father was staying with his girlfriend.

Mr. Zimmerman's sense of entitled responsibility to his community included his volunteer badge and familiarity with local police, along with his possession of a registered firearm. He felt, although he was cautioned by the police with whom he came in contact that night, that it was his duty to follow the young man. His actions both alerted and alarmed Trayvon Martin who obviously feared that someone was behaving in a manner that directly threatened him with violence.

His reaction, described by Mr. Zimmerman as an attack on himself that caused him in turn to fear for his life, was predictable enough. Seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin took the initiative to protect himself from a perceived predator, and the older George Zimmerman, unable to match the physical prowess of the younger man, drew his firearm and killed the youth.

It was an accident that his own aggressive zeal to protect his community from a perceived threat caused.

Death by unfortunate misadventure. Trayvon Martin was not at fault for his own untimely death. George Zimmerman is, through the default of an fatal event occurring as a result of his own decision-making despite cautionary advice to desist. Accidents do happen, even those caused by stupidity, and this was a stupid accident by all accounts.

Trayvon Martin had only his fear and his hands to protect him; George Zimmerman had his fear and his gun. Clearly, no match.

The worst that could have happened to Mr. Zimmerman is that he would have come out of the exchange well beaten physically and perhaps mentally chastened. The worst that happened to Trayvon Martin is that because of an incident that no one might have imagined might be conceivable in a civilized society, his life was tragically forfeit.

What the NAACP might be advised to do at this juncture is to calm the heightened emotions of their followers and supporters by standing down from their position, and turning their long-overdue attention elsewhere. To the culture in the United States of America among black youth where petty crime, drug-dealing, ignorance of civility and defiance of authority is prevalent.

Where a stark division exists between and within the black community, of largely law-abiding citizens all too often victimized by their own fears and resentments fuelled legitimately enough by past issues of dreadful discriminatory practices and crimes. Where black-on-black crime, inclusive of murder and celebrated by rap 'music' has become the culture.

And where fear of black gangs is prevalent as a result in the larger society.

Does that not comprise an issue of far greater urgency that needs addressing than this sadly unfortunate affair? The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has just issued a study concerning homicides among youth in America, having dropped in the last 30 years among youth aged ten to 24.

That's the good news. The bad news is that there has been no drop in homicide rates among young black men.

"If we really want to reenergize the declines in youth homicide and try to knock it off where it is right now as the third leading cause of death for young people, we need to be more proactive and focus on primary prevention" of violence, suggested Corinne Ferdon, a behavioral scientist with the CDC's Division of Violence Prevention and an author of the report.