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| Trayvon 'Slimm' Martin. Promising student, beloved son. Killed by vigilante gunman without cause. |
Zimmerman, disguising himself as some sort of vigilanty neighborhood watch patrol official, followed, chased down, and killed Martin and claimed self defense as he stood over the deceased Martin with a nine millimeter weapon in his hand.
Martin, however, was unarmed. The only items in his possession: a pack of Skittles, a beverage, which he purchased that evening at a neighborhood convenience store, and his cell phone used in his final moments on this earth to tell a female friend that he was under seige by Zimmerman.
Martin was visiting his father in the Sanford, Florida (a shoot first, ask questions later state) gated community when he was fatally shot. His body laid in a city morgue for days before his parents were even contacted. Law enforcement had Martin's cell phone in their possession the night he died, but his parents were never contacted until after they filed a missing persons report.
Finally, the 911 call tapes were released where Martin could be heard pleading for his life just moments before Zimmerman (not suspected to be in his home land of Israel), calling Marting everything but a child of God, fired two shots into Martin's young body. [Caution: The audio you are about to hear is chilling. It may not be safe for work, or recommended for young children].
A witness, hearing the young Martin pleading for his life, comes forth. She expresses that what she heard did not indicate that Zimmerman was in jeopardy, but that it was Martin who was in fact, in distress.
The killing has sparked a nationwide outrage, with community activists, celebrities and national news media all coming to the defense of Martin and his family.
The Justice Department, for what it's worth, has launched an investigation. A statement from the DOJ reads as follows:
“The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the FBI opened an investigation into the facts and circumstances of the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. The department will conduct a thorough and independent review of all of the evidence and take appropriate action at the conclusion of the investigation. The department also is providing assistance to and cooperating with the state officials in their investigation into the incident. With all federal civil rights crimes, the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a person acted intentionally and with the specific intent to do something which the law forbids – the highest level of intent in criminal law. Negligence, recklessness, mistakes and accidents are not prosecutable under the federal criminal civil rights laws. The Community Relations Service will be in Sanford, Fla., this week to meet with civil rights leaders, community leaders, and local law enforcement to address tension in the community.”
We've seen cases like this before: Troy Davis, Amadou Diallo, Rodney King, and scorns of other Black males who were either beaten or gunned down in the street like animals, with no one being brought to justice.
Nearly one month after George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin - he has yet to be jailed and charged.
Zimmerman remains free, not even bonded, for his crime, while the parents of Trayvon Martin are victimized a second time.
"We are tired of our babies being shot and killed", said one caller who called into the talk show of civil rights activist Al Sharpton.
Sharpton, and other radio hosts plan a rally in Sanford, Florida later this week.
No official word on the tragedy of Trayvon Martin comes from the nation's first African Amerian president, who saw fit to contact a white Georgetown University woman after being attacked by radical talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, for using birth control.
Fortunately, members of Congress have spoken out.
Today, Chairman Emanuel Cleaver, joined his fellow Chairs of the Hispanic, Asian Pacific American, and Progressive Caucuses, urging Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to immediately review the Sanford, Florida Police Department’s actions in the February 26, 2012 shooting death of 17-year old, Trayvon Martin, and the release of his alleged killer, George Zimmerman. Public statements made by the Sanford Police Department’s Chief of Police, as reported in various news outlets, raise serious questions about whether the Department’s investigation into the shooting was conducted with the integrity and impartiality expected from law enforcement agencies. Given the fact that nearly one month has passed and Zimmerman remains absolved of any responsibility for the shooting, the Chairs strongly urged the Attorney General to ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted of the shooting as well as the actions of the Sanford Police Department, to ensure that fairness and justice are served.
Read the letter in its entirety at their site.
Martin's death has sparked a city-to-city movement. A Million Hoodies March will take root in New York City, the city that knows all too well about the plight of Black men under attack by city police, has begun by organizers of InterOccupy who plan a march and rally on Wednesday, March 21, starting at Union Square.
Watch the video for details.
On their web site these remarks can be found: "Throw on your hoodies and come gather in Union Square to show your support for justice for Trayvon Martin!A black person in a hoodie isn’t automatically “suspicious”. Let’s put an end to racial profiling!"
Help bring justice for Trayvon and his family. To get involved visit http://www.justicefortrayvonmartin.com/Activism/index.html.
You can also show your solidarity by wearing a hoodie and tweeting the hash tag #WYHWTM (Wear Your Hoodie Wednesday for Trayvon Martin).
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