Friday, March 23, 2012

Trayvon Martin

The story of Trayvon Martin's death totally shreds me up inside. There are no words to describe it. I think I'm actually grieving, in spite of having absolutely no personal connection to the case. It's just a news story to me. But on the other hand, it's the absolute worst kind of reminder that racism is alive and well and deadly in my society. Being middle-class is no protection. Being a generally nice person is no protection. And worse, now that the victim is dead, the excuses are flying. It wasn't that he was Black... it was that...

Now I've heard people say that he shouldn't have been wearing a hoodie. Really? KMart sells hoodies. Macy's sells hoodies. I own two hoodies, and I'm wearing my brown one right now.

No, that's not it. He shouldn't have been black.

Like I said, I'm not attached to the case in any way, but I have a feeling that no matter what additional backstory comes out, it will never develop beyond that. I doubt there will be any dark secrets revealed to prove that Trayvon deserved to be murdered; deserved anything less than to be left alone.

This is not the world I want to live in - to say nothing of the world I want my son to live in.