The trial of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin is over, but the angst is not. A jury of six women found Zimmerman "Not Guilty" of...everything. The debate about Zimmerman's guilt and whether he got away with murder rages on and probably will for some time, but the issue is not confined to just this one situation. For those who cheer Zimmerman's actions, he is a hero who did what any law-abiding citizen would have done if confronted by a black thug. To this faction, Trayvon Martin was in a place he did not belong for no valid reason, and that alone made him suspicious. These people have a larger issue: back men/boys are inherently criminal and must be treated as such. For this group, George Zimmerman did nothing wrong when he followed Martin around the neighborhood, got out of his car (against the advice of the 911 Operator), handled a loaded gun, confronted Martin, and shot and killed him. In their minds, Martin could and should have been the one to avoid the situation. From their perspective, Martin was wrong...dead wrong.
On the other hand, those who feel Martin was a victim, see this situation as a very small part of a very large picture. The picture they see is one in which black men have historically been criminalized in this country and their lives are of lesser value than others. Trayvon Martin is not just a black boy who was killed by a person who profiled him based on his race and what he was wearing, he is every black man in America, past and present, who has ever had to be weary of his place in this country.
This is my son:
He is 6 years old. He is silly as all get out, has the most infectious laugh, loves superheros, Netflix movies about Dinosaurs are his favorite, has asthma, is highly intelligent, loves to cuddle with me, and he is my snack buddy! This little boy is, and I may be biased, the Bees Knees! He is also black. He is a little black boy who will one day become a black man in a country in which his life means so little to those who will judge him only on the basis of his skin color. His laugh, his smile, his intellect, hobbies, curiosity, etc. will mean nothing to those who will place a historical burden and bias on his shoulders.
That frightens me as his mother. Having followed the Zimmerman case from the moment it came to National attention until the reading of the verdict, I have even less faith in the American system of justice and the idea of living in a "post-racial" America. Of course, no one I know actually believed the "post-racial" hype, but I will admit to a bit of cynical hope.
I am afraid. One day, that little boy will be a man. Will he ever be in a situation in which someone thinks it is okay to take his life because of their preconceived notions and prejudices? Will he have to constantly be aware of how others perceive him and do all he can to not come across as threatening? Will MY son be seen as a criminal only because he is black? I fear the answer to all of those questions may painfully be, yes.
My son has both his parents, we do all we can to provide him with every opportunity at success, we limit access to the things we believe he is not ready for, and so on. It is our heart's desire to provide him with all the tools he will need to be a successful and productive member of society. We will, also, have to tell him there will be people in this society who will want to hurt him, believe the worst of him, and think of him as less than worthy of respect and life simply because he is a black man.
I have told my children they will have to be the best of the best because their will be those who will always consider them second best. This is a heavy burden for a child to have to bear. This takes away the whimsy of childhood. That breaks my heart, because, like many mothers of black boys, I know my son is awesome. I do not know what his future holds, but I know I am afraid for him now and then.
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