In my mind, this happening is not the problem. It is a symptom of the real problem. There is mistrust between different races. There is fear. This is just my take on that incident in Sanford, FL. Travon Martin was being followed by a "creepy ass white cracker" as he reportedly referred to George Zimmerman. He was uncomfortable. He didn't trust Mr. Zimmerman. Travon had no idea why he was being followed, and there was probably some fear welling up inside him. There may have also been a certain amount of anger there too, as Travon believed he was being profiled for being black. In fact, Zimmerman claims that Travon just turned around and attacked him, and that indicates there was quite a bit of emotion involved, whether it was fear or anger or both will never be known.
George Zimmerman claims that he was not racially motivated in this incident. He says he followed Travon because of the way he was walking up close to the houses and cutting through yards. No one but George knows what thoughts went through his mind before the incident. No one else knows his heart, but there were no prior incidents that have been dug up to prove he was a racist. George did find something about Travon's demeanor and actions to be "suspicious." Was he even subconsciously profiling Travon because of his race? I don't know? Maybe. Maybe not. Why would Zimmerman profile an African-American youth as a criminal or as out-of-place in the neighborhood? Maybe the answer to this question is getting closer to the root of the problem that led to this incident. Did Travon's response to the situation reinforce the fears and mistrust in the minds of white people in America?
George Zimmerman's description of the incident has Travon suddenly coming after him. Travon punches him in the nose and knocks Zimmerman down. Then, Travon is on top of him pounding with his fists. I'm not sure this is a "stand your ground" incident. How can it be? If George had a choice of run or pull the gun for protection and shoot before being attacked, that would be a "stand your ground" incident that would be covered by the law that Barack Obama called into question on Friday. George couldn't very well be standing his ground when he was flat on his back being pummeled. He simply used the gun for self-defense while under attack. If George had been a "defenseless" little lady, would this incident be viewed differently? I believe it would be. Is his arrest really a case of sexual discrimination then?
Now, back to President Obama. Obama said that Travon could have easily been his son involved in this type of incident. Then, Obama said it could have been him as a youngster. Is Barack Obama saying that he would have handled the situation the way that Travon did? Is he saying that a child he raised would handle a situation in this way? Barack Obama says that the "stand your ground" law didn't work right here, and we should take a look at the laws.
In fact, I believe that the self-defense law worked exactly as it should in this case. A man was attacked, and he defended himself with the gun he has a permit to carry. If we aren't allowed to use our concealed carry weapons to defend ourselves, then what is the purpose of having the permit?
If you want to figure out how to avoid this MessAPolitico in the future, here are some suggestions:
- Just lay there and let the attacker beat you senseless -- then the pain will stop
- Ask the attacker if he has a gun to establish if you're on a "level playing field"
- Turn and run full speed away from the attacker -- I hope you're fast enough to escape
- Have a sex change operation before being attacked if you are a man
- From the attacker's point of view, don't attack someone you don't know -- they might have a concealed weapon
- From the racially profiled young man's point of view, don't attack the person following you
- Turn around and say hello
- Continue walking away from the profiler or run if they are catching up (they can't say they are standing their ground if you are trying to get away from them)
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