Chances are you've seen tweets and Facebook posts from angry people about a 17-year-old black youth killed by a crime watch volunteer last month in Florida. People are demanding answers as to why unarmed Trayvon Martin was shot by George Michael Zimmerman on his way home from the corner store.
People are demanding justice and holding rallies and candlelight vigils in the boy's memory. People are again wondering why another unarmed black man has been gunned down for seemingly no reason. In Martin's case, the high school junior was visiting family in a gated community when he encountered Zimmerman, captain of the neighborhood watch group. Trayvon was returning from a convenience store and was confronted by Zimmerman, who had called the cops to report a "suspicious person" in the neighborhood because of recent crimes in the community.
The Sanford Police Department has turned the case over to the state attorney's office, saying it completed its investigation. Prosecutors now must decide whether to charge 28-year-old Zimmerman with a crime. He says he acted in self defense and police have considered the case to simply be manslaughter. Neighbors called Zimmerman a good guy who was alert to burglaries, drug use and drug dealing and blame young black men. Martin's family portray Zimmerman as a wannabe cop with a concealed weapons permit. He patrolled the neighborhood carrying a 9-mm handgun and confronted Martin simply because he was black and wore a hoodie.
What do you think? Is racism a factor here? Or is Zimmerman's attempt at heroism gotten out of hand? Either way, a young man's life is gone all over a bag of skittles in his pocket.
Updated: Hear Zimmerman's 911 call HERE where it appears to sound like he says, "These n*ggers, they always get away." Before killing Trayvon.
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