Well, it's Monday, July 22, and the finger-pointing over the shooting of Trayvon Martin is still going on. The NAACP is advocating an investigation to determine if Geoge Zimmerman (the shooter) is guilty of a hate-crime, while cries for "justice" ring out at rallies in a 100 American cities for Trayvon Martin (who was shot). Some people are suggesting that Martin's death is comparable to the killing of Emmitt Till, and many more believe that Zimmerman "profiled" Martin, and then hunted him down, like a hunter would hunt down his prey. On the other hand, there are many people who believe that Zimmerman had every right to protect his neigborhood and that Martin was out of place in that setting (a white, gated community). They maintain that race had nothing to do with Zimmerman's pursuit of Martin, and they believe that, in the midst of the struggle that ensued, Zimmerman had to protect himself. In their view, George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin in self-defense and charges should not have been filed against him in the first place.
I've been reticent to speak out on this matter for several good reasons. For one thing, I've been overwhelmed with sadness for all of the innocent people involved, and in my mind, they're all innocent- Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, and their families. One is dead, one is a persona non gratis, and several of them are heart-broken. As a pastor, father, and an American, I am very sad today. There is definitely an injustice here, but it's much broader than this one incident. Moreover, I can't bring myself to say much about the trial because I didn't follow it closely enough. I don't know the law well enough, and I don't know what instructions or options were available to the jury. When I listened to the now famous juror, B37, on TV, I was struck with her biases and with her sincerity. She was looking at things as a white woman, no doubt, but I believed her when she said that the jury had worked hard to reach the right verdict. I am convinced that the jurors did the best they could. However, I'm disappointed in the public reaction to this tragedy. Instead of a mature dialogue about the fears and differing views involved in this interracial collision, we hear little more than name-calling and defensive comments that have little, or nothing, to do with the incident itself. I have heard, from my own dear friends, that the liberal press is deliberately displaying recent pictures of Zimmerman and out-dated pictures of Martin (which do not show how big and ominous he really is). They point out that nobody honors the victim when a black man kills a white person, and that, what the liberal press calls "profiling" is simply good judgment and commone sense. But my liberal friends do little more than cry "justice for Trayvon," without acknowledging the HUGE divide between black and white in our country. Old arguments about whether black men are unemployed because they're unmotivated or because they've been "held down" have resurfaced, and it seems as if time has stood still over the past 50 years. The same old, tired positions offer no more hope than they offered in the past. When are we going to face the fact that we are living together in a house that's getting smaller by the day?
If healing begins with confession, I must confess that I CAN relate with George Zimmeran's initial fears. If a racist is someone who discriminates against others on the basis of skin color, I am not, and will never be, a racist. However, if we're using the word "racist" to refer to someone who is not color-blind, then I have alot of soul searching to do. I consider myself to be enlighted, but if a saw a young black man with a hoodie wandering around our neighborhood, I would be concerned. It wouldn't be a typical experience and, given the images of black men that I carry in my head (ranging from baggy pants and rappers to dead-beats and criminals), I would become fearful. With this in mind, I will not throw stones at George Zimmerman, but surely, young men like Trayvon Martin have a right to be themselves, without being attacked, just as yuppies and red-necks do. Given the diversity in values and opinions that are closing in on all of us, we had better find a way of responding that is not based on denial and violence. Concerning everyday Christianity, my primary reaction today is to pray for reconciliation... based around respect and honesty. I also pledge to work for change by examining my own heart and ridding myself of baggage that leads me to devalue the ways and dreams of others. If each of us would do these simple things, it would be helpful.
I have a great grandchild, whom I love dearly. He is a child of the south, who (I am sure) will learn to value things like NASCAR and guns. I am the great uncle of two beautiful black children, whom I love dearly. They are children of a different culture, and I'm sure that they will come to value the things that their world holds dear. One of these two children is a little boy. He is a wonderful and loving little boy, just like my great-grandson. Should they meet one day, I pray that neither one of them will be afraid of the other! Amen.
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