Trayvon Martin

I really wanna keep this as brief as I possibly can (nope). I've had so many fleeting thoughts and emotions behind this incident, as have millions of others across the country and around the world. I'm going to leave my emotion out of this post, but of course my heart bleeds for anyone who suffers the loss of a loved one to gun violence, let alone parents losing a child.

First, the media's spin on informing the public about this story and its spin on the two primary characters involved, Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman, have intensified my skepticism of mainstream news' ability to present unbiased, truthful information. It's beyond disgraceful. It's beyond disappointing. But it shows me the nature of my society, how easily we allow them to get us emotionally riled up, going through our lives reacting constantly at what's being presented before us instead of asking questions and gathering all the facts. I admit I'm guilty of this.

Second, once I was able to calm down emotionally, I realize the double edged sword this case is regarding race. At one end, this case is not about race. It's about one human being who viewed another human being as "suspicious", "suspicious" meaning something specific and unique to this human. His actions and the subsequent actions of his local police department in Florida are sending a loud and clear message, and so will the actions of the Dept of Justice and the FBI. Depending upon the outcome of this case, the message will be that if I am in one of the 29 states that have adopted the "Stand-Your-Ground" statute, and someone views me as their brand of "suspicious," they have the right to follow me, question me and if they feel "reasonably" threatened by me ("reasonably" to be determined by local law enforcement based upon what??? hmm), they don't have to retreat; they can use deadly force against me, and then claim self defense. THIS REASON ALONE is enough to warrant national attention of this case, because this is infringing upon my basic civil right to walk down the street of my own neighborhood in peace.

On the other end of the double edged sword, it's difficult to ignore race. The consensus is that because Trayvon was Black, he was stereotyped and discriminated against. It's more difficult to speculate whether he would have suffered the same fate had he been another race.

Third, speaking of race and discrimination, I will simply say that we as Americans, in 2012, are still not ready to have an honest discussion about this, because our issue here is no longer about blacks vs whites. The bottom line is: ANYBODY can be prejudiced and discriminate against anybody. Please understand what I'm saying. I'm not talking about systemic racism. George Zimmerman was not 100% Caucasian, so this is not a white vs black case as the media initially attempted to allude to. If we really want to get to the bottom of our issues concerning discrimination based on race, all of us need to be honest about the thoughts in our conscious and subconscious regarding others outside our racial group. Along with race, it's about ethnicity and pop culture and "social norms." And our FEAR of and inability to understand and/or RESPECT those who aren't part of ours.

Finally, one major understanding as a result of this case is that someone has finally presented what I consider to be a logical argument supporting gun rights in this country. As easy as it would be for someone to conclude now that our country should ban guns, it would not be wise nor responsible. There are people out here who are going to do what they want to do regardless of there being a law in place or not. People are going to use guns to commit crimes and other dumb actions. Unfortunately the media's coverage is skewed (no surprise) on the people who do this, creating fear and paranoia in the public. Guns should not be banned because there are people who utilize guns for a purpose other than violence. Banning guns strips these peoples' rights to TRULY defend themselves which creates more harm than any good recognized as a result of banning guns at all. I know it's really, REALLY hard to agree with that sentence in the midst of what's going on right now. But regardless of my personal view, the option needs to be legal and available to all who may find themselves in a situation, because the consequences otherwise are far worse.

For Those Who Question My Faith

I serve God by keeping my mind open, for one. I don't consume harmful amounts of high fructose corn syrup and meat. I don't hate homosexuals. I don't ridicule people. I see the beauty in nature. I read books. I challenge myself to respect the choices and views of those who I disagree with. I do my best to be mindful of the choices I make.

I find it quite interesting, a group of people who pride themselves on the ability to believe in the existence of something that can't be seen...will turn around and condemn their neighbor if they can't SEE the existence of their faith.

Understanding that the mind and the heart are two of the most important tools in serving the creator. Keep them open and free from fear.