The Trayvon Martin Case

It comes down to race, the Original Sin of the United States. The acquittal of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin has me shaking my head again, and wondering when we will ever stop picking at the scab of the never-healing wound of racial peace and equality in this country.

Let me say for the record: I have no doubt that the jury which acquitted George Zimmerman must have believed that he was in genuine and profound fear for his life when he discharged the bullet which ended the teenager's life. Nevertheless, I cannot let go of my belief that Town Watch volunteers are not vigilantes and are not to be armed with deadly force. George Zimmerman was armed. Similarly, Town Watch volunteers are not to approach suspicious persons, but are to report such individuals to trained police officers. Yet George Zimmerman chose to approach Trayvon Martin. Had Zimmerman made other choices on that February night, Trayvon Martin would be alive today. Perhaps Zimmerman's most egregious lack of judgment was the arrogant belief that a black youngster had no business walking in his neighborhood.

So where are we all to go from here? Maybe I start by considering my own history with race. I grew up in a mostly white neighborhood with Builder Generation parents whose ideas of race were far from what we would consider enlightened. It was not uncommon for me to hear the “n” word used at the family dinner table. Once, while at a college party in the late 1970's, I stood in shocked silence for a few seconds after a pretty young black woman asked me to dance. I had to assure myself that accepting this invitation was not a moral outrage or a crime against nature. But today, I see no such hesitation among young people. Today's youth are not “color blind” as I've heard it said. Rather, they seem to be “color-appreciative.” The various races have cross-pollinated American life with lush and diverse cultures, and I see an openness in them which is exciting and hopeful.

But just as I celebrate our advances, the Martin/Zimmerman case emerges to tear an ugly scar across the progress we've made.

As a Christian clergyman all I can do is encourage us to take time to mourn this setback in our journey towards peace and understanding. Yet, in our mourning, we must not neglect to hope. To use the old Biblical analogy, we are all like Moses and the Children of Israel wandering in the wilderness. We are still a long way from the Promised Land. We still need to know hunger and thirst for righteousness and justice. We still need to gaze upon the poisonous serpent of our mutual suspicions before we can look into the faces of our brothers and sisters and see them for who they truly are.

I will pray for the families of both Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman and for the communities which will feel the pain of this incident. And I will continue to hope.

 

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Thanks for reading, friends. Hey! Just for giggles, would you take a minute and sign my petition asking Pope Francis to invite Lutherans back to the Communion table? It's been 500 years. I think it's time we patch things up, don't you? And it can't hurt to ask, right? Just click on petition.