Everybody’s Child?
A youngster goes out for a snack, simply something to munch on, and a sweet drink to wash it down with.
A man nearby sees him, and “suspicion” arises.
In a matter of moments, the unarmed teenager is dead, and the shooter calmly claims self-defense.
The cops come, summoned by passersby who witnessed the deadly transaction. They chat with the shooter, perhaps exchange information in the way usually done at a traffic accident, put in a call to the coroner, and leave.
Imagine the dialogue:
“Hey, guys. It’s self- defense.” “Yeah—looks like self-defense to me!” “Yeah—it looks like a good shoot.” “Yup—the kid punched me!”
“Hey—no biggie—self-defense; good shoot. You have a good night!”
No arrest. No real investigation.
Case closed—for weeks.
Now, imagine the same events, but with a slight change of place. The shooter is an older, bigger Black man.
The teenager is a white rap fan, who wears a hoodie. He’s unarmed. And he’s lying face down in the street.
How do you think the cops would’ve responded then?
The fact is, you know how they would’ve responded. And it wouldn’t have taken weeks, it would’ve taken minutes.
Who can doubt this?
And what does this say about the system?
Everything you need to know.
Trayvon Martin is just the name you now know. There are many nameless, faceless Trayvons.
And the real tragedy is, there will undoubtedly be more.
For the System isn’t broken.
It’s rotten.
—Prison Radio, March 24, 2012
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301 Morea Rd.
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