So far we've learned the following from the death of Trayvon Martin:
1. No story no matter how seemingly clear and simple it seems from the outside, no incident is black and white. Like an onion that is peeled, there are hidden layers of nuance and fact. Take, for example, the pictures of Trayvon and his killer, George Zimmerman. Zimmerman’s initial picture showed a heavyset, brooding person. He looked like an enforcer from “The Sopranos,” while Trayvon, even in his football uniform, looked too small to tackle a peewee player, hardly physically able to challenge someone of Zimmerman’s demeanor and girth. Subsequent pictures show Zimmerman smiling and friendly, while Trayvon’s cherubic face has elongated and matured, shrouded inside a hoodie. The visuals provide a very different storyline our minds fill in until all the facts are known.
2. Have you noticed that the deceased is often referred to by his first name while the shooter is called by his last name? Is it a not so subtle way of inferring guilt and innocence as well as conveying boy status on 17-year-old Trayvon ?
3. In any alleged crime the victim as well as the alleged perpetrator will lose all semblance of privacy. Their pasts will become part of the story, either adding to their sainthood or demonization, depending on who is commenting.
4. Police will be challenged no matter their response, more so now that video of Zimmerman’s arrival at the police station apparently shows little to support the claim his nose was broken and bleeding and the back of his head was bashed.
5. Stand Your Ground laws invite vigilante justice or avoidable harm. When the only witness for the deceased cannot provide living testimony the law is a prescription for unacceptable remedies of suspect behavior.
6. Neighborhood Watch programs should be advisory arms of the police. Its members should adhere to police instruction. As the name implies, the volunteers are there to watch, not confront.
7. Politicians, especially presidents, would do well to refrain from commenting on criminal cases until all the facts are known. Doubtful Trayvon’s parents and George Zimmerman would want to smooth things out over a beer in the Rose Garden of the White House.
8. Our culture responds to symbols. That includes clothing. Gangs identify through colors and particular garb. A hoodie has come to symbolize non desireables. Not everyone who wears a hoodie is a hoodlum, but when the media always shows criminals in hoodies an impression is bound to be created. Geraldo Rivera was onto something when he cautioned parents not to let their teenage children roam the streets in an outfit that invites suspicion and fear. The hoodie didn't kill Trayvon, but the gang culture that has adopted the hoodie as part of its uniform surely contributed to the mindset that led his death.
