When a president or a monarch dies it becomes a matter of national importance. Flags hang at half mast and flowers line landmarks to signify a loss and a feeling of grief shared by a large majority of the public. In the case of a president like JFK, investigations are conducted and the authorities seek justice and a sense of closure. Yet when an innocent African American teenager is murdered in cold blood, there is no national ceremony. In actual fact as last months events show, there is no sense of importance attached to the death at all. We now have a racist system so tightly woven into the fabric of American society, that it’s hard to find any traces of humanity within the judicial process.

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George Zimmerman was an Hispanic neighborhood watch dog for a gated community in Florida. Trayvon Martin a 17 year old African American youth, had the unfortunate experience of crossing his path on the way home from buying a packet of skittles. Zimmerman rang his superior to inform him of a young male who he described as “looking suspicious”. In reality, Trayvon was a regular teenager minding his own business. He rang his girlfriend to express his fear that someone was targeting him. As he shouted for help he was shot at point blank range by Zimmerman. He died almost instantly. His 16 year old girlfriend who remained on the phone is still tramautised by her experience.

Trayvon Martin

After his death, any right thinking individual would have expected Zimmerman to go to jail. And you can imagine the shock felt by Travyon’s family when he was allowed to walk home free of any charge. His exscuse “self defence”. So let’s digest that one. A teenager returning from a shop with a packet of skittles, supposedly intimidated a fully grown man with a gun, to the point that Trayvon lost his life. What would have happend if it was the other way around and Zimmerman had being carrying the skittles and Trayvon the gun. Would any of us share the belief that murder was acceptable? We can guess what the cops would have done.

Those of us familar with cases such as Sean Bell know this is nothing new. Protests have begun nationwide in America. Many people are choosing to wear hoodies to highlight how judgements made on race or clothing are irrational. Spike Lee and Will Smith have lended there support to Trayvon’s family. As has Obama, although I personally was dissapointed with how long it took him to speak out. The most shocking thing is Zimmerman is yet to be arrested. Listening to a hip hop song the other day I was struck by how spot on the lyrics were.

On “Fed Up With That Bullshit”, legendary emcee Big L. rapped almost prophetically about the same issues we see played out today:

To me they ain’t nothin but harassers
That misuse they badges to whip niggas’ asses
Then one day they slow rolled through the hood

With the .38s cocked, 2 deep, up to no good
They say that my skin was black so they attacked
Threw me on the back and stuck a gat to my fuckin cap
One murdered my man like it was okay

For the life he ended he got suspended with no pay
But if a man woulda took the cop life, he woulda got life
And never again see the street lights, and that’s trife
Around my way they shot many teens

And them cops better stop, or I’ma stop em, by any means
The Big L won’t hesitate to cold diss em
And if you ask me, muthafuck the whole system
There are too many young black brothers doin life bids

Cause justice means ‘just us white kids’
So take heed to the rhymes I kick
I’m about to flip, cause I’m fed up with that bullshit

Rapper Jasiri X released this song dedicated to Trayvon:

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Deaths like this should serve as a wake up call for all of us that taught racism died in America when Obama came to power. Tragedies like Trayvon’s passing prove it’s alive and well.

PADDY