Trayvon Martin's long walk to justice

Trayvon Martin’s long walk to justice

Race hustlers by the dozens have chimed in concerning the horrific death of a young Afro-American male on February 26, 2012 in Sanford Florida. Energized by this chorus of the lost media icons have resonated with their own spin on this tragedy, condemning the purported trigger man before all the facts have surfaced. Echoes of the Duke Lacrosse incident reverberate through many minds as the call for George Zimmerman’s incarceration grows louder. Mr. Zimmerman was performing neighborhood watch duties on the fateful night of Trayvon Martin’s death. Rain fell during the period Mr. Zimmerman followed Mr. Martin through the streets of the community now at the center of this national tragedy. Ambiguities arise to the exact elements of the confrontation between these two individuals. Details have a way of being spun. In this case, they have given many vertigo. Do the names Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Louis Farrakhan gyrate in your memory circuits? They have come back from the dead having been disgraced by their actions during the Duke Lacrosse debacle. The woman they defended in that case, before all the facts were in, went on to cruelly murder an individual whose only crime was he met her. Trayvon, from all the descriptions we have of him, stood much higher in the steps of life than these self-severing remnants of a past that should be buried. Recently an eye witness to the events of this tragedy has come forward with a story that may corroborate Zimmerman’s account of that night’s interlude. An altercation may have precipitated the discharge of a firearm causing the death of this unarmed teen. Once the witness has a chance to be vetted more thoroughly this case may take another spin. It was inevitable that Geraldo Rivera would attempt to capture some of the publicity surrounding this tragic event. Self-serving maneuvers are always at the core of Geraldo’s news pieces. This time he blundered by stating the hoodie Trayvon Martin wore may have contributed to the intensity that resulted in the tragedy in which we are aware. Wherever borderline media figures go at retirement, Geraldo should move there expeditiously. Our race hustling industry has called for street demonstrations and violent actions if the “facts” do not lead to the justice they want. Similar to the barbaric expletives annunciated during the Duke Lacrosse incident, Sharpton and the gang are back in the streets stirring up whatever trouble they can. Trayvon Martin deserves justice if the facts support the conclusion that he was a victim of Zimmerman’s overzealous actions that horrific night. In event the facts move this case in an alternate direction justice should move with it. Mark Davis MD, author of Demons of Democracy. platomd@gmail.com