Scenes from the Protests Seeking Justice for Trayvon Martin, and Justice for All

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Thursday, March 22, 2012
image of a black man and a black woman walking in the middle of other demonstrators
Trayvon Martin's parents Tracy Martin, left, and Sybrina Fulton, right, take part in the Million Hoodie March in Union Square Wednesday, March 21, 2012 in New York. [AP Photo]
image of a crowd of demonstrators from above
Supporters of Trayvon Martin march through Union Square during the Million Hoodie March. Thousands of protesters turned out to demonstrate against the killing of the black unarmed teenager by a white neighborhood watch captain. [Getty Images]
image of a group of protestors, one of whom, a black man, is holding a sign with an image of Trayvon Martin, reading 'We Are All Trayvon Martin'
Supporters of Trayvon Martin rally in Union Square during the Million Hoodie March in New York City. The protesters marched through the streets after holding a large rally in Union Square. [Getty Images]
image of the hand of a young black person holding up a bottle of iced tea and a bag of Skittles
A protester holds a bottle of Ice tea and Skittles which is what the 17-year-old Trayvon Martin is reported to have been carrying when he was killed by neighborhood watch person, George Zimmerman on February 26 in Sanford, Florida. [Getty Images]
That last picture. When I came to that last picture in the wire photos, I just collapsed into great heaving sobs. These are the things this child was carrying.

Relatedly: University of Notre Dame and Purdue University researchers have identified a "phantom gun phenomenon," finding that the "mere act of holding a gun makes it more likely that you will perceive an object as a gun."

In a decent culture where gun ownership wasn't prioritized over virtually every other Constitutional right, that sort of finding would immediately call into question the wisdom of "Stand Your Ground" laws. If "holding a firearm makes you more likely to see innocuous objects as guns," that means "Stand Your Ground" laws will inevitably result in "mistaking" iced tea and Skittles for a gun, especially in combination with the additionally perception-altering effects of racism.

Of course, opponents of "Stand Your Ground" legislation did predict this would happen. But dirty hippies are always, always, to be ignored, never mind how many bodies get racked up in foreign wars or domestic streets.

Finally, a piece of highly recommended reading: Danielle Belton's "No Apologies: On The Killing of Trayvon Martin and Being 'Good'."
Labels: , , ,

Shakesville is run as a safe space. First-time commenters: Please read Shakesville's Commenting Policy and Feminism 101 Section before commenting. We also do lots of in-thread moderation, so we ask that everyone read the entirety of any thread before commenting, to ensure compliance with any in-thread moderation. Thank you.

blog comments powered by Disqus