We Are All Trayvon

I speak no greetings. Not tonight.

This week, I address an issue of pure emotion. I tell of heartbreak, of loss, of anger, and of defeat. They say that things have changed, that we've moved on. That we’re beyond what once made us the worst among the crowd. That America is a haven, that we’re the best. We’re number one, they say. But in that decision handed down by that jury Saturday night, we can see that they are wrong. This week’s quote comes from Malcolm X, a civil rights activist of days past.

If you’re unsure of what I’m talking about, let me inform you: George Zimmerman was found not guilty in his trial for the death of Trayvon Martin. It has been some time since the crime occurred, so I’ll refresh the memories of those who have not been paying attention. Not long ago, Trayvon Martin was walking home in Florida. George Zimmerman found him suspicious, and followed him. An altercation followed, in which Zimmerman sustained some injuries and Martin died. The time spent without trial is what ignited national debate about gun laws and race in America. And now, this verdict has sparked the debate once more.

I will not talk about the gun control side of this. It’s clear what’s wrong there, what should be done, and what I think of it by now.

Instead, tonight I draw attention to racism. Let me be absolutely clear that this verdict was, as opposed to what many would say, entirely about race. I guarantee you, if this was a white man that killed a white boy, nobody would care as much. If a black man killed a black boy, nobody would care. At least, not on a national scale.

Because this was a white man that killed a black boy, it drew eyes and ears. And I am unequivocally glad that, for a few moments, we had no option but to pay attention. We really need it.

America is no haven. America is not just. We know that for certain now.

After the verdict came to light, I thought of another time it was revealed that America has racism troubles. I reminded myself of the riots inspired by a verdict acquitting the white cops who viciously attacked Rodney King, a black man. Those riots were some of the most violent in a long time in America. People died and got hurt. Property was damaged, and rage exploded on the streets. I’m sure racists then were quite giddy; proof that black people were nothing more than angry apes! And what more could these people be, without the right to be human?

They say that America is not racist anymore. And they would think that; without laws saying minorities are less than whites, it is easy to think that. But what is written does not always dictate what happens. Murder is illegal, but I assure you someone has been shot while you read this sentence. We can say we are an equal society, one where progress, security, and freedom are not based on the color of one’s skin. But we are only fooling ourselves if we do so.

Racism lives on in America, through various forms. Most racism is concentrated through the lens of inequality, whether that is economic, social, health-related, or otherwise. The truth of the matter is that minorities in America, specifically African-Americans, experience great discrimination. Blacks experience a wealth gap between themselves and whites. Blacks are far more likely to go to jail than whites. Blacks get a sub-par education compared to whites, and complete less overall years in school. Blacks are less healthy than whites, and have a shorter lifespan. Virtually every major aspect of life in America is affected by race, and blacks receive the short end of the stick.

And yet the greatest transgression is the violent suffering blacks undergo compared to whites. Blacks are far more likely to be convicted of or be victims to gun violence. The drug war in America has turned into a war against blacks, to the point where the entire national psyche distrusts those with dark skin. You can hear it every night on the news; blacks are nearly exclusively the ones mentioned when violent crimes are committed. Victims describe criminals as large black men so frequently you’d think that black men constitute half of the American population (newsflash: they do not).

Our justice system is complicit in making America a hell for African-Americans. We might not have white-only bathrooms and water fountains anymore, but we do have coloured-only jails. We have constructed a society in which the idea of “innocent until proven guilty” excludes blacks.

Let me note something. I’m going to guess quite a few people would say that our justice system works because whoever is right in court wins the case. Sadly, that is not how our courts work. In a court case, it is not who is right or wrong that matters. All that matters is who makes the better argument. The truth is less important than whose lawyer sounds glibber. Justice comes second in our courts. It’s supposedly this system of favoring the convincing argument which makes us great. It’s something I was taught the first time I joined a mock trial team.

Back to the case at hand, it does not matter whether the prosecution for Martin was right or wrong. Zimmerman’s lawyer made the better argument, and the jury confirmed that. How coincidental that the jury had no black members.

The only thing this verdict proved is that nothing has changed since Rodney King was beaten senseless more than two decades ago. We are just as racist as we were then, and we are doing nothing to change that. Don’t give me crap about how we have a black president now; that changes nothing when so many black men are dying each day because of the society we've made. The riots of the past were justified for what we've done, and anything that happens now is also justified. Racism, just like justice, is a system. If we don’t tear it down, it only grows.

That is all for tonight, and I am always grateful for feedback. Leave a comment, email me at zerospintop@live.com, or message me through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Steam, DeviantArt, Tumblr, Reddit, or Youtube. Good night, and this is KnoFear, signing off.

We are all Trayvon.