Since the beginning of slavery, “The Blacks”
were treated unequally. By the look of the society during the past few decades;
it seemed that racism was on the verge of ending, but againㅡracism appeared in the headlines, “Parents Of Slain Florida Teen To March In
NYC In Call For Justice.” This article is about a black teenage boy named
Trayvon Martin who gets shot and killed by a Hispanic man named George
Zimmerman. He was a community appointed watchman and the reason he shot the boy
was because he thought Trayvon Martin was acting “suspicious”. I believe that
an incident like this will repeat itself for the following reasons.
First of all, color usually affects one’s
perspective in regards to an individual. Trayvon Martin was misjudged because
of his racial background. Solely, this proves that prejudice always leads to
injustice. Just take this incident as an example: A white Hispanic male
shooting and killing an unarmed, under age, and an honored student just because
he was black and wearing a hood under the rain. Guess what was so suspicious?
Trayvon Martin was hooded and was carrying a can of ice tea and a bog of skittles
under the rain. If this behavior alerts a watchman, then any kid would look
dangerous to him.
Secondly, we have failed to be better than
those who commit these violations by not acknowledging the errors or by toning
down the incident. It does not lie only on the shoulders of the police or authorities,
but also on neighbors, witnesses, and society to raise alarm and push the cart
to go on the right direction: Liberty and Justice For All. (American Allegiance
to the Flag)
Also, I believe that the gender influenced
the reaction of the watchman. Think of like this; if the watchman would have
been a woman, the approach on the boy would have been different. A woman’s
advancements towards the stranger would have been more calm and subtle than a
man’s because a man feels superior and inclined to cause violence. Therefore, we
will see many other incidents that will contain such injustices and disputes
because it is assimilated into our society with stereotypes that do not fade
away; it is also coded in our genes as we are men that are prone to violence
and letting our pride get the best of us.
We shouldn’t take action if we are unable
to make any kind of intelligent judgment. Unfortunately, our pride and stubbornness
would always lead us on the wrong direction: the racist and sexist that will
eventually end in a calamity. We do not understand or ignore part of a whole;
nevertheless, we jump to the conclusion and execute a “solution” that will in
most occasions be incorrect. Although many people believe racism was over, it
is always going to be an issue in every part of the world.
