Lessons from Trayvon Martin's Murder:
All Americans Irrespective Of Their Ethnicity, Color
Or Regional Background
15 April 2012
By Saeed Qureshi
Trayvon Martin versus Zimmerman case has further
sharpened the divide of the American nation along the
ethnic or racial contours. The fragile nature of this
ethnic cleavage can be gauged from the ballooning
outrage being vigorously vented by the
African-Americans against the murder of a juvenile
member of their community that merits to be thoroughly
investigated in order to find the truth.
On February 26 when Martin was walking to a home in a
gated community, Zimmerman, a Hispanic American
community watch coordinator followed him suspecting
his movements. Reportedly, there was a confrontation
between the two and as a result Zimmerman shot Martin
dead. The police arrested Zimmerman and questioned who
took the plea that he shot Martin in self defense.
Although the lead homicide investigator did not
believe the self-defense stance of Zimmerman and
wanted to charge him with manslaughter, the state
attorney's office announced that there was
insufficient evidence to convict Zimmerman.
Thereafter, Zimmerman was released without being
charged. Of late, in the wake of countrywide uproar,
State Attorney Angela Corey announced on April 11,
2012 that she has filed charges of second degree
murder against Zimmerman. That seems to be too late
and too little for the African- American populace.
In all cases of premeditated or spontaneous murders,
the suspect is apprehended and then the law takes its
own course to establish the nature and culpability of
the crime. The prosecution endeavors to prove the
bona- fides of the cases while the defense tries to
nullify those bona-fides or at least mitigate the
severity of the crime.
In the beginning, Zimmerman was not arrested until the
time the supporters of the slain young man, rocked
America with their earth shaking protests and mammoth
agitation rallies. Even thereafter, there seemed to be
a kind of deliberate effort by the concerned
authorities to shelter Zimmerman under the perfunctory
pretext of lack of concrete evidence to establish that
it was a deliberate murder.
Broadly speaking the Law should be equal and applied
across the board for all the citizens. Notwithstanding
the claims by Zimmerman and the family of Martin, the
bare fact cannot be overlooked that a murder was
committed by a custodian of law even though under the
yet to be proven compelling reasons at the time of
shooting the juvenile individual.
But to hide the assassination of a citizen of United
States under flimsy and implausible cover-up and to
justify the daring yet inexplicable brutal action of a
community watchdog is what has enraged the black
population of this great nation. The task of finding
the truth should be left to the justice system of our
country.
Understandably, this magnificent country United States
belongs to the white or Caucasian race because their
ancestors came here and brought with them a profound
and advanced culture and astounding civilization to
this neglected or hidden part of the world. But when
it comes to the dispensation of justice, provision of
the socio-economic benefits like jobs, education and
healthcare, all races and ethnic communities should be
treated alike at par, and on a leveled turf.
Unfortunately the courts from district to the Supreme
Court level are predominantly manned by white judges.
This predominance could be rated between 90 to 95 per
cent. Their proportion in police, law enforcement
agencies and in high profile or white collar jobs is
also high. That understandably is due to the white
population's demographic lead in the United States.
But despite this ascendency in numbers, the presence
of non-whites in high positions is still below the
required level or so to say is disproportionate.
The Asian, black, Hispanic, yellow race immigrant
communities and even the native African-American
population do not have even a fraction of their
presence in the judiciary or in prominent executive
positions. The progenies of the bygone non-white
generations, who now after centuries of time passage,
look like a local American by virtue of their accent
or turnout, are occasionally accommodated in coveted
jobs.
Therefore, there is a dire and overdue need to
overhaul this imbalance. It is imperative that all
sections of the society, irrespective of their color,
creed or ethnic background should be given fair and
equal opportunities to compete for the exalted
positions.
Rather there should be fixed quotas for the
African-American, Asian, Hispanic and other
communities in judiciary, executive and other branches
of the administrations and even in Congress (senate
and house). Thus there would emerge a homogeneous,
racially integrated and ethnically balanced society in
that the minority races would not suffer from the
sense of deprivation or being lesser equals as they
nurse now.
The election of Barack Obama, a non-white American as
the president of the United States, is a unique and
historic phenomenon that speaks for the cosmopolitan,
liberal, deeply democratic and secular image of the
United States. But factually in the first instance
Barack Obama is not wholly black as his mother was a
white woman.
There might not be another black president for a long
time to come. But his ascension to the highest office
in this country opens the possibility and hope that in
due course the ethnic dissentions, racial and communal
disharmony could be channeled into an all encompassing
goodwill, accommodation, amicability and equality
between all Americans irrespective of their ethnicity,
color or regional background.
Secondly, it is the civil society where the smaller
ethnic groups should be given proportional
representations so that the prevailing sentiment of
being marginalized or neglected on the part of
African- American and other communities could be
quashed and a veritable sense of belonging to this
great country could be entrenched.
That is perhaps the most daunting and compelling task
to be taken into consideration, in tandem with the
community leaders, by the leaders and policy makers of
United States.
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