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Hot Topic: Trayvon Martin

This past Saturday a verdict was rendered by 6 people on a jury in the Trayvon Martin murder case in Florida. Mr. Zimmerman was found not guilt. The country has been captivated by this case. A young, African American boy got into a fight with a white man who was on Neighborhood Watch. When things got out of control and Mr. Zimmerman believed his life was in danger he pulled out a gun, that was registered and Mr. Zimmerman had the permit to carry, and used it. Trayvon Martin died due to gun shots.

It has become a case that has led to further scrutiny of race relations in America today. It has caused people to take a look at racial profiling. It has caused tensions to rise between those with power and those without.

Here's what I know: this needs to be a time where communities and groups  come together to support each other and to  show love to everyone. Whether or not you agree with the verdict of the case, whether or not you believe that this was self defense or racial profiling we all can agree that a life was taken. A young man that should be walking around and talking is not here.

I believe that this case not only triggers society to look at racial profiling, race relations but society also needs to trigger conversation that the answer to too many problems is with a gun or escalated response of power. You get cut off in traffic, you respond with road rag when maybe a good honk on the horn would have been more then adequate. You disagree with a group of people gathered for a shared cause you don't go. Now we blow up meeting spaces or open gunfire on gathered people.

This is the problem I see with people's hearts today. We harbor such hatred that have covered up that spark of goodness/Divine within ourselves. We foster an environment  where bigger and more forceful displays of power are the only answers or the best answer to situations. What would happen if we went to Martin Luther King Jr's and Gandhi's responses to horrible situations? We peacefully organized and talked about the situations? Maybe the use of guns would not be the best option and we wouldn't lose so many lives.

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