Trayvon case requires new focus
By now you’re probably familiar with the case of Trayvon Martin. Martin is the 17-year-old from Florida who was killed by George Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watchman. Martin was unarmed at the time of his death. None of this is up for debate — it’s all been confirmed.
Wendy Fu | Daily Trojan
But does American society truly acknowledge what happened on that night?
I don’t mean to say that we’re not recognizing it, because the media has certainly given the story plenty of coverage.
What I mean is that we’re not accepting the events at face value. We’ve chosen to make the Martin case about a variety of things, including race, law and stereotypes.
What we haven’t focused on is what the case is actually about — the murder of a minor.
The 17-year-old was the latest minor to be killed and to gain national attention in America, where events like this aren’t supposed to occur.
Martin’s honor student status has no bearing on this case. Implying that, because he got good grades, he deserved to live more than someone who didn’t do as well in school is absurd.
The argument that his suspension for possible drug possession somehow makes his death OK is even more absurd. If Martin was really the “thug” that some commentators are making him out to be, implying that he deserved to die more so because of this is ludicrous.
So why do these implications continue to be brought up?
We want to find solace in the case. We want to believe that maybe he brought it upon himself. We want to feel better about our justice system, our country, maybe even ourselves. So we look for flaws as opposed to recognizing the truth.
If we all looked at this case logically, the next rational step would be to ask what to do in the future so Martin’s case doesn’t repeat itself.
For example, it’s almost comical how little the media is discussing gun control. We allow people to purchase guns and we put laws in place that allow them to rely on their best judgment, but we are left with tragedy after tragedy.
If Zimmerman was truly overpowered by a 150-pound 17-year-old, then he obviously counted on his gun to protect himself. If stricter gun control laws were in place, Zimmerman wouldn’t have had a gun to carry. And if he hadn’t had that gun, he most likely wouldn’t have followed a suspicious figure that he viewed as a threat. Nobody would have died.
Gun control can’t just be another aspect of the case that we choose to brush aside. Neither can Florida’s questionable Stand Your Ground law, which gives citizens significant leeway in self-defense.
America needs to really think about the events that occurred. We can’t just look at Martin and Zimmerman. We need to take a look at ourselves.
People are a product of their environment. We have to comprehend why this 17-year-old was killed, and we certainly have to make changes so that similar events won’t take place in the future.
It’s truly a shame that Martin had his life taken away from him. But what about the children who might still have their lives taken away? What about the children we might be able to save?
If we continue to pretend these things don’t happen — not here, not in America — matters will only get worse.
And we’ll have only ourselves to blame.
Mat Goldstein is an undeclared freshman.
YOOOO Everyone follow @HeismanMat on Twitter YO
Let me first give some statistics to put this into perspective. People that carry guns are 43 times more likely to kill a loved one with them than to kill an intruder or assailant. With that fact alone how can anyone in their right mind be pro-gun.
Mat was not unequivocally asserting that Zimmerman was guilty. Nor was he completely absolving Martin or claiming that this was a matter of racism. This article is looking at the situation from a whole different point of view. It addresses the greater problem this country is facing. Gun availability.
The right to carry a gun was written into the bill of rights as a precaution that actually made sense at the time. Now, it’s just a hopelessly archaic amendment that bible-thumping, compensating tea-partiers love to cling onto. What are you afraid of? People that tend to conceal and carry tend to be the most sheltered and ignorant people around. They have little perception of life outside of the country, let alone the echelons of their blue-collar suburbs. George Zimmerman, along with the many others that have gunned-down unarmed ‘attackers’ have essentially acted as judge, jury and executioner. Meanwhile, the one in the gutter does not get to tell their side of the story.
Those dissing the article obviously lack the skill to look at things in a nuanced light. Keep on spouting off your conservative talking points you’ve heard on Fox News and Limbaugh. Ras, speaking of coherence, your comments don’t seem to make any sense themselves. If you had a better grasp of the english language you’d be able to glean more out of this article. And Rich, “bed wetting libs,” really?! You’re the one that feels the need to carry a weapon.
Hopefully you aren’t USC students because I definitely thought they held their applicants to much higher standards…
“Now, it’s just a hopelessly archaic amendment that bible-thumping, compensating tea-partiers love to cling onto. What are you afraid of?”
I’m afraid of Godless, left-wing zealots who cling to baseless “statistics” and “facts” and view the American Constitution as an archaic document that needs to be shredded. There are countries that would welcome you and your point of view. Ever consider emigrating?
You’re right, Red State of Mind. Listening to facts and statistics is a tell-tale sign of left-wing extremism.
Telling me I should leave the country because we disagree? Classic. I suppose I could suggest the same for you. Sick of all the infidels and the separation of church and state here? Iran with its Sharia law is surely the place for you then.
I decided to read this article one more time and see if I could understand the point the author was trying to make. I am sorry to say I still find this OpEd devoid of an opinion. I do not see what point the author made.
Few excerpts…
“We want to find solace in the case. We want to believe that maybe he brought it upon himself. We want to feel better about our justice system, our country, maybe even ourselves. So we look for flaws as opposed to recognizing the truth.”
— what Truth are you referring to? If your point is that we are not discussing the truth it would be nice if you can tell uss what this truth is. Are you referring to gun control or lack thereof as “the truth”? If so what gun control do you propose? Again – you sound like a student immersed in academia and not the real world. You, like many politicians throw around words like “gun control” as a panacea for crime but never describe a plan in detail what such gun control measures would look like.
“If Zimmerman was truly overpowered by a 150-pound 17-year-old, then he obviously counted on his gun to protect himself. If stricter gun control laws were in place, Zimmerman wouldn’t have had a gun to carry. And if he hadn’t had that gun, he most likely wouldn’t have followed a suspicious figure that he viewed as a threat. Nobody would have died.”
— Huh??? Mat, you must live in a very sheltered world protected by mommy and daddy. Are you saying all cops that carry guns do so because they assume all assailants they may face will be larger then them? Dangerous people can come in all sizes. Just look up some most wanted gangbangers – they might weigh less then a buck and a quarter but I bet they would make you soil your Dockers if they approached you late at might.
I wonder how Matt the writer would react if he was being badly beaten in the dark by a hooded thug with no end in sight…and what Matt the writer would do if he had a gun…I guess he would feel so sorry for the plight of the thug he would sacrifice his life to save the thug….if it was me being beaten to death…..both barrels….reload….both barrels.
“What we haven’t focused on is what the case is actually about — the murder of a minor.”
Remember innocent till proven guilty. This case is still under investigation, and information leaked from law enforcement reviles that this may very well have a case of self-defense. Reportedly Martin hit Zimmerman in the face, broke his nose, knocked him to the ground, hit his head against the pavement, and tried to take his weapon. If Zimmerman has the injuries that he claims, that it would be evidence that Zimmerman is telling the truth. A Grand Jury will hear the case early next month. Then we hear the true facts of the case.
Furthermore, the photos of Martin that have in the media were evidently taken when he was much younger and therefore much smaller.
Of course, citizen disarmament zealots and groups rushed to judgment in this case. I believe we need to wait till all the facts are in and the Grand Jury rules and a trail takes place if Zimmerman is indicted.
“We allow people to purchase guns and we put laws in place that allow them to rely on their best judgment, but we are left with tragedy after tragedy.”
The opposite is the case. Firearms rights have been expanded over last several years, and more citizens are now free to carry firearms in more places. Yet, homicides, including homicides with firearms, as well as all other violent crime have been decreasing since 2006. Moreover, after a dramatic increase in firearms sales and ownership after the last Presidential election including an increase in first time firearms purchases and an increase in firearms carry permits, gun ban groups and zealot predicted that there would be a corresponding increase in murders. However, the U.S. homicide rate decreased from 5.0 per 100,000 in 2009 to 4.8 per 100,000 in 2010.
Preliminary data from 2011 shows Murder is down by 5.7%, Rape down 5.1%, Robbery down 7.7%, and Aggravated Assault down 5.9%
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/10shrtbl08.xls
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/10tbl01.xls
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/10tbl01a.xls
OMG your clueless. Can just any ignorant person write anything they want? This dribble leaves out all the important info on what actualy happened. I thought these Op ED were supposed to be written by real media, not bed wetting libs. Let’s just let criminals walk all over us because we are to afraid to protect ourselves….duh. This kid was floating through a neighborhood that had been hit with mult burglaries…the residents had a right and a duty to be vigilant. And based on what I have read the last two days about Martin himself, and what the witnesses saw, Martin probably knew those committing the burglaries. Did he deserve to die, no….did Martin deserve to be beaten as badly as he was, no…..was the death of Martin a tradgedy, yes….did Martin himself have a hand in his own death, based in the eyewitness and the hard evidence, yes. Does this have anything to do with racisim…not from Zimmermans side it doesn’t.
If you look, dress and act like a gang banger, folks will perceive you to be one, as that’s what you are projecting to the world around you, no matter whether you are one or not. You must learn to deal with the consequences of your actions.
Mat, your pollyannaish attitude toward the benefits of gun control is both absurd and naive. Let’s say in we give the government enough authority, God forbid, to go house to house removing every gun they find. Do you really believe the criminals, whose “livelihood” depend on their weapons, will hand them over to the authorities? To do so would make them law-abiding citizens which they clearly are not. So the government would remove all the guns from only the law-abiding citizens leaving us completely defenseless against criminals and a tyrannical government. Do you follow?
If George Zimmerman is prosecuted and a jury finds him guilty, justice will be served. But let’s not forget that he is innocent until proven guilty.
Before you give up a constitutional right so easily, please do yourself and those around you a favor and study American history so that you understand WHY we have constitutional rights in the first place.
I am very confused by this article. I am not understanding the point of it.
The SCOTUS is today hearing the case of this Administrations over-reach against personal rights guaranteed in our Contitution. You advocate another plank that this country was founded and prospered under.
In WW2 the Nazis considered plundering Switzerland but ultimately the Generals convinced Adolf that it was unwinnable because of the fact the Swiss citizenry were all armed and trained. Switzerland as you know has been a fiercely neutral country for centuries.
Vermont has some of the most relaxed gun laws in the country and one of the lowest crime rates. Vermont is not a very populous State, does not have major cities like CA or FL but a rural state however you cannot ignore that it is different there with concealed carry.
The Founding Fathers knew what they were doing. This nation did not arise from the forest and indigenous people without the hard work and strong backing of individual rights as expressed in the US Constitution.