Family Consult Counseling Service: Where the well-being of the family is our primary concern familyconsult1@gmail familyconsultcounseling A lot has been said, and more will likely be said about the Trayvon Martin Shooting in Florida. It is my belief that this case will be referenced at various levels of society for some time to come, as each referee attempts to make a “valid” point. Throughout the courtroom trial and the social media pre and post trial, a number of questions were and continues to be raised by the “man on the street” as well as family and friends, in an attempt to uncover the truth so justice might prevail. Every human experience is an invitation for self-exploration, self-discovery and enlightenment. As humans we have honed the skills of investigating others; we think such questions as the what, when, where, why, and how are the most important questions to ask, and sometimes such questions will suffice. However when faced with new challenging experience, a matter of greater import is not the investigation of others, but an investigation of the self. The question is “what is it about me that makes me think, believe, feel, and behave in the manner I am behaving relative to what happened, is happening or about to happen?” The answer to this question is as unique as each questioner because of their exclusive global experience. “Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil”, Jeremiah 13:23 NIV. I use this bible text to preface my thoughts that the outcome of this case was problematic from the start because it was built primarily on a subjective “racial” platform, and not the objectivity of the scenario. This country remains stuck at the racial divide. Whenever there is a negative or deadly encounter between persons of different race, race almost always emerges as a subject of import. The slaying of Trayvon Martin was a crime against an individual, a crime against a family, a crime against society, a crime against America, and like all crimes, a crime against humanity. Even though some people believe race was not an issue in this case; the fact that it was raised and discussed throughout the case, the fact that so much energy was invested in displacing it as an important factor, is evidence it played a primary role in the case. Therefore building this case on a racial platform degraded it to an emotional charade, weakening its objectivity, and the credibility of the justice system. The construct of the jury was troublesome; six women, five of whom were mothers, further speak to the institutionalization of the function of race and emotions in the fabric of this country and the judicial system. How does a jury which lacked racial, cultural, and gender balance represent a jury of peers. The construct of the jury, the Florida “stand your ground law”, the paucity of concrete evidence, and the death of one of only two parsons who knows the truth destined it to bring back a not guilty verdict. If the jury brought back a guilty verdict, it could be said the verdict was based on their subjective emotional maternal instinct. However, if they brought back a not guilty verdict which they did, they did so as an intellectual defense of womanhood and motherhood and against any social outcry relative to their feminine/maternal qualities… Selah.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 22:58:10 +0000
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