Betting on Black.

 

                        IF YOUR BETTING ON BLACK, LET LOVE WIN YOU OVER.

DON'T ROLL THE DICE OF DOOM!

I am not a gambler. When it comes to playing board games or even cards, my wife will tell you that I hate playing. Even the slot machines and all of it's flashing lights and jingling tones aren't enough to tempt me into turning the handle on this money gobbling monster. I remember talking to an avid gambler who told me that one of the first things he noticed when he started pulling the handle down on the slot machines was the build up of black powder on his hands. Thinking back on this conversation has led me to write about the months of build up over the Trayvon Martin case. I will pose one pointed question in my argument for his defense. Are you betting on black?

This question is a bit of a gamble, but I am all in when it comes to the entire human race getting a fair shot at life and justice. Some are up against great odds and this post will center on how I feel about basic human rights for all. Does every person view human rights equally? We all know the answer to this loaded question is no. I want to take a closer look at the Trayvon Martin case and talk about how I think some of the world views this case.

 Is the face of Justice equal?

 Did George Zimmerman deserve a fair and expedient trial to prove his innocence? Yes, he deserved a fair trial. The same right that was afforded to him should be given to all people, right? Look at the circumstances that lead to the death of Trayvon Martin. Z, as I will call him, was a neighborhood watch security guard who took his job very seriously. On the night in question, Z went way beyond his knowledge, experience and expertise. On this night he would be responsible for taking the life of a black boy whom he had presumed guilty. Z bet on black and Trayvon Martin paid with his life.

Trayvon Martin had the same rights as Z on his ill faded last night on earth but was never granted the rights that should have been his from the very beginning. Trayvon Martin had the right to be viewed innocent but instead, the house money was put on his guilt. When Z was charged with murder, his defense attorneys came out of the cracks to say, "what about our client's rights?" They were out to prove that he had the right to shoot a child who was returning home to spend family time with his parents. I have heard the audio tapes and it was clear that Z never saw Trayvon Martin as just a normal resident of the neighborhood and he never saw a boy who was enjoying his walk back home with tea and skittles in his happy hands. Trayvon Martin's joyful walk back home did not last long. He was about to be tried and convicted by a man who rolled the dice on his guilt. Where was Trayvon's rights? He lost them the moment he was tracked down by a licensed soon to be killer who was about to shoot a line of craps on the innocent life of a young, budding black man. Sure, Trayvon Martin had his share of personal demons in the past, but on this night, none of that mattered. All Z could see was black.

Now comes the question that I know will anger some. What if Trayvon Martin were white? It sickens me to the core when I see an all white jury that is so readily able to identify with the defendant. One of my favorite movies of all time is, “A time to Kill”, starring Matthew McConaughey. It is about a black man who’s young daughter is raped by three white men. The father takes justice into his own hands and kills the men just outside the courtroom. The clincher was at the end during his closing arguments when Jake Brigance poses his heart opening summation to the jurors. He describes the little black girl's body as being raped and broken as she’s thrown over a bridge to the creek bottom. He asks, “Can you see her?" Brigance says," I want you to picture that little girl. Now, imagine she’s white.” Right here is where his question shed light on the human perspective of a very dark and dreary time of the film.

 ALL

In the Trayvon Martin case, Z overlooked the most basic human right of ALL people. Your innocent until proven guilty. I believe prosecutors had their shot at painting an accurate human picture of who Trayvon Martin was. Would it have mattered in the courts of public opinion? Did it matter with the jurors? What I do know is that all across America, some white people can’t relate to Trayvon Martin because they choose not to. Privately, with an unrelenting racist tone they say, “that black boy is better off dead anyway.” And whites are not the only ones dead in the red guilty of racial prejudices. All cultures are guilty of judging others based on race, and now it is becoming more deadly than ever to do so. Whether it’s Eric Holder, President Obama or Rush Limbaugh, we all have to speak out against racial stigmas. Just because a person is black doesn't mean their guilty. We are all apart of the same human race and no one wins while “betting on black.”