The Man and The Boy

I have sat back and watched the sad story of the death of Trayvon Martin unfold over the past couple of weeks and kept silent. Until now. It is amazing to me all of the politicians using this story for their political agenda, it is also amazing to me all the people that are using this story to solidify and further their hate towards others. While I believe that this was, in fact, a matter of racial profiling that no one wishes to admit, I believe there is one thing, one very important fact that people are failing to understand. This was a completely senseless tragedy. So to keep this level on all sides, I am going to take race out of the equation. This will be one "man" and one "boy" (because Trayvon  was not yet a man).

We have a 17 year old "boy" on his way to his family's home, unarmed. A grown "man", driving slowly behind "the boy", looking very suspicious, and making "the boy" nervous. This grown "man" called 911. For what exactly? The purpose of being a neighborhood watch is to watch out for criminals, or criminal activity, call the police and report any criminal activity or suspicious looking people. So if "the man" believed he saw someone suspicious learking in his neighborhood, why would he not call 911, report him, give his description and perhaps follow him to where he would have wound up, which would have been his father's house ultimately. He could have reported that. But instead, 911 tells him they have sent police to the neighborhood, and to not pursue "the boy" any further. That should have been the end of it. Am I wrong? But it wasn't. Instead, he got out of his truck and pursued "the boy" on foot, which was the beginning of this senseless tragedy.

Now the reports are saying the "boy" punched "the man" in the nose. Hello?! How many 17 year old boys that are being pursued by a grown man, wouldn't have turned around to try to protect themselves thinking their life was in danger? "The boy" didn't know this "man", why would he have thought this was someone protecting their neighborhood? Did "the man" identify himself as the neighborhood watch and ask "the boy" what he was doing in the neighboorhood? And "the man" says he shot "the boy" in self defense, did "the boy" not deserve to defend himself from a grown man that was following him? This tragedy never even had to happen had "the man" followed the protocol of being a neighborhood watch volunteer...or followed the directions of the 911 operator....or just flat out acted like a human being. Instead, he chose to shoot and kill a 17 year old boy because he "thought" this boy didn't belong in the neighborhood, he "thought" this was a thief coming to rob his neighborhood. Well, I wonder how "the man"  would feel being put in prison without a fair trial? Or worse, how would he feel if he were put to death for the shooting without anyone asking him what happened and what his side of the story was?

This is what Mr. Zimmerman did to Trayvon. He didn't give Trayvon a chance to explain anything, he didn't give him the opportunity to tell his side of the story, he didn't even give him a chance to see another day. He chose to take the life of a boy that had a whole life ahead of him. For this, Mr. Zimmerman should have to answer for his poor choices, its called consequence. I know I have taught my children that there are always consequences for your actions, if you make poor choices then you must suffer the consequence. What is this case teaching the country or our country's children?

My personal opinion is probably pretty clear from my post, but I feel that Mr. Zimmerman should be held accountable for his poor choice of ignoring his obligation of the neighborhood watch, his poor choice of ignoring the 911 operator, he should be charged and his fate left to a jury of his peers to determine whether or not he is guilty of killing a 17 year old boy, who still had a lifetime of living to do.