Monday Morning – Tree Stump Chat
Two years ago, on Monday, 29 July 2013, I shared some parting thoughts about the tragic death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. I would like to revisit the comments that I made because I believe that there are some points that bear repeating in light of the headlines that we read in our local newspapers and see and hear on our local news telecast.
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “Injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere.” We may never know the ins and outs of the real events that occurred on that solemn night when a 17-year-old young man lost his life in an argument – whether justified or not. Again, we simply do not know all the facts, and therefore, we cannot sit as judge and jury on the case.
As a 30-year honorably retired United States Navy Veteran, the idea that the death of this young man occurred under the guise of self-defense is a hard pill to swallow, especially considering the fact that Trayvon was not armed. Where is the fairness in such a fight as that – an armed man up against an unarmed man? What are the odds of someone winning a fight in such an instance? It is not rocket science. At all cost, knowing that Trayvon was not armed, Zimmerman could have wounded him and waited for the police to get there. Instead, in my humble opinion, he took matters into his own hands, appearing as some type of hero, and his act of heroism claimed the life of another human being. God sees us as people, not as Black, White, Asian, African, Latino, Native American, etc., and so in the grand scheme of things, the loss of a human life is tragic in every sense of the word.
Let us put aside the color of the skin of each involved. This could have been two White men, two Black men, or whatever. This could have ended with Martin killing Zimmerman. Would the jury have decided any differently? None of us can answer that question definitively. Sadly, in the United States of America, at this desolate hour, justice is often defined according to where the crime took place, and where the trial is held. There are injustices throughout the system, not only against African-Americans, though such cases are often highlighted more than others, but in all other races and nationalities as well. Again, in the words of Dr. King, “Injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere.” The unmerited suffering brought about as a result of prejudice, racism, bigotry, and hatred, is not only felt by the few, but the foul stench of such infiltrates and permeates the lives of many.
We cannot continue to hate our brothers and sisters for all the injustices that we feel they have committed towards us. For a war has never been ended by continuing to bombard the shores of the enemy. At some point, one side or the other raises the white flag of surrender, a cease-fire order is then decreed, and an armistice agreed upon.
In the same way, I remember that the Savior Himself taught us to love our enemies – bless and pray for those who use us, mistreat us, and hold us in derision. We cannot continue to fight hatred with more hatred, as it equates to pouring gasoline on an already raging inferno. Instead, we need to, and we must, come together and reason together and peacefully resolve our differences.
Call me a dreamer, but I dream of the day when ALL of God’s children will be able to sit at the welcome table together, break bread together, and join hands across the table together, and resolve to bury their weapons of war and vow to study war no more. Oh, what a blessed and much welcomed day that will be.
Of Common Sense 