Criminal law is always a subject that I usually don’t involve myself with, because although it’s good to be aware of situations that are happening, I know that I’m not exactly an executor of change; but having a voice does matter in this day in age because it can account for something down the line. Now, I didn’t watch the Zimmerman-Martin trial at all, but I’ve been reading the reactions of many who are on the fence, on Zimmerman’s side, and on Trayvon’s side. This trial will go down as probably one of the most important in American history, and not because of the verdict, but because when you look at all of the other major trials that have happened where they were racially divided, they didn’t have methods like social media help spread instant awareness – that’s why it’s not going to be so easy to forget.

I feel for the Martin family because you have an innocent child that was followed home by a man who thought that he was a threat – I guess a wearing a hoodie would be threatening for many, I presume? It’s something crazy that an everyday thing that young people do (any race) turns out to be a death for no apparent reason, but the question is – what happens now? Floridian rules have always been weird, and even when you go back to the Casey Anthony case and look how that was handled, you could really ask the question: are you surprised? The answer (for me) is still ‘yes,’ because you would have at least thought that there would have been some punishment handed down to Zimmerman for shooting him, but Americans love their guns (it’s in their constitution), so it’s finicky to say as to just what determines guilt these days when it comes to gun violence.

Looking at it from a racial perspective shouldn’t always be the case because ‘crime knows no colour,’ and this is where you can look at history and say that you disagree with it. The Philadelphia, Mississippi murders in ’64, Rodney King in ’91, and Sean Bell in 2006 are some examples of where justice failed when everyone thought that the clear cut proof was sitting right on the table. Troy Davis most recently was another case that had social media in an uproar because you had a man who (apparently) didn’t commit the crime executed; and then you have the infamous O.J Simpson case where it was a Black man who was acquitted on double homicide charges. Now is this about race or a flawed judicial system? It’s hard to say that it isn’t both, but I know that it’s eventually the justice system itself.

At times like this, usually the response would be: a march for injustice, a few rallies in major cities, and slowly but surely, it fades away – it’s not going to happen like that so suddenly because there’s a lot of people who are angry and they’re going to be for a long time, especially with the younger generation and their ability to voice out their opinions and oppositions in more ways than one. Zimmerman may not be guilty in the court of law, but civilly, a lot of people don’t feel the same way; life is going to be different for him and not necessarily in a good way.

Now, having read so many different opinions of the case, one thing that had me think was the amount of black people who say that ‘it’s only when someone of another race kills one of our own, do we then come together,’ and there’s some truth to that. It’s terrible that black on black violence exists, but all crime everywhere exists no matter what colour, and that’s not being ignorant, that’s just what it has been, what it is, and what it will be for a long time unless changes are made. Canada is a big country, but drastically smaller in population compared to the United States, which obviously means that there’s a sense of control when it comes to our gun laws. Racism is alive, that’s no surprise, but let’s be honest here – there are cries of outpour to stop the black on black violence, but what examples are being shown to help people out of the situations they’re in? There’s always a determining factor when it comes to why things happen, and violence is not exempt from the rule no matter which race it is. It’s difficult to make sense of it all, and if the most you’re saying to the everyday violence that happens is “oh, that’s so sad. Something has to change,” and you do nothing, then what’s really the message you’re trying to spread? You can’t judge others and then contradict when you fall back and do the same things – it doesn’t work that way. It’s a giant clusterfuck of things that’s wrong in the world that so many have tried to make right, but I think with the outcome of this trial, it’ll open up the minds of many others to just see what needs to change. Rest for now Trayvon as the world struggles to find you some Peace.

That’s My Word & It STiXX