A Death in Florida

I have heard over the last few days of the young seventeen year old who was killed by a neighborhood watch leader in Florida. I will confess right now that I do not know what happened. I do not even know the beginning of the story and the accusations that are being sent back and forth. I have just seen Al Sharpton, certainly not one of the best sources of objective news, telling us the young man was innocent of any crime, was unarmed, and liked to bake cookies.

This might all be true. The question is why was he shot. What did the man who shot him think he saw, what did he think was happening that, apparently, was not.

Perhaps we could ask some broader based questions. Why do we need community policing by citizens. Has this community trained these individuals properly. What does one do to qualify as a neighborhood watch leader? Has this community been hit by budget cuts prompting these neighborhood watches? Is this a diverse community or one in which as young black man would seem out of place and as perhaps a threat?

Yes the young man was black. I waited to note that fact so that perhaps one could develop an opinion of reason until the element of race was brought in. Now however that you know it was a young black man you know that this can no longer be judged in a reasonable way.

I am not blaming black folks for being upset. Certainly if a young white man was killed in the same situation there would be an element of race in that too. Still it is also clear that a black man killing a white man would cause controversy, but lets also be clear that the outrage would not be so great. The guilt of the left over race issues always makes their reaction knee jerk.

It might well be that this will be a negligent case. It might well be that the shooter will be guilty of a crime and deservedly be punished. It might also be true that there was more to the case that what we know, in fact one can be assured that there is. The question is why do we have to jump in with both feet and stir the pot. Why cannot we let the parents grieve and trust in our system to find the truth. Jumping to conclusions was not the right answer in the O J Simpson case according to African American activists why is it the right answer here.

I am not defending the shooter. I am just commenting that if we want an equal system under the law we need to let the law work before we criticize the result. I also think that asking questions about the whole process that puts a neighborhood watch in place.

Currently now I am watching a Missouri congressman, an African American stating that the young man was killed for holding chiclets and he is shaking chiclets on camera as a prop. I am glad he is doing nothing to sensationalize the issue.

We all need to take a deep breath. We need to feel terrible for this young man. We need however to resolve to get to the truth.