In Wake Of Trayvon Martin’s Death, America Is Soul-Searching
Spurred by social media and community rallies, the shooting death of a 17-year-old Florida youth has become the latest flashpoint over how young black men are perceived in the United States.
Trayvon Martin’s death Feb. 26 at the hands of a Neighborhood Watch leader in this small, gated Florida community has rippled through many corners of the nation’s justice and political system and raised questions about the relationship between the black community and police in small towns.
In the past 48 hours, the case has:
•Sparked an investigation by th•Brought calls for changes in a Florida self-defense law that says a person being attacked has no duty to retreat and may return force;
Trayvon Martin was talking on his cell phone when he was shot and killed in February.
•Ignited protests, including a “Million Hoodie March” in New York City planned today, a protest Wednesday outside the Florida Division of Licensing, urging state officials to withdraw George Zimmerman’s concealed weapons permit and a rally Thursday in Sanford led by civil rights activist Al Sharpton;
•Amassed more than 600,000 signatures in an online petition calling for charges to be filed against George Zimmerman, the Neighborhood Watch captain who said he shot Martin.
FULL ARTICLE HERE
