#prayfortrayvon

[mythreecentsblog]

What is Justice for Trayvon Martin?

The Trayvon Martin story is popular now. Many are outraged by the result of the court case as Zimmerman was found not guilty. Zimmerman allegedly felt threatened by Tayvon Martin because he was wearing a hoody and presumably because he was black. This speaks volumes about the racism that still exists in America. However, the question I want to ask is not to the morality of the event (for it is obvious Zimmerman committed a morally impermissible crime) or the legality because I am, by no means, an expert in law. My question is what is justice for Trayvon Martin. 

Is justice really locking Zimmerman up for the rest of his life as he rots away in his cell? Is that what Trayvon is feeling if he is up in Heaven? Was Trayvon watching this court case on High nervously hoping for Zimmerman to rot in prison for the rest of his life? Is this justice? This man ended one life and so he should have to pay? He should have his life ruined. How much of this zeal is a real desire for justice and how much of it is a desire for vengeance under the banner of justice. This retributive model of justice is plainly sick. It's this eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, where Jesus says "If someone may hit you in the eye, turn him the other cheek also." 

Instead, Jesus presents a model of justice that is rehabilitative. True justice is for all men to come to repentance. True justice for Trayvon would be if Zimmerman came to repentence for what he did and for the sin that dwells within him that caused him to do what he did. True justice would be if Zimmerman we to have his heart changed to a heart that would seek virtue and love and justice. I take it Trayvon, if he is watching from Heaven with a heavenly body, is not hoping for Zimmerman's life to be ruined by imprisonment but is praying for Zimmerman's heart that he may come to repentence. 

So as we get in an uproar about this, consider why we are upset. I'm upset but because it serves to show the world is not how it ought to be. Are we upset because we wanted vengeance or justice. As we hold up our picket signs which say "Justice for Trayvon," think about what that means. And realize that its not too late for justice to be done for Trayvon. Because justice is not handed out in a court room. Our hope is not in the courts to deliver justice but in God to deliver justice and his justice is not contingent upon a jury's decision. So pray for justice for Trayvon. Pray for Zimmerman. So that true justice may be handed out.

[colored-scholars]

Why it is about Race, Thoughts from Twitter

Hoards of Twitter users poured out their own emotions surrounding the not guilty verdict handed down to George Zimmerman yesterday.  Many of these comments contained hashtags like #nojusticenopeace or #prayfortrayvon or, disturbingly, #notaboutrace

https://twitter.com/CassidyNord/statuses/356441326675443712

https://twitter.com/reggiemo12/statuses/356135650996662272

https://twitter.com/Samanthaaaaaxxo/statuses/356251179858137089

https://twitter.com/Christian_ladys/statuses/356247011378462721

The Trayvon Martin case is about race.  It's about race because it has got all of America talking about how it is or isn't about race!  The concept of race is just that, a concept.  Race is not like math where 1+1 always equals 2; race is about what each individual person thinks 1+1 equals whatever they want it to equal.  We all have different thoughts on race. Just because one of us "doesn't see color" or acknowledges the immaturely named concept of "post-racial America" does not mean that race is a non-issue.

Race is a social construct that people created to prove that they are better than others due to where they are born and what they look like.  Since we use the color of one's skin to inaccurately assume someone's race, race is often the first thing we see.

The reason this case is about race is because when George Zimmerman looked outside and saw a "suspicious" young man in a hoodie walking around his neighborhood, he saw a black boy.  Race and our perception of it clouds our judgements so much sometimes that we make rash decisions, like for example, following and killing a "suspicious" looking black boy because we think we are protecting our neighborhood.

--

Many rappers and hip hop heads have shared their thoughts on Twitter.  These are the most interesting to me because most of their thoughts display contempt for the system and acceptance.

Ace Hood tried to leverage with those concerned too much about the race aspect:

 https://twitter.com/Acehood/statuses/356249264688603136

  Pusha T became a hashtag #activist:

https://twitter.com/PUSHA_T/statuses/356235966039588865

  Scarface shared his bold conspiracy theory: 

https://twitter.com/BrotherMob/statuses/356234319565565953

and Freddie Gibbs keeps it real:

https://twitter.com/FreddieGibbs/statuses/356239202855297024

It would be awesome if some from within the hip hop community would be more proactive in their disgust.  They will have armies of activists waiting within their fan bases.

two times.

[yabutwhat]

People are still missing the fact that this case is not just because the victim was black and the murder was white.no. Its about how this guy decided to take a KID's live away for no apparent reason. Sure, society did make it seem like racism but you don't always have to look it upon how society makes it look like. But of course,the majority of people do and still don't get it. My prayers go out to the Martin family for this difficult time in their lives. It's hard when you loose somebody to something. But it's even harder to know justice wasn't taken upon it.