Martin Richard, the 8-yr-old boy who was killed when two bombs detonated at the Boston Marathon, had recently made a sign in his class which expressed his feelings of sadness at the violence that took the life of Trayvon Martin.
Today, Trayvon Martin’s parents sent a message of support to Richard’s family, one grieving family to another.
While FOX News and GOP bigots spout their hatred against Muslims and immigrants in the wake of this tragedy (despite the fact that we do not yet know anything about who or what group was behind the bombing), here we see two families victimized by violence and hatred, reaching across racial and geographical space to express mutual solidarity, understanding, and compassion …===
Our hearts are broken over the tragedy in Boston yesterday. Our family sends our sincerest condolences to all of those who have been affected by this terrible situation. We especially would like to send a message to the family of eight year old, Martin Richard. We have come to understand that the peace sign that Martin is holding in a photo being circulated throughout the media, was created in response to a lesson by his teacher about the death of our son and the issue of violence. From our family to yours’, we are praying for you, thinking about you and will remember your son for the rest of our lives.
~Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin
Al Sharpton: “Had there not been pressure there would not have been a second look. This is not a night for celebration. This is a night that should not have happened in the first place.”
Family attorney: “We thank you to all those people who signed the petition to do something even if you didn’t know who Trayvon Martin…to all the high school students and young people who believed completely in justice, the idea, the dream, those are the people who are here today saying they can make a difference.”
Trayvon’s father: “Thank everyone once again…this is just the beginning and we will continue to have faith. From the first march we walked by faith. We will continue to march until the right thing is done.”
(Photo) Justice for #TrayvonMartin protest in NYC 3/21/12
The Trayvon Martin Killing, Explained
How did a kid armed with Skittles and an ice tea get gunned down by an over-eager neighborhood watch captain? And why didn’t police detain shooter George Zimmerman?
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“”On the evening of February 26, #TrayvonMartin—an unarmed 17-year-old African American student—was confronted, shot, and killed near his home by George Zimmerman, a Latino neighborhood watch captain in the Orlando, Florida, suburb of Sanford. Zimmerman has not been charged with a crime. Since Martin’s death and the release of more details, the case has garnered national media attention and sparked a host of public debates over racial tensions, vigilantism, police practices, and gun laws …
… after public pressure the city of Sanford played the tapes (911 recordings) for Martin’s family, then released the audio. Here are some of them: … “”
But after the shooting, a source inside the police department told ABC News that a narcotics detective and not a homicide detective first approached Zimmerman. The detective pepppered Zimmerman with questions, the source said, rather than allow Zimmerman to tell his story. Questions can lead a witness, the source said.
Another officer corrected a witness after she told him that she heard the teen cry for help. The officer told the witness, a long-time teacher, it was Zimmerman who cried for help, said the witness. ABC News has spoken to the teacher and she confirmed that the officer corrected her when she said she heard the teenager shout for help.
By Neighborhood Watch Shooting of Trayvon Martin: Probe Reveals ‘Questionable Police Conduct’ - ABC News (via robot-heart-politics)
The officer. corrected. the witness.
Okay.
(via deliciouskaek)
This is ridiculous. If Trayvon was white and George was black, George would have been arrested as soon as cops arrived without question.
After Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon he called a non-emergency police number and told the dispatcher “these assholes always get away.”
He also described Martin as suspicious because he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and walking slowly in the rain, police later told residents at a town hall. Would he have been suspicious if he were white?
(via occupyallstreets)
Via Global Grind: “17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by a Neighborhood Watch captain inside his own gated Orlando, Florida community where he was living with his father, stepmother and little brother, according to the family’s lawyer. Martin was shot after returning home from a local convenience store, where he bought snacks including Skittles candy requested by his 13-year-old brother, Chad.
According to the family’s lawyer Ben Crump, the family is calling for the Watch captain’s arrest, saying Martin was “on his way home and a Neighborhood Watch loose cannon shot and killed him”…”.* Was the teen singled out and shot because he was black in a white neighborhood? Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur discuss if race was involved on The Young Turks.HE HAS A NAME: Trayvon Martin, Shot & Killed By His Own Neighborhood Watch (DETAILS)
I know Tumblr doesn’t like hearing about this but when people talk about “white privilege,” part of what is meant is stuff like the ability to exist beyond the confines of your home without the fear of being killed due to your race or ethnicity.
I cried when I read the news on Gawker last night. May Allah rest this boy’s soul in peace. That racist murderer needs to rot in prison.
