Trayvon Martin, I’ve got something to say—First of all, when I reflect on this tragedy, I just can't help but think about my son first who is a 13 year old black male, very tall and big for his age (many people think he's like 16 or 17 already). He's a bright, talented, funny guy that has ALOT going for him. He has so much promise right now. But, like many kids his age, I'm still teaching him what behavior is or is not appropriate, what kinds of things he should or should not do that will make people look at him a certain way or judge him a certain way....still teaching him how to "navigate the waters" as they say. At church or school he looks the part of the stand-up citizen that he is. At home, out and about, sometimes he just looks like the rest of these kids, hoodies, hats, lookin’ sorta crazy...(but they're not really crazy though)...not when you know them, right? Anyone could look at him and say, "Wow, he looks intimidating". He can stare you down with the best of them (still teaching him not to do this to strangers and to people in general). But, truthfully, he’s just a regular good kid. But I say all that to say, "Trayvon Martin" is my son, my son Robert Johnson, III. That's right. That's who Trayvon Martin is to me.
Right after thinking about this tragedy and thinking of my younger child, my son, I then right away think of my older child, my daughter, Summer. I mean my goodness, she's only 15. She's just two years younger than Trayvon was. I can't imagine in two years someone just gunning her down at night because she looked "suspicious". Maybe she was wearing something and you couldn't see her face. Maybe you couldn't tell by her baggy clothing that she was even a girl, right?? I mean "dang", "what if" "what if" "what if"....and now all of a sudden I get a phone call, "my daughter is what?!" "You said what happened to her?" I can't even imagine. My sweet daughter, so gifted, so nurturing and nice to people... "What? You couldn't tell she was a girl...you were behind her?" "At night, following her?" "WHY?" Trayvon Martin is my daughter, Summer Johnson. That's who Trayvon Martin is to me.
To me this tragedy is deeply disturbing because….. “How do you decide to take matters into your own hands Mr. Zimmerman? How do you decide to go outside of your jurisdiction of your ‘neighborhood watch’ and follow someone---in your vehicle? Then, how do you decide to get out of your vehicle and continue to follow/excuse me pursue’ someone you thought was "dangerous"?? Based on what Mr. Zimmerman? Based on the fact that you were behind him? Based on the fact that you couldn't even see his face enough to see that he was just a teenager with no intent? Based on not following him to his residence where he would have just gone inside his home where if you were soooo concerned, you could have just pointed out his ultimate destination to the police when they got there and let them confront him?
"Mr. Zimmerman, you claim that you acted in self-defense, but did you ever stop to think that a person..."any person" (myself included) especially a 17-year old child who thinks they are being followed at night by a STRANGER might also feel that 'their life might be in danger'? Did you ever stop to consider that possibility Mr. Zimmerman?"
If Trayvon Martin were here, maybe he would say, "I was scared to death. It was dark. Someone was following me. There was noone around. This man came up to me, I didn't know what he wanted. I didn't feel safe. I thought he was going to jump me. In fact, he did. So I acted "in self-defense".
Mr. Zimmerman, that whole “self-defense” story seems a little misplaced, don’t you think? It seems more viable that Trayvon Martin was most likely acting in self-defense, don’t you think, Mr. Zimmerman?” Doesn’t that seem to be a more credible story? Too bad Trayvon Martin is not here to tell us how he felt at night being confronted by a strange man that he had never seen before.
"In fact, Mr. Zimmerman, I don't know what planet you are from. But, here on earth,…. in the United States,….when you follow someone that you don't know, especially at night, and you don't identify yourself, and there is really no reason for you to be following them, except for your own ‘willful intent’....that's called STALKING."
Stalking: Defined as the willful (you got in your car??) and repeated following, watching (you left your own neighborhood to pursue??) and/or harassment or persecution (you got out of your car to approach??) of someone with unwanted and obsessive attention by another person (SMH at you Mr. Zimmerman).
My thoughts on this. Mr. Zimmerman, you should have just stayed in your car. Better yet, you should have just stayed in your own neighborhood. You think you’re stressed out right now, Mr. Zimmerman? Guess what? You have single-handedly managed to stress-out the entire country. Feel better now? Thanks for giving “neighborhood watch” a whole new perspective.
You know, I can teach my son and daughter how to behave and make the right choices. I can teach them how to dress appropriately and not be rude. I can teach them that they need to stay in school and get their education so they can be successful. I can teach them how to value others and how to have self-respect and integrity. I can teach them alot of things as they grow up.
But, I just haven't figured out how to teach them how to sidestep a bullet at point blank range by a stalker.
