TRAYVON MARTIN, 17 YEARS OLD, MURDERED

Trayvon Martin

[1995-2012]

just a kid,

a 17 year old kid,

loved by his family,

his friends.

...

And I haven't been able to get my mind off of him,

I only today can write about my thoughts,

my heart breaks for

Trayvon

for his parents, his extended family,

his school,

his friends,

his friends he had yet to meet and know.

I ache for the potential he now will never reach,

the goals that were to be his,

the world of wonder

yet to explore.

I see his face in the faces and eyes

in the eyes of so many...

He is

D'Vante, Kamryn, Olivia

MY KIDS

YOUR KIDS

OUR KIDS

Children of the Universe.

They all wear hoodies

even in the summer,

WE all wear hoodies;

from the little ones

to the Elders

we have discovered

Hoodies.

those of us

with great fun,

wear them while walking

and

eating

SKITTLES

with a coke,

a bottle of TEA

with a cell phone in our pockets.

We have our

stroll on

our

swag.

We don't answer to strangers,

we seldom speak,

we are goin' where we plan to go,

and

at times when we feel someone is watching,

we may glance at them,

or

we may just tuck our hands in pockets, put our head down

and keep on keepin on.

Others may make us nervous,

suspicious,

or

there may just be those times

when we may tell people

what is on our mind

at the time

and

then run like hell.

After all teenagers aren't known to have the greatest filters
(or sometimes their filter for danger is spot on)
and they percieve threat...
But other times yes, they make comments,
not always appropriate sames as their brains are yet completely developed.
Adults can do the same thing with their mouths,
and their fingers on the internet,
just take a look at facebook,
take a look through emails,
for examples.

BUT

they do not deserve to be shot

for carrying a bag of skittles, a bottle of tea and a cell phone in their pocket.
This man, grown man
Zimmerman
calls police
to report a black man
was "looking suspicious"
and described him as
"just walking around, looking about".
Zimmerman then PURSUED
this kid
AFTER BEING TOLD
"we don't need you to do that"
by police.
Zimmerman was carrying a 9MM handgun.
This kid was carrying
Skittles, Tea, and a cell phone,
on his way home
wearing a hoodie.
ZIMMERMAN
outweighed this kid by over
100 pounds.
Keep in mind
ZIMMERMAN PURSUED
a kid.
And
ZIMMERMAN KILLED
A KID ON HIS WAY HOME
AS HE SCREAMED FOR HELP.
3 weeks and NO ARREST.

And

I have tried to contain my heartbreak, my outrage

and

my confusion.

I now know something is terribly wrong in addition to this tragedy

that is unfolding

as the social media, the press

and

Al Sharpton now joins others and takes to the media.
People are taking to the streets,
People are more than outraged
and
tensions are running high
as
demands for justice
and
the demand is
NOW.
WE are outraged.
Of course there has to be those who now come along who are just freaking insane and try to contend that this young child has a record buried somewhere.

Who cares if he does?

At the time he was on his way home from a 7-11 and was unarmed,

minding his own business

and

the person who pulled the trigger

can now be heard on a taped interview after confessing to the murder

using racial slurs

and

yes,

I heard the tape myself the first time around before it was enhanced

on CNN.

And yet a murderer named

Zimmerman is sitting in his home

with a weapon?

And a free man.

He says that it was in self defense,

he also was told by police

to not pursue this person

that appeared to be a threat,

but pursue him he did.

Now tell me...

what part of

"we don't need you to do that"

did he not understand?

Yet this grown man

followed a small 17 year old

and

then amid cries that are recorded of

"Help me"

a single gunshot was heard.

It was a grown man who made a choice to run down and fatally shoot... and kill as in

MURDER a youth.

sometimes pictures speak much louder than words.

Take a look for yourself.

Do you think that given these two pictures, a gun would have been necessary to defend against this small framed Trayvon when he was in fact trying to go to his home?

It would appear that Zimmerman who pursued him must have outweighed him by 100+ pounds

...

Even more striking is the eyes, the face, the lips.

Do you see the soul?

Happy vs. Mean spirits there?

Child vs. Beast

perhaps.

One alive and at home

One funeral arrangements pending,

a life now ended, a family now thrown into a nightmare and changed forever.

This is our child,

a child we should be mentoring,

encouraging,

loving

and

watching grow into a man

developing his brain/body/spirit

and

contributing to our world for a very long time.

His life ended for whatever reason

for whatever hatred, sense of powerfulness or pride by

Zimmerman.

And now we hear that the chief of police has stepped down from his role as he feels he is a

"distraction"to his department doing their work?

HE IS A DISTRACTION?

When did this become about him?

And what work exactly is it that they are doing there?

People are taking to the streets,

journalists are being idiots and inflaming the nation

with articles that are titled

"If you are white you never have to worry about hate, or you never have to worry about hoodies".

What kind of nonsense is that?

Al Sharpton is involved now,

and

nothing good can come from that,

as

now it will inflame those who are against him, a threat now will be turned into a media feeding frenzy.

Hatred breeds hatred

and some will fall back

and all will remember

back when

and forget

and many who are color blind

and

now sit and wonder

if a young life will be forgotten

while rage is expressed.

Remember back in

the days that

Martin Luther King and so many who walked the walk and talked the talk

and linked together singing

"we shall overcome"

and

stood together weeping

as brothers and sisters

and

Trayvon Martin

will be forgotten amidst

a new and violent

hatred.

NO ONE

SHOULD DIE AS A RESULT

OF WEARING A HOODIE

CARRYING SKITTLES, TEA AND A CELL PHONE

YES

I am sick, I am heart sick,

I angry.

and

I want justice.

Will there ever be justice

for

Trayvon Martin

and

those who love him?

I don't think so, not really,

his life ending the way and the manner in which another was willing following him

and deliberately killed him,

how can he ever have justice?

BUt

yet I join with all who want

justice to come to the one who chose

to end his life

and

I want it to be swift justice.

I did not know him, but who kno

I mourn this child

Iache for all who knew and loved him,

Who knows,

at some point I might have had the opportunity to have met and known and even loved him.

Zimmerman took that from all of us.

Black, White, Red, Yellow

we are all connected

and

the moment that Zimmerman

made a choice to pursue and pull that trigger to take the life

of

that beautiful child

he took from all of us.

AND

at that precise moment

he should have been arrested

for

MURDER.

Shame on you

Bill Lee and your police department in Sanford Florida

and

it is time for you to step down

while allowing someone

to

STand UP for justice

and do what is right and just.

Is the chief standing down

because his is a racist

and it is now coming to full light?

And if so,

it's past time.

RACISM

is not in vogue

and

it is past time for

us to

STOP THE HATE

STOP THE VIOLENCE.

WE HAVE TO DEVELOP THE

COLOR-BLINDNESS WE WERE BORN WITH

and

find the strength to move past and beyond

learned

"isms".

Another description of the

police department there?

White hispanic?

What exactly is a "white hispanic" anyway?

That is a new one for me

and

I am old as dirt here.

But exactly how does it play out

and

why exactly do we need to know about that?

Self defense might work

if in fact Zimmerman

had to defend himself,

but fact is

he had nothing to defend.

Oh my heart is heavy

as

I grieve the loss of promise,

of

the hopes, dreams, potential

of a young man

TRAYVON MARTIN

who is about to get lost

in all that is about to become

about race and hatred

rather than the loss

that this young man's life

and

all that his family is just beginning to adjust to.

We must attend to the violence

the hatred

and

the connection between the brothers and sisters that we all are on this earth

around the globe

and

in our

United States.

and

what do you want to bet...

Trayvon will be used by politicians

to further their agendas

and

not in a good way

as the skat continues

the slurs

and

the uglies

rage their heads.

Make no mistake

they will not be remembering the family

of

Trayvon

or his family,

nor seeking justice

...

They will not think when tucking their children in,

nor funding education for yours or mine,

they will not be trying to make it easier to access health care

for women, children and Elders

as they remember that

this young man may have been one

to find a cure to Cancer or MS

or

fly to places yet to be discovered.

And when it is all said and done,

it will be up to us to remember

we all have the right and responsiblity

to assure that colors are brilliant in rainbows,

in drawings and paintings

and we each are individuals

and all

bleed red.

Dance in the heavens Trayvon Martin

sweet baby boy,

I am so sorry your life had to end so abruptly

and that you were so frightened.

May the Creator hold you in loving arms

and

allow you to soar on the wings of the

mighty Eagle

as you watch over those who love you.

...

Our children

belong to all of US

and

they are supposed to feel safe

and

enjoy each moment

in our homes,

on the sidewalks

in the schools,

and coming back from the store

with skittles

and

tea

in or out of hoodies.

Walk in Beauty,

DRSES

keepin it real

www.sherryeshowalter.com