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Shot for being a black boy in a white area - please read

163 replies

TheRhubarb · 20/03/2012 13:08

Apologies if this has been posted - I couldn't find it.

Trayvon Martin was a 17yo boy who lived in a largely white, gated area. He left his home to pop to the shops and was spotted by a white neighbourhood watch member. George Zimmerman called the police to let them know about this boy who was "like he's up to no good or he's on drugs or something" before then saying "These assholes, they always get away.". He told the 911 operator that he was following Trayvon and was advised not to. Trayvon at that point had started running to get away from his follower.

Trayvon was not on drugs or acting suspiciously. He had bought a packet of skittles and a can of iced tea and was heading back home. He phoned a friend in a panic about being followed by Zimmerman, at that point the friend heard him say "why are you following me?" as Zimmerman cornered him to confront him, then there was a scuffle before the line went dead.

Zimmerman had ended up fighting with the 17yo. He had a gun, Trayvon had just his sweets and can of pop. Trayvon was heard by neighbours to shout for help before being blasted in the chest. He died on the spot, just yards from his own back door.

Zimmerman has not been arrested. He claimed he was acting in self defence. He has a history of raising false alarms to the police and broke neighbourhood watch rules by carrying a loaded gun. He is still free.

Trayvon's family and friends still have not come to terms with what has happened to their little boy who was not afraid to be seen kissing his dad in public and who once saved his dad's life by pulling him from the flames of a house fire.

Can you imagine if Trayvon had been white and Zimmerman black?

Please sign This petition to prosecute Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon. Please also share on your facebook walls. Cheers.

OP posts:
TheRhubarb · 20/03/2012 13:28

bump

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TheSurgeonsMate · 20/03/2012 13:39

Good grief. When I heard this story on the news this morning, I kind of assumed that the killer was at the end of his tether in some benighted blasted spot, not calmly surveying his gated community! I'm off to check out your link now.

TheRhubarb · 20/03/2012 13:45

Thank you TheSurgeonsMate. No this was a gated, largely white community and in fact the police at first didn't believe that he lived there and so didn't make any checks in the immediate area to see if anyone knew him.

There was just a presumption that because he was black, wearing a hoodie and walking in a white area that he was up to do good and for that presumption he was shot dead by a trigger-happy vigilante who has the gall to claim self defence against an unarmed, frightened 17yo boy. Neighbours all reported hearing him screaming and crying for help. This was not a boy who was even fighting back. Yet his killer remains a free man because unfortunately racism is ingrained in some American states.

Please do pass this on. I'm disappointed that the thread has had such a little response, perhaps because it didn't happen in the UK? Yet the more people sign that petition, the more chance there is that Zimmerman will have to be arrested and prosecuted. It can never bring Trayvon back to his parents, but at least they will know that they don't have to face his killer every time they step out of their front door. At least they will know that some of us DO care.

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BoysWillGrow · 20/03/2012 13:52

Just signed

Latsia · 20/03/2012 13:57

Signed. Horrendous.

TheRhubarb · 20/03/2012 14:08

Thanks, please keep this bumped so that others can see it too.

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propergander · 20/03/2012 14:17

Just want to say that i am a loooong term poster but have logged in to post this. I am so saddened and distressed to read this and cannot put into words how it feels to be left to deal with the aftermath. Tragically, i am unfortunate to know and have experienced this first hand.

This will undoubtedly represent a double tragedy for this distraught family. The non-arrested sending a message that somehow their precious and beloved son was somehow, 'not worth enough' to merit proper and thorough investigation and bringing the murderer to justice. That will literally be physically painful and remain with this family forever more.

Unwittingly, communities, and in this case I mean the global community watch, read, and listen about the injustice and turn the page - or in MN case, click onto another thread. Please do not read this and ignore.

My family were eventually fortunate enough for my brother's killers to be brought to justice - against all the odds. Fighting against an establishment where decisions and judgements were based on presumptions is impossible to fully convey. Having achieved justice, we pledged to Pass It On. Had it not been for the support that some members of the public showed us, that justice could so easily not have happened, as so many more people turned away. So I ask that you read this and sign the petition as your time and support will make more difference than you may ever realise. I know how much that still means to my family and will be ever thankful for that.

Thank you if you have read this far: please read the link, sign and Pass It On.

TheRhubarb · 20/03/2012 14:24

Another bump. This thread may not be as interesting as Easter bonnet ideas or relationship condundrums, but with this you have a chance to make a real difference. Please don't just click away - please leave just a small comment as I've noticed that often threads get the 'snowball' effect and the more posts a thread has, the more likely it is to be picked up as people then assume that it must be interesting. If we can have this thread on Mumsnet latest or even just keep it in active convos that would be brilliant.

So please just post to say you've signed and please do consider sharing on your facebook pages. You don't have to do this via Mumsnet, just copy and paste the link to the petition. Here is the full url for the link www.change.org/​petitions/​prosecute-the-killer-of-our-son​-17-year-old-trayvon-martin

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TheRhubarb · 20/03/2012 14:25

propergander - my heart goes out to you. Justice should be available to all regardless of colour, ethnicity, religion or gender but it isn't is it?

I'm so sorry you had to go through such a trauma yourself. Thank you so much for posting.

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tiggersreturn · 20/03/2012 14:29

signed it

LumpyLatimer · 20/03/2012 14:32

Dear God. Appalling.

Signed and Tweeted.

hermionestranger · 20/03/2012 14:35

Signed and tweeted.

Thaney · 20/03/2012 14:36

This is awful. I have signed.

lambethlil · 20/03/2012 14:38

Signed and shared, quite unbelievable.

TheRhubarb · 20/03/2012 14:41

You are all brilliant - thank you!

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Flubba · 20/03/2012 14:43

Truly dispicable. Signed petition.

worldgonecrazy · 20/03/2012 14:47

Does it make a difference if the petitioners are based in the UK? I know that the UK petition thingy is only for UK residents.

Like lambethlil I've signed and shared, though unlike lambethlil I don't find it unbelievable in today's America.

Figarello · 20/03/2012 14:49

Signed.

TheRhubarb · 20/03/2012 14:53

No I don't think so as it does give you the option to put in a UK address and post code. At the moment it is just making sure that the state attourney is aware of the huge tide of public anger worldwide that this case is generating and hopefully that will put pressure on them to be seen doing the right thing and arresting George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin. Even then we need to keep up the pressure so that he is indeed prosecuted and punished rather than facing any lesser charge or claiming he acted out of self defence. When you shoot a distressed 17yo boy in the middle of the chest you aren't hoping to just scare him off. The intention was to kill.

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TheRhubarb · 20/03/2012 15:57

bump. Please leave a comment to keep this in active convos.
If you agree then please sign and pass it on.

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TheRhubarb · 20/03/2012 16:04

Audio footage of the 911 call made by Zimmerman to report Trayvon now shows that Zimmerman clearly referred to him as a "fucking coon" just after he said how "these assholes, they always get away." because Trayvon was running away from him.

And they say that it was not a racially motivated crime but a mad moment of self defence.

Please sign, commen and pass on.

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LumpyLatimer · 20/03/2012 16:06

Bumping. And getting really quite depressed.

LumpyLatimer · 20/03/2012 16:06

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LumpyLatimer · 20/03/2012 16:06

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LumpyLatimer · 20/03/2012 16:06

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