I am horrified by the events of the Trayvon Martin case. A young man is dead and there is a lot of controversy surrounding the shooting. Many are questioning the Florida "Stand Your Ground" law and the swiftness it was applied to the shooter. I don't know all of the facts in this case and no one ever will, because Trayvon did not live to tell his story. I don't believe Mr. Zimmerman would have approached the teen if he did no feel secure that he had a weapon "just in case". I am appalled that there seems to be no standards for investigating these "Stand your ground" claims and that it appears the victim was tested for drugs or alcohol etc, but the shooter was not tested.
I am reminded of another "shooting" of a teen. Tyler Clemente was "shot" by a camera set up by his roommate at Rutgers University. Dharun Ravi did the "shooting" of his roommate as he engaged in intimate activity and invited others to watch. Tyler Clemente took his own life a few days later. I am appalled at Dharun Ravi's behavior, but puzzeled about the differences in how the two "shootings" are discussed.
There is not enough evidence that Tyler Clemente took his own life as a result of the "shooting". Dharun Ravi has been convicted of spying in a place he had every right to be (in my opinion). Laws were enacted and there was a national conversation about bullying. Dharun now faces up to 10 years in prison. Many people are blaming Trayvon for his own death; as if he went to the store with the intent of getting shot. We will never know the whole story of Tyler or Trayvon. There were some questionable decisions that Tyler made but he was not vilified as many are doing to Trayvon. I hope that when a young person dies regardless of where they are from, we seek truth and consistency in how they are treated in our discussions.
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