Stand Your Ground

“On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand—all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking ground.” 

 

The old American adage of crime and punishment which believes that justice is only served when we apply literally the biblical passage, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” will eventually leave us all blind, toothless and even further removed from God.

All over the country countless individuals are ‘standing their ground’ in protest against the killing of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year old African American in Sanford, Florida. These protests are calling for the arrest of George Zimmerman, a white Hispanic, who claims he acted in self-defense, using Florida’s “Stand Your Ground Law” as justification in killing the young teen. But the burning question for me seems to be “On whose ground was Mr. Zimmerman standing?”

The “Stand Your Ground Law” was passed in 21 states, to include Florida, in the last few years giving persons the benefit of the doubt for killing if it is self-defense. But in order for one to stand one’s ground, one must be sure that they have a ground on which to stand. The reality is, with such a law on the books one would almost have to be attacked or shot or knifed before they could claim self-defense against another individual. This is further complicated by the fact that when the law is applied, there is usually only one victim left to justify the killing because “dead men tell no tales.”

Mr. Zimmerman, a member of a neighborhood watch patrol in this middle-class gated Florida community explains his actions by saying Mr. Martin looked suspicious and out of character in this particular neighborhood because of his attire. Apparently, Trayvon was wearing a hooded shirt often referred to as a hoodie! But what is even more disturbing in this particular case is that when the police arrived on the scene, at no time did they restrain or treat Mr. Zimmerman like a suspect in a homicide. As a matter of fact after brief questioning on the scene Mr.Zimmerman was free to go and to this date has not been detained or faced any consequences as a suspect in the shooting.

In essence, a 17 year old African-American “man-child” was killed simply because of what he was wearing and the perception it created for an overzealous neighborhood white-Hispanic vigilante who was warned by the 911 operator not to pursue the youth. The writing staff of Law and Order could not have created a better script to illustrate all that is wrong in society today!  

Just because a person looks a certain way, behaves or has a certain look is not a license to attack and kill. The code language that has developed when we think someone is out to inflict harm is that the person “had a suspicious look.” In many cases the look is African American, young and male.  On Wednesday evening a Million Hoodie March was held in New York, and the participants donned sweatshirt hoodies in solidarity to putting an end to racial profiling and supporting the arrest and filing of charges against the white-Hispanic Zimmerman. 

Closer to home in Chicago last weekend, amidst spring-like temperatures, 49 people were shot resulting in 10 deaths from gun violence. All of humanity is at risk here, our communities are unsafe and states like Florida are responsible for creating laws that continue to perpetuate suspicion and distrust of our neighbors and fellow citizens. After all, justice is only served when there are plucked eyes and pulled teeth. 

Of course, these are not isolated cases and certainly not limited to Sanford, Florida or Chicago, Illinois. All over the country individuals are ‘standing their ground’. In fact, the real ground that we should be standing on comes in the words of Trayvon’s mother, Sybrina Fulton as she talks of her sons killing during the New York protest, “This is not a black and white thing—this is about a right or wrong thing.” 

As a person of deep faith, doing what is right over what is wrong is always rock-solid ground on which we can all stand. May each of us seek to stand on such ground, and in so doing draw us closer to each other and to God. Amen.

Photos of Trayvon Martin