Why Trayvon Martin is not "America's problem."

So I was listening to a talk radio host here in Philly on my drive home today talk about the Trayvon Martin case. Dude was saying that he has sons who are Trayvon's age and that they are prone to wear hoodies every now and then. "But for the grace of God go I" is what he said. Sorry Mr. Smerconish, with all due respect, your sons would have not been shot to death on that fateful day in Central Florida. Your sons do not look like Trayvon Martin.

This is one of the benefits of white privilege that most whites take for granted. In a "color aroused" society, you don't have to worry about how you will be perceived by Joe Public. I am fortunate enough to be able to go to some very nice establishments, and I am always aware of what I wear to certain places. It shouldn't have to be that way, but it is. Unless you are a famous black person (and even when you are), you just do not get the benefit of the doubt. Those "color aroused" instincts always take over and makes things uncomfortable for certain people. Unfortunately, sometimes the results can be deadly. 

Some pundits worry and wonder why this particular case is not "America's problem" and why it is only a black one:

"Trayvon Martin, like so many “suspicious-looking” young black males with similar "fates, did not have that luxury. No one can hide his or her skin color and, in the context of vigilante violence, the false threat of black skin is a uniquely black male problem. That doesn’t mean that those who have not experienced it cannot see why it is so obviously troublesome, nor does it exonerate non-black people from the responsibility of demanding a more just legal system that sends a clear enough message that murders like Martin’s are so unacceptable that they will, for the most part, go away. That lack of joint responsibility may be the single most troubling part of this story.

When Caylee Anthony disappeared, Nancy Grace almost single-handedly decided for us that this was America’s Problem. For a good year, this was America’s Problem. This was America’s Problem despite the fact that, by the time Caylee’s mother was arrested and acquitted, there really wasn’t anything anyone could do about it. Black media leaders had to cover Casey Anthony’s trial, too. And Joran Van Der Sloot’s. And Amanda Knox‘s. The lack of reciprocity, particularly in cases with black victims, is stark and needs to be addressed."  [Source]

It "needs to be addressed", but believe me, if it's not, we won't be surprised.
As Americans we do have a lot in common, but unfortunately, problems like this isn't one of them.

Finally, Rick Santorum came out against pornography the other day; and he has been forceful in his condemnation of this particular phenomenon in A-merry-can life.

I admire the guy's passion, but if he really wants to do away with pornography he has to stop posing shirtless for all the world to see. I, like, Justice Stewart, know obscene pornography when I see it. That pic, my friends, was obscenely pornographic.


*Pic courtesy of The Grio.