Monday, July 15, 2013

Does He Have The Right to Walk Down the Street?

In 2013 United States of America does a young black male have the right to walk where ever he wants to or needs to walk?

Does he have the right to walk in downtown Bethlehem without people wondering why he is there?  Maybe he is just walking home from classes at the Ballet Guild.

Does he have the right to walk into The Moravian Book Store without being followed? Maybe he is stopping in for a gift for his grandma.

Does he have the right to walk up Church Street with his friends (also black) without people crossing the street because they are afraid?  Maybe he is showing is friends who do not go to Moravian Seminary the town where he will be living for the next few years.

I have walked down the street with my guy (who is black and has been for a very long time) and have seen people cross the street and or pull their children close because they were afraid, worried or suspicious. I have also seen the look of relief on their faces when they saw he was with a white guy.  This does not happen now that we are middle aged but it certainly happened when we were young men.


8 comments:

  1. Looks like I was in line with the jury.

    http://news.yahoo.com/-juror-says-zimmerman-went--above-and-beyond--but-that-race-was-not-an-issue--010659567.html



    “Appearing on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” she said neither she nor any of the other jurors discussed race when reviewing the case.

    I don’t think it did. If there was another person, Spanish, white, Asian; if they came in the same situation as Trayvon did, I think George would have reacted the same way,” she said.

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    1. Thanks

      That does not make either one of you right or that justice was served and I heard that interview and my reaction is the opposite of yours - it confirmed my deepest suspicions - Of course a jury of all white women would come to this result.

      Delete
    2. Do you think she really would have said anything different or admitted to anything else?

      Delete
  2. 5 of them were white, I forget what the sixth was.In the story, one of them at first was for a conviction of 2nd degree murder and two were for manslaughter .That is probably why they asked for more info about manslaughter. They must have been convinced that the charges dint fit the crime, or else the jury would have hung and there would have been a mistrial. The one in the interview said that they all thought Zimmerman went above and beyond his duty, but could not convict him of the charges brought forth .Maybe you are right( if I remember right) about the prosecution , charging him with stuff he was not apt to be convicted of .Or generally throwing the case.

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    1. Thanks for commenting

      They are all white.

      I think given the case the jury was handed they probably made the only call they could.

      My issues goes beyond this case but it was this case the inspired my thinking.

      Delete
  3. Not to be a stickler , but it was five white and one hispanic .

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  4. Man, I thought I did till you posted that, lol.

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