I had the displeasure of being able to hear the news as it happened of the #TrayvonMartin Case. I was so sad when I heard it and while it has taken me a week I understand why the jury had to say not guilty there was a gross mismanagement of the case by the prosecution. But that does not take away the sting of this man getting away with killing a young man who had nothing on him but skittles and a drink.
I have story like this. When I was younger, my brother and I were followed home. He was a creepy old man and he looked like he drank all day. My brother and I have always been taught to look at our surroundings and to make sure that we react when things are happening to or around us. Both of us noticed this creepy old dude following us and we ducked into a store with people in it and waited for him to pass by. We were so excited thinking we had lost him and continued on our way. He appeared from an alleyway and began to follow us again. We did NOT want him to follow us home but we were not old enough or big enough to confront this man about following us, so we ran home and told our mother. Who came out ready to take him down. We found the man at the park later that night when we went with the police. It turns out he was a pedophile.
I pose this question. If my brother and I had been older and noticed this creepy ass old man following us and we had felt confident confronting him in the hopes of scaring him off would our rights be in question? If we were killed by this man would his right to follow us be upheld? We didn't know who he was, he was following us and scaring us. To me the circumstances are not different. A man following you is not a pleasant feeling worrying that they could watch your house if know where you live, all of this is creepy ass shit.
More than anything I find it disturbing that my reactions my fears would be disregarded that there are people who would hold my past against me and say I deserved it because I might have made mistakes as a teen or a young woman. Is this the society we live in today? Only the perfect can live? Only the perfect do not deserved to be followed and shot?
If this is the criteria for this I tell you now that we should all be worried about being followed in the dark.
Live long and don't throw stones
Amen! We teach our children about stranger danger and even the dangers that could lurk in those comprised of our inner circle of family and close friends, so why the hell shouldn't a young person be frightened of unwanted and unwarranted attention from a stranger while walking in the evening?! Sorry to say but my life experience and emotional intelligence have taught me that men who who approach you when you're walking have nefarious purposes for doing so 99% of the time. And 100% of the time those nefarious purposes are robbery, rape, and likely death to make sure there are no witnesses left to tell tales about the rape and/or robbery. Thankfully I've never been robbed, only negged and harrassed and tried to get convinced that getting in a car with a strange man was totally legit and not creepy or rapey in the least.
ReplyDeleteA human being has the right to do what ever it takes to survive and maintain their safety. I agree...not only do I agree but I am super patriotic, believe that all men should stand their ground, and that we should have the right to bare arms. However what sealed the deal for me (because i tend to avoid the race card) is that Zimmerman was told not to follow this young boy and when he followed him he stepped out of the realm of standing your ground, the minute he moved an inch in the wrong direction he should have lost the sovereignty of this law. Your story is a perfect example about if anyone should have been protected under this law it was Travon.. but unfortunately for him he was outgunned.
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