Trayvon Martin Protests

 

By now, the story of Trayvon Martin is known all across the country and has spread like wildfire. With the aid of the internet, TV, and other forms of social media, the public is much more informed about the incident and wants Trayvon’s killer brought to justice. Marches, vigils, and rallies have been held to show the outrage of communities nationwide and have been extremely successful in supporting the Martin family. People begin to imagine their son or daughter in a similar situation, innocently walking by when something so tragic happens. It strikes a chord in people that prompts them to show their anger and fear which in this particular situation, is aimed at George Zimmerman. Hundreds of people gather in vigils and prayer services for Trayvon while in larger cities, full scale rallies are being held. On Saturday March 24^th, 2012, rallies in Columbia, South Carolina, Washington D.C,  and Chicago took place while more protests are currently being organized. Most of the protesters wear hooded sweatshirts just like the one Trayvon was wearing. Symbolic in nature, this show both support for Trayvon as well as question how a sweatshirt can pose a legitimate threat to someone. Wielding Skittles and Iced tea, protesters can’t help but question how such an event occurred and why Trayvon’s killer has not been charged.  Many are criticizing Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law which is similar to laws in 23 other states. “Stand Your Ground” allows for a person to use deadly force against someone else if they believe their life is imminently threatened and is pretty limited to self defense.

     On Twitter alone there have been 600,000 mentions of the case while 82,000 fan page likes on Facebook and Youtube views continue to skyrocket. It is evident that the case has done extremely well in becoming popularized and that through the power of protest; change might actually become a reality. While it is beginning to look like Zimmerman might actually going to held accountable for his actions, many are forgetting about or avoiding the real issue; gun control and the “Stand Your Ground” laws. It is just as important to raise awareness about gun policies and their reforms as it is to raise awareness about Zimmerman. The two go hand in hand.