Hoods Up for Trayvon

As each day passes since the murder of Trayvon Martin, more and more people are finding out about this horrific case. It is spreading throughout the nation and people all around the country are demanding justice for Trayvon and his family.  There have been songs written, rallies, marches, prayers, and love coming from many people in the United States. There have been many "million hoodie" marches around the nation where people come together wearing hoodies, many of them carrying skittles and ice tea, and walk around a city for Trayvon saying he deserves justice. 

Millions of people now know about this case and want justice for Trayvon and his family. This story has been getting the spotlight for weeks now and many people are standing behind Trayvon and his family praying that Zimmerman gets what he deserves. To be put into jail. 

Miami Heat basketball team with their hoods up for Trayvon Martin 

Trayvon Martin

On February 26, 2012, a 17 year old African American named Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in Sanford, Florida. The shooter was George Zimmerman, a 28 year old white man. Zimmerman admits killing Martin, but claims he was acting in self-defense. Almost a month after Martin's death, no arrests have been made and Zimmerman remains free.

The day Trayvon was killed, he was walking home from a convenience store with a bag of skittles for his little brother and a can of iced tea. Zimmerman called the police to report Martin's "suspicious" behavior, which he described as "just walking around looking about." Zimmerman was in his car when he saw Martin walking on the street. He called the police and said: "There's a real suspicious guy. This guy looks like he's up to no good, on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around looking about." Zimmerman kept complaining about the suspicious behavior and even after the police told him to stop following Trayvon, he continued to.

Zimmeran was not even a registered member of the Neighborhood Watch group but he violated basic Neigborhood Watch guidlines by carrying a 9 millimeter handgun. The sound of the gunshot that killed Trayvon was on the 911 tapes and it is clear George Zimmerman murdered an innocent young man. Zimmerman claims he killed him for self-defense however he cannot prove that Trayvon was doing anything suspicious. On top of that, Trayvon was unarmed and had no criminal record.

I think that George Zimmerman is a racist and was racial profiling. Trayvon was wearing jeans, white tennis shoes, and a hoodie. Zimmerman saw him and said he looked odd and suspicious. If a white person was wearing the exact same thing I don't think Zimmerman would have thought twice about the guy. I think that if the shooter was black and the victim was white the case would be handled differently and the shooter would already be in jail. 

It is really upsetting to think that Trayvon's parents have to live their lives thinking about how the murderer of thier son is walking around free. Zimmerman needs to be put in jail for the horrible deed he did and justice needs to be served. Rest in peace Trayvon.

Ending the "R" Word

Many times, either in school or outside of school, you hear someone say the word "retarded." This word can be very hurtful to those with mental disabilities or special needs. It is not a word you should just throw around and say all the time because it can cause a person with special needs or someone who knows someone with special needs to feel horrible about themselves or the person they know. 

I know people who have mental disabilities or special needs and they are some of the kindest, most loving people I have ever met. Just because they don't look or sound like you, does not mean that they are any different than you. I can imagine life is already hard with a disability and by saying they are retarded, just makes them feel worse and makes life harder. They did not choose to be born the way they were and people should not judge them for something they cannot control. 

I do not think that the "R" word should be banned however I do think that people need to be more conscious of what they say. People should stop judging others and start worrying about more important things. Those with mental disabilities can accomplish just as much as you or I can and they are no different than we are.