An interesting read by YA...on the Trayvon Martin Case

Below is a write up by my best friend's big sis on the whole situation happening now. Please read and reflect on this life where we should be our brother's keeper...regardless of color. Enjoy.

"Let me just say for the record, I never thought George Zimmerman was a bad man. He’s the kind of neighbor anyone, I in particular, would like to have because I hope someone cares enough about my property to join the neighborhood watch because I sure as hell won't.

However he was negligent in the execution of his duties, which resulted in the death of a young man. This fact is irrefutable. He was warned to stay in his car, chose to ignore those rules and inevitably got himself hurt.

It’s very unfortunate that what should have been a logical discussion of the repercussions for ignoring police instructions, which resulted in the death of a human being, denigrated into practically a race war.

2-degree murder charges should never have been filed.  This was purely a manslaughter case. It’s the least anyone would get for killing a human being while driving or while texting.

I have this prayer in my heart for non-black people. May you never know the fear that comes with having a black male child or male relative that you love.

Before I moved to America, I never understood what it meant to be black. I also didn’t have the burden or the generational psychological impact of years of racism a lot of American blacks have today. So I’m not one to cry wolf or shout racism for every infraction.

There is this misconception today that the big black male is someone to be feared. If you all only knew the truth.

When we first moved to America we lived in California, My parents left the country shortly afterwards; my brother and I were 17 and 19 in college together sharing an apartment alone in Hayward, California. No close by relatives.  I went to Berkeley he went to San Jose State. As a CS major, there would be nights he would be on campus until 1, 2 am in the morning in the lab.

At least 3 times without fail in a week, he would be stopped by a cop and frisked and asked where he was coming from. And if he asked what was wrong, he was simply told, “oh you fit the description of someone we were looking for”, 3 times a week. At that time my brother who is darker than 6’2 and me obviously fit the description of the stereotypical imposing black male. My older brother can’t fight a girl to save his life.

After the Ahmadou Diallo case in New York, we literarily worked out script which was basically once he saw the cops, make no sudden movements, slowly put your hands up and immediately start saying the following words “ my name is _____, I’m a student at SJSU and I’m coming back from class”. At that time, we had no cell phones and I wouldn’t sleep until he got home.

My younger brother, who also lives in California, an engineer at Intel got car jacked at gun point last year at a gas station. When the cops showed up, they asked the gas station attendant if he saw anything, the cops go back up to him, again my younger brother, black like blue ink, 6 ft tall, the cop asks him “Are you sure you were robbed?”  After his car was found, the cops ask him for DNA and finger print evidence to exclude him as a suspect from stealing his own car. He calls me to discuss because obviously he feels there is something odd about that request. And I tell him not to do it. He was told, “ If that is the case, don’t ever call us (the police) again if you’re in trouble”. I tried to get my brother to file a report against the officer. His thought process was 1) they have my license plate number, they will mess with me all the time. 2) I’m not a citizen in this country and I’m black, if anything happens to me, they will believe the cops first.

I narrate these not to discuss racism, because that is a moot point and is sure to get people’s back up. However, maybe I can get you folks as fellow human beings to understand the typical psyche of any black male in America today.

It is primarily fear. The resulting impact is most while try hardest to remain as inconspicuous as possible, and in unfortunate scenarios like Trayvon, its anger and the will simply not die and not have anyone know the real reason why. But he still did anyways.

I’ve only mentioned two and at least those involved cops. I don’t have the space to go into scenarios involving non-cop, non-black males. These scenarios were not unique to my brothers.  Even my father has gotten his fair share.

So if a female like me who when walking from a dark building to my car holds my key ready to punch an attacker in the eye with it, Can you imagine what a black male who has at least been harassed a couple of times in your life either by cops or just assholes who just want to mess with you just for laughs,  would react?"
-YA