Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, and the Media

An image of Treyvon Martin typically not shown in the media

The shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman is indeed a sad turn of events for race relations in this country. The controversial Stand Your Ground law in Florida, which led to the killing, is very interesting. Under the Stand Your Ground law a person can kill another person if they feel sufficiently threatened.

A typical image of George Zimmerman that is used by the media. 

Though the killing of a teenager is indeed a sad turn of events I do believe the hatred and loathing of Zimmerman is unwarranted, at least until more evidence comes out. By no means is Zimmerman a hero or justified in his killing, but I believe that the firestorm around him is a byproduct of the media’s insatiable appetite for sensational stories. Just the other day in the supermarket I saw a magazine that had a picture of Trayvon Martin with the title, “An American Tragedy,” in reference to his killing.

The image of Treyvon that is often used by the media. Notice how this picture shows  Martin when he was much younger. 

Many of the media have tried to portray Martin as only a “kid,” but his past records reveal he was far less than a saint. Martin was repeatedly suspended from school for drug possession and other minor crimes. Martin also had a history that might suggest he was involved in theft. Long before the shooting Martin was found with twelve pieces of women’s jewelry and a screwdriver. It is possible that Martin may have burglarized houses with the screwdriver. If this were true it would lead credence to the precautions that Zimmerman took in order to ensure the safety of his neighborhood.

An image of Zimmerman that is not typically seen in the media since it portrays him as more human and likable than the previous image.

Another aspect of the case that must be examined is the fact that there were repeated burglaries in the neighborhood where Zimmerman lived. It is theorized that young African American men seen in the vicinity of the burglaries were responsible for the thefts. If this is true Zimmerman may have been justified in calling the police when he saw a young African-American man wearing a hoodie and walking near houses in a suspicious matter. It is clear that Zimmerman should have let the police deal with the matter, but it is unclear if Zimmerman was the aggressor in the struggle that led to Martin’s death.

Even President Obama has gotten in on the exploitation of the case.

Zimmerman himself has already been judged in the court of public opinion as a gun crazed racist obsessed with justice. This view of Zimmerman is unfortunate since he has not even been arrested and it is unknown what happened between Zimmerman and Martin. Martin could very well have threatened Zimmerman and if so, according to the Stand Your Ground law in Florida, he would be justified in defending himself.

Vultures

The media portrayal of the events surrounding the death of Martin has been sensational at best. It seems to me that the media, both conservative and liberal, are always looking for cases that divide our society. Whether it be Fox News' “War on Christmas,” or MSNBC’s predilection for inflammatory liberal dialogue, it is clear that the 24-hour news cycle of the American news media is harmful to our society and government. This is not to suggest censorship of the media or regulation, but to try to find more common ground in our society. The appearance of vultures, such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who have descended upon the case like hungry birds of prey, has also served to exasperate the race relations of Florida and lead to more extreme calls for mob justice. It is my firm belief that leaders such as Sharpton and Jackson are demagogues who exploit others for their own popularity and personal gain.

Vultures descending upon the freshly decomposed corpse
of Treyvon Martin 

The most important part of the Martin case is that Zimmerman should be presumed “innocent until proven guilty,” something a great many news outlets could learn from.