The Sadness of Trayvon Martin

September 06, 2013

By Daniel Schwartz

Those who have put out the people's eyes reproach [blame] them for their blindness -John Milton, 1642

Sadness! Why is it that so many have lost their hearts and ability to think clearly in an America that grows more totalitarian and militaristic every day? Why do we confuse the victim and the executioner? George Zimmerman was acting in a militaristic manner and hunting with his gun. Travyon Martin was minding his own business and eating Skittles. Apparently being young, being black and wearing a hoodie makes one threatening and/or guilty-a target for all the George Zimmermans of America. A sad racial commentary of our time when we have a black President who is doing little to diminish Jim Crow and in fact expands imperialism, militarism and totalitarianism.

Folks get confused about executioners and end up blaming the victims. Shame on all who do this. Blaming the victim is an old and vicious ploy. "They made us do it.” An immoral justification utilized by past and present Nazis and other authoritarians. And do folks believe that Martin made Zimmerman kill him? "I/we had no choice." This is another rationale for victimization by executioners. Martin was walking home. Zimmerman made a choice to harass, harm and kill him. Who carried the gun? Who was stalking whom? Zimmerman did not know or care who Trayvon Martin was. This young black man deserved better from Zimmerman, the police, the courts and the American people. Great Sadness! Of course, as both Camus and Gandhi stated, we want neither victims nor executioners. The list of blame and guilt is long starting with executioner Zimmerman. The most innocent is Travyon Martin, bless his soul. It is a sad time for all the Trayvon Martins living in America. Let us look into our hearts and minds. No more demonization. No more blaming the victim!

Meanwhile, Dr. King’s prophetic message of love, nonviolence, peace and justice becomes diminished and deformed. What irony as we recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

This piece was written by:

Daniel Schwartz

Daniel Schwartz has been teaching in colleges and universities in California, Arizona and New Mexico for more than 40 years. His interests and publications reflect his broad academic background in cultural anthropology, sociology, and public health. He presently teaches Environmental Sociology in the Sociology Department at the University of New Mexico. His education began at a community college and continued in California in the 1960s where he received advanced degrees at the California State Universityat Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley.