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Monday, March 26, 2012

What's Changed?


Trayvon Martin
Have racial tensions eased one bit since the Rodney King incident over twenty years ago?   The fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman and the handling of the case by Sanford, Florida police have made for a national outcry.   The story gathers momentum while the polarizing statements of Geraldo Rivera, Al Sharpton and other talk show hosts add fuel to the fire.   The senseless killing of a youngster wearing a hoodie armed with nothing but iced tea and candy hit a nerve in the African American community.   Think about it.   Would you suspect possible trouble from a young black man in a hoodie more than a white guy wearing one?   Would most people be less likely to help a black man than somebody who is white?   Would you get better service in a store being white?   Would an African American have a harder time hailing a cab?   When the answer to these and many related questions is a resounding "no", then we can point to real progress. When anyone who asks these questions isn't accused of "playing the race card" or "being guilty of reverse racism", then a real dialogue on racial harmony can happen.

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