Posted on 05/25/2012 11:39:49 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Trayvon Martin's parents visited East St. Louis on Friday to share the lessons they've learned from their son's death and to urge young people to put down the guns and pick up some books.
Trayvon's father, Tracy Martin, who grew up in East St. Louis, and his mother, Sybrina Fulton, attended a Stop the Violence rally Friday at the North End Missionary Baptist Church. The church's capacity was 750, but the crowd filled the sanctuary and spilled outside.
Benjamin Crump, the attorney for Trayvon's family, stirred the packed church by asking them to repeat after him loud enough so Trayvon could hear them: "I am Trayvon Martin."
He compared the death of Trayvon Martin, 16, on Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla., after a neighborhood watch member shot the teen, to the death of Emmett Till, 14, who in 1955 was murdered after whistling at a white woman.
Emmett Till's mother, Mamie, made the "brave decision" to have her son's brutalized body brought from Mississippi back to Chicago, stopping in cities along the way to let the people know what three white men did to her son.
Then he looked around at the audience and said the Martin family made the decision that they would not be quiet about the situation but would talk, beg, scream and fight until they got justice.
Crump pleased the crowd, who shouted out "Tracy" often throughout the rally when he told the story how after rallies in New York, Miami, Sanford, and even London in support of justice for Trayvon, Tracy Martin would say to him that he "hadn't seen the support we will get until we get to East St. Louis."
He talked to the crowd about the mission for the Trayvon Martin Foundation:
* To be advocates for families who have lost loved ones to senseless crimes.
* To educate young people on conflict resolution techniques.
* Increase awareness against all types of profiling.
* Enact "Trayvon Martin" legislation to confront and amend the stand your ground principles that suggest that you can be the aggressor and then try to claim self-defense.
Crump, speaking about profiling, said, "We believe in our heart of hearts that Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch vigilante got out of his car, profiled and confronted Trayvon Martin as he was just trying to walk home with his Skittles and iced tea."
Before taking his seat, Crump told the crowd that he and the family came to East St. Louis "to stand with you to stop the violence."
"Just think for one second. I want you all to consider what if on Feb. 26, George Zimmerman didn't have a gun. It might've been an altercation, but nobody would be dead. Trayvon would've been going to his prom, and pursuing his dreams in the aviation field.
"The police were there in less than 60 seconds after George Zimmerman shot the gun," Crump said. He said Zimmerman should've let them do their job.
Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder and a lawyer has said he acted in self-defense.
Amid loud applause, Fulton first thanked the people "for standing up for my son." Then, she said, "Trayvon is your son, your stepson, your grandson, your nephew -- all of your sons. If it could happen to my son, it could happen to your son. We all have to get up and stand up for justice. Trayvon is no different than any other kid." Fulton asked every member of the audience to "change your kids' minds and make sure you're talking to them every day and giving them hugs and kisses. You have to give them love."
Fulton said Trayvon was never afraid to hug and kiss her in public.
Tracy Martin, who grew up all over East St. Louis, including the Roosevelt homes, the Norman E. Owens housing projects, at 21st and Lynch and also in Washington Park, said the guns need to go.
"We have to take the guns away, but we have to replace them with something. It starts with God and love. We have to get back to family love, family values. We have to embrace and love each other. Then we need jobs. And we have to give them a book, an education. Without education, it's a lost cause."
Martin said more resources are needed to invest in centers for young men and women to go to so they can be off the streets.
He talked of how the neighbors would get after him if they saw him do something that was wrong. Now, he said people in the community are afraid to say something to a child they see doing something wrong "because they are afraid of what the kid will do."
Talking about his son, Martin said, "Trayvon thought it was safe for him to walk outside. He was in a gated community. That community has been there for five years. We shouldn't have to be afraid to walk outside, or be afraid of profiling, or of getting robbed or shot."
James Clark, vice president of Community Outreach for Better Family Life, told the crowd he was reminded of a rap song that came out in the 1980's called "Self Destruction." The lyrics said, "We never ran from the Ku Klux Klan. We shouldn't have to run from a black man."
A group of family and friends presented Fulton and Martin with a plaque that contained Trayvon's picture with him wearing a hoodie. The Martin family was told that the plaque would serve as a constant reminder of their solidarity with the family -- and their vow to fight for justice right along with them.
Brianna Hunter, 13, said, "gun violence is not always the answer."
"People need to learn how to settle their differences without shooting people. Put down the guns and pull up your pants. That's disrespectful."
Always follow the money trail. If anyone thinks this grieving couple is not getting large speakers' fees plus accomodations and travel expenses, they are delusional. The collection plates being passed are huge, reliable sources of renewable energy.
Now there's a "Trayvon Foundation" where money from speaking engagements, donations, "Trayvon" name copyrights, tee shirts, etc. can be funneled and from where salaries and expenses can be paid to the foundation's principals.
Ah, it's a great life, isn't it.....when the social system you hate offers such great rewards just for being bereaved and possessing a good line of gab.
Leni
And hugs not drugs! Don’t forget hugs not drugs!
Might I suggest More Guns Less Crime — that was a good book.
I think I read in Guns Crime and Freedom where someone said
something akin to I will happily put down my guns when the other guy puts his down first. Problem with “gun control” laws is they infringe upon the second amendment rights -Rights that are fundamentally given by God and only recognized by governments made by men.And when the laws are passed to disarm the populace we will be served TYRANNY and Despotism — and Slavery-For I assure you the enemy and the criminal will choose to ignore the laws made to disarm the law abiding.
“Trayvon Martin’s dad returns to East St. Louis to say books must replace guns”
You can lead a THUG to books, but you can’t make him read!
This is all smoke and mirrors. The perpetually aggrieved 13 percent of the US population do not want the rest to have the ability to resist their Sudden Reparations Syndrome.
To me this is just massive proof of the existence of an alternate universe because obviously these people are seeing things that just don’t exist in the universe I’m in.
“Martin said more resources are needed to invest in centers for young men and women to go to so they can be off the streets.”
Good idea - for your “foundation.”
Harvard University says Elizabeth Warren is an American Indian.
TRUTH? (Matters no more)
Truth is crap. We FEEL...
And don’t forget, Jorge Zimmerman is white....a white hispanic even though his grandma was black
Eric Holder’s people consider reading to be “acting white.”
“Eric Holder’s people consider reading to be “acting white.”
It’s a crime to disparage Holder’s people.
I’d like to know who paid for Trayvon’s gold teeth.
Could it have been his neighborhood pawn shop???
The elephant in the discussion is that Trayvon may very well have been one of the neighborhood burglars that neighborhood watch was commissioned to be on the watch for, and he was more that upset when he realized that he had been spotted.
I lived near there 30+ years ago; it was ghastly even then.
From the article: “Trayvon is no different than any other kid.”
Really? Trvon was like any other kid???
Like a kid who got kicked out of highschool for drug use?
Like a kid who reportedly had screwdrivers in his backpack while he walked through a gated community he had no busness being in?
Like a kid who posted on FB about being in a gang?
Like a kid who made someone’s head bloody and broke his nose?
Oh yes!
But Trayvon’s parents want guns taken away. But don’t dare take away screwdrivers like those Trayvon reportedly had in his backpack. After all, screwdrivers certainly can’t do harm to anyone!
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