The Haitian Lawyers Association
As people work to understand the jury’s decision to acquit George Zimmerman, the man who killed Trayvon Martin, the Haitian Lawyer Association sends its heartfelt condolences and prayers to the family of Trayvon Martin.
However this jury reached its decision, one thing remains clear: an unarmed teenager walking home from a convenience store was profiled and shot by an adult who simply decided, without knowing anything about the teenager, that he was a criminal. What also remains clear is that the criminal justice system, by this verdict, treated the teenager as the aggressor and the assaulting adult as the victim. That must CHANGE.
As lawyers, whether or not we agree with the verdict, we must respect the process and, consequently, we accept the jury’s decision. However, we are saddened that in this day and age, a young African American boy, walking home from a store was killed because of someone’s misperception that he was a threat.
This tragedy is a painful reminder that our great nation is still wrestling with racial realities that are oftentimes unacknowledged, ignored or accepted by many. It is time that we have an open and frank discussion of these issues and consciously work to resolve them. All of us have a responsibility to do what we can to ensure that the vision of America as the land of “Liberty and Justice for all” is fully realized by all.
