BETWEEN THE LINES: Some observations about racism in America
Our nation has made considerable improvement since its founding, yet an element of our society continues to market racism for its own personal gain.
In spite of our progress, our country still has a ways to go. However, discrimination is not limited to race. Fairness is always in the eyes of the beholder, which brings us to the case of Trayvon Martin, 17. The Florida teenager was shot and killed the night of Feb. 26 in Sanford by George Zimmerman, a Hispanic and self-appointed neighborhood watch captain.
The controversy surrounding the teenager’s unfortunate death, according to some, is based on the failure by local police to arrest Zimmerman. Protesters do not believe his plea of self-defense. Descriptions of the incident vary, but there appear to be some eyewitness accounts that contend Martin attacked Zimmerman first.
Rather than allow the legal system to sort out the case, career race-baiting activists such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are taking center stage demanding the arrest of the neighborhood watch captain. Meanwhile, rallies and protests continue to grab the media’s attention.
The question I would like to pose is where was the media when a white 13-year-old Kansas City boy was chased home by two black youths, doused in gasoline and set afire? The teenagers walked away from the crime, commenting to the victim, “You get what you deserve, white boy.”
Or how about 15-year-old Haley Petersen of O’Fallon, Ill., who was wearing a leg cast while walking her dog when she was accosted by two female black teenagers who beat her up as they told her, “This is our territory, white girl.”
Why is it that the media fails to point to a 2007 FBI Report that states that African-American youths are eight times more likely to attack whites than vice versa? In addition, a 2009 Uniform Crime Report stated that black youths 18 years of age and under accounted for 58 percent of murder and non-negligent manslaughter crimes.
As John Adams once commented, “Facts are stubborn things.” That is why the national media often avoids them.
Racial bias will never be diminished by allowing these exploiters of race to consistently receive prime time coverage. The phrase "fair and balanced" should never be used to describe news coverage, even by outlets such as Fox News. The nation’s media does not make the news, but by choosing what to cover they can certainly spin the message they want to send.
The truth is that it is too early to tell whether Zimmerman was at fault. In fact, we may never really know what went down that evening, but making the killing of this teenager a race issue will never bring this country together. It will only widen the gulf.
What happened in Flordia was a tragedy, but the race card has no business being played here or anywhere else for that matter.
Laughlin is a Christian Libertarian. He is an economist, teacher, father, husband and most recently a grandfather. He has written a weekly column for The Tribune for 13 years. He and his wife Gina reside in Meadowlakes. To contact him, email ablaughlin@nctv.com. He is an independent columnist, not a staff member, and his views do not necessarily reflect those of The Tribune or its parent company.