It doesn’t matter who is in your family, a crime is a crime. Just because George Zimmerman has roots with an Afro-Peruvian great-grandfather doesn’t exempt him from killing Trayvon Martin.
In a Reuters investigation into Zimmerman’s past, a different story emerged of the man that has been public enemy number one since February 26th, 2012.
Outlining a series of incidents and circumstances help explain why Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon inside the Retreat at Twin Lakes gated community in Sanford, Florida.
I’m not mad at Reuters for doing an investigative story on Zimmerman, after all, the more we know about him the better we can understand why he pulled the trigger on Trayvon.
What I am mad it is the media coverage of headlines that read “Zimmerman Raised By Afro-Peruvian Great-Grandfather” or “Zimmerman Has Black Roots.”
First, we all have black roots, and second, Zimmerman’s story is no different than anyone else’s; it’s the choices we make in life that determine the person we become.
Zimmerman’s past life of domestic violence charges made by ex-fiancees and run-ins with local police explain why he is the person he’s become.
I can tell you a story about a scrawny kid from Hawaii who was raised by his white grandparents after his Kenyan father abandoned him and his mother died from ovarian cancer. He later went on to Columbia University and Harvard Law School – and then to the White House.
The point is, everyone has a unique story and Zimmerman’s isn’t any different.
What I found most fascinating about the Reuters piece was their attempt to humanize Zimmerman by showing pictures of him, (photos provided by the Zimmerman family), as a little boy, while telling tales of him serving as an altar boy at the All Saints Catholic Church parish from age 7 to 17.
Rightfully so, Zimmerman’s family has to come to his defense and showing pictures of him as a smiley faced boy in elementary school is the only way they can.
What are they trying to prove with these photos?
When the news broke of Trayvon’s killing we all saw the pictures of an innocent young boy, playing football, fishing and skiing, so in that same resolve I guess the Zimmerman family thought that showing pics of a young George would conjure up the same sentiment, but that’s not happening. You can’t drop baby pics of Zimmerman 61 days after he killed an unarmed boy in cold blood.
Zimmerman made his choices in life and he’s dealing with them now, but Trayvon never got a chance to make his.
Shaka Griffith is the News/Politics Editor of GlobalGrind.com Follow him on twitter @Darealshaka
