(for Trayvon)
Oh
what's race
got
to do
got
to do with it?
What's
race
but
an inappropriate
notion
of the OTHER.
Could
have been
anyone
in the world
walking
down the street
that
rainy February night
stranger
who instills fear
makes
you cold with fright.
Scary
figure draws you out
the
safety of your car?
What
made you so righteous,
unafraid
to stand your ground
come
face to face
with
potential threat?
Oh
what's race
got
to do
got
to do with it?
What's
race
but
an inappropriate
notion
of the OTHER.
Lone
black teen
unarmed,
sipping
on some tea
HOODIE
on his head
only
protection
from the rain,
walking
down
wrong
street
on
happy valley
INVADING
their
personal space
suspicious,
yes.
Not
figured to be someone’s
guest.
Oh
what's race
got
to do
got
to do with it?
What's
race
but
an inappropriate
notion
of the OTHER.
Mr.
Wanna be police
doing
what police
do
best, put benefit
of
the doubt to rest
just
profile.
That
neighborhood is yours!
He
couldn’t
be
someone’s guest.
Use
deadly force
in
self defense to defend
the
place, that’s your right
to
be in your ground, don’t retreat
don’t
give up, your ground.
What's
race but a marker
of
what someone can be, is
and
deserves. Wasn’t
it
reasonable to believe,
to
feel scared, to believe in good faith
that
Lone black
teen
unarmed Lone black teen
was there to take your life?
Rush
him, face those fears, don’t
retreat
stand your ground, secure
your
space. What's
race
got
to do, got to do with it?
Note:
Since the inception of “Stand your ground laws” in 2005 in Florida, self-defense
claims in shootings have tippled. Support independent publishing Tupelo Press http://tupelopress.wordpress.com/3030-project/
