Most want to put this as a racist issue rather than a poor judgement handling from both sides.
To say race is not an issue here is disingenuous. It is the MAJOR factor here. GZ suspicion was triggered by seeing a black youth he was not familiar with. It doesn't mean he himself is racist, but race played a factor in his decisions that night.
EK didn't say race wasn't an issue, he said this wasn't an issue of racism, so I'm not sure why you're bringing that up after quoting him. GZ's suspicion was by seeing a
person he was not familiar with, that was where GZ felt this person didn't belong (in Frank Taaffe's front yard). This place also happened to be literally next door to a home that had been recently burglarized, and I think Frank Taaffe's place may have been hit too (not sure about that). GZ also thought this person's behavior seemed odd given the rain.
Could GZ have misread this person's behavior? Sure. Did the fact that ALL the previous burglaries had been reportedly committed by unknown young black males and the fact that TM was an unknown young black male play
A part in GZ's suspicions? I'd say so, and I think anybody else would have felt the same way. Was the mere fact that this unknown person was black the MAJOR factor in why GZ was suspicious? I'd say definitely not.
If GZ had seen an unknown young black male casually walking down the sidewalk with another young black male that he knew to be a resident, on a bright sunny day, wearing basketball shorts and t-shirts, laughing and seemingly joking with one another, do you think GZ would have called the police on them?
Regardless, TM's race had
nothing to do with why GZ shot him, and that's why we're talking about this in the first place, and why GZ was charged with a crime.
You mentioned context, if I take everything I have come to know about GZ, in context, GZ uses race to define many of his actions. His past deeds clearly show that to be the case.
Such as the deed of mentoring those two black children? Or rallying for the prosecution of that police lieutenant's white son, because he attacked a black homeless man? Or encouraging his family to vote for Obama because he thought it would be symbolic of change in America? If that's what you're implying, then I guess I agree with you.
Facebook
Twitter