Trayvon Benjamin Martin
February 5, 1995 – February 26, 2012)
"The fight for justice against corruption is never easy. It never has been and never will be. It exacts a toll on our self, our families, our friends, and especially our children. In the end, I believe, as in my case, the price we pay is well worth holding on to our dignity."
Frank Serpico
Dear Trayvon Martin:
My heart bleeds for you,
and NOT just because “if I had a son he would look like you.” That is just
something that certain people say when their signature actually helps to
condone your death in the halls of justice. For your family I know it has to
seem preposterous to expect justice from a system designed for your ultimate
demise; but that is the revelation of the mask in the “best” justice system in
the world. Trayvon, I
know I should have told you this much earlier in your life, but you need to
beware of false prophets. Now I can only hope you find a spiritual way to translate
that message to the men (and women) in your family that are doubt searching for
solutions like I am.
Man, my heart aches for you because
I feel like I should be doing MORE than writing a blog that will be ignored by
95% of its recipients. No worries Tray, that is certainly about to change. I’m
also saddened because I am sitting in an air conditioned building while some
fat, racist used a gun to take the air out of your lungs when all you were
trying to do is watch LeBron get another ring. Dude, I was guilty of doing the
same thing, on the same night, the only difference was…, there wasn’t some
wanna-be officer trying to make a rep standing his ground with a gun on tuck.
Finally, Tray I’m
really, really sorry that the 20 churches that I pass everyday are simply
gearing up for another Sunday service wanting for me to be peaceful in the
aftermath of your death. Personally, I think the entire congregation should
hold their next service -- and all subsequent services -- in the front of a
government building (that we NOT ONLY built and we also paid for). The
gathering should continue every Sunday until George Zimmerman is dealt with --
really dealt with.
You know Trayvon someone had the
nerve to tell me that we (black men) are a HUGE part of the problem – and it
was a black man who said it. It is clear that some of us act in ways that
is detrimental to the community that should have protected you, I get that.
But, when I study the violence that blew up Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921, when I
look at the designers of all of the World Wars, the Boston Massacre, Olympic
bombings, and random child abductions, rarely do I find the fingerprints of a
black man – just like the ones missing on the gun that killed you. But,
that my brother will be a conversation when we talk again.
Honestly, I’m sorry that I just
DON’T seem to have the answers to this one. However, here’s the one thing that
I will promise you, I’m NOT going to let this one ride. Trust me.
Rest in peace my brother
because I have a feeling that peace is something that many of us have enjoyed
for far too long. I will let you know what this distribution does to help me
keep that promise to you.
1 love,
Ray Lewis
