Judge's tools[/caption]Carol Forsloff with Casey Buxton---While black youth kill each other more than they do folks outside their own circle, it turns out that white youth are victims of the crossfire of racial tensions and violence. But where is the lens for examining fairness and justice in race outside of the emotions expressed after the George Zimmerman verdict?
A group of black teenagers shot and killed a white baby in March 2013. An email chain has been fostered to underline the issue of race within the problem of teen violence, however it is tinged with another insertion on President Barack Obama, intimating that he only worries about African American teens, as in the case of Trayvon Martin. But it does point to an issue often ignored in the day to day discussions of race and violence and what is fair and reasonable in the application of justice.
In the case of black teens killing a white baby, this took place during a robbery attempt. The mother insisted she had no money, at which time one of the teens went over and shot the baby in the face.
One article observes that those interested on matters of race and violence may often not be interested, or focused, on crimes when they involve black on white crime, as in the case of African American teenagers killing an unarmed white woman in Georgia. Often this type of information comes from someone trying to prove that the problems are equal when it comes to race, on matters of violence and justice. But a balanced perspective must include the fact that the violence that occurs among the races has more than a one-way street.
After the George Zimmerman verdict, where a Hispanic male was found not guilty of killing an African American teen, speculation has principally been on the American justice and its lack of fairness to African Americans. On the other hand, OJ Simpson was not found guilty of killing his wife, despite what many considered very clear and detailed evidence. In high drama, many celebrated the verdict and few asked about the fairness of the verdict itself. Jurors were seen shaking O.J. Simpson’s hand not long after he was acquitted. In fact it has been reported that after that acquittal, many African Americans celebrated for weeks.
But are we seeing widespread celebrations from the Hispanic community after Zimmerman’s acquittal?
Justice might seem to hang in the balance on the Zimmerman case, but a balanced view might produce a conclusion that race as a factor in crime is not a reasonable factor for any race at any time.
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"Casey Buxton" is an African American teenager who did not want to reveal location or race, but helped with this story in finding some perspective and information, that is helpful in the examination of the Zimmerman verdict and violence and the matter of race in equal justice. He says, "I don't like it either way." We had discussed this as two people on a bench in Portland after the Zimmerman verdict. His perspective is like most people, of all races.
