THERE WAS ABRAHAM LINCOLN...LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON...MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR....AND THEN THERE IS BARACK OBAMA

     My mother has always said..."God works in strange ways."  As unfortunate and as tragic...as Trayvon Martin's death was...and still is...it's quite possible...that Trayvon Martin is a hero...who sadly needed to be killed...in order for our country to move forward...in the issue of race relations in the United States of America.

     On March 23rd, 2012...nearly a month after the death of Trayvon Martin... President Obama made an emotional remark to the nation that "If I had a son...he'd look like Trayvon."  On Friday, July 19th, 2013...nearly a week after the "not guilty" verdict of George Zimmerman...

the President made another emotional and personal statement...with regards to the death of Trayvon Martin.  "It could have been me...35 years ago."

     The death...the killing of Trayvon Martin...and the comments made by the President...may be the beginning of President Barack Obama becoming equal in status...to President Abraham Lincoln.

     You will all recall...that in 2008...the then Senator Obama's campaign slogan was..."Yes we can."  I will now revise those three words to..."Yes he can."

     People can say all day long that race was not an issue in the George Zimmerman trial.  People can claim that George Zimmerman did not profile Trayvon Martin before Zimmerman got out of his car.  And that may be true.  People can say that George Zimmerman is not a racist.  And he may not be.  And people can say that George Zimmerman truly felt threatened by Trayvon Martin...and not because he was black.  And it too...may and could be true.  But certainly now, race is an issue...regarding the death of Trayvon Martin.  And to my thinking...race was...at the very least...an underlying concern by George Zimmerman on that February 26th night back in 2012.  And if I could ask one question to George Zimmerman...it would be the following.  "If Trayvon Martin was white...would you have gotten out of your car...and would you have followed...a white male...wearing a hoodie?"

     An African-American teenager was killed...and his death...and the acquittal of his killer...have catapulted our nation in to a discussion that I never realized was as - black and white - (pun intended) - as it is.  I am horrified by the fact that some white people...hate black people - and yes, I used the word "hate" - as much as they do...because of a person's skin color.  It nauseates and sickens me that some white people...speak with such ill will...towards black people.  

     When it comes to the issue of race in America... and which individuals have been rightfully credited in taking positive steps to making America better in the area of equality for African-Americans...among a handful of others...we perhaps first think of President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 and the Emancipation Proclamation.  We think of President Lyndon Johnson and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  And of course...we think of  

...The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr....because of the 1963 "March On Washington" and his I Have A Dream speech...plus all his outstanding efforts and civil rights accomplishments...in the hope of making blacks equal to whites.  And now...we can think of President Barack Obama...if...if...he takes the opportunity...to quickly move forward...as Lincoln, Johnson and King had done.  And I believe..."Yes he can" do it.

     The killing of Trayvon Martin - as ugly...as disgraceful...as deplorable as it was - may be a blessing in disguise.  Please understand my statement.  Obviously no death - especially that of an innocent, unarmed, 17-year old kid - should be wished on anyone...and the fact that the Martin family will suffer for many, many, many years...because of their terrible loss...is beyond what any parents...and any family...should ever have to endure.  But in some twisted, disgusting way...Trayvon Martin's killing may be exactly what was necessary...in order for America to move in the right direction for race relations...and true equality for not only black people in this country, but people of all races, ethnicities and minorities throughout the United States of America.

     Furthermore...the "not guilty" verdict of George Zimmerman...because the jury needed to follow specific "instructions by the court" and certain laws of Florida - which need to be changed - may also be a blessing in disguise.

     On Saturday, July 20th, 2013...a week after Zimmerman's acquittal... Justice For Trayvon Rallies were held outside federal buildings in 100 cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, DC.  These rallies prove that we...as a nation...are in desperate need of focusing on race relations in the United States...and that the death of Trayvon Martin must send a message to everyone...that it is vital...that it is essential...for us to concentrate on the interweaving of race, crime and justice in America...and that a black person...especially a young black person...should not be immediately profiled as someone who is going to do something bad...because he is black.  At the rallies Saturday...homemade signs were displayed by peaceful demonstrators including those that read "WE WANT JUSTICE FOR ALL OUR SONS"..."I'M 17 AND UNARMED"... and "DON'T SHOOT.  I'M YOUNG, BLACK AND WALKING."

     There is too much anger throughout our country today.  Anger by people who believe that George Zimmerman got away with committing a crime... because of poorly written laws in the State of Florida...and anger by those who support the Zimmerman acquittal...but are infuriated with others who feel he deserved a prison sentence for killing Trayvon Martin.

     America's chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Eric Holder said on Tuesday, July 16th, 2013 that "It's time to question laws that senselessly expand the concept of self-defense and sow dangerous conflict in our neighborhoods.  These laws try to fix something that was never broken.  There has always been a legal defense for using deadly force...if...and the IF is important...IF no safe retreat is available."

     George Zimmerman's lawyers officially backed off from using the Stand Your Ground Law in their defense, thus it was not to be considered by the jury...but that's like a judge telling a jury to ignore testimony by a witness... who makes a statement that is objected to by an opposing attorney and the judge sustains the objection.  A jury is made up of human beings...not robots.  They heard the testimony.  Human nature is bound to overrule what the judge says...and in many cases...play a part in a decision made by a juror...or the jury as a whole.  Therefore, the Stand Your Ground Law was an issue in the trial of George Zimmerman...and in the death of Trayvon Martin.

     If George Zimmerman was suspicious - for whatever reason - that Trayvon Martin may be a danger to the neighborhood Zimmerman was patrolling - and that Martin may have had a gun - then Zimmerman should have listened to the police dispatcher and stayed in his car.  He was clearly told by an official of the Sanford, Florida Police Department to not pursue the black male with the hoodie, but instead...he did.  And that is where, I believe, racial profiling comes in to play. If Zimmerman had accepted and embraced what the dispatcher had told him...Trayvon Martin would be alive today.

     What happened to Trayvon Martin is only one slice of a very large pie.  Blacks are being discriminated against, arrested and - in many cases - shot and killed because white people suspect them of wrongdoing...just because they are black.  That must change.

    "All men are created equal," wrote Thomas Jefferson in 1776.  But we all know that is unfortunately not true.  Obviously, America has made great strides and much progress since Mr. Jefferson penned that special phrase more than 237 years ago.  And equality for black Americans has moved forward in many ways since the civil rights movement of the 1960s.  But we're not where we should be.  Not yet.  And even though it is the law of the land...perhaps Barack Obama - as our first black President - can make President Jefferson's words...become the understanding...and the belief of everyone...who calls himself...or herself...an American.

     At the podium of The White House Press Briefing Room last Friday... President Obama said that "In the African-American community, at least... there is a lot of pain around what happened here.  I think it's important to recognize...that the African-American community is looking at this issue... through a set of experiences...and a history...that doesn't go away."

     What the President did on Friday was one of the bravest...most courageous steps any President has taken in a very long time...and I tip my hat to him.  I have always been proud to call myself an American...but after President Obama's surprise speech on Friday...I am proud to be an American who has Barack Obama as my President.

     Those of you who read The Controversy on a regular basis know that I am nearly always in support of what President Obama does as our nation's chief executive and commander-in-chief.  But his comments on Friday showed a leadership quality that paints a portrait of him that can be compared to only a handful of other Presidents.

     As an African-American himself...President Obama spoke in a personal way - connecting himself to Trayvon Martin.  And I applaud the President.  He reminded everyone that for too long...the issue of race has crippled our country...and that we need...we must...take aim on bigotry and prejudice... and shoot those ignorant beliefs, opinions and attitudes in the heart...before another African-American - or any life - is shot...because of a person's skin color...ethnicity...religious thoughts...sexual orientation...or for any other reasons whatsoever.

     Trayvon Martin's death...and George Zimmerman's acquittal...have re-opened a door...that has in the past been opened just a crack...and then slammed shut over the years.  However, President Obama's comments on Friday, July 19th have given America...and Americans...what we need at this time...at this moment.  President Barack Obama can go down in history as a great President for a number of reasons.  But if he continues the conversation that he began two days ago...and he's able to get Americans all across the country to truly discuss the issue of race in the United States...President Barack Obama can become an exceptionally great President of superior excellence...and one of the best in our nation's history.  Can he do it?  "Yes he can."

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again."

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