There is little to no evidence that George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin because Martin was black. But that hasn’t stopped members of the Congressional Black Caucus from sponsoring a resolution linking Martin to gun control and lamenting supposed racial profiling of the teenager:
Honoring the life of 17-year-old, Trayvon Martin, urging the State of Florida and others to repeal the Stand Your Ground law, and admonishing involved parties to pursue full investigations into all homicides, regardless of defenses asserted by the offender.
Whereas on February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin, an African-American youth, was horrifically shot and killed while walking from his local 7-Eleven in Sanford, Florida, because he was viewed as ‘suspicious’ by George Zimmerman …
Whereas Zimmerman’s unfounded assumptions and racial bias led to the use of deadly force ….
Resolved, That the House of Representatives–
(1) admonishes any State, local agency, or official acting to obstruct an open investigation or failing to fully execute their official duties in the investigation of the events surrounding the death of Trayvon Martin ….
(5) urges the repeal of the Stand Your Ground law in every applicable State, including Florida.
All of this is sheer grandstanding. There is no evidence to suggest that “racial bias” had anything to do with Zimmerman’s actions that night – in fact, all available evidence, including the full 911 call, shows precisely the opposite. As for the “Stand Your Ground” laws, if Zimmerman shot Martin the way his opponents say he did, he violated those laws; if not, they saved his life.
The sponsors of the resolution include Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL), and the colorfully-behatted Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL).
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