The Treyvon Martin case has gone viral. For those of you not keeping up with the news, Treyvon, a 17-year old black, squeaky clean kid with a great smile, went to the store to get tea and skittles. He was on his way to his home when a vigilante neighborhood watchman with a gun decided he was suspicious and followed him.

The kid was on the phone with his girlfriend and told her he was being followed. “Run,” she said, so he did. The vigilante chased him and shot him to death.

The police chief had his staff run a check for drugs on the body, and also a background check. No evidence of drugs were found and no record of any kind, not even for littering. No tests were run on the gunman, and no background check. The vigilante was allowed to go home with his gun because, after all, he was a white guy and trying to protect the neighborhood.

The vigilante is George Zimmerman and he does have a history of following black guys because of his suspicions that they might commit a crime. His version of the encounter was taken as gospel by the police. But neighbors hearing the kid crying “help” had called 911 and the tapes contradict Zimmerman’s story. Also on the tape, when it is enhanced technologically, is a muttered, under the breath remark by Zimmerman. This has been posted on the internet and what he muttered was “f…..g coons.” So it would appear Zimmerman is a hysterical “do-gooder” without authority, who did not identify himself as a neighborhood watch person, who tracked and and killed an innocent teen because of racist paranoia. He has not been arrested. If this were a black on white crime, the gunman would be in lockup or dead.

There is a “stand your ground” law in Florida that allows a person under threat to use deadly force. Zimmerman, has so far been protected from arrest based on this law. (The law was signed by former governor Jeb Bush, with support from the National Rifle Assocation.) The racist remark does bring it to the level of a hate crime. Zimmerman’s neighbors said he’s a really fine person and wouldn’t do such a thing. Perhaps they identify with him and see nothing wrong in his behavior. Tea Partiers, for sure.

The police chief has been under fire for his handling of the case – he got a vote of “no confidence”. He and the city of Sanford’s finest just doing “business as usual” did not expect the national furor arising over the case. Too bad for them. Because of the national attention and outrage, I suspect changes will finally be made.

Xx, Teal