12 I The Blue Banner I 4.42012
Campus \^ice
The Blue Banner’s View
Justice should not be a question of race discrimination
A teenage boy dies and gains nation
wide media attention.
Correction: an African-American
teenage boy, walking through a majority
white neighborhood, gets shot and an
entire nation begins screaming, “Rac
ism!”
Facts in the death of 17-year-old
Trayvon Martin remain obscure. Eye
witness accounts only tell the story after
George Zimmerman shot Martin. Not
one eyewitness reports claims to have
seen any of the events leading up to the
shooting.
Except, of course, we have Zimmer
man’s own account.
It’s said there are three sides to every
story: each person tells their version,
and the truth lies in the middle.
Sadly, we only have Zimmerman’s
side.
Martin’s died along with him, and
everyone is still searching for the truth.
All across the country, people ques
tion- “What happened?” “Who started
it?” “Is Zimmerman telling the truth?”
And, the big one, “Will there be justice
for Trayvon Martin?”
But, another question remains to be
answered.
Photo by Gabriel Ainslie - Assistant Photography Editor
Students and community members gather in front of Ramsey Library for a pro
test held on campus, March 29. The protest was being held to "bring justice for"
Trayvon Martin, Shaima Alawadi and Agnes Torres.
How did the death of a young Afri
can-American boy by a Hispanic man
become an issue of racial profiling?
And why, more than half a century
after desegregation and the Civil Rights
movement, does racism still rear it’s
ugly head?
Some sources in the case claini the
911 recording of Zimmerman contains a
racial slur, although numerous analysts
have reported being unable to distin
guish it.
Protests have arisen all across the
country clamoring for the arrest of Zim
merman. The New Black Panthers even
went far enough to offer a reward for
Zimmerman’s capture.
Authorities claim, under Florida’s
“Stand Your Ground” law, Zimmerman
acted in self-defense.
Therefore, if his account stands up
against the Martin family’s defense,
he will not be charged with Martin’s
murder.
This should stop being a question of
race and start being a question of the
truth.
Here are the facts: Zimmerman called
police and pursued Martin after seeing
him walk through the neighborhood.
Neighbors heard an altercation and
screams for help, but cannot say defini
tively who screamed. Witnesses came
upon the scene after hearing a shot and
saw Martin lying on the ground, dead,
with Zimmerman standing over him.
This should not be a question of race.
Justice should not be served because
an African-American was shot.
Justice should be served because a
young man is dead, skin color notwith
standing.
The Blue Banner Editorial Board
Karpen Hall 019 (828)
Hali Ledford, Editor-in-Chief
hdledfor @ unca .edu
Auburn Petty, Managing Editor
alpetty@unca.edu
Tim Barrett, Business Manager
tbarrett @unca.edu
IVevor Metcalfe, News Editor
temetcal @ unca .edu
Alicia Adcox, Campus Voice Editor
aradcox @ unca .edu
Sarah Gentry, Sports Editor
segentry @ unca .edu
Dustin Stuart, Photography Editor
destuart@unca.edu
251-6586 www.thebliiebanner.net
Morgan Nirenstein, Copy Desk Chief
manirens @ unca .edu
Jackie Starkey,/\ss/s/anf News Editor
jstarkey@unca.edu
Jessica LaRue, Co- Arts & Features Editor
jlarue @unca.edu
Maisey Cooley, Co-Arts & Features Editor
mdcooley@unca.edu
Amarra GhanU Assistant Campus Voice Editor
aghani@unca.edu
Gabriel Ainslie, Assistant Photography Editor
gainslie@unca.edu
Michael Gouge, Faculty Adviser
mgouge@unca.edu
Have a news tip?
send to hdledfor@unca.edu
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