Trayvon Martin & SUS in the UK

Treyvon Martin………………targeted and ultimately killed for acting suspiciously. Would his behaviour had been seen as suspicious by George Zimmerman had Trayvon been a white male? All I know and have known all of my life is that behaviour assigned to black people as suspicious, aggressive, loud, sexual, mentally ill etc, is often given another name when assigned to white individuals. Did Trayvon die because of racial prejudice and stereotyping? Did he die because his behaviour was assessed by a mind that was loaded with racist, prejudicial biases? How free are black races in the diaspora to walk without fear of suspicion of guilt based upon racial stereotypes? Only last week (09/0/2013), in the UK we saw the Chief Inspector of the Constabulary conclude that 27% (yes, over a quarter, the equivalent of 250,000) of people stopped and searched (under SUS laws), were stopped illegally. We have seen people stopped without ‘reasonable suspicion’ as is required, by those given legal mandate to do so by dint of their job and still we have this massive and worrying discrepancy in how SUS is implemented. Trayvon was was rightfully in the area with his father visiting his father’s partner. Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch security man, was suspicious of Trayvon on his return from buying sweets and a drink, and followed him in his vehicle where he had a gun. Suspicious…..so suspicious that he didn’t back off when told to by the police that he reported Trayvon to. What was the suspicous behaviour that this 17 year old exhibited? What was he doing that was of so much concern that immediate action had to be taken? 25% illegal SUS use due to being ‘suspicious’; a path that led to a killing, sparked for the same reason. Is just being suspicious a valid base for a decision or action that can have outcomes of such magnitude? What happened to evidence? What makes you jumpy may not register with me as an issue. Suppose I don’t find young black males in hoodies suspicious but get real worried around white middle class men in shirts and ties? What rights does that give me to target them for Acquitted of murder, Zimmerman is free to walk. Trayvon Martin cannot.

source:lost for words