Some have criticized the president for taking too long to issue a statement about the senseless killing of an unarmed teenager in Florida. A crime that allowed the shooter to walk free without even being brought in for questioning, while the teenager’s bullet-ridden body was tested for drugs and alcohol.
The president had this to say;
“I’ve got to be careful about my statements to make sure that we’re not impairing any investigation that’s taking place right now.” He did, however, share that he empathized with Martin’s parents and that the young man’s death made him think about his own daughters
“But, obviously, this is a tragedy,” he added, noting that we all have to “do some soul searching to find out why something like this happened.”
“I think every parent in America,” he said, “should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative to investigate every aspect of this and that everybody pulls together — federal, state, and local — to figure out exactly how this tragedy happened.” He noted that he was glad that the Justice Department had stepped in to investigate the specifics of the case.
“But my main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin. You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon. And, you know, I think they are right to expect that all of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves and that we’re going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.”
Trayvon Martin was killed by what is amounting to an overzealous racist, who made multiple 911 calls complaining about black teens in his neighborhood, and even used a racial slur in the 911 call he made about Trayvon. The killing, which happened in the last week of February sparked a national outcry when it was learned that the shooter George Zimmermann was never arrested for the crime and today, one month later, is still walking the streets as a free man.
