A March for Justice

     Amends, appeal, authority, authorization, charter, code, compensation, constitutionality, correction, due process, equity, evenness, integrity, legality, legitimacy, reparation, sanction, truth.

Trayvon Martin

     Above, are all different words that mean the same thing. Justice. Can we please get some for Trayvon Martin? A month ago today, an innocent 17 year old boy was shot in the chest for no good reason. His murderer claims self defense, but what was he threatened by? A bag of skittles?

In the last month, millions of people have been made aware of the situation. And many of these people have began to take action. Their actions, they hope, will finally lead to justice. Celebrities, as well as the President of the United States have taken action. President Barack Obama has demanded for a full investigation of Trayvon's murder. In a press conference he also said, "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon". Although the president's statement resulted in a lot of criticism, many people took it to heart.

The Miami Heat (NBA basketball team)

Dwyane Wade

     Celebrites such as Spike Lee, LeBron James, and Will Ferrell have taken various actions to make sure justice is served. Spike Lee spreads the word through twitter and has also backed up the president on his statement and demand for justice. LeBron James, among with many other stars have posted pictures of themselves in a hoodie with Trayvon's face. Will Ferrell has donated money to the newly founded Trayvon Martin Foundation which fights racism.

     In many cities all over America there have been hooded marches and rallies in search of justice for Trayvon Martin and his family. There are more ways that just marching to get justice. Spread the word through twitter, facebook, blogs, etc. Sign Trayvon's petition. Or just pray.

Hoods Up for Trayvon



Trayvon Martin



     On February 26 of 2012, 17 year old Trayvon Martin was on his way back to his father's fiance's house in Sanford, Florida. This house was in a gated community. Trayvon wore white tennis shoes, a hoodie, and jeans. I guess to someone this might seem "suspicious"..... Even though half the world wears this same outfit everyday. In the pockets of his jeans, Trayvon had skittles for his younger brother, and in his hands a bottle of ice tea. He seems armed right? If you said yes to that question, then you are delusional.

George Zimmerman

     On Trayvon's walk home, he was on the phone with his girlfriend. It was dark and rainy. Trayvon noticed that a man was following him in a car. Trayvon continuously looked around him for any sign of the man following him. I believe that checking to make sure that you are being followed, especially if you are in an unfamiliar territory, is in no way "suspicious" behavior. The man continued to follow Trayvon, so he began to run. Safety 101. The man who was following Trayvon is named George Zimmerman. He is a 28 year old Caucasian/Hispanic man. Some would even describe him as a racist. Anyways, George Zimmerman was the neighborhood watch man for this particular neighborhood.

     George Zimmerman got out of his car to pursue Trayvon Martin. This he did deliberately against the orders of the police. That's strike one. Zimmerman confronted Trayvon in a hostile manner. Trayvon noticed that George Zimmerman bared a gun in hand. A gun. A neighborhood watchman with a gun. That isn't allowed, ergo, there's a second strike for Mr. Zimmerman. Trayvon Martin began to call for help. A few neighbors heard his cries, but they did nothing to stop the action except call the police. And of course, the police show up one bullet too late. When they arrived on the scene 17 year old Trayvon Martin lie there dead. Bullet to the chest. George Zimmerman shot him. If I'm not mistaken, that's murder. Strike three for George Zimmerman. He should be out.

     Today, a month later, Trayvon Martin lies dead, and George Zimmerman is out free. That is ridiculous! Justice needs to be served. I don't know if this is the result of racism, a poor police force, or if Trayvon was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but George Zimmerman needs to be charged with something. Apparently I am not the only one that thinks this. People all over America are banning together to bring justice. Today thousands of people wear their hoods in honor of Trayvon Martin.

Trayvon Martin Case Summary: http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/19/justice/florida-teen-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2  

The "R" Word

                        What is the "R" word? Rice? Rainbow? Rock? No, the "R" word is "retarded".

Over the years, retarded has become a derogatory slur against those with mental disabilities. But in today's society it is said everyday by people as an insult to those with or without mental disabilities. The term retarded came from "mental retardation" which is what they used to diagnose people that had mental disabilities with.

Retarded is defined as an adjective that means "characterized by retardation" (dictionary.com). I was a little shocked to see that the sample sentence for this word was "the woman walked with her retarded child". It didn't seem so offensive until I actually saw the word in print. 

It's not good that so many people use this term today, most commonly by teens.Teens use this term to make fun of or "joke" with each other.  No matter what context it is said in, it is offensive to someone, somewhere. Often, in today's society, the "R" word is used in various songs, movies, TV show, and books, which is why I believe so many people use the word. When teens see their favorite celebrities using the word, they feel like it is also okay for them to use it. An example of the "R" word used in media today are the movie the Hangover, where one of the most memorable lines was "paging Dr. Retard". Many music artists also use the "R" word in some of their songs. I believe that this is one of the biggest ways that the word has caught fire and spread.

President Obama signing Rosa's Law

Rosa, whom Rosa's Law was named after

In 2010, President Obama pass Rosa's Law. This law prohibits the use of the words "retarded" and "retardation" in federal health, education and labor laws. It also changed the term to " intellectual disability.