racial injustice

If George Zimmerman were a 28-year-old black man who shot and killed a 17-year-old white teenager under the same circumstances as alleged in Trayvon Martin's death, would he have been immediately arrested?I can unhesitatingly say, "Of course." Herein lies the cultural and racial inequity which has largely led to the polarization and division over culpability in Trayvon's death. Although Trayvon Martin's killing is a tragedy at the highest level, his death and the prosecution of George Zimmerman symbolize so much more. The issues they raise belong in the public discourse, but should not influence or cloud the facts or outcome of the case. Many African-American men have been killed since Martin's death and undoubtedly more will follow. It's likely that none of their names will be well-known. But Trayvon Martin has become a rallying cry for all the wrong that still exists in America regarding race and unequal treatment in the criminal justice system. It's rare that a person of color in America hasn't experienced some sort of bigotry or profiling. Most of them, their families or friends have experienced unequal treatment, bigotry, sneers, insults, misplaced suspicions or police misconduct that was racially motivated. Martin's shooting death represents an opportunity to express and address the injustices which still regularly happen but mostly remain unanswered or unaddressed.Racial equality has advanced far from where it was, but the struggle is not over. African-Americans know injustice still exists and will exists for awhile.