It's Not Just Trayvon: 9 Other Cases That Prove People of Color Can't Safely Walk...

[Brewman_Jax]

It's Not Just Trayvon: 9 Other Cases That Prove People of Color Can't Safely Walk the Streets of America

http://www.alternet.org/rights/154756/it...f_america/

From the article:

Quote:The death of Trayvon Martin has lit up the media for much of the past month. While there's a certain degree of added tragedy due to Martin's age, people of all ages have good reason to fear vigilantism and police brutality in the United States. It's worth noting that despite nearly 200 attempts, a federal anti-lynching law was never passed in the United States. Further, Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law, and others like it, have led to what is essentially legalized murder in several areas of the country.

Lynchings and racist murders didn't end with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Even in the 21st century, people of color can't walk in safety in many parts of the country. Here are several cases that illustrate this sad truth.

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The specific incidents follow. They include both victims and perpetrators, incl. Bernard Goetz and James Byrd, Jr., and policeman Cornel Young, Jr., who was shot by his fellow cops. The only entry I don't think is appropriate was Alan Berg, who was not a person of color and was a public figure as a radio host.

Hyperbole of the title aside, it does highlight the racial social caste system and how the lives of the members of the underclass have little or no worth.