Figuring Out America

STORY BY SKYE WEBSTER, FNN REPORTER, SUMMER PROGRAM 

Recently in America a lot of hearts have been stirred by the Trayvon Martin incident when George Zimmerman was pronounced not guilty. Since then a lot of people have come out against the “Stand Your Ground” law because it seemed like Zimmerman got off easy. Let’s just say Zimmerman was black the trial would have been shorter and he most likely would have been convicted. Actually last year on May 18th an African American woman was convicted and sent to prison for 20 years after a 12 minute trial, for firing a gun in the air in an attempt to scare off her abusive husband. Her defense was the ”Stand Your Ground” law, but the judge said it didn’t apply in her case.

Can you believe that nowadays in our justice system anyone can get away with anything using the right words and lawyer, just because a law is flawed. A reporter asked Zimmerman’s lawyer after the verdict “Do you think the case would have gone differently if the races were different?” His lawyer responded saying “There wouldn’t have been a case to begin with.” But Zimmerman’s Lawyer is wrong, the case would have not even been payed attention too because they would have just sent Zimmerman if he were black right to jail.

 It’s not just about race though, it’s the laws themselves—such as the second amendment to the Constitution which protects an individual’s right to bear arms. This constitutional amendment gives any American the right to own any legal weapon. America came up with the second amendment when colonies were still trying to gain freedom from Great Britain who did not give them the right to own weapons. I think that this law has a lot of flaws in it, because everything is okay until you lose your child, family, friend, or even yourself and not only that it was created for a whole different time period.

And in the George Zimmerman case, do you think people like him should still have the right to bear arms after killing someone? Zimmerman got his gun back after the trial–sending a message that it’s okay to kill someone. Since when is it okay to kill someone? Last time I checked one of the 10 commandments says“Thou shalt not kill” and on our money it says “In God we trust.”  If we trust in God, why aren’t we following his 10 commandments? Do you think Zimmerman should get his gun back?

So because of two law–”Stand Your Ground” and the right to bear arms someone has died, someone who was innocent. Does this mean anyone can die just because someone else says they are standing their ground. Think about it. Trayvon Martin didn’t actually do anything wrong, but he was still killed. These two laws need to have more boundaries that need to be established so that America doesn’t have another Trayvon Martin case. What do you think about the “Stand Your Ground” and “Protect the right to bear arms”? Do you think they should alter these laws or just set up boundaries? Tell us what you think in the comment box below.

Skye Webster is a sophomore in the FNN Summer Program at Friendship Collegiate Academy.