Standing Up for Trayvon Martin
March 28, 2012 by Dan Rafter, Online Campaigns Manager
The shooting of 17 year-old Trayvon Martin is a jarring reminder of the senseless violence that minority communities face on an all too frequent basis. While the investigation is not yet complete, authorities owe it to Trayvon’s family and to all victims of violence to see justice is served. And we must continue to advocate for common-sense protections that ensure people of color, LGBT Americans, and others aren’t victims of potentially bias-related crimes.
The NAACP has a petition where you can add your voice to those calling for justice. Add your voice now.
HRC Deputy Legislative Director David Stacy testified on Capitol Hill yesterday and spoke to the toll violence takes on our communities:
This case is a tragedy. We don’t know the degree to which racial bias played a role. That is an important question for the investigation, not only in finding justice for Trayvon and his family, but also so that we can determine how best to prevent another tragedy.
Bias-motivated violence takes many forms—it can be based on race, religion, gender, gender identity, disability or sexual orientation. We have lost Matthew Shepard, Angie Zapata, Sean Kennedy and countless others to hate crimes due to the victims’ sexual orientation or gender identity. Not a week goes by in which we do not face violent crime targeted at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons because of who they are.
There must be a thorough investigation into Trayvon’s shooting. Act now and add your voice to the NAACP’s petition.
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