Prison for George Zimmerman is Not Justice for Trayvon Martin

, by Paul Blasenheim, Class of 2012

Trayvon Martin is the most recent victim in a long line of black men targeted for execution and erasure by institutional and interpersonal violence in the United States, beginning in the time of slavery. Lynchings by white supremacist terrorists in postbellum United States, Jim Crow segregation, the U.S. government’s COINTELPRO war against the black power movement, the rise of the War on Drugs, staggering trends of racial profiling and police brutality, and the emergence of the prison-industrial complex (PIC) all are rooted in a logic of slavery, which continues to disproportionately incarcerate, disenfranchise, silence and murder black men and all people of color today.

Trayvon Martin’s murder at the hands of George Zimmerman, a Latino man who clearly internalized the racist systemic attitudes that have enacted these gross historic harms, represents only a continuation of these trends. It is upsetting yet predictable that the justice movement which has arisen to respond to Trayvon’s death, spearheaded by the social justice community, civil rights groups like the NAACP, the Occupy movement, and Trayvon’s parents, is demanding first and foremost the arrest and prosecution—and by extension, the incarceration—of George Zimmerman. This movement relies predominantly on state apparatuses including the police and the judicial system, which have historically enacted the same forms of violence, overtly and covertly, that took Trayvon’s life.

There are many problems with the movement’s focus on criminal “justice” solutions to Trayvon’s murder. First, it runs the risk of turning what is a clearly systemic problem of internal, institutional and interpersonal racism into a “bad apple” case. Second, it silently reinforces and legitimates the police, courts and prisons as spaces where real justice can occur, despite a growing body of anti-racist literature indicating these apparatus’ deal only in the business of oppression. Third, a decontextualized and dehistoricized look at rectifying only the legal failures which killed Trayvon would necessarily demand legislative action through grassroots pressure. This means that once violent laws—such as Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law—are reformed (a process which can take many years), and Zimmerman is behind bars, the movement can claim victory, and the organized resistance on the ground will slowly dissipate until the next Trayvon Martin comes along (which, in this culture of racialized violence, won’t be long).

The United States has a racism problem: it always has, it clearly still does, and it is everywhere. The question those of us on the ground must ask ourselves is how much longer will we allow racist oppression to continue. When will we connect the dots between all the sociopolitical institutions complicit in racism and oppression today? From gated communities (like the one in which Trayvon was killed), to drug free school zones, bank’s red-lining impoverished communities, immigration enforcement officers profiling Latin@s, polluting industries poisoning low-income neighborhoods, failing public schools, police surveillance of Arab communities and Muslim organizations, and a War on Drugs that, by definition, can never end, racism rears its ugly head in every nook of society. From the slavery upon which this country was built, to today’s modern slavery, called “prison,” black and brown people in this country have always disproportionately been on the receiving end of systemic violence.

If George Zimmerman vigilante cop wannabe—who fashioned his response off of the police’s habit for profiling, and excessive use of force—had not killed Trayvon Martin, a cop would. Or another young, hoodie-wearing person of color assumed to be up to no good would have fallen in Trayvon’s place. To harp on George Zimmerman is a distraction. To demand his prosecution is a band aid to a gaping wound. Instead, we need to look to the social forces which created George Zimmerman, and others like him who have (not yet) taken life. What forms of covert racism were taught to Zimmerman and internalized by him in our school system? What are the effects of drug(war)-related stigma—as Zimmerman commented to police that Trayvon looked “drugged out”—on patterns of violence against youth of color? What is the impact of current gun legislation and the deepset value of capitalistic, rugged “American” individualism at the root of our gun culture? What history of violence or abuse, often associated with patterns of domestic violence, exist in Zimmerman’s past, which cause him to replicate cycles of violence as an adult? Perhaps, in the case of George Zimmerman, none of these are relevant. But violence always has a reason, a trigger, or a history; it never happens in a vacuum, removed of its context. It is the root cause of this violence which must be the focus of any holistic response to the Trayvon Martin tragedy. And one thing of which we can be certain is that, after Zimmerman survives the violence inherent to incarceration and is released, he will be prone to continued violence outside the prison once more.

It is time for us to deeply reimagine responses to violence which do not involve the criminal penal system or the police and to respond to cases like Trayvon’s with a systemic critique and holistic vision. Such a vision necessarily includes supporting both Trayvon’s family, and George Zimmerman himself, through the process of healing, towards a future where neither are touched by violence ever again. The police, courts and prisons exist only to maintain the status quo of power and oppression and should be abolished, or in the least disarmed, demilitarized, defunded and reimagined. Community-based justice programs must take the place of cops and police wannabes, to engage those impacted by horrific violence in the process of healing and reparation. Luckily, models for community-based parole boards, community courts and restorative justice programs—all of which represent a tangible alternative to the criminal penal system—exist. Now all we need is a robust, grassroots campaign to turn them into a reality, which is no easy task and cannot be won with a protest or the writing of a letter. I propose we begin this arduous but essential campaign right here in college, cultivating a campus culture of accountability which does not utilize PSafe, the SJB, or the MPD. In the aftermath of the brutal murder of Sean Bell by NYPD officers in 2006, and the subsequent acquittal of the officers on all charges in 2008, Wesleyan students, furious with the culture of racist police brutality, blockaded the stairs in Usdan to express their dissent and imagine a different world without racist institutions (Argus Article: http://wesleyanargus.com/2008/05/06/protesting-profiling-ny-shooting-prompts-marketplace-barricade/).

The relative silence on campus regarding the murder of Trayvon Martin, or the recent police murders of Anna Martin, Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr., Nery Romero, Yvonne McNeal, Ramarley Graham, Charles Hill, and Oscar Grant beg the question: where has the organized resistance to institutional racism at Wesleyan gone? Wesleyan, let’s get moving. Our hands are not cleansed of the blood of racial oppression across this country. “Diversity University” is poised to end our need-blind admissions policy within the next decade, which will further self-select students from marginalized communities and low-income backgrounds away from Wesleyan. The campus-wide engagement on this imminent policy change (which one would assume would be organized by our administration, who are supposedly respectful of student concerns, to garner student feedback), is markedly, yet unsurprisingly, absent. Furthermore, stories of racial profiling by PSafe, the Ride, fellow students and even faculty have surfaced over recent years, a stark reminder that racism is alive and well at Wesleyan. Our administration has consistently failed to adequately address the needs of our janitorial staff, who are grossly underpaid and suffer from a lack of access to information pertinent to their lives, and in their native langu ages. The state of Connecticut spends more money on prisons and the larger criminal penal system than it does on education. These trends must end, and in the memory of those who struggled before us, it must continue with us. Let us never forget Trayvon Martin, and let us be true to the memory of all those whose lives have been stolen in our culture of violence. Another world is possible, another justice system is necessary, and another culture could be happening, if we come together and dream it.

21 Comments

  1. Tamra M Burgess

    Ramarley Graham was a high school dropout, NON VOTING, drug dealer KNOWN to carry a gun REPEATEDLY and often. whether he had one on him when dodging NYPD or not is of no concern to me! he sold drugs WHILE kids went to and from school and befriended known murderers who would have gunned down someone like Trayvon Martin for looking at him the wrong way! I even received a death threat from one of Ramarley Graham’s friends. NYPD didn’t “hunt him down”, Graham was part of the problem in urban communities.

    and it sickens me that Sharpton got involved in this ignorant case given he worked with Dr. King who focused on both EDUCATION and VOTING, neither of which Graham gave a dayum about! please don’t do Trayvon OR anyone injustice by including a gun-toting drug dealer with them.

  2. Anonymous

    An appeal to all Prohibitionists:

    Most of us know that individuals who use illegal drugs are going to get high – no matter what, so why do you not prefer they acquire them in stores that check IDs and pay taxes? Even if we could afford to put anti-narcotic police on every single street corner, we also know that at least half of them would soon become dealers themselves. Gifting the market in narcotics to ruthless criminals, foreign terrorists and corrupt law enforcement officials is seriously compromising our future.

    We simply cannot continue with a policy that has proven itself to be a poison in the veins of practically every free nation on this planet. Even if you cannot bear the thought of people using drugs, there is absolutely nothing you, or any government, can do to stop them. We have spent 40 years and trillions of dollars on this dangerous farce; Prohibition will not suddenly and miraculously start showing different results.

    Do you actually believe you may personally have something to lose If we were to begin basing drug policy on science & logic instead of ignorance, hate and lies? Maybe you’re a police officer, a prison guard or a local/national politician. Possibly you’re scared of losing employment, overtime-pay, the many kick-backs and those regular fat bribes. But what good will any of that do you once our society has followed Mexico over the dystopian abyss of dismembered bodies, vats of acid and marauding thugs carrying gold-plated AK-47s with leopard-skinned gunstocks?

    You may find lies easier to tell, but they do nothing to prevent the existence of truth, they do nothing to help you sleep at night, and they do absolutely nothing to help those who depend on you for their safety and health.

    Kindly allow us to forgo the next level of your sycophantic prohibition-engendered mayhem!

    Prohibition Prevents Regulation : Legalize, Regulate and Tax!

    • Comeinatyou

      thought provoking dialog all the way around. the only problem with it all in my opinion, is that when one enters an institution of learning what is the pupose, is it an education? if so i have 3 questions. what is an education? what is its purpose? it, meaning what is the pupose of an education? because one is in a so called institution of learning does that imply that one has received an aducation when on leaves. final thought. the inequality, economic disenfranchisement, and political exploitation that this nation was built upon, is it not the very system from which you receive these so called educations, which are good for what?

  3. Nico

    “Let us never forget Trayvon Martin, and let us be true to the memory of all those whose lives have been stolen in our culture of violence. Another world is possible, another justice system is necessary, and another culture could be happening, if we come together and dream it.”

    Yes Paul. Thank you

  4. Paul Blasenheim

    I am glad that the correct title is posted here online. In print, for reasons unbeknownst to me, the title was changed to “Imprisoning George Zimmerman: First Step, but Not Justice for Trayvon Martin.” Thematically and philosophically, the title, editted by Argus staffers without my permission, sends a very different political message. I would like to know why this occurred and hope for some commitment from the Argus to no longer change around Wespeak titles without the author’s permission.

    Best,
    Paul Blasenheim

  6. Concerned Student

    You are misguided and your grasp of reality is frightening, to say the least. Among many ridiculous assertions, you suggest that:

    1. The War on Drugs can be compared to slavery,

    2. that “justice” cannot occur at the hands of police, the courts, or the prison system,

    3. you know exactly how and why George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin that night,

    4. the Ride racially profiles students (what?),

    5. Public Safety and Middletown Police should not be utilized to protect the person and property of all students on campus.

    C’mon, Paul. These assertions are not only ignorant but offensive. Maybe if you spent less time campaigning for looser marijuana laws (definitely one of the most pressing political issues of our time, I know) and more time educating yourself in political science and philosophy (no, Sociology 101 and that one Jack Herer pamphlet you read do not count) you would have a more convincing and well-reasoned Wespeak on your hands.

    • Learn Your History

      What is offensive if your belief that you know all the history of racial profiling at this school. What is also offensive is that you delegitimize valid academic debate as being linked with marijuana use. A quick argus search turns up this article, detailing the allegations against Psafe, MPD and the Ride: http://wesleyanargus.com/2008/05/06/protesting-profiling-ny-shooting-prompts-marketplace-barricade/

      Go here to see the allegation of faculty on 3/17/11: http://www.wesleyan.edu/studentaffairs/wellbeing/climatelog/index.html Student racism has a long history here, numerous articles in print argus have discussed historic racism as ResLife, PSafe and other administrative departments.

      You need to do some more learning. The author compared the War on Drugs to the logic of slavery, something numerous high-profile academics have done (see Andrea Smith’s work for the best explanation). That is a major and nuanced distinction which you need to understand.

      The rest of these assertions are based on opinion, which you can disagree with but can never be offensive. Time to turn your concerns inward, concerned student!

    • Comeinatyou

      what is an education? what is the pupose of an education? because one is a student in a so called institution of learning does this mean that they have received an education? in equality economic exploitation and political disenfranchisement are the principles that this nation was built upon, which is the very same system from which you have been miseducated. you can lead a man to knowledge but you can not make him think

  7. Charles Blake

    While I agree with concerned student that you made alot of incorrect assumptions.. I must say this article was really well written and will grab the attention of those who read it. It’s extremely biased but so is media and that’s obviously where the inspiration behind what you wrote came from.

  8. Wes '10

    Way to go, Paul. I know that any time someone dares to speak out they will be shouted down by the cowards among us, so I salute you for having the courage to speak up- and speak up so eloquently. For all of you who would criticize his argument, why don’t you figure out what it is exactly that YOU stand for and work towards it, instead of getting in our way.

  9. alum '09

    Completely agree that as terrible as this tragedy was, and for all the institutionalized racism underlying it, calls for increased “criminal justice” are not the solution. Well-said.

  11. matt

    Dear Paul,

    Please inform us as to the specific cases of racial profiling by the Ride, PSafe, fellow students, and faculty. You can’t just make a claim like that based on “stories that you have heard.” I’m not saying they’re not true, but it is very hard to believe your argument based on what you have written. Concrete examples go along way.

    Furthermore, just because Wesleyan underpays its janitorial staff (an important issue, I’ll concede), do we have reason to believe that there are racial motivations behind this?

    • Do Your Own Research

      It is not the job of the author to do your research for you, especially since he included the link to the article directly in the piece to which he was referring. Here is an excerpt: http://wesleyanargus.com/2008/05/06/protesting-profiling-ny-shooting-prompts-marketplace-barricade/

      “Posters with information about police brutality, racism and justice covered the bulletin boards and walls of the campus center. Justin Douglas ’08 and Argenys Taveras ’08 performed spoken word pieces.

      Douglas’s piece concerned an incident in which he was stopped by Public Safety officers several hours after a University-wide safety report was sent out regarding a mugging on campus. Taveras also spoke about racial profiling. He described the Middletown Police’s unwarranted abuse of a Latino student.

      “The spoken word personalized things because it was their words and their experiences,” said Sabine Vilsaint ’10, another student involved in planning the action. “Racism is on campus and it affects students here. The spoken word really brought it home.”

      Students who planned the event focused on Public Safety and The RIDE as examples of institutionalized racism on campus and gave out fliers that discussed policing and profiling at the University. The flier called for the elimination of physical descriptions in Public Safety reports, “because they lead to profiling and do not contribute to increased safety for the student body.”

      The RIDE has been a source of frustration for many students. According to Vilsaint, The RIDE is less responsive to calls from students of color.

      Vilsaint said that she and her friend, another student of color, had called The RIDE and asked to be taken from Usdan to Malcolm X House. The driver said it would take at least 15 minutes.

      “My friend called and changed her voice to make it more ’white’ and said that she wanted to go from Hewitt to Clark,” Vilsaint explained. “And The RIDE driver said he would page other drivers and get someone to us in two minutes. We stayed in the campus center and watched The RIDE drive past on its way to Hewitt, without stopping for us at the campus center.”

      Vilsaint said that the trend of Middletown residents using The RIDE has caused drivers to ask students for WesIDs before getting in the vans.

      “My black and Latino male friends have been rudely asked by some RIDE drivers to present their IDs with no explanation,” she said.

      Students who organized the event were also concerned about the racial profiling of non-University students, such as those turned away from The RIDE because they “look like Middletown residents.”

      “We want start a dialogue about the treatment of Middletown residents, specifically the Middletown youth of color who come to campus to use the wealth of resources that they don’t have at home, who are harassed, called the police on and turned away without any campus dialogue,” Brown said.

      • matt

        You are right, I didn’t see the link posted, my bad. But I’m still not convinced that there is institutionalized racism on campus. I don’t believe that a couple of racist incidents shows this. The RIDE problem could be easily solved by requiring ALL students to present their WES IDs before getting in. That would definitely go a long way. But “eliminating physical descriptions in police reports” has to be one of the most idiotic demands I have ever heard. How else would people like to describe a perpetrator? If the perpetrator is a certain race, it helps them narrow down the search. Skin color is just another defining physical characteristic of a person, such as a big nose, long legs, or long hair.

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