Opinion: Recognize the Loss in Trayvon Martin Case

Letter from the Rev. Jude Geiger, incoming minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington (UUFH),  about the verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman regarding the killing of Trayvon Martin. Rev. Jude’s first service at UUFH will be August 4, 2013.

Dear Members and Friends of our Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Huntington,

It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter to our community. Last night our country faced another difficult and painful decision in the trial of George Zimmerman regarding the killing of Trayvon Martin. With the jury's decision made, many people are grieving a sense of injustice for the family that lost their teenage son. Others feel that the democratic process was honored and reaffirmed. Without being in the court room ourselves, it's hard to say how just this verdict was, but it is the verdict we all must live with.

At this time, regardless of our individual opinions, may we recognize the loss and fear so many people feel right now. Many parents across our country and throughout our community are worried for the safety of their children. With the history of race-based violence in our nation, I can only worry alongside those parents.

We live in a society that is quicker to punish youth of color than their white counterparts. Racial profiling, gun violence, a drastically growing prison population disproportionately filled with people of color - all contribute to systems of oppression and harm for many members of our nation.

Although we may have to live with the verdict, we don't have to continue to live with these structures of violence. I encourage each of us to consider action in whichever way speaks to your conscience.

•You can learn more about political efforts to change the system of gun violence at the Brady Campaign. http://www.bradycampaign.org/?q=brady-campaign-statement-on-verdict-in-case-against-george-zimmerman

•Although you may not be able to vote in NYC, efforts in our area regarding controversial "Stop and Frisk" policies are well explained in the Community Safety Act that is being considered in the city that many of us work in. You can find more about it here. http://changethenypd.org/about-community-safety-act. Even if you can't directly make a difference in this location through your vote, the site is a good resource for understanding how communities of color are affected.
•This past year's Common Read for the UUA is "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander. It's a thorough explanation of the systems in our nation that disenfranchise so many citizens. If you want to learn more, or engage with a view you might not currently agree with, I recommend it strongly.
•You can also personally consider signing onto the NAACP petition to call for Federal prosecution along civil rights violations. You can learn more about that effort on their website at http://www.naacp.org/DOJ-petition-FB. At the time of this writing, their website is overwhelmed with people signing on. If you have trouble with this link, just try again later or goto http://www.naacp.org/ and follow their links.

When we feel hopeless in the face of violence, know that you're not alone. Building a world of peace and justice is a long road and it takes all of us to stay on it together to reach there.

In Faith,

Rev. Jude Geiger