In light of widespread public attention and outcry over the shooting deaths of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin of Florida and 20-year-old Bo Morrison in Slinger, Wis., earlier this month, members of the Madison community gathered on Library Mall Tuesday to push for racial equality.
A crowd of about 150 students, teachers and community members joined together in support of Martin and Morrison and to spread awareness about their views on the issue of social inequality in relation to both cases.
Martin, an African American, was shot and killed Feb. 26 by 28-year-old George Zimmerman, who has not been charged or arrested in the case. Zimmerman claimed self defense, though police reports show Martin was unarmed and carrying only a bag of skittles and an energy drinking while wearing a hooded sweatshirt.
Morrison was killed in Slinger, Wis. after a homeowner found Morrison hiding on a back porch. Adam Kind, the man who fatally shot Morrison, was not been charged in the shooting.
At the speak-out event, University of Wisconsin junior Tiffany Schroeder said Morrison was a close friend of hers, and she has felt frustrated as she feels the media has portrayed Morrison as a "young black criminal."
She described the "baby Bo" she had known since age nine, and shared anecdotes of Morrison and his calming qualities including "giant bear hugs."
"I never thought it would be like this. What has happened to Bo and Trayvon are extreme tragedies," she said. "These boys need justice. We must not focus on the past; we must focus on the here and now. We must do what we can to make sure these young men haven’t died in vain."
Christine Bohm, a friend of Morrison who attended the party in Slinger on the night of his death, expressed her feelings regarding the Castle Doctrine, which presumes people using deadly force against intruders are justified regardless of if the illegal trespasser is armed.
She said she feels the law circumvents a due process of law for the Morrison case.
"What this law does is give the next person in this situation the idea that killing is lawful and acceptable. It’s barbaric; it’s inhumane," she said. "In both cases, these laws seem to have protected the wrong person. That’s 100 percent failure."
Savance Ford, a 17-year-old African American student at Madison West High School, attended the rally and said he felt shocked upon hearing of Martin and Morrison’s killings.
Ford said his mother has not allowed him to go out alone in the past two weeks, despite their neighborhood’s safe reputation, for fear of violent discrimination because of his age, gender and race.
2012年3月28日星期三
2012年3月25日星期日
Last Week's Top Stories
In what was our top read story for the past week, accused burglars who allegedly had robbed a home in Warren Township were stopped last Saturday, March 17, on Martinsville Road by a Bernards Township police officer when their vehicle supposedly failed to have a rear license plate.
The officer reportedly noted a bag with gloves and jewelry inside, and his questioning allegedly prompted the three men within to speed off, head onto Interstate 78 east, and reportedly exceed 100 m.p.h. before crashing at the ramp leading to exit 40 in Warren Township. The arrests of three men within were announced by the Somerset County prosecutor's office on Monday.
On Thursday afternoon, Verizon union employees who expressed discontent with negotiations on a contract that expired last August were back at the Verizon Center at North Maple Avenue in northern Basking Ridge. The union employees also protested the pending layoff of copper wireline repair workers. The company's official response was that the contract would be settled through negotiations, not rallies, and that about 300 Verizon "Connected Solutions" unit had been "let go" about six weeks ago due to a declining workload.
There was continuing discussion in our Moms Talk column about whether the school's administration would benefit students at Ridge High School with a decision to eliminate midterms and finals at the high school next year. Those tests are due to be replaced with assessment tests each marking period.
In other school news, residents were reminded that the Board of Education will on Monday vote whether to approve a $75.85-million local tax levy to support most the proposed $93.26-million school budget for the 2012-13 school year. By moving the school election to November, the board gained the right to adopt a school budget without a public vote if the tax levy increase remains at or below the cap of a two-percent increase.
And, over at the Senior Wellness Center, a celebrity landed in town when Elvis entered the building last Tuesday. His fans were not disappointed, and we captured some of the show (and kisses) on video.
The officer reportedly noted a bag with gloves and jewelry inside, and his questioning allegedly prompted the three men within to speed off, head onto Interstate 78 east, and reportedly exceed 100 m.p.h. before crashing at the ramp leading to exit 40 in Warren Township. The arrests of three men within were announced by the Somerset County prosecutor's office on Monday.
On Thursday afternoon, Verizon union employees who expressed discontent with negotiations on a contract that expired last August were back at the Verizon Center at North Maple Avenue in northern Basking Ridge. The union employees also protested the pending layoff of copper wireline repair workers. The company's official response was that the contract would be settled through negotiations, not rallies, and that about 300 Verizon "Connected Solutions" unit had been "let go" about six weeks ago due to a declining workload.
There was continuing discussion in our Moms Talk column about whether the school's administration would benefit students at Ridge High School with a decision to eliminate midterms and finals at the high school next year. Those tests are due to be replaced with assessment tests each marking period.
In other school news, residents were reminded that the Board of Education will on Monday vote whether to approve a $75.85-million local tax levy to support most the proposed $93.26-million school budget for the 2012-13 school year. By moving the school election to November, the board gained the right to adopt a school budget without a public vote if the tax levy increase remains at or below the cap of a two-percent increase.
And, over at the Senior Wellness Center, a celebrity landed in town when Elvis entered the building last Tuesday. His fans were not disappointed, and we captured some of the show (and kisses) on video.
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