Trayvon Martin ‘Will Be Forgotten’ Comments Are Shocking, But Are They True?
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday that the George Zimmerman verdict was “questionable,” but that before too long, Trayvon Martin’s story “will be forgotten” and will fail to leave a lasting impact on American society.
“I don’t know if it will have staying power,” he said. “These cases come along, and they blaze across the midnight sky and then after a period of time, they’re forgotten.”
His comments, aired on Face the Nation, have been seen as more than a little bleak by some. But they have also stoked fears held by many that Trayvon Martin’s death didn’t, and won’t, matter in the grand scheme of things.
In an analysis of Powell’s comments, Mark Sappenfield of The Christian Science Monitor suggested that Martin’s death won’t matter the way some may want it to, because race relations have improved significantly in this country. He passes back to Mr. Powell, who also said:
“Enormous progress has been made. African-Americans and other minorities have moved to the top of every institution in American society. There are still problems in this country…. There is still racial bias that exists in certain parts of our country.”
Sappenfield also seems to suggest that the debate over whether race played a part in the Zimmerman case actually shows progress and healing for the nation on the issue, and that the racism that must be combated today is far more subtle.
In any case, Colin Powell’s comments have also stirred some controversy on Twitter, where reactions have been incredibly diverse:
Great that Colin Powell has spoken out on the Zimmerman acquittal after killing Trayvon Martin in cold blood: http://t.co/Mh4Yei3Hw7
— Andrew M. Mwenda (@AndrewMwenda) August 25, 2013
Colin Powell: Trayvon Martin case will be forgotten. Celente: Colin Powell’s disgusting, “Iraq has WMDs” UN spectacle will not be forgotten.
— Gerald Celente (@geraldcelente) August 26, 2013
I agree w/ General Powell 100%. POTUS does need 2 speak up 2–Colin Powell: Trayvon Martin Verdict ‘Questionable’ http://t.co/d98Hmc7n2j
— Todd Hill (@Yohi52) August 26, 2013
Do you agree with Colin Powell? Will the Trayvon Martin case be forgotten?
[Image: David Shankbone]
