A Stevie Wonder boycott is underway. No, fans of the singer are not boycotting his concerts; instead, the famed singer is refusing to play shows in the state of Florida.
Angered over George Zimmerman’s not-guilty verdict , Wonder says he won’t sing in the state until lawmakers repeal the Stand Your Ground law.
Under Florida law, it is legal to kill someone if you believe they are posing imminent harm. George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin because he felt threatened, even though Martin was only carrying a bag of Skittles inside his hoodie’s pocket.
Speaking to a packed house in Quebec City on Sunday, Stevie Wonder explained his boycott decision:
“I decided today that until the ‘Stand Your Ground’ law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again. As a matter of fact, wherever I find that law exists, I will not perform in that state or in that part of the world. The truth is that — for those of you who’ve lost in the battle for justice, wherever that fits in any part of the world — we can’t bring them back. What we can do is we can let our voices be heard. And we can vote in our various countries throughout the world for change and equality for everybody. That’s what I know we can do.”
George Zimmerman never invoked the Stand Your Ground law in his defense; however, that law meant he wasn’t arrested for the first two months following the shooting.
Florida isn’t alone in supporting Stand Your Ground type laws; at least 22 other states have similar laws of varying degrees on the books.
The Stevie Wonder boycott could end up being one of many that cause headaches for Florida as outrage continues to ring out regarding George Zimmerman’s not-guilty verdict.
Are you boycotting Florida over its Stand Your Ground law and the Zimmerman verdict?