Were President Obama’s comments about Trayvon Martin inappropriate?

Were President Obama’s comments about Trayvon Martin inappropriate?

Trayvon Martin shooting protest. Are people protesting for the wrong reasons? (Photo credit: david_shankbone)

The death of Trayvon Martin has taken on a life of it’s own.  Even the President has gone on the record, in an off-the record way.  Were President Obama’s comments about Trayvon Martin inappropriate?

When Martin’s death was first publicized, members of his family, high profile black leaders and radical pro-black racists, began to paint the picture of the Trayvon Martin that they wanted the public to know.

Photos of him were circulated that were very old and did not even resemble him.  Those photos of a young Trayvon Martin did bear a resemblance to President Obama and he commented on the resemblance. His comments unknowingly, or perhaps knowingly, added an air of credence and respectability to the claims the family was already making in attempting to portray their son’s death as a result solely because of his skin color.

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After the verdict, President Obama has again commented, this time saying that Trayvon Martin could have been him,  “35 years ago”

Were President Obama’s comments about Trayvon Martin inappropriate?

Could Trayvon Martin have been Barack Obama 35 years ago? When President Obama was 17, he already had a good amount of international travel under his belt and was attending the well-respected Punahou school in Honolulu, HI.

Although social media was nowhere near the levels it has reached today, it is highly doubtful that President Obama was freely calling white people derogatory racist terms such as “Creepy A–Crackers” or displaying racial prejudice to any race.   It is also highly unlikely that the 17-year-old future President was proudly flashing gang signs and obscene gestures. (Remember, he underwent a thorough background investigation when he ran for President)

The then future President, as a 17 year old, was working on character development, academics and college preparation and went on to attend prestigious Harvard University.

President Obama even ended his association with the controversial, racist Rev. Jeremiah Wright, after initially trying to support him but realized he was too radical.

As a nation, we should commend the President for saying that he respected the jurors verdict and would step in if there was violence.

The problem, though,  is that with the level of influence the President of the United of the States has on ALL people, especially African American minorities, his comments  have unintentionally , or perhaps intentionally, helped to further fuel a civil rights movement about Trayvon Martin that should not have been started in the first place.

If there is a problem with racial profiling, like New York’s policies for example. than those issues should be addressed, however those issues did not cause Trayvon Martin’s death.

Related articles

• Obama Trayvon Martin Speech: Victim’s Family Responds to President’s Statement
• Obama makes surprise statement on Trayvon Martin

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