Spotlight on Jordan Davis

Why am I not like the others?
You ask as though we're bees
    forever clumped together
Following some Queen Bee--
A hive mind unable to think.
Independence is a luxury
We can't possibly have...
And then they wonder
Why is she not like us?
Why am I the lone bee
Away from the honey hive
Out enjoying the flowers
Seeing something
     the other bees don't see
And I wonder,
Is something wrong with me
Am I supposed to be
     just another honey bee
Yellow with black stripes
Is that the definition of me
Or am I free to be someone else
The individual God created,
A product of experience
    dreams and ideas--
Different and unique
An independent and autonomous
Member of this group--
Not a clone of the others...
When will you see
That I am simply me?

What Happened to Jordan Davis

At just 17 years old Jordan Davis was killed in Florida over "loud music" just before the world erupted over the case of Trayvon Martin.  His killer,  47 year old Michael Dunn, was in town for a wedding when he stopped at a local convenience store. Dunn parked next to the SUV Davis and his friends were in and requested that Davis and his friends turn down their music. An argument ensued when the teens refused to lower their music.  What followed was Dunn shooting at the vehicle not once, not twice, but ten times. One of these shots was the shot that ended Davis' short life. Unlike George Zimmerman (Trayvon Martin's murderer), Dunn left the scene of the crime, went back to his hotel room, and then back to is hometown as though nothing happened. While Dunn claims he saw a gun in the teens' car, his own fiancee testified that Dunn never mentioned a gun. Neither witnesses, nor police found any evidence of the teens being in possession of a weapon (or exiting it their car for that matter), yet Dunn is pleading self defense and claiming stand your ground [1, 2, 3].  Sure, the argument could be made that turning the music down wasn't that hard, but neither is parking in a different parking space--besides how long did he intend to stay at the gas station anyway? Regardless, the reason for Davis' death is about as solid as the death of countless blacks (particularly men) during the Jim Crow era. Deliberation for a verdict on Dunn began today. This verdict will shed light on whether we have truly moved forward, or if it will always be ok to murder our young black men.

References

1. Closing Arguements Start in Michael Dunn Murder Trial
2. Florida Jury Starts Deliberations in Rap Murder Trial
3. Why Florida's Loud Music Trial A Zimmerman Sequel