The subject of the Change.org email said it all: ‘Finally’
In the words that followed, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, the parents of Trayvon Martin, expressed their satisfaction and relief that their son’s killer, George Zimmerman, had been charged with the murder of their son. It was a battle that spanned more than six weeks for Martin and Fulton as they sought justice for their son. Certainly, there are no guarantees that the Florida court system will provide the measure of justice Trayvon’s parents desire. However, the fact that Zimmerman will face a jury weeks after Sanford police seemed content to allow him to simply walk away under the cover of Florida’s Stand Your Ground law has to feel like justice in and of itself.
For Trayvon’s parents, now may be the time that they finally have a moment to grieve the loss of their son. While they will certainly still be in the news as the trial of George Zimmerman progresses, their main goal for the last six weeks was to get to this point. They’ll no doubt need to take a step back and, once they reach a point where they can at least live with the fact that Trayvon was taken from them, they may find themselves asking, what now?
As they consider how to use their newfound voice, Trayvon’s parents may well consider the case of Kate and David Bagby.
For those who are unfamiliar, the Bagby’s story was featured in the 2008 documentary ‘Dear Zachary’. The short version is thus: The Bagby’s son, a doctor finishing up his residency in Latrobe, PA, was shot and murdered by ex-girlfriend Shirley Turner. In the short time police in Pennsylvania spent investigating, Turner fled to her native Canada. There, despite the fact that she faced extradition for pre-meditated murder, was under psychiatric care and had several restraining orders filed against her by other men, she was granted bail and custody of her infant son, Zachary. The son conceived with her victim, Andre Bagby.
Finally on the verge of deportation back to the United States, but still free on bail, Turner committed suicide, drowning herself and Zachary, leaving Kate and David Bagby to mourn both a son and a grandson. It’s what the Bagbys did next that provides inspiration.
Having already moved to Canada to gain what accessed the courts would allow to their grandson, the Bagbys took on bail reform, fighting to given Canadian courts the right to deny bail to individuals charged with serious offenses deemed to be a threat to minor children. The Bagby’s fight for reform was not a quick one. Andrew was murdered in 2001. Zachary was drowned in 2003. The bill they fought to make law came to pass in 2010. Their voices, and the power of ‘Dear Zachary’ led the charge for this reform.
Currently, the Stand Your Ground law that exists in Florida is also on the books in 24 other states. The law has (rightfully) shouldered quite a bit of the blame for being the reason Zimmerman was almost allowed to walk away from his crime without so much as a cursory investigation. With their newfound voice, Martin’s parents are uniquely positioned to argue for the repeal of Stand Your Ground laws. Even with the charge and potential conviction of Zimmerman, Trayvon’s death and the drawn out, very public nature of the investigation lays the groundwork for a larger conversation about a law that has triggered an increase in ‘justifiable homicides’ nationwide.
This is not to suggest that the situations of the Bagbys and Trayvon’s parents are parallel. They indeed are not. For the Bagbys, a loose legal environment was directly responsible for the death of their grandson. For Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, Stand Your Ground may ultimately be the reason their son’s killer walks free (though it seems unlikely that is will work as a defense, based on the facts currently available). Nevertheless, the imagery of an innocent life taken too soon is a powerful one, and Trayvon’s parents may well find themselves inspired to honor their son by fighting for the repeal of Stand Your Ground laws, so that other parents may be spared their pain.
Nor do I wish to imply that Martin and Fulton are somehow obligated to do this. The Bagby’s fight was long and exhausting, and no doubt forced them to re-live some very painful moments in their lives. From a very active gun lobby, Trayvon’s parents would doubtless face charges of exploiting their son’s death to take rights away from law-abiding Americans. They may very well get through Zimmerman’s trial and say ‘that’s enough, let our son rest’. No one would be able to blame them for doing so.
Whether George Zimmerman goes to jail or not, Martin’s parents are right to feel as though they won some small victory by forcing the Florida authorities to fully investigate their son’s death. Ultimately, it is up to them, and them alone, to define how they choose to remember and honor their son. They are average citizens who now have an extraordinary voice. Well positioned as they are to be a lead voice against Stand Your Ground, they may well decide to leave that fight to others who are less emotionally attached to the issue.
For those pushing most ardently to strike down these laws, it would be an shame to lose their voices. For Trayvon’s parents, though, it must be a cause to which they feel they can be 100% committed, for it is likely to be a long fight. Whatever their decision, they’ve moved at least a little loser to justice for Trayvon, As they finally have the opportunity to mourn their son, that may well be enough for them, and that’s all that matters.
Pic via
