President Obama spoke out about the murder of Trayvon Martin, the innocent 17-year-old who was shot and killed in Florida for looking suspicious. Martin’s murder has sparked much controversy and has gotten major attention from all media outlets after the Sanford, Florida police department announced it would not be investigating the murder. Yesterday it was announced that the police chief handling the case temporarily stepped down and hopefully the new chief will fully investigate and bring Trayvon Martin some justice. Watch what President Obama said below.
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Over the last couple of weeks several public figures have spoken out against the shooting of Trayvon Martin, and now President Obama is weighing in. The commander in chief reiterated the feelings of many who have protested the Sanford, Fla. police department’s decision not to pursue charges against Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman.
Obama was moved by the story, because he feels a personal connection to the issue. “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon,” he said during a White House press conference Friday (March 23). “Obviously, this is a tragedy. I can only imagine what these parents are going through. When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids.
“I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this… I think all of us have to do some soul searching to figure out how does something like this happen.”
While many stand on the side of justice and have united in overwhelming numbers to show their support for Martin’s family, there are some who have offered a more ridiculous perspective. Political pundit, Geraldo Rivera foolishly commented that the fact that the 17-year-old was wearing a hoodie led to him being mistaken by Zimmerman as a trespassing criminal. Equally embarrassing was media personality, Touré’s insensitive joke about the shooting via Twitter, a move which opened the flood gates for a major Internet backlash.
Yesterday, the Florida police chief handling the case temporarily stepped down from his post in hopes that the controversial issue will die down. But with the heightened media attention and nationwide rallies, this case will likely continue to move forward until Zimmerman is arrested for the killing.
