President Obama made his first on-camera comments on the George Zimmerman verdict, reflecting on race and how the African American community has been frustrated since Zimmerman was acquitted.
“Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago,” Obama said during his comments, which were made during a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room, notes ABC News. “In the African- American community at least, there's a lot of pain around what happened here. I think it's important to recognize that the African- American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that doesn't go away.”
Obama said that the case felt personal for him, since “There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they are shopping at a department store. And that includes me.”
He continued, “There are very few African American men who haven't had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me -- at least before I was a senator. There are very few African Americans who haven't had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often.”
According to NBC News, Obama said that a case like this can change how the U.S. is seen abroad. He also approved of the Justice Department looking into federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman and called for reviews of the ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws that are on the books in several states.
“For those who resist that idea that we should think about something like these 'stand your ground' laws, I just ask people to consider if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman, who had followed him in a car, because he felt threatened?” the president questioned. “If the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, it seems to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws."
In conclusion, Obama said, “Things are getting better. Each successive generation seems to be making progress in changing attitudes when it comes to race. It doesn't mean that we're in a postracial society. It doesn't mean that racism is eliminated. But you know, when I talk to Malia and Sasha and I listen to their friends and I see them interact, they're better than we are. They're better than we were on these issues.”
Obama began his speech by again sending his thoughts and prayers to Martin’s family.
You can read the full speech at WhiteHouse.gov.
image: YouTube