By Ruth Ferguson, NDG Editor
The calls for #Justice4Travyon spread throughout Facebook and Twitter Saturday night. Perhaps very fitting because when the Sanford Police Department initially announced they would not even press charges against George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin, outrage and demands for a more complete investigation caught fire via social media. That is what brought the case to national attention – not the liberal media as so many claim.
Last night many expressed shock, pain, disappointment that Zimmerman is a free man today. An estimated 4.5 million tweets were shared reaching an average of 48,000 per minute at one point. Many say their faith in the system is shaken, if they ever had faith in the system. However, amid the cries of outrage are those who use this as an opportunity to call for people to stop complaining – and take action. A few of the messages include:
There will be a lot of stuff flying around here on FB following the George Zimmerman verdict, just as there was/is about stuff happening at the Texas legislature. It’s really fun, popular, dare I say, EASY to “like” or hit the share button.
You know what’s not easy?
Getting off your damn computer and voting.
I’m not talking about just the general election either. Get in there at the grass roots level.. Make the early choices, not just the ones presented to you in the general election. Not happy with the people representing you? SPEAK UP and not here on FB.
We have work to do.
So if you’re not registered to vote, do it.
The next time you get summoned for jury duty, serve, if you can.
Not happy with your elected officials? Fire them.. They work for you.
Don’t hit share on some pithy meme and let that be the end of your involvement.
Be the solution.
Max Reddick of Jacksonville, Fla. points out Zimmerman is a free man, but wonders does Zimmerman have real freedom?
“I still have a great belief in a circle of justice–the energy you put out, whether positive or negative, will be returned to you. What comes around, goes around.
Justice will be served one way or another. George Zimmerman is free, but what is the range of that freedom? Where does he go? What does he do?”
“The system cannot fail those it was never built to protect.” Dear Black Men,My heart aches for you tonight. We live in a country where you are gunned down daily. I encourage you to first, start valuing your own life–no more violence. Secondly, stay out of the system, it will not protect you. Third, find your original purpose, there is a King in you. And finally, lead us–we are all lost without you.
International Social Media speaker and author Crystal Washington provided perspective – via her mother’s words of wisdom:
“Mothers are such a blessing. Leave it to my mom to send me a text message that not only puts everything in perspective, but actually made me stop crying. We’ve got work to do people! “
Dr. Freddy Haynes of Friendship West shared via Facebook:
“We won’t b delivered from race until we deal with race!!! This had everything to do with race. If Trayvon had killed Z’man, death penalty!”
