DARIUS SIMMONS: THE NEXT TRAYVON MARTIN?
Mother of Darius Simmons
Trayvon Martin
Darius Simmons is a Milwaukee 13 year shot and killed by his 75 year old White next door neighbor. John H Spooner is the neighbor’s name and whether it will become as infamous as George Zimmerman remains to be seen.
Black observers should be prepared for conservative push back in the form of local Black-on-Black murder stats should they try to cast this internationally as a hate crime. We can debate conservative motives as either benign or malicious but one point remains: our self-hate crime rate eclipses that of hate crimes from elsewhere.
In my opinion every murder could be deemed a hate crime. This new case happened last week and rises to prominence amid the fog of Wisconsin’s heated recall election won by its governor. A racially incendiary case like this shouldn’t be recklessly tossed atop the state’s hot embers.
Past theft allegations from the suspect and a ” castle doctrine ” law on the books are sure to play into this latest episode of my life’s work: the ( sometimes explosive ) interplay between civil rights and public safety.
At issue will be this astonishing claim: the shooting erupted with the victim’s mother witnessing it and Darius Simmons was reportedly shot again in the back while fleeing!
Wow! If that doesn’t sound like textbook White Man’s Privilege I don’t know what does?!! The case should hinge on this assertion alone.
What we do know is a 13 year old is dead and a senior citizen did it- about as bleak a fact pattern as one will find even by today’s standards.I agree with progressives that non-Blacks shouldn’t think they can kill young Black men with impunity despite a recent history of just that in America.
I agree with conservatives who note with painful honesty that Black communities are often conspicuously silent when Trayvon Martin and Darius Simmons peers are killed by other Black people. That’s a point I not only agree with but take light years further to consider these killers nothing more than chocolate klansmen.
With race factoring into a heated presidential election and nerves frayed over the Trayvon Martin case the question of whether Darius Simmons is the next Trayvon Martin has possibly historic consequences.
Darius Simmons supporters have their work cut out for them- as do proponents of his being at fault.
Both sides should consider the consequences of rash actions with the fate of a nation literally hanging in the balance.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT BLACK promotes creative crime prevention.