Dear Editor,
Last Sunday night I was fortunate enough to be invited by Riviera Beach Mayor Rev Thomas Masters to a rally in memory of Trayvon Martin at the Hilltop Missionary Baptist Church in Riviera Beach. Trayvon's father, Tracy Martin, was the guest speaker to the nearly 1000 supporters in attendance. He took to the podium with a heavy heart and gave a heartfelt, touching talk about his beloved son Trayvon. As part of the Trayvon Martin Foundation Tour, he spoke about justice, issues facing our teen boys, and the Stand Your Ground Law.
I sat and spoke with Tracy Martin personally after the rally. He openly shared with me his deep pain and feelings about the young and takenaway-too-soon Trayvon. I told him we both have something in common: I too have a young teenage son who is the same age as Trayvon would be now. So when we spoke, I could feel his pain. It could have been my son in Trayvon's shoes or even myself at that age. My heart hurts for this man.
As I told Tracy Sunday night and will say again here, I stand behind him and will support him and his family 100 per cent on his mission for justice. But not only will the Martin family have my support, I have called the entire Caribbean Community to take a stand and support the Martin family as well. Florida has a population of close to a million black Caribbean immigrants, and as we already know Florida leads the country in Haitian-American residents with more than one-third of the US total. So I am certain support will not be a problem on our part. We will stand together in peace in support of justice, our teens and the amendment of the Stand Your Ground Law. This law is far too complicated, convoluted and confusing; there has got to be a change.
The Stand Your Ground law needs to be repealed, and I am pretty sure will be at the polls soon in Florida and I ask that all my Caribbean brothers and sisters to get together and spread the news.
George Belfond
www.haitianmyspace.com
Last Sunday night I was fortunate enough to be invited by Riviera Beach Mayor Rev Thomas Masters to a rally in memory of Trayvon Martin at the Hilltop Missionary Baptist Church in Riviera Beach. Trayvon's father, Tracy Martin, was the guest speaker to the nearly 1000 supporters in attendance. He took to the podium with a heavy heart and gave a heartfelt, touching talk about his beloved son Trayvon. As part of the Trayvon Martin Foundation Tour, he spoke about justice, issues facing our teen boys, and the Stand Your Ground Law.
I sat and spoke with Tracy Martin personally after the rally. He openly shared with me his deep pain and feelings about the young and takenaway-too-soon Trayvon. I told him we both have something in common: I too have a young teenage son who is the same age as Trayvon would be now. So when we spoke, I could feel his pain. It could have been my son in Trayvon's shoes or even myself at that age. My heart hurts for this man.
As I told Tracy Sunday night and will say again here, I stand behind him and will support him and his family 100 per cent on his mission for justice. But not only will the Martin family have my support, I have called the entire Caribbean Community to take a stand and support the Martin family as well. Florida has a population of close to a million black Caribbean immigrants, and as we already know Florida leads the country in Haitian-American residents with more than one-third of the US total. So I am certain support will not be a problem on our part. We will stand together in peace in support of justice, our teens and the amendment of the Stand Your Ground Law. This law is far too complicated, convoluted and confusing; there has got to be a change.
The Stand Your Ground law needs to be repealed, and I am pretty sure will be at the polls soon in Florida and I ask that all my Caribbean brothers and sisters to get together and spread the news.
George Belfond
www.haitianmyspace.com