I am not Trayvon's Grandfather...

But I could be. I have a grandson about Trayvon's age. He is black, and most likely wears a hoodie, and lives in Florida. So, he is a target just as Trayvon was. I have to worry that some yahoo with a concealed weapon permit may decide one day that he doesn't like the way he looks, just as Zimmerman did.

With the Stand Your Ground law in Florida, and many other states, racists have a license to kill on a whim. Let's not kid ourselves, carrying a concealed weapon marks you as a racist. You have no other reason to carry a weapon other than your fear of minorities.

I am smarter than you are. I am more educated than you are. I have probably lived longer than you have, and I certainly have more experiences than you could dream of. Yet, I do not carry a weapon, and will not have one in my house or car. Why is that? Am I missing something? I seriously doubt it.

I know how the world works. I was involved in a serious incident as a juvenile, and the police simply returned me to my parents and suggested they get counseling for me. That is the way of the world for middle and upper class whites. I have never had to live my life in fear. I have never worried that spitting on the sidewalk could get me arrested, and I certainly can wear a hoodie with impunity.

Yes, I did have to be subjected to police racism in Tampa some 40 years ago, but that was only because I was driving with two Black women in my car. I can drive through any neighborhood I want as long as I am alone. My grandson would do well to stay out of  Carrollwood, Brandon or South Tampa.

The statistics are there for anyone who takes the time to find them. The case for racism in stand your ground shootings is more than evident. 

I spent 23 years in the military trying to protect the country I live in. It is no longer the country I grew up in or the country I fought for. It is a country that is racist, women-hating, and only interested in preserving the status quo for those in power.

First Lady Michelle Obama once said, "for the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback." I do not yet see hope for the Trayvon Martins of the world.

Maybe if I live to be 100...