NASW Statement on Trayvon Martin

[gina_r_snape]

I received this via email today and thought I'd share it with my flist, as it represents my profession and reaction to the outcome of the incident. It is up to each and every one of us to address structural and individual racism.

Comments

[cmcmck]

Thanks for this.

The pics aren't displaying properly as LJ is yet again on the blink, but the rest's readable!

There are just no words to describe the horror of this, although I wish your media would stop reporting it as a white on black crime- it isn't. Zimmerman, despite the name is Hispanic.

[gina_r_snape]

Oh wow. The pics show up on my phone and work computer, but not home computer. WEEEEIIIIIRD.

As for Zimmerman, yes it is horrible. I am in the planning stages of a Florida orange boycott to support the removal of "Stand Your Ground" laws. As for white on black crime, funny you should mention this as T-Rex and I talked about that. He is Hispanic, yes. But he is also white. He benefits from white privilege. I am also white Hispanic. Unfortunately, U.S. discussions of race relations and racial identity don't include such subtleties.

[cmcmck]

You know how complex my own background is. gillpolack who lives in Oz informs me that in the days of the 'white Australia' policy, I'd have been regarded as black (you know, me, with the Morticia Addams complexion). Gill's Jewish so she has personal experience of Australia's home grown forms of racism.

I won't say racism doens't exist here as it all too obviously does, but we live in a multicutural neighbourhood and manage to get by without wishing to top one another!

[gina_r_snape]

Oh, yes. I had a student who wrote an essay once and in it he discussed an incident where an Indigenous Australian person (aboriginal?) collapsed in front of a hospital and nobody would help him because he wasn't white. He was carried to a nearby hospital for help and nobody even blinked at this.

I love living in a multicultural city and neighborhood. It adds so much to the richness of my life to hear different accents, eat different ethnic foods, and be able to just live peaceably with people who are different from me.

Morticia Addams complexion. Heeee.

[gina_r_snape]

You're welcome. It was a disgrace.