Saturday, July 20, 2013

Do you have a minute for me?




You won't recognize me, of course.  My name was Antonio West and I was the 13-month old child who was shot at point blank range by two teens who were attempting to rob my mother, who was also shot.  A Grand Jury of my mommy's peers from Brunswick GA determined the teens who murdered me will not face the death penalty ... too bad I was given a death sentence for being innocent and defenseless.

My family made the mistake of being white in a 73% non-white neighborhood, but my murder was not ruled a Hate Crime.  Nor did President Obama take so much as a single moment to acknowledge my murder.  No one from the Department of Justice organized any demonstrations for me.

I am one of the youngest murder victims in our great Nation's history, but the media doesn't care to cover the story of my tragic demise, President Obama has no children who could possibly look like me - so he doesn't care, and the media doesn't care because my story is not interesting enough to bring them ratings so they can sell commercial time slots.

There is not a white equivalent of Al Sharpton because if there was he would be declared racist, so there is no one rushing to Brunswick GA to demand justice for me.  There is no White Panther party to put a bounty on the lives of those who murdered me.  I have no voice, I have no representation and unlike those who shot me in the face while I sat innocently in my stroller - I no longer have my life.

So while you are seeking justice for Trayvon, please remember to seek justice for me too. Tell your friends about me, tell your families, get tee shirts with my face on them and make the world pay attention, just like you did for Trayvon.

Thank you

H/T GeeeeZ

4 comments:

Lana said...

Stories like this shows just how divided our country has become. It's really sad how we have gone back to the 50's & 60's when race so divided our country.

kc bob said...

Thanks for sharing this Linda. I read it to my wife and we discussed it afterwards. The violence in our country is so troubling.

Grandma Yellow Hair said...

Thanks honey for sharing this horrific story. Oh how I wish we could get this well written post all over the internet.
What a sad sad world we live in right now. My heart breaks to read about this young man yet I never heard this story but of course I heard nothing but the case in Florida
Not a bit fair is it.
Love
Maggie

Grandma Yellow Hair said...

Thanks honey for coming by tonight and sending me get well wishes both for me and my son.
I have missed you
Love
Maggie