Obama: 'Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago'

Google – AFP, 19 July 2013

US President Barack Obama speaks about race and the death of 

Trayvon Martin on July 19, 2013 in Washington, DC (AFP, Saul Loeb)

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama offered a very personal take on the Trayvon Martin case on Friday, saying that 35 years ago, he could have been the unarmed black teen shot dead by a neighborhood watchman.

In a surprise appearance before reporters, Obama hailed the "incredible grace and dignity" of Martin's parents and warned that a resort to violence in the wake of the Florida court verdict would "dishonor" his death.

He also called for a review of controversial "stand your ground" laws like the one in place in Florida, which assert that citizens can use lethal force -- rather than retreat -- if they sense their lives are at risk.

"Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago," Obama said, in his first substantive comments on a verdict that has aroused an impassioned debate on US race relations.

Demonstrators march in Beverly Hills

 on July 17, 2013 to protest the acquittal

 of George Zimmerman (AFP/File,

Robyn Beck)

While he refrained from direct comment on the jury's decision to acquit neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman on Saturday, Obama weighed in on the larger issues of race raised by the case.

"I just ask people to consider if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk?" Obama asked.

"And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman who had followed him in a car because he felt threatened?

"And if the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, then it seems to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws," he said.

Obama also urged better training of law enforcement at the state and local levels "to reduce the kind of mistrust in the system that sometimes currently exists."

He said young African American males needed greater encouragement in the face of negative stereotypes that many blacks believe was at the root of the shooting death.

Martin, 17, was fatally shot on the rainy night of February 26, 2012 during an altercation with the 29-year-old Zimmerman in a gated community in Sanford, Florida.

Zimmerman said he acted in self-defense and his team did not specifically invoke the "stand your ground" law in its arguments.

A jury of six women, all but one white, cleared him of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges.

Critics of Saturday's verdict argue that Zimmerman racially profiled the youth -- who had no criminal record -- and was able to kill him with impunity because of a biased criminal justice system.

But Zimmerman -- who has a white father and a Peruvian mother -- has insisted race was not a factor in the incident.

Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks

 to the media on May 28, 2013 in

 Miami, Florida (Getty Images/AFP/

File, Joe Raedle)

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Kryon Q&A

Question: I’m a black woman who enjoys your teachings tremendously. It seems that there aren’t a lot of black people involved in these discussions. Is this true, and is there a reason for this? Is it cultural? Or am I wrong in this assumption?

Answer: Dear one, yes. If you’re speaking about black Americans, you’re right. It’s cultural. There are two basic reasons you won’t find many blacks in metaphysics in your culture: The first one is that in your land, your race is a minority with a history of oppression. This has created a very strong spiritual support base. Almost from birth, most of you have been exposed to very high church and spiritual support and a feeling of belonging and sticking together. There are few groups that have this kind of support and prayer base. So spiritually, you don’t look around much for answers other than what you have already learned about the love of God. This works for you and is honored.

The second reason is perhaps politically incorrect in your culture to speak of, but Kryon is not of your culture. Many of you are in survival mode due to sustained second-class citizenship you experience from birth. This causes despair, poverty, and a shift to crime among many due to despondency over life and a need to survive in a system that does not honor you. When a Human is consumed with survival in a difficult environment, they don’t have time or a desire for introspection or a search to better themselves spiritually. All their time is spent spinning within the challenges they have, many of which they assume to be their plight, many of which they have created themselves.

The sadness here is that if they did look within, they would find the tools to co-create a life outside of survival, and start processes that honors their endeavors and their lives. Blessed are those with life challenges, as so many of the minorities have, but who have decided to increase their spiritual knowledge as a solution, instead of trying to force-manipulate the reality of the cultural situation.