A small town case of the shooting of a 17-year old black teen named Trayvon Martin has turned into a national controversy with the American commonwealth being preoccupied by questions that deal with racial injustice, a debate over guns, and concerns for state laws. The case called for public attention in March after the shooting that occurred on February 26th in Sanford, Florida. For weeks, the media and news coverage followed the case. According to CBS news, the public expressed concern by signing petitions online and rallying the streets in several locations like San Francisco and New York, demanding the shooter’s arrest.

On April 11, George Zimmerman was arrested and charged with second degree murder, appearing in a Florida courtroom on the following day. A New York Times source reveals that he will be allowed to defend himself, as that is his constitutional right. The national judicial system will evaluate his actions based on substantial evidence. The case is known and has been revealed in this manner: An unarmed black teen was walking back from a 7-Eleven convenient store to his small gated community with a purchased Skittles candy and Arizona iced tea when he was reported of suspicious behavior by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch coordinator. Zimmerman later shot the teen, claiming self defense.

The entire situation paints a racial profiling against Zimmerman due to his Hispanic background and his unexplained behavior towards Trayvon. This caused allies to be made in support of his arrest. Polls reveal that 91% of black Americans, 59% of Latinos, and 35% of whites said his action was unjustified. Bill Cosby, legendary entertainer, seems to disagree when he tells CNN, "What is solved by saying, 'He's a racist, that's why he shot the boy'?” He believes the gun belonging to Zimmerman should be a bigger concern as guns should be taken off the streets. Zimmerman's self defense arose from his claim that Martin looked suspicious, which seems likely according to some television commentators. They’ve suggested that it’s possible for the teen to have looked suspicious as he was covered with a hooded sweatshirt -- others are using that very sweatshirt as a tribute to the dead boy. Zimmerman’s self defense is also approved by the Florida “Stand Your Ground” law, which raised national/international concerns. National Public Radio interviewed Miami journalist, David Ovalle, who says that the 2005 law was an issue in many other lawsuits with both losses and wins for the defendant. It was also announced that Martin’s attorney, Angela Corey who is credited for Zimmerman's arrest says that the case will be handled accordingly if the law is used as an alibi or affirmative. Zimmerman claims Martin's behavior was a threat as the teen attacked him first. The New York Times  reported this on several occasions; only evidence such as the 911 calls released by the Sanford Police Department on March 16 can support such accusations. Recently, American Free Press revealed that these calls have been debated upon as to their authenticity.

All that is known as of now is that the case is not over yet. The American public is concerned and this can be seen in letters sent to the editors of the New York Times.  Tavares from California says,”...what real chance does anyone accused of a crime have? Guilty until proven innocent indeed.” Johnson from Michigan says,”Without knowing all of the facts about the shooting of Trayvon Martin, we have either prosecuted George Zimmerman or touted his right of self-defense.” It seems like the public is waiting for an answer. We as an American nation are also waiting for good old-fashioned justice to be served.