Beyond Trayvon

Beyond Trayvon[col. writ. 4/12/12 © ’12  Mumia Abu-Jamal The Trayvon Martin case has rushed around the globe at cyber speed, due in large part to social media. It had all the markings of a national tragedy, and of course, is an ongoing one, despite recent charges.  But what is not considered, is what has come before. Florida has a long and nasty history of events such as these, but often the antagonist is a cop, not a civilian playing cop, as here. In May, 1980, Miami's Liberty City erupted into an orgy of flame, rage and righteous indignation, stemming from the police beating of 33-year-old Arthur McDuffie, a black insurance executive. McDuffie wasn't just beaten--he was beaten to death--by 4 cops! An all-white jury later acquitted all 4 –of all charges! My remembrance of McDuffie could've been substituted by a slew of other names--most forgotten by all but family or friends--casualties of a long and dirty war waged by white supremacists--whether armed by the state or privately. Peopl