I would like to ask your prayers for our Sanford/ Lake Mary community. Many of us have been watching and reading the media coverage of the shooting of Trayvon Martin. It is a needless tragedy and a bad situation from the start which appears to have been poorly handled. Our prayers need to go out to the Martin family in their grief over the loss of their young son. We also need to pray for George Zimmerman. Again, please pray for our neighbors and fellow parishioners, the people of Sanford.
The presence of national personalities within our community assures a national media circus. Unfortunately, both the media and the various national personalities often feed on incidents like this to promote themselves. Bad press sells. We are likely to bear their presence for some time.
Although such media attention can cause a certain jadedness just coming off the Casey Anthony saga, we must remain mindful that real people are involved and that these are our neighbors. We need to see this occasion as an opportunity to show a more excellent way, the way of truth and love—may our better angels reveal themselves. Guard your hearts and your tongues, be thoughtful, charitable and mindful of God’s presence in your actions and speech. Prayerfully examine your prejudices and your judgments by putting yourself in the other’s shoes. Pray that justice and peace will prevail as the governing authorities discern the correct response.
As we approach Palm Sunday and Holy Week, we must be mindful of the larger context of human sin and failings and God’s mighty acts to redeem us. It was by a perversion of justice that our Lord was crucified for our transgressions. All of the worst aspects of human existence were present that Holy Week: the mob “justice”, the vigilantes, corrupt policing, political opportunism, twisted media coverage, denial of truth, false witnesses and injustice, criminals going free, wrongful prosecutions, the crucifixion of the rightful King. Yet it was God’s design to take the mess and ugliness of our human condition and use it to bring redemption and salvation to the world. He made the day of the Cross, a Good Friday. He is the redeemer of sinners and the lover of souls.
Below my signature is a thoughtful and informative letter from Fr. Rory Harris, the rector of Holy Cross Sanford which was shared with the diocesan leadership today.
I am faithfully yours in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Charlie Holt+, Rector, St. Peter’s Lake Mary
From: Rory Harris
Date: Thursday, March 22, 2012 1:26 PM
Subject: Trayvon Martin Rallies
“Justice should be blind, but is never deaf or unable to speak” Fr. Rory HB Harris +
Several of our diocesan clergy have expressed concern and interest in the emerging Trayvon Martin death and shooting that has engendered a call for justice across our nation.
Please pray for the City and community of Sanford as we attempt to seek justice while maintaining a peace that honors this young man’s life, and moves our community to wholeness and healing.
There are two rallies planned for those who want to express their concerns over how the matter of Trayvon Martin has been handled after his shooting death by George Zimmerman on February 26th.
Tonight, March 22nd, Thursday at 7 p.m. the Rev. Al Sharpton, whose mother died this morning (R.I.P.) will conduct a rally at the Fort Mellon Park on East 1st Street (Rte. 46) with some 2,000 to 20,000 expected to attend. There is some concern that this rally may get out of hand (a word of caution). The rally was originally scheduled to be at the Shiloh Baptist Church on Elm Street but has just recently been moved to Fort Mellon Park.
The main rally will be on Monday, March 26th at 4 p.m. at the Sanford Civic Center off Commerce Street and Sanford Avenue – 1 block north of 1st Street – Rte. 46. The Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson are expected to lead the rally prior to the City of Sanford’s City Commissioner meeting at 5 p.m. I plan to attend this rally as a member of the Sanford Ministers Fellowship, and as Vice Chair of Seminole Action Coalition Serving Our Needy (S.A.C.S.O.N.), a faith based community working on issues surrounding homelessness and the needy.
I will have part of our parish parking lot allotted for parking for Monday’s rally. Our lot is at 4th Street and South Park Avenue (400).
This issue has become a national issue over the conduct of Sanford’s police department in not arresting George Zimmerman who was the Home Owners’ Association head, who apparently stalked Trayvon Martin after being told by a 911 operator not to follow him, that the police were being dispatched and would handle this.
Zimmerman continued to follow Martin who was entering the gated apartment complex where he was staying with his father and his father’s fiance. He had just come back from a 7-11 with a box of Skittles and a soda, when Zimmerman started following him in his truck and eventually got out of his truck and ostensibly forced a confrontation that led to Zimmerman feeling threatened for his life and shooting and killing the 17 year old Trayvon Martin (this is Zimmerman’s side of the story).
Since the incident on Feb. 26th, the Police Department released the 911 call from Zimmerman which shows he was asked not to follow Trayvon Martin, and his family obtained records which clearly show that Martin was on the phone with his girlfriend back in Miami (where his mother lives) and that he was afraid that someone was following him, and was advised by his girlfriend to run away.
The issues surrounding this tragic event relate to the actions of the Sanford Police who arrived on the scene after the shooting. The officers did not arrest or take Zimmerman into custody, nor did they confiscate his weapon (a Kel Tec 9 mm semi-automatic handgun), nor test Zimmerman for alcohol or blood test for drugs, nor run a back ground check on his criminal record. They took his story that he was attacked from behind and defended himself, carrying a gun under the Florida “Stand Your Ground” law. The police did check Trayvon Martin’s blood and alcohol content, but did not go door-to-door to ask if a teenager resident was missing!
The initial police report does not show that Zimmerman had a bloodied nose, or wet T-Shirt from a wrestling struggle with Martin, those were disclosed in a second police report a day later.
The City of Sanford City Commissioners voted a “no confidence” vote against Police Chief Bill Lee last night by a 3 to 2 vote. Mayor Jeff Triplett voted “no confidence” as did Commissioners Velma Williams (our African American Commissioner) and Mike McCarty who initiated the motion, and has been asking the Police Chief to resign because he didn’t feel the Chief was arresting enough panhandlers and homeless persons. (Politics makes strange bedfellows, as Mayor Triplett and Velma WIlliams have been working positively on the studied panhandling ordinance and homeless issues after Sanford was featured on two episodes of 60 Minutes concerning having two-thirds of the homeless population in Seminole County).
The continuance, suspension or firing of the Chief of Police, Bill Lee is entirely in the hands of City Manager, Norman Bonaparte, Jr. who has called for a Inquiry of the Sanford Police Department before making his decision.
Personally, I feel that Police Chief Bill Lee has been a good chief for Sanford.
He is a compassionate man who I serve with on the City’s Task Force on Homelessness. I do feel, however, that his thoroughness in investigating this matter and lack of timely release of information (“communication” issue cited by Mayor Triplett), the non-arrest of Zimmerman, and a history within Sanford’s Police Department of giving latitude to those connected to the police department have led us to a “no confidence” situation with Chief Lee.
I ask your prayers for the City of Sanford, which was feeling very positive and proactive about itself and its steps to address the homelessness issue through a Transformation Center before this incident erupted. I ask your prayers for the Martin family, the Zimmermans, the Lee family and our community — all caught up in a very human tragedy.
In Christ’s love and service,
Fr. Rory Harris +
Rector of Holy Cross Episcopal Church
The Mother Church of the Diocese of Central Florida