Sign the Petition: Justice for Trayvon Martin (Florida)

There is an active petition on change.org requesting state prosectors to charge George Zimmerman, 28, for the death of Trayvon Martin, 17, on February 26, 2012. Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, has not been arrested for his heinous crime. The Sanford police claimed they lacked probable cause to prosecute him (!?!). This is why people are in such an uproar: this travesty could have been prevented, and Trayvon is the real victim.

When I heard this story, I was shocked and outraged that this kind of killing and cover-up could happen in the 21st century. I was also in tears when I heard the tapes: Trayvon is clearly asking for help before a fatal shot ended his life. It took three weeks just to reach this progress in the investigation! Zimmerman claimed he shot the teenager in self-defense, but the tapes tell a different story. The family has concluded that this is a clear case of murder and have asked for Zimmerman's arrest.

Please spread the word to family, friends and colleagues. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) will intervene in the coming weeks. Trayvon's civil rights were violated, and everyone demands justice. There is a NYTimes Op-Ed that raises questions about vigilante justice, racial-profiling and equitable treatment under the law. The Martin family needs closure for this horrible tragedy.

UPDATE: CNN published an editorial that discusses how Trayvon Martin's death eerily echoes the murder of Emmett Till nearly 57 years ago: “The murders themselves were appalling, but what really angered the general public was the injustice - highly questionable laws and customs that allowed for whites to freely murder blacks in the Jim Crow South and for someone to almost randomly shoot anyone in the Martin case.” (03/24/12)

UPDATE: Trayvon's family delivered 2 million petition signatures to Sanford police authorities. See infographic for more details. (03/27/12)