Everyone seems to have an opinion on the Trayvon Martin tragedy, and most of those opinions are against George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who fatally shot Martin (for more on the story, check our previous post). Some are taking these sentiments a step further, though – and I do not just mean setting up and/or attending memorials for the slain teenager.
At some point, an individual named Marcus Davonne Higgins tweeted what he believed to be the home address of George Zimmerman. He tweeted the address at a number of celebrities ranging from Lebron James to Will Smith, and the only one who responded with a retweet was outspoken director Spike Lee – who boasts about a quarter of a million followers. Reaching the masses through Spike’s tweet, the address went viral.
With actions such as this, there is no real “best-case scenario.” If you want my personal opinion, I believe Zimmerman is absolutely guilty and needs to be punished to the fullest extent of the law, and that the Martin family deserves justice. But this is not seeking justice, this is inciting an angry mob, which could only lead to more violence, and with that more arrests.
And here’s the kicker: the address was not even correct! It was once the address of a different George Zimmerman, one who once lived there with his parents who still reside in the Florida residence. Since going viral, Elaine (70 years old) and David McClain (72 years old) have been living in fear as they have received numerous threats of violence against them. Elaine, who has a heart condition, and her husband are now living in a hotel to avoid potential harm.
Stories like these are a firm reminder that Twitter has become a powerful tool of mass communication, especially for the higher-ups in the world. When a person in a position of power (i.e. a celebrity) makes such a bold tweet, they must have more foresight about what they are actually doing. Not only has an innocent, elderly couple been falsely targeted with violence and death threats, but even if the address was correct, much more harm could have been done than good.
-The Cranky PaNda
crankycollegegrad 