Trayvon Martin, Obama's 'Son,' and Hoodies

Obama had the audacity to declare Trayvon Martin to be like the son he never had. He went on to lecture us on our need to do "soul-searching."

From Reuters:

President Barack Obama weighed into the controversial killing of a black teenager in Florida in very personal terms on Friday, comparing the boy to a son he doesn't have and calling for American "soul searching" over how the incident occurred.

Seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin, dressed in a "hoodie" sweatshirt, was shot dead a month ago in Sanford, Florida by a 28-year-old white Hispanic neighborhood watch volunteer who said he was acting in self-defense.

"If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon," Obama said in his first comments about the shooting, acknowledging the racial element in the case.

"Obviously, this is a tragedy," Obama told reporters. "I can only imagine what these parents are going through. And when I think about this boy, I think about my own kids."

The case has rippled across the nation and prompted rallies protesting the failure of the police to arrest the shooter, George Zimmerman, and, more broadly, a pattern of racial discrimination black leaders cite in Sanford and elsewhere in the country.

It's tragic that Trayvon Martin is dead.

My heart breaks for his family.

I don't know the facts of the case, but I want to see justice done.

Sadly, too many teens die senseless deaths in this country. Sadder, their deaths don't receive the sort of recognition we're seeing with Trayvon Martin.

Obama doesn't comment on the epidemic of lives lost through violence. He doesn't say something as ridiculous as, "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon." He doesn't say a word about all the others. He doesn't talk about what they look like. They're nameless and faceless. Don't they matter?

I can't help but think Obama is inserting himself into this high profile case for political purposes. He seems to see it as an opportunity. I believes he thinks "wars" will help him get reelected.

We already have the fake "War on Women." He had to call Sandra Fluke because he was so concerned about her. Never mind Bristol Palin or Sarah Palin and the abuse they've endured. No phone calls for them.

Now, it appears Obama would like a "War on African Americans." He thinks of Trayvon Martin as his son. Never mind all the others, the ones who wouldn't look like his son if had one.

It's so weird. It's cringe-inducing.

I don't think AMERICA is need of "soul-searching" because of the death of Trayvon Martin. Why does Obama think that is in order?

It's wrong to take this very tragic case and turn it into a national problem, as if it's an indication that the entire country is dysfunctional when it comes to race.

We aren't all to blame for Martin's death. We have nothing to do with it.

We aren't a nation of racists because racially motivated crimes occur in the U.S.

We need perspective on this. Obama should be careful not to stoke racial tension. It's wrong to move the country backward and create division where none exists.

Who isn't troubled by the shooting death of a 17-year-old?

Obama would be wise to stress the importance of unity in the country, respect for others, and liberty and justice for all.

I guess if Obama really wants to score political points, he should wear a hoodie, too. What a great photo op!