Trayvon Martin Protest. Image courtesy of Creative Commons and Werth Media.

 So why is Trayvon Martin’s suspension for possession of an empty bag with traces of marijuana residue being made into such an enormous piece of news?

 If anything, the use of marijuana might certainly have motivated his trip to get candy and iced tea, but not a violent attack on a much larger man (full disclosure, I have never smoked marijuana).

If I examine my friends, I am, as someone who has never experimented with marijuana, definitely in the minority. None of my friends has ever committed a violent crime.

 Martin had no criminal record and no record of violence.  Even if Martin had a history of violence, is the possession of a small amount of marijuana even relevant to this case?

 With regards to the claim of self-defense being made by George Zimmerman’s attorneys, I am subject to the same lack of information that seems to plague the entire case.

 However, when does it become self-defense?  Let’s say, for the purpose of debate, that Martin threw the first blow.  Could it be considered self-defense?

 If you were a 17-year-old boy and someone was following you in a car and then began to run after you as you walked home alone in the dark from buying candy, might you not be afraid for your life?  I certainly imagine that I would have been scared under the same circumstances.  I can certainly see myself striking the man if he came within arm’s reach of me.

 Is Zimmerman not still responsible for any violence because he pursued an unarmed boy through the night despite being told not to by a police dispatcher?