Trayvon Martin Case Study
The Cost of Freedom
When recalling the recent controversies in the public eye and memory, the New York
cases regarding the death of an unarmed Eric Garner due to inappropriate use of police force as
well as similar cases of police misconduct leading to the injustices in Ferguson exist as examples
around which fervent debate and contention arise. In less current news, the Trayvon Martin case
functions as a contemporary reference point in regards to the new brand of civil rights violations
and race conflicts between minorities and the police force. One of the key questions at the center
of such controversy lies in which institutions or individuals are culpable for these crimes, deaths,
and unfortunate circumstances. This paper offers a …show more content…
Let us examine the case of Eric Garner for
instance. Many accusations have been lodged regarding the actions of acting officer Daniel
Pantaleo and his ignorance of Garner’s obvious cries for help as an act of racism on the part of
the New York Police Department. Consider the details of the crime, “A video of the incident
shows him [Eric Garner] apparently avoiding arrest, and Officer Daniel Pantaleo placed him in
an apparent chokehold to subdue him” (Bashan 2014). Several aspects of situation may illustrate
how although Pantaleo’s actions may represent a breach of power, they do not have racist
qualities to them. Any individual resisting arrest may have received similar treatment in order to
immobilize that individual from moving and to take them into custody. The color of Garner’s
skin cannot be shown to be a definitive factor in Pantaleo’s decisions to enforce the law.
The acquittal of George Zimmerman for the death of Trayvon Martin also illustrates how
a case of the maintenance of law may not be racially motivated. Media attention to the case had
cast the case in such a light, however, the basis for law itself – which we have already
When recalling the recent controversies in the public eye and memory, the New York
cases regarding the death of an unarmed Eric Garner due to inappropriate use of police force as
well as similar cases of police misconduct leading to the injustices in Ferguson exist as examples
around which fervent debate and contention arise. In less current news, the Trayvon Martin case
functions as a contemporary reference point in regards to the new brand of civil rights violations
and race conflicts between minorities and the police force. One of the key questions at the center
of such controversy lies in which institutions or individuals are culpable for these crimes, deaths,
and unfortunate circumstances. This paper offers a …show more content…
Let us examine the case of Eric Garner for
instance. Many accusations have been lodged regarding the actions of acting officer Daniel
Pantaleo and his ignorance of Garner’s obvious cries for help as an act of racism on the part of
the New York Police Department. Consider the details of the crime, “A video of the incident
shows him [Eric Garner] apparently avoiding arrest, and Officer Daniel Pantaleo placed him in
an apparent chokehold to subdue him” (Bashan 2014). Several aspects of situation may illustrate
how although Pantaleo’s actions may represent a breach of power, they do not have racist
qualities to them. Any individual resisting arrest may have received similar treatment in order to
immobilize that individual from moving and to take them into custody. The color of Garner’s
skin cannot be shown to be a definitive factor in Pantaleo’s decisions to enforce the law.
The acquittal of George Zimmerman for the death of Trayvon Martin also illustrates how
a case of the maintenance of law may not be racially motivated. Media attention to the case had
cast the case in such a light, however, the basis for law itself – which we have already