Stop using deaths and tragedies for political gain

The media coverage of the Trayvon Martin shooting has been nothing short of a circus.

We've heard people say Zimmerman is a racist--that he was targeting Martin because he was black. We've heard Martin was shot because his hoodie made him look like a thug. We've been told about his marijuana suspension. We've been shown outdated photos of Zimmerman and Martin and recent photos and fake photos. We've been told they both initiated the conflict.

And there's no sign the show will end soon.

The media must be able to break news even when all the facts aren't apparent. This, however, was a race among political pundits to capitalize on the death--unjust or not\0xAD--of a 17-year-old boy.

There was news value in the story, no doubt, but anyone paying attention to people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson could nearly hear them salivating when the news broke.

The national outcry, not the news, began with charges of racism. The accusations were pointed at Zimmerman, the police and the town of Sanford, Fla.

Jackson and Sharpton traveled to the town to lead rallies. Both made bombastic claims about the state of the nation.

Jackson said that "blacks are under attack" in America. He's lowered himself into the deepest, most hypocritical pits an idealogue can find by using race to curry favor and stir up anger. His statements are, at the least, ridiculous and, at the worst, inciteful.

Sharpton said, "People who know what Trayvon was all about as a person all say they can't believe he attacked Zimmerman."

Sharpton is framing the opinions of thousands of people in the United States without having any evidence. He's taking Martin's side because of what he sees as racial injustice. As of yet, there's just not enough to prove Zimmerman was motivated by hatred.

These men are doing nothing short of using Martin's death to futher their own ends.

Worse yet were the reactions of the morally bankrupt organization the New Black Panther Party. They quickly put out a wanted poster for Zimmerman offering a $10,000 reward for his capture--dead or alive. We should, as human beings, be able to rise above this reprehensible behavior.

Then there was the reaction on Twitter. People tweeted furiously about justice for Trayvon, but what did they mean by justice? It became clear when people began tweeting and retweeting what they thought was Zimmerman's home address along with enlightened messages like, "Lets go smash this nigga," and, "LET'S TURN UP THE HEAT ON HIS BITCH ASS."

These people are undoubtedly fools, but they don't speak for the entire reaction to Martin's death. Many held vigils in churches across the country and donned hoodies to mourn his death. Some chose to involve themselvs in their communities. These are appropriate reactions. These are the ways Americans respond to tragedy.

There is nothing more disrespectful of Martin's death than a call for more bloodshed. Sadness is understandable. Anger is understandable, but a call for violence is unforgivable. To selfishly use his death is unforgivable.

If Zimmerman is guilty of anything, he will face justice, but not at the hands of the mob. We are not savages.