After the shocking NOT GUILTY verdict for George Zimmerman this week, the world has responded with a wide array of emotion.
We feel it’s important to remember that peaceful protest is what ultimately brings peace. That’s why we applaud Stevie Wonder and his new plan to voice his disapproval of a jury’s decision to let the man who killed Trayvon Martin walk free.
Stevie will now be BOYCOTTING the state of Florida!
That’s right Sunshine State. The legendary singer is saying he will NOT be performing there until Florida changes their legal system! Stevie informed an audience in Quebec City of his decision, saying:
“I’ve decided today that until the ‘Stand Your Ground’ law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again! Wherever I find that law exists I will not perform in that state or that part of the world.”
Stand Your Ground is the law that many point to as what ultimately exonerated George Zimmerman in a Florida court – jurors were explicitly reminded of the law prior to the trial. Stand Your Ground allows for one person to use deadly force against another in the act of self-defense. That was the argument the defense team used during Zimmerman’s trial, even though Trayvon Martin was unarmed during the altercation.
Stevie’s plan to steer clear of states with Stand Your Ground laws might prove challenging however. Just look at the long list of states that currently have some form of that law on their books:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania , Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
That’s more than half of the country!
We hope this move from Stevie sparks a call for change and action! The time has CERTAINLY come to revise our system to ensure EVERYONE’S safety and well-being!
Click on the video (below) to see Stevie’s plan of peaceful protest!
[Image via FayesVision/WENN.]