Trayvon Martin (Family photo/Splash News)
(
)
WASHINGTON — President Obama yesterday cast a national spotlight on the racially charged killing of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin, telling the nation, “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
Taking a rare personal tack, Obama took on the wrenching Florida case during an unrelated Rose Garden ceremony — stopping unexpectedly to answer a reporter’s question about the shooting.
Obama said he wanted to choose his words carefully to avoid “impairing” the Justice Department investigation into the shooting of the 17-year-old boy by a white neighborhood-watch volunteer last month in Sanford, Fla.
“But my main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin. If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon,” Obama said. “And I think they are right to expect that all of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves, and that we’re going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.”
RICH LOWRY: SHARPTON IS RIGHT ABOUT TRAYVON TRAGEDY
He added solemnly, “When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids.”
The president usually walks away from the podium without answering questions after events like yesterday’s announcement of his nominee to lead the World Bank. But this time, Obama fielded the question, which he was well prepared to answer.
By weighing in, the country’s first black president not only made it personal but drew national attention to what had been a Florida controversy.
The teen was shot dead the night of Feb. 28 by George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old man of mixed white and Hispanic ethnicity.
Zimmerman has claimed self-defense and has not been arrested.
Trayvon had been visiting relatives in Sanford and was on his way back to their home from a 7-Eleven, carrying only a bag of Skittles and a can of Arizona Iced Tea and wearing a hoodie, when he was shot dead.
The killing and muted police response spurred huge rallies and protests, as prominent black leaders charged that police would have treated the case differently if Trayvon had been white.
Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee resigned temporarily this week, saying the blaring criticism of his handling of the case had become a distraction from the investigation.
The hoodie has emerged as a symbol of the unjust stereotype that has been placed on black teens like Trayvon.
Supporters have donned hoodies at rallies, and NBA stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and their Miami Heat teammates, as well as Knick star Carmelo Anthony, have posted photos of themselves wearing hoodies on Twitter in a gesture of solidarity.
Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire – a Central Florida native – arrived in Toronto yesterday wearing a hooded sweater in tribute to Martin.
The national outcry prompted Justice Department prosecutors and the FBI to open an investigation this week.
“Well, I’m the head of the Executive Branch, and the attorney general reports to me, so I’ve got to be careful about my statements to make sure that we’re not impairing any investigation that’s taking place right now,” Obama said in the Rose Garden.
“But obviously this is a tragedy. I can only imagine what these parents are going through,” the president said.
“I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this, and that everybody pulls together — federal, state and local — to figure out exactly how this tragedy happened.”
Obama continued, “So I’m glad that not only is the Justice Department looking into it, I understand now that the governor of the state of Florida has formed a task force to investigate what’s taking place.”
“I think all of us have to do some soul-searching to figure out how does something like this happen. And that means that we examine the laws and the context for what happened, as well as the specifics of the incident.”
The president’s personal intervention only increased pressure for speedy action from Florida Gov. Rick Scott, state Attorney General Pam Bondi and the special prosecutor they appointed Thursday.
Travyon’s parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, issued a statement after Obama spoke.
“The president’s personal comments touched us deeply and made us wonder: If his son looked liked Trayvon and wore a hoodie, would he be suspicious, too?” the statement read.
“We’d like to thank the president and the millions of people from around the world who have shown their support for Trayvon.”
Zimmerman’s father, Robert Zimmerman, defended his son in a recent letter to the Orlando Sentinel newspaper, writing, “He would be the last to discriminate for any reason whatsoever.”
Craig Sonner, Zimmerman’s attorney, told CNN that his client shot Martin in self-defense after a fight.
“I don’t believe that George Zimmerman’s a racist or that this was motivated by a dislike for African-Americans,” Sonner said.
Also yesterday, Zimmerman broke his almost month-long silence and left a message on his strongest supporter’s voicemail, according to MSNBC.
“I wanted to thank you for doing everything you’ve been doing,” Zimmerman said in the rambling message he left for Frank Taaffe, a former block captain in the gated community.