Letter: Protests fan racial tensions
Candra Bryant, of Vero Beach, Fla., chants and holds a sign with other protesters in a march and rally for slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin on March 31, 2012 in Sanford, Fla. Credit: AP
No one can dispute that the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida was a tragedy ["Rally on LI for Trayvon," News, April 1]. But is a rush to judgment really fair?
It was not a surprise to see the Rev. Al Sharpton on a plane to Florida, but do we really need him stirring up racial tensions when all the facts are not in? We have been there before, and it does not help.
Does Newsday have to fan the flames further with articles about every protest and prayer meeting? These things only make matters worse.
Instead of creating a divide, we should come together to get to the truth. Let the investigation run its course. If anyone involved deserves punishment, then it should be swift and harsh, but let's remember that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
Our system of justice works. We should let it run its course and refrain from making a spectacle to grab headlines.
Ray Dawson, Huntington
