Dad of slain Fla. teen adds voice to congressional effort

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Trayvon Martin’s father told a crowded Capitol Hill forum Wednesday that “a statute or amendment” safeguarding young people against the type of circumstances that resulted in his son’s death would be a fitting legacy for his son.

“The question is, what can we do as parents, what can we do as African-American men, to assure our kids that you don’t have to be afraid to walk outside your house?” Tracy Martin asked during a forum convened by the Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys, one of several such caucuses comprising House members who want to seek possible legislative responses on various issues.

Martin said he is dedicated to ensuring that depictions during the trial of George Zimmerman, the man who shot Trayvon dead but was acquitted, do not define his 17-year-old son. Trayvon was his hero, Martin said, and “to not be there in his time of need is real troublesome, not to be able to save my son’s life.”

Martin’s comments opened what was billed as the first gathering of the caucus, which was formed to focus attention on issues disproportionately affecting black men and boys, such as joblessness and racial profiling.