Now Is The Time For Structural Change

As I start this month's blog posting I can't help but hear The Byrd’s song Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There Is a Season) playing loudly in my head.  Please note this isn’t just because today’s the first day of Spring, it’s because the lyrics to that song are so potent and relevant the world we live in today.  Today every major news outlet is carrying the Trayvon Martin story. 

Trayvon Martin was a 17-year-old boy whose death has sparked national outrage.  Trayvon was shot and killed near a family member's home after he was walking from a convenience store where he had just bought some candy. Trayvon’ s killer, George Zimmerman, admitted to police that he shot Trayvon in the chest. Zimmerman, the community's self-appointed "neighborhood watch leader," called the police to report a suspicious person when he saw Trayvon, a young black man, walking from the store. But Zimmerman still hasn't been charged for the murder.   All arguments aside it all boils down to yet another loss of life for a young person of color. 

Now more than ever people interested in creating structural change need to work together to mobilize the community around issues that continue to put our youth at risk.  If we don’t “Spring Forward” now we are doomed to “Fall Back” and by doing so we miss the opportunity to help our youth live longer, healthier lives. 

In my head I hear the last verse of the song.  “To everything - turn, turn, turn, There is a season - turn, turn, turn And a time for every purpose under heaven.”
Milton Smith
 C2PLA Project Director