Seven seconds, six, five, four...
According to an article published in
Forbes magazine in February 2011, seven seconds are all that are needed for the
human brain to react to thousands of stimuli and make the decision whether a
person is friend or foe. In that brief span of time, seven non-verbal signs are
calculated, disseminated and digested, leaving an impression that can never be
erased. No matter what discoveries are made in the ensuing hours, days, months
or years, we will forever be defined by the length of time between blinks.
Non-verbal signs are what the eye sees
and the brain involuntarily processes. These signs include attitude, posture,
facial expression and eye contact. Staring and invading someone’s personal space
are perceived as aggressive actions. Negative vibes are also transmitted
through clothing and personal grooming. Gang banger apparel, gang tattoos, and
gang styled and colored hair all project an image of danger.
I mention these things because in an article
published in the Palm Beach Post on July 15 (2013), Attorney Craig Lawson said
that he struggled to find the words to explain to his children how the jury had
reached their verdict in the Zimmerman case. Lawson, who is black, is quoted as
saying, “The system doesn’t look at us fairly. There’s nothing new about this.”
He advised young African Americans, “You have to be careful out there. You have
to be vigilant.” In the photograph provided, Lawson is dressed in a well cut
suit, dress shirt and tie. His appearance is totally professional. He is
non-threatening.
Mark Twain wrote, “Clothes make the
man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” In today’s society,
the wrong clothes can make someone appear to be a “bad” man even if they are
not. Perhaps, Craig Lawson should include that warning when he speaks to his
children, not because they are black but because it is a fact of life. It’s a
message I repeated thousands of times to my own children. “People will judge
you first by what they see. You can never take back a first impression.” Parents
need to tell their children that the choices
they make can lead to heaven or hell (figuratively and literally). It's not
fair, but it is fact.
Although we are told not to judge a
book by its cover, the cover is a good gauge of what is inside. When Trayvon
Martin was shot, the media saturated the airwaves with pictures taken years
earlier. In those photos, Trayvon was an innocent young boy. More recent
photographs depicted someone ready and willing to take on all challengers. Is
it possible that underneath the street wise demeanor, gold grillwork, and punk
attire the innocent youth of those early photographs still existed? Is it
possible that Trayvon Martin wanted to be perceived by his peers as cool and
capable but was really a sweet boy? It’s possible. Unfortunately, seven seconds
is not long enough for the human brain to consider those possibilities and
guilt by association is its own form of condemnation.
Human
beings are judgmental by design. No matter which side of this issue people are
on, they are condemning without knowing all the facts because only two people
know what really happened and one of them is dead. No one can testify in
his/her own defense from the grave. Both Zimmerman and Martin had the same
options... Zimmerman to remain in his car and Martin to go into the house. They
each made the choice to confront. Once the physical distance between them was
closed, regardless of who moved into whose space, needless violence was fated
to be the result. Reaction rather than action has become the cause of far too
many deaths.
The message that all parents should be
instilling in their children – no matter their ethnicity – is that the human
eye cannot see your character, your ethics or your moral fiber. The human eye
cannot see a loving heart and a giving soul. It cannot see anything but the
person we each choose to present to the world. That image can be the difference
between success and failure… life and death.
No comments:
Post a Comment