New Black Panthers vow to hunt for Trayvon Martin's killer

Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign kickoff speech
at the Neshoba County Fair in Mississippi

We need a presidential address to the nation on race and the license to kill now.

The rightwing and Republicans will groan, but on matters of race, sexism, sexuality (gays are possessed by demons, Pat Robertson) and equality generally they simply cannot be taken seriously anymore.

Commentary around the world instructs on the urgency of the moment.

RT (Russia Today) - A new development in the Trayvon Martin case could cause further pandemonium. This after The New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense is calling for a militia of 5,000 black volunteers to help capture Trayvon’s murderer, George Zimmerman.

CNN - From coast to coast, protesters demand justice in Trayvon Martin case

Politiscoop - In Wisconsin, in the wake of the Bo Morrison-Castle Doctrine murder, victim Morrison's relatives are calling for peace, though the DA and police are covering up.

Midiaite -  Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Sinbad, say good people need to speak out.

Eugene Robinson - "The 'Stand Your Ground' laws in Florida and other states should all be repealed. At best, they are redundant. At worst, as in the Trayvon Martin killing, they are nothing but a license to kill."

President Barack Obama - "It is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this. … But my main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin. You know, if I had a son he’d look like Trayvon. 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 get to the bottom of exactly what happened."

Newt Gingrich - President’s remarks are "disgraceful" ... Is the president suggesting that if it had been a white who had been shot that would be ok because it didn’t? because it didn't look liked him?"

Forbes Josh Barro - "If conservatives keep letting Newt get away with these sorts of comments, why should they be taken seriously on issues relating to race?"

Adam Kind and George Zimmerman are killers.

Young black men being killed is fairly common.

It's past time for us to say, 'not in our name,' and repeal all Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine laws, modeled by the American Legislative Exchange Council, (ALEC) "the corporate-funded group that aligns special-interest organizations and corporate donors with pliable legislators," as John Nichols points out, using the research on ALEC conducted bythe Center for Media and Democracy.  See the July 2011 Special Report on ALEC's Funding and Spending by the Center for Media and Democracy for continuing updates.

The stakes are high.

Let's hope President Obama leads our country away from a path onto which we are quickly veering, towards a place where we will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last!

If we do not; Bo Morrison and Trayvon Martin are just the beginning.