I remember when I was 12 my neighborhood had a self-appointed Neighborhood Watch guy, much like the one who shot Trayvon Martin two days ago (see story). He was out patrolling when my best friend at the time Eddie while at a slumber party at Matt’s house in “truth or dare” dares me to strip naked, run out to the street light, touch it and run back. We all agreed to play this stupid game, so I had to do it. So I’m on my way naked out to the street light and everything’s fine, and I touch the light, when just then the neighborhood watch guy pulls around the corner. I take off running into a field of thorns and decorative sawgrass plants. He zooms up the block and jumps out of his truck and chases me into a field of sawgrass, where I’m able to hide. My friends, who hid in bushes and watched, said the guy ran after me into the field a short distance then stopped and turned back. I did not see him chasing me. I was too busy getting hidden. I’m now in sawgrass crouched and amazing I have no thorns in my feet. He then alerted the two homes nearby to be on the lookout for a streaker. The NW guy left while the chatty, intrigued neighbors kicked back and watched the field for about 35 minutes! I heard one say “There’s no streaker out here! Let’s go in.” The NW watch guy was gone, the neighbors went in. So I simply walked back out of the sawgrass, naked, and returned to Matt’s house at a leisurely pace, put my clothes back on as my terrified friends greeted me and completed the dare. I was relieved because not only I survived one of Eddie’s dares, I knew I’d never have to be “game” for one of his stupid dares ever again! It was Eddie’s turn and he says “TRUTH!” 

UPDATE
The Trayvon Martin killing by a Neighborhood Watch captain didn’t happen a few days ago – it happend about 2 and a half weeks ago. Please see this video commentary by Melissa Harris-Perry.
The man who killed him may be let off the hook by a law called “stand your ground” – it appears Trayvon confronted the man following him – and when that happened the “stand your ground” law allowed his harasser to kill him. Due to this very f’d up law, Trayvon could be legally harassed in the street with no recourse. Melissa played part of the 911 tape made by the man following him, not allowing him to complete his walk home. This is very f’d up – he lived in that neighborhood and the man following had no idea who he was – he didn’t know his neighborhood’s own people – and he’s a volunteer of neighborhood watch.