Obama Weighs in on Trayvon "Tragedy"

President Obama is calling the shooting death of an unarmed black teen in Florida a "tragedy" and wants Trayvon Martin's shooting investigated. For Obama, it's another high-stakes foray into the sensitive issue of race. (March 23)

Published

about 1 year ago

Categories

US

Topics

United States

People

Barack Obama, Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, Jeremiah Wright

Places

United States of America, Florida

Tags

self defense, racial tension

Transcript

Script[Notes:AP][Notes:AP file](VO: Obama walk-in)He's choosing his words carefully, but President Obama wants "every aspect" of Florida's neighborhood watch shooting investigated.(SOT/President Obama - 5:45 from start of Rose Garden statement)"I think all of have to do some soul-searching to figure out how does something like this happen."(VO: FILE Martin shooting)That includes BOTH how Trayvon Martin was allegedly targeted by a Latino watch captain, AND if the state's "Stand Your Ground" self-defense law played a role.(VO: Back to Obama)Whatever happened, Obama calls it a "tragedy."(SOT/Obama - 4:30 from start)"And when I think about this boy, I think of my own kids."(FLASH CUT)(SOT/Obama - 5:30 from start)"You know if I had a son he'd look like Trayvon."(CROSSFADE VO: Obama taking oath of office)For America's first black president, it's another foray into an issue that's won him both plaudits and brickbats.(VO: FILE any Obama handshaking from '08)His White House run included a high-profile speech on race that was thoughtful -- and blunt.(SOT/Obama)"Race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now."(VO: FILE Jeremiah Wright)But when anti-white sermons by longtime preacher surfaced, he was thrown on the defensive.(SOT/Obama)"I can no more disown him than I can disown my white grandmother."(VO: FILE any news conference file)And as president, he has not exactly been post-racial.(VO: FILE Henry Louis Gates, Jr., if we have it, if not any FILE Gates)WHEN A LONGTIME HARVARD PROFESSOR FRIEND WAS TREATED LIKE A BURGLAR ...(VO: To Obama news conference 7/22/09) ... Obama leapt to conclusions.(SOT/Obama - From news conference 7/22/09)"Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof he was in own home."(VO: FILE beer summit)After a backlash, Obama invited the policeman AND the scholar to "the beer summit."(VO: FILE Sherrod)And he again had to backpedal after this Agriculture Department official was fired for bias, when it turned out her words showed just the opposite the opposite.(VO: To Ross)In short, for Obama, race has been tricky.(SOT/Sonya Ross, AP race/ethnicity editor)"At some point he's got to weigh in. He can't run the risk of appearing aloof to something that is so visceral with the base of his support so he had an imperative to say something about this particular situation. He also had an imperative to say something about the situation because he's the sitting president of the United States."(VO: Sanford, FL B-roll)Meantime, in the Florida city where the shooting occurred, his words struch a chord.(SOT/Patrick Hampton, Sanford resident - from Laboy material)"He just saying that if he had a son he's look just like him, a little bit. And Trayvon Martin look like me, too."(Standup close)On the Trayvon Martin case, the president clearly had strong, personal feelings that he wanted to convey. But he did so knowing, for him no less than other politicians, issues of race and justice can be a minefield.MS, AP, WH(****END****) ANCHOR VOICE: -------------------------VIDEO PRODUCER: ---------------------------VIDEO SOURCE: AP, AP file-----------------------VIDEO APPROVAL: ----------------------------VIDEO RESTRICTIONS: ----------------------------------MARKET EMBARGO (S): --------------------------------SCRIPT/WIRE SOURCE: