President Obama Weighs In On Trayvon Martin Killing

After addressing the verdict of George Zimmerman over the weekend in a brief statement, President Barack Obama spoke at greater lengths earlier today regarding the trial and its racial implications, and zeroed in on the killing of Trayvon Martin as well – comparing himself to the 17-year-old at one point.

President Obama and Press Secretary Jay Carney addressed a small pool of reporters and after some light banter, speaking without notes at his surprise appearance, the president turned the conversation towards the Zimmerman case after acknowledging the other pressing matters, such as Detroit’s financial issues, that are crossing his desk.

From a transcript of the briefing by way of the Washington Post:

You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago. And when you think about why, in the African- American community at least, there’s a lot of pain around what h

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