Just watched Obama's impromptu drunken ramblings during the White House daily press briefing.

The President said that Treyvon could have been his son, and could have been him 30 years ago. Honestly, it could have been me, too. At 17 I was a dumbshit and did dumbshit things. Wandering through neighborhoods, walking between houses, walking in the shadows. Being 6'5" didn't make for a less menacing image. I can think of at least 2 times that I should have caught a bullet. But even at 17 (plus or minus) I never would have thought about confronting an "adult" in a physical way. Less because of the fear that things would go horribly wrong as in the Martin case, but more kind of a general fear of "adults".

He also talked about walking down the street and hearing car doors lock. Getting on a elevator and women passengers clutching their purses tighter until he or they got out. He spoke of it being the universal condition for black men and boys. Maybe. I doubt it's universal, because nothing really is. What was interesting was what was left out. The implication was that it was white folks that locked their doors and clutched their purses. But it's not just white folks, it's everyone of every race who just don't want any trouble. And it's not just a black man/ boy thing. The fact is that young men of any stripe are seen as a threat by "adults". Throw in gang clothes, Goth wear, punk wannabees fashion, etc., it makes for an intimidating image to people who don't want any trouble.

It was a pretty fascinating event. It was obvious the President was speaking off the cuff, from his heart and from his own experiences, which is pretty rare in politics these days. The problem is that in his heart, he's a race hustler. He sees everything through the prism of race. But I think the real story is deeper than just race. Having been a 17 year old and a 48 year old, I think the bigger problem is the distrust between teenagers/ young adults and the "adults"...25ish +. It doesn't matter the race of anyone when a 50+ year old sees a group of "kids" heading in their direction.

It's kind of a new thought process that I haven't totally fleshed out. I'm just starting to see this whole mess as less racial than generational. I guess what I'm saying is that Treyvon wasn't seen as a threat because he was a black kid. He was seen as a threat because he was a kid. With everything else being the same in the event, Treyvon could've been purple and the ending would've been the same.