The fact that Trayvon Martin was unarmed, carrying only a bag of Skittles and a can of Arizona iced tea when he was shot and killed by self-proclaimed neighborhood-watch man George Zimmerman has made the candy into a symbol of the tragedy surrounding his death.
Activists criticizing the inaction of Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee (who has temporarily stepped down) called earlier this week for supporters of the Martin family to send empty bags of the candy to him.
So what does Skittles think about being thrust into the middle of this national conversation? A representative offered a short-and-sweet response in the case of the teen's death:
We are deeply saddened by the news of Trayvon Martin’s death and express our sincere condolences to his family and friends. We also respect their privacy and feel it inappropriate to get involved or comment further as we would never wish for our actions to be perceived as an attempt of commercial gain following this tragedy.
Of course, those words won't have any effect on whether justice is served. But the statement represents one of the rare instances of good judgment and respect for Trayon's life that we've heard in a case in which both of those things have been all too rare.
Read more at Hello Beautiful.
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