Victims of tragic events are not experts!

Why is it that people who experience tragic events are immediately granted credibility on whatever they choose to speak about?

Why do we care or should we listen to what Trayvon Martin's mother thinks about anything?  Yes, she tragically lost her son - we all know that story of a young man who made a mistake and assaulted a lawfully-armed citizen.  We know what she thinks about that.  She deserves our sympathy because no parent wants to lose a child, no matter the reason.

But suffering such tragedy does not make one an expert, does not lend credibility to their voice on issues of parenting, stand your ground, the right to keep and bear arms, or stop and frisk laws.  Living through such circumstances should not be a ticket to fame, fortune, or wider social commentary.

This is not about race; too many other victims of such tragedy of all races have been granted such a pass.  It is not about the law - I do not agree with stop and frisk laws, nor the militarization of our police forces.  It is simply that Sybrina Fulton or any other parent who suffers similar circumstances is not qualified to speak on such issues.  They are qualified to tell us how traumatic it is to lose a child.  But if emotion, if the loss of a child to senseless violence, were compelling evidence of failed policy, we would have never gone into Iraq, left Afghanistan long ago and American drones would not leave the ground.

Such people only gain credibility in a childish world that thrives on and over-values emotion as some magic source of wisdom.