Personal and presidential

It was with deft, heartfelt emotion that President obama spoke Friday about the shooting death of trayvon Martin. “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon,” Obama said, speaking as any father might of the senseless killing of an unarmed teenager while also expressing the perspective of America’s first black President.

He did so without passing premature judgment on the question of whether self-appointed vigilante George Zimmer man suspected Trayvon of being up to no good and then shot him because of the color of his skin.

But, in noting his bond of appearance with Trayvon, Obama tapped into the raw nerve the killing has touched among black Americans who are all too aware of the country’s history of unpunished, racially motivated slayings.

Amplifying the outrage was the fact that local cops initially let Zimmerman go without conducting a full inquiry because, as they explained it, they read Florida’s insane Stand Your Ground Law to sanction his action.

In the glare of national attention, the local police chief in Sanford, Fla., has stepped aside, the state is reconsidering the wisdom of its law and the Justice Department and local authorities are conducting full-scale investigations.

Obama was limited in what he could responsibly say regarding Zimmerman’s guilt or innocence, but he did not shy away from the wrenching emotional realities:

“I can only imagine what these parents are going through. And when I think about this boy, I think about my own kids. And I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this, and that everybody pulls together — federal, state and local — to figure out exactly how this tragedy happened.”

All undeniably correct, all powerfully unifying. Indeed, across the political spectrum, there has been a remarkably consistent recognition of the horrible wrong committed by Zimmerman, as well as the issues of race that over shadow the case.

The leading Republican contender for President on Friday strongly condemned the shooting, echoing obama’s words.

Said Mitt Romney: “What happened to Trayvon Martin is a tragedy. There needs to be a thorough investigation that reassures the public that justice is carried out with impartiality and integrity.” When that investigation brings answers, the heartache will begin to subside.