Stevie Wonder joined the multitude of artists offering tributes to Trayvon Martin following the Saturday acquittal of George Zimmerman, but the R&B star was a little more dedicated to his cause. Wonder announced during his show in Quebec City that hewould no longer play concerts in Florida until the state's controversial "Stand Your Ground" law is repealed.
"The truth is that -- for those of you who've lost in the battle for justice, wherever that fits in any part of the world -- we can't bring them back," he said. "What we can do is we can let our voices be heard. And we can vote in our various countries throughout the world for change and equality for everybody. That's what I know we can do."
The Stand Your Ground law allows those in possession of a gun to fire in defense without first attempting retreat. Wonder furthered his statement, saying that he wouldn't play any state that used a Stand Your Ground policy. He may have to reconsider; Thirty U.S. states offer some version of the law, including California, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wonder's home state of Michigan.
Wonder's stand was interesting in that he left race out of the picture. Although much of the Zimmerman trial generated headlines about Martin being an African-American, Wonder avoided the topic and focused instead on the law that allowed the shooting to happen.
The acquittal of Zimmerman has shaken the nation, with protests and demonstrations being carried out in several major cities, including New York City and Los Angeles.
