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Derrick Z. Jackson

Imprisoned by their fears

Trayvon Martin case highlights paranoia behind gated communities

By Derrick Z. Jackson

 |  Globe Columnist  

  April 04, 2012

The killing of Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch vigilante in a gated community in Sanford, Fla. That case has highlighted the stereotyping of black youth and the insanity of Florida’s “stand your ground’’ self-defense law, but it also exposes the paranoia that has fueled the growth of gated communities. In fact, some researchers posit that gated communities actually attract crime because of the perceived valuables within.

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