Civil rights leaders, politicians, professional athletes, celebrities and others have all chimed in on the controversy surrounding the shooting of an unarmed teenager in Sanford, Florida. Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by a George Zimmerman, a community watch volunteer. On KVNU’s For the People program Monday, Jenner Black of the Utah State University College Republicans said he was surprised at how fast this has become a racial issue. “My first reaction was not that he was an African-American boy that was slain,” said Black, “but that any person whether they were white, African-American, Asian, anyone who was slain in that matter is a horrible tragedy. “I think that is something that has now escalated. As these other characters have gotten involved it has become an issue of race instead of an unarmed kid.” Black said racial tensions always seem to bring out large gatherings because race is still a poignant issue in America.