The verdict is done, but the trial is not over. I have heard those who say Zimmerman was
defending himself, Martin was dangerous or the high road of “no one really
knows what happened”. Of course someone
does know and many can guess. This case
is historical because of the media and the expected repercussions. I hope they are not violent ones but that it
will serve as a lesson for Americans who believe racism is a thing of the past.
I don’t know George Zimmerman. I didn’t know Trayvon Martin. I do know that it was an unnecessary death of
a young man whose future was unwritten.
Several on Facebook have written that Zimmerman will live his life in
hiding; I doubt that. He will write a
book, have a TV movie made and be interviewed on numerous talk shows. Maybe there will be threats on his life, but
maybe he’ll have enough money to buy enough protection to stay alive.
Sometimes it is embarrassing to be an American. I’m not a “true” Southerner even though I’ve
been living in Georgia for 42 years, most of them very close to Florida. Today Florida is an embarrassment to the rest
of the country. How can a man walk free
from a courtroom with no consequences after killing an unarmed teenager? How can we not be angry that that happened?
There is grief and anger out there tonight. I don’t know what others will do with their
emotions. To me, the most logical
response is to understand the deep roots of racism and the ongoing saga of hate
and injustice we live with every day.
When that is understood, the response should be to continue to fight it
with speaking out and standing up.
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