For all those feeling the injustice of George Zimmerman being found not guilty we are at a loss. It appears that the Judicial System is extremely biased. I see memes floating around showing how Zimmerman got off, Casey Anthony got off despite evidence that she killed her daughter , Andrea Yates got off after admitting she drowned her children yet Michael Vick served two years for dogfighting, Plaxico Burress got two years for shooting himself, and Marissa Alexander just got 20 years for firing warning shots. The people who got off are white (or part white in case of Zimmerman) and those who were given jail time are black. How is this possible in this great country. Those who are angry about Trayvon's death see a black child who was profiled for a criminal. He was stalked and engaged because he was black with a hoodie on. That is a fact. As a black man I can tell you that is our worst nightmare. To be labeled a criminal and have someone with a gun come after us where there are no witnesses. Be it police or neighborhood watch these things reek of the dark part of our nations history. We demand justice because the fact is Trayvon was lawfully walking home with snacks, and someone engaged him first, got their ass kicked and then executed him without warning. How is this possible? Even worse, every single negative aspect of his life dragged out as if he were on trial, as is his being suspended and etc. was somehow proving that he deserved to be profiled and killed. Sadly, if you do not understand how Zimmerman got off, then you do not understand this nations legal system.
For those Zimmerman supporters out there you see a man who saw something suspicious and went to investigate. At some point Trayvon retaliated and Zimmerman legally used his firearm to defend himself. You do not understand why race matters. You do not understand why there was a trial or why people are upset that Zimmerman was found not guilty. You see nothing wrong in Zimmerman being suspicious of Trayvon due to the crimes in the neighborhod.You are naieve and you do not understand Black America or any minorities for that matter.
The real problem in this story in my opinion are the state laws of Florida and every state in which such things are allowed. Lazy prosecutors and Judges have supported mandatory minimum laws and sweeping legislation without due diligence. Zimmerman may have pulled the trigger but the Stand Your Ground Law is what allowed the police to let him go and crimes like this to happen. In Florida there are gang leaders killing in the streets and claiming "Stand Your Ground" and yes, they get away. In Florida it is perfectly legal for anyone to pick a fight with a person and as soon as the other retaliates in any way remotely life threatening you can execute them without warning. Zimmerman never told Trayvon who he was or that he was armed. Trayvon didn't know he was armed until he was shot. Trayvon had every right to defend hinself against the "creepy ass cracker" he knew was following him, yet his death goes as "justified" with this verdict. Zimmerman is guilty of profiling, picking a fight he could not finish and responding with gunfire, unfortunately in Florida that is perfectly legal. For the examples listed above about Plaxico Buress and Michael Vick, it was about star hunting, mandatory minimums and back door dealing that got them into jail. That is infact how our legal system works, deals with criminals, indiscriminate mandatory sentencing without reguard to facts and lazy prosecutors.
For all those angry we need to turn our attention to where it should be, the State of Florida. Florida's mandatory minimum laws forced Marissa Alexander to be sentenced to 20 years for firing warning shots to scare off a husband with a documented history of abuse. If she killed him then "Stand Your Ground" would apply but because they were only warning shots this mother must now go to jail. Ironically if Zimmerman fired warning shots he too would serve jail time under Florida law. The people need to demand action and march on the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee in order to change the laws that create injustice. This needs to happen everywhere nonsense laws like this are on the books.
There is nothing we can do to bring Trayvon back and despite my own disgust even I would have to find Zimmerman not guilty according to Florida Law. We can however use Trayvon's memory to make a real difference in changing the laws that makes it legal to stalk and execute without warning. For those who think Zimmerman got off easy, he will suffer the rest of his life for his cowardice and bad decisions. He will live as an outcast in financial ruin. He won't be able to use his own name. I saw a meme going around that says he will now feel like a black man in American by missing out on jobs and being treated "unfairly", I can say that being a black man is nothing to the sad life Zimmerman will have from now on.
In the end human beings are human beings. We are flawed, we make bad decisions under pressure. We get excited and do things we have no business doing. Zimmerman did all of the above and the Florida laws allow it. In fact some say they encourage it. It is extremely racist to call a black teen a suspect merely because they are black and wearing a hooded sweatshirt in the rain. If Trayvon were white Zimmerman would have had to actually see something suspicious to make him believe that Mr. Martin was a threat, unfortunately he was not and that is why he is now dead. I support lawful gun ownership but I do not support having the free reign to end life no matter who starts a situation just cause you feel "threatened". I do not support mandatory minimums that allow first offenders in extenuating circumstances such as Marissa Alexander to go to jail for 20 years. Judges need to judge and be fair, discreation should be used, and reason should have a very prominent place in a court of law. There are laws that take that power out of their hands. Self defense existed long before stand your ground and it will long after. Let there be a real movement, to charge laws and be involved in the politics that create them. Learn who your local politicians are and make them earn your vote. Learn their platforms and lobby your state legislature. Make a real difference and honor Travon in that matter. Mr. Martin was not perfect, but he did not deserve to die. Keep his memory alive the right way, in the ways of Martin Luther King, by fighting peacefully to fix the real injustice, the laws of troubled States.
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