Florida v. George Zimmerman, First Thoughts

I have hesitated to fully comment on this case on my blog because I needed to sit with my internal fury before I shared my thoughts. As a mother to a young Black man, this hurt me to my heart. As jury selection begins, I share my first thoughts...
Trayvon Martin's parents are doing exactly the right thing taking the lead in trusting the system, and not wanting additional violence as a result of the trial. At this stage in the game, to do anything else diminishes the days and weeks of protest in order to get to this point. Although Trayvon did not get a fair shake, if we wish to be treated fairly by the judicial system, we have to afford that same right to everyone else. 

We have to live what we want to be.

The passion that people of color have for a case like this comes from the fact that but by grace, it could be any one of us. Trayvon's look is what made him suspicious. It wasn't just the hoodie, it was his beautiful Black face inside that hoodie that made him George Zimmerman's target. Would Zimmerman have followed a White kid through the neighborhood? Perhaps, but I argue that he would have assumed that the kid "belonged" in the neighborhood and would not have felt it necessary to chase him down. My opinion.

The Trial
First of all, I believe that the potential jurors they have interviewed so far are full of crap when they say they have no idea what this case is about. One women even said that the only reason why she has a newspaper is to line her ferrets cage. REALLY. I believe that just like mass shooters who copycat for infamy, jurors see others who get 15 minutes of fame and money, and they want on this trial.

My second thought is that we have to remember that this is the State of Florida v. George Zimmerman, not Trayvon Martin v. George Zimmerman. Trayvon already lost this one, and no judgement can bring him back to his family. Justice is defined by Trayvon's family.

One of the things that makes me mad is that the defense team wants to stretch out Trayvon's brief 17 years on earth to paint him as a bad person. How many people would want to be judged on any 17 year period, especially the first 17? The prosecutor just needs to stretch out that one night for Goerge Zimmerman to find him guilty.

You also have a potential juror, a "single mother of two boys", who you know is White, by her voice say that while she sympathizes with Trayvon's mother and doesn't want to judge, that Sabrina could have prevented this from happening if she had been more strict. REALLY!


What could have prevented this from happening was George Zimmerman not carrying a gun, looking for "suspicious activity", ignoring direct orders from the police dispatch, and chasing down an innocent young man.

When you start the fight, and  lose, you don't get to claim self-defense!

As a side note, as I watch news from around the world I see how minority communities are rising up and demanding to be treated equitably. If the powers that be in the U.S. are not careful, there is a powder keg ready to get lit. Not everyone is as calm and cool Barack Obama. 

If the bully keeps teasing, the small kid  is bound to fight back!