Like many people, I have strong feelings about the American justice system. Often, those feelings fall on the negative side, especially after large, well-publicized cases end with unpopular or surprising verdicts like O.J. Simpson and Casey Anthony. Now, George Zimmerman has joined the club.
Granted, I am not a lawyer and I didn't hear all the evidence, but I'm still having a hard time with this verdict. First, Zimmerman seems like a decent enough guy. I'm sure he regrets his actions. (I expect the reasons for his regret are tangled around killing a teen and the wrath he's taken from the public ever since and will continue to take for years to come. Either way, regret is regret.) I'm sure he'd take it back if he could.
I know he never meant for things to go this far. By all indications, Zimmerman is a solid guy who wanted to be something he wasn't, a cop. So, he did the next best thing (in his mind); he became the head of his neighborhood's watch program. Good for him. Seriously.
I'm all for citizens looking out for their neighbors. By all means, if you see a suspicious person, call 911. Well done. Accept the appreciation of your neighbors and the thanks from the local police and go about your business. Zimmerman had done this many times before. According to police records, he had called 911 forty-six times since 2004. Unfortunately, he had other ideas with call forty-seven. And that's where the worm turns.
From the last 911 call, it's obvious that Zimmerman is irritated by Trayvon Martin. "Assholes like this always get away." We've all made instant judgments of people we haven't met. I've done it many times, I'm sad to say. Maybe they are assholes and maybe they aren't. Either way, I haven't shot any of them. Most of us don't.
George Zimmerman crossed the line. Many lines, actually. When you go against the directions of a 911 operator who you called, you're crossing a line. When you step out of the car and initiate contact with a "real suspicious" person, you're crossing a line. When you get out of that car with a gun, you're crossing a much more dangerous line. When you shoot and kill an unarmed teenager, you're crossing a tragic, life altering/ending line.
Crossing lines is like running down a steep hill. The more lines you cross, the steeper the hill, the faster you run, and the harder it is to stop yourself. That can be an exhilarating feeling to be on the edge like that. It can also be scary. You may see the next, thickest line coming up fast. By that time, your forward momentum gets to the point that it's impossible to pull yourself back. I think this is what happened to George Zimmerman and what killed Trayvon Martin.
Some people believe that Trayvon Martin's death was "justifiable" and apparently the six jurors did, as well. I can't see how. All he did wrong was buy a soda and Skittles and walk down the same road George Zimmerman was driving down at the same time. I've tried to visualize what exactly Zimmerman saw that was so upsetting. According to his 911 call, Zimmerman was concerned because Trayvon was wearing a hoodie and walking in the rain. (Good thing George Zimmerman lives in Florida. In the Pacific Northwest, his 911 calls would've been in the hundreds instead of under fifty.) But, if Trayvon was doing anything suspicious, wouldn't someone else have seen something? Apparently not.
I've read the transcript from his 911 call. Zimmerman never states what was so suspicious about Trayvon Martin. I wonder if he even knows now. He says This guy looks like he's up to no good, or he's on drugs or something. He never says why he thinks this. Even if he did believe it, why approach someone who you think is on drugs when no one is at immediate risk? There were no other people around. The police were on their way. Why risk setting this "suspect" off and possibly making things worse?
Even if Martin was doing something wrong, Zimmerman had already called 911. The police were coming. Why get out of the car at all? Why bring a gun unless to initiate something? People have said that Zimmerman probably had the gun to protect himself. From what, a sugar high?
Florida has the much publicized and maligned "Stand Your Ground" Law. So be it. But, I still don't see how that applies in this case. Again, Trayvon Martin was walking down the street eating candy. What exactly was George Zimmeran standing his ground against?
I keep hearing the debate in court and in the social media about who was beating up who. Zimmerman's back was wet and had grass on it. His nose was bleeding. Maybe Martin was kicking Zimmerman's ass. Maybe he did fear for his life. But, he chose to cross those lines that got him to that point in the first place. The only lines that we know for sure that Martin crossed were the ones on the sidewalk.
This isn't a rant for or against gun control. Zimmerman had every legal right to carry a pistol. More power to him. Maybe it fed his wannabe cop persona, maybe it really was for protection, whatever. I don't really care. The problem I have is a grown man made poor decisions that ended with the death of an innocent teenager. It never should have happened. A "Not Guilty" verdict should not have happened either.
I can't help but wonder...would George Zimmerman feel any differently if it were his son who was shot down in the same situation? Would he think justice had been done with a "Not Guilty" verdict? Would he feel his son's death was justified? Would any of us?
How many of us were accused of looking like we were "up to no good" when we were seventeen? How many of our neighbors had guns? Obviously, we're all still here. Seems like our neighbors used better common sense than George Zimmerman and those six jurors.
One last thought. Zimmerman has been receiving death threats since the incident happened. Those threats have spiked considerably since the verdict. That's not surprising really. It happens every time a well publicized case ends with an unpopular verdict.
If I were Zimmerman, I wouldn't worry too much about those threats. Usually, people like that are simply blowing off steam. Those threats are rarely acted upon. I'd be more concerned about walking down the street in the rain, eating a snack. He'd better not be wearing a hoodie either.
Under those circumstances, any of us, including George Zimmerman, and our children, are fair, "justifiable" game.
