5 Things I Shared With My Son About The George Zimmerman Acquittal

The verdict in the case State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman is controversial on many levels.  Rather than regurgitate the same facts and perspectives, I have tried to talk to my son about the case in the following way:

1. BUT FOR –

Imagine being with your child. You all are out shopping and rely on public transportation.  The next bus is en route to the bus stop.  Your child anxiously runs out into the street to catch the bus.  Horrifically, your child is killed by an oncoming driver.  The horror doesn’t stop there, you are charged with vehicular homicide.  Not only does the Court charge you with a crime, the Court charges you with a crime previously only charged to one driving a car not walking with their child across the street.

The Court seems to be able to make the connection between your child running out in the street and your negligence in them being hit by the oncoming car.  However, the Court doesn’t appear able to make the connection between a man disobeying the instruction of law enforcement to remain in a car and his subsequent shooting and killing of a child.

But for the mother keeping her child out of the street, the child would be alive.  But for George Zimmerman remaining in the vehicle, Trayvon Martin would be alive. (The scenario of the parent is derived from a real case from the State of Georgia.)

2. BETTER TO BE A DEFENDANT –

George Zimmerman, the defendant, is alive today.  He is alive because he was carrying a gun.  He is alive because Trayvon Martin, the deceased, was not in possession of a fire arm.  George Zimmerman, the defendant, was able to tell his side of what happened that evening.

Trayvon Martin, the deceased, had his story reported – not by him – but from the testimony of others and forensic evidence.  Make sure you live in a Stand Your Ground State, be armed at all times with a handgun (not the concrete sidewalk), shoot first, make sure the other party dies so that the State and Court can only hear your narrative and listen to your first person testimony.

3. NOT GUILTY DOESN’T MEAN INNOCENT –

Not guilty does not mean innocent.  The State of Florida allowed George Zimmerman the following options in pleading his case.  Those options were guilty, not guilty, no contest, not guilty by reason of insanity, or incompetent to stand trial.  The State of Florida did not offer George Zimmerman the right to plead innocent, blameless, vindicated, righteous, pure of heart, virtuous, or any other adjective that might infer that George Zimmerman is a good guy.

The Court simply determined that the prosecution had not proved the defendant guilty of the crime beyond reasonable doubt.  So even after the acquittal if you maintain that George Zimmerman is not an innocent person, you would be right.

4. APATHY REIGNS –

America’s outrage is classic and typical.  What we rant and rave about now we will soon minimize and ignore later.  Today’s headline is tomorrow’s footnote except unfortunately for the family who has to forever live life without their son.  The apathy is particularly problematic for the majority of those who possess the power to make real change.  Americans particularly those of us who are middle class somehow fail to act – thinking that we are different, feeling that we have “made it”.  Where exactly we think we have arrived is far different from where we actual reside.

The truth is that we are just like those who are slighted and disrespected.  Most of us are still living paycheck to paycheck, a job termination from being homeless, overweight and overstressed, consuming prescription drugs in mass quantities for maladies that could be remedied by changes in diet and exercise, no long-term wealth accumulation, lacking the financial resources to withstand living without a job or enduring an emergency for a prolonged period of time and unlike what George Zimmerman was able to do, be able to afford the best defense money can buy.

These are the issues that people like Trayvon Martin, who are racially and socio-economically profiled continue to experience.  Trayvon’s story and far too many others share this experience.  This is the story of the majority of America.  Unfortunately, many of us who have benefited the most from the blood, sweat and tears of our forefathers and foremothers are too confused, indifferent, lazy and disrespectful – to those whose shoulders we all now stand – to do the work to make the needed systemic substantive permanent changes in our society that would assure that another Trayvon Martin like headline never reappeared.

5. JUSTICE IS NEITHER EQUAL NOR BLIND –

Justice has never been nor will it ever be definitively equal or blind.  Justice is and shall always remain subjective not objective.  The application of the law is personal.  People accuse others of committing crimes.  People make arrests.  People collect evidence.  People research the law.  People serve as attorney.  People testify.  People report the facts.  People serve as Judges.  People are deemed guilty or not guilty.  People serve on the jury.

As long as human beings who all come from different life experiences, socio-economic backgrounds, varied educational opportunities, etc. participate in the justice process, justice will be precisely what it is and forever shall remain an imperfect – occasionally fair – sometimes impartial system.

What are you telling your child about the shooting of Trayvon Martin?  How are you explaining George Zimmerman’s acquittal?