On Saturday, July 13th, justice was not served. All of the blame should go to the Florida State prosecutor, who failed prove beyond a reasonable doubt that George Zimmerman was not acting in self-defense. Of course, any sensible person would say that it was Trayvon Martin who had the right to defend himself, but the jury based its decisions on the facts as they were presented.
While one of the jurors has made it clear (judging from the garbage that spewed from her mouth on Anderson Cooper) that she is an idiot, we cannot blame the jury for its decision. They followed Florida law as it is written. Now we, as a people, have to find a way to release the anger, the bitterness, and the hatred, and to get past this. Rioting in Crenshaw cannot bring Trayvon back, nor can it change the 'not guilty' verdict to 'guilty'. Behaving like rabid dogs over an issue that has so thoroughly polarized the races does nothing to further the cause for justice. Instead, it tells all the George Zimmermans out there that we are, in fact, the animals they believe us to be.
We can't "all just get along", because we are people, and people suck. But we can treat each other with civility and respect, or we can walk away. George Zimmerman should have walked away.
No background check could have prevented George Zimmerman from carrying a gun that night, but just because one can carry a gun does not mean one should use it to take an innocent life. Trayvon Martin was innocent. He was minding his own business and making his way home when he was stalked and murdered by a gun-weilding imbecile, who should have heeded police directives. George Zimmerman's actions on February 26th, 2012, and his alone, caused the death of child that night. Let's not invalidate Trayvon Martin's life with continued hatred.
