George Zimmerman has been acquitted of the murder of Trayvon Martin and it is a tragedy of monumental proportions. It is with a heavy heart that we received the jury's decision of acquittal. There is no rejoicing in this verdict or any happiness because a 17-year old boy is dead. We mourn the death of Trayvon Martin and extend our condolences to the Martin family.
However, the jury did make the correct decision in this case. George Zimmerman did deserve to be acquitted. Whether we want to admit it or not, this case was racial right from the beginning.
I understand George Zimmerman's frustration in young African-American men recently burglarizing and frightening the people living in their housing development. I understand George Zimmerman wondering about Trayvon Martin walking along and looking at the houses as he walked. I can understand Zimmerman's concern that night.
I can understand a 17-year-old African-American boy walking home from the 7/11 with his Skittles and can of pop/juice. What is tragic is that both Martin and Zimmerman looked at each other with suspicion, racial biases and profiling of each other. Zimmerman felt he needed to call the police and shadow the young boy. Martin felt he needed to confront the man shadowing him, rather than just ignoring him and continuing home.
Although Zimmerman was zealous in his neighborhood watch position, it was a position that the gated community he lived in wanted him to do. They were sick of recent break-ins all done by African-Americans. Martin did not like being shadowed by a "creepy *** cracker," and Zimmerman didn't like the presence of "f****** punks" or "a****** punks" bothering his neighborhood. Each person involved here was using negative and profane language and words about the other to the people they were talking to on their cell phones. Each viewed the other with suspicion.
Yes, Zimmerman should have stayed in the car and Martin should have continued walking home instead of hiding out to attack Zimmerman. And, of course, Martin had no idea Zimmerman was armed with a gun and Zimmerman had no idea Martin was not armed with a gun.
It was Martin who threw the first punch and it was Zimmerman with the broken and bloody nose. It was Zimmerman with the bloody cut up head and it was Martin who used the concrete walk as a weapon that night by bashing Zimmerman's head on the concrete walk.
If someone was bashing my head on the concrete, I'd probably pull out a gun I was armed with and shoot in self-defense also. Although Zimmerman was heavier, he was shorter than Martin. Although Martin was slender or thin, he was taller than Zimmerman. Yes, Zimmerman could feel overpowered by Martin and apparently he did.
It is tragic that Zimmerman was armed with a gun. Hence, my stance that we need gun control in this country. But, in this situation, if Zimmerman was not armed with a gun to defend himself, then Martin could have killed Zimmerman when he bashed his head on the concrete. There are so many 'what if's' and 'could have's' in this case.
Trayvon Martin threw the first punch in a violent action and then ensued in a fighting confrontation, and yes, George Zimmerman had to defend himself the best he could. It is sad that a gun was the best he could do, but I do not fault Zimmerman for defending himself any way he had available to him. It is sad that Zimmerman had the uneven advantage of a gun and all Martin had were Skittles, but Zimmerman had the right to defend himself, especially when his head was being bashed on concrete.
Although, my heart breaks for the Martins, who saw their son make a candy run to a 7/11 store and then he never returned home alive again; however, Trayvon Martin is also as much responsible for his death as George Zimmerman is.
Yes, we live in a country that has a culture of death. This is why we need gun control in this country. This is why being suspicious of or profiling others who are just walking along the sidewalk is wrong. This is why confrontation and fighting as a solution to a problem is wrong. This is what we have to change in our country. It is time to reflect, learn and take positive actions on how we can avoid situations like Zimmerman and Martin were involved in.
It is time to stop the 24/7 news cycle over analyzing this case constantly on cable TV. It is time to give the Martin and Zimmerman families time to heal from this tragic event and tragic court case. It has been seventeen long months of two families and a nation being consumed by this case. It is time to heal now. May the Martin family and Zimmerman family find the peace now that both so desperately need.
Copyright (c) 2013 Suzannah Wolf Walker all rights reserved
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