Trayvon, Racism, and the Recall of Justice

Trayvon, Racism, and the Recall of Justice

 Welcome to Mob Justice, media style—pre-determined, politically correct, conditional “truth”. Truth used to be the knowledge of what was real. It is now fiction contrived by the demands of a media-seduced public.

Worldwide media makes instant celebrities of the unsuspecting; individuals such as George Zimmerman and, posthumously, Trayvon Martin, neither of which invited the notoriety that found them. Trayvon’s story is lost to us; we have only Zimmerman’s side of the story and pieced together evidence. Based on those, we are required to do our best to find justice for both men.

Each side accuses the other of foolish, provocative, regrettable actions. Zimmerman is accused of “stalking” Trayvon and his bloody head testifies of Trayvon’s attack. In the aftermath, Zimmerman is a villain and Trayvon an undeserving victim. A tangent question arises: Is following an individual, even if unfairly suspected and even if his race contributed to your suspicions, worse than beating someone till he bleeds because he’s following you? 

Nonetheless, the gun was fired, and a funeral procession ensued.  Trayvon didn’t deserve what he got—he deserved another 50 or 60 years to live. Neither does Zimmerman—he should be publicly accorded the right to self protection, once his head was being slammed on the pavement, The shot that followed changed the world for both men and their families forever. 

The authorities found insufficient cause to charge Zimmerman but a vociferous public segment demanded a trial. Legal teams were assembled, charges filed, trial dates set, according to protocol and state law. A jury was chosen from among locals, its members approved by both sides in the issue, according to state law. Both sides presented their best evidence, as required by professional ethics and state law. The proper proceedings were followed in summation, sequestration and deliberation, in accordance with state law. And finally, the verdict was rendered, also according to state law: not guilty of murder.

And then the rumpus began. It was unfair; justice failed! The law was derelict, the victim demeaned. Let the perpetrator fear for his life because “we’re gonna give him justice for Trayvon”!

So where is the miscarriage of justice? Did the officers of the law fail in not calling originally for a trial? If so, that mistake was corrected. Were the charges inappropriate? Why didn’t Trayvon’s side of the courtroom say so? Was the jury selection unfair? Why did both sides approve the jurors? Did the attorneys fail? Was the evidence improperly presented? Were lawful proceedings not followed?  Both sides had every possible opportunity to demand correction of any inconsistencies they saw. Neither did.

So, again, where did justice fail? It didn’t. Justice prevailed, but the crowds don’t like it. Those who have demanded freedom from justice-by-skin-color in past now demand a verdict based on skin color, and they marched in the streets in protest. Few who watched the proceedings on TV realize how their opinions were manipulated by media coverage of the trial. Zimmerman “stalked”, rather than followed Trayvon. The rash of local crimes by young black men that aroused Zimmerman’s suspicions was underplayed. The unconstitutional and unethical intrusion of the federal Justice Department in Florida’s affairs was exhonerated. The presence of prominent race-baiting celebrities was extolled and the racial frenzy they created was encouraged.

It’s true that justice was denied in the Trayvon/Zimmerman case, but it wasn’t the injustice blared on the national news. The real injustice was in creating discrimination that wasn’t part of the court case.  The real injustice came from the media, the public, federal authorities, and race-baiting celebrities that demanded discrimination into existence.