Justice will be served

I was not at all surprised by the George Zimmerman verdict in the Trayvon Martin case. I’ve seen this happen too many times when you have whites accused of committing crimes against blacks. Different names. Different locations. Same result.

During this trial the defense did its job. The prosecution did its job. The jury did its job. On the other hand, the local police did not do their job, which is why this case became a national event.

Still, the reality is there is a much higher burden of proof when blacks are the victims of certain crimes. As such, I will go to my grave knowing that if a black man profiles, follows, fights and kills an unarmed 17-year-old white kid, that black man will be found guilty and will have to go to prison for a long time.

Let’s be honest. Zimmerman’s story never added up. If Zimmerman would have gotten beaten up as badly as he and other witnesses claim, he would have suffered far worse than a broken nose and a couple of cuts on the back of the head with no stitches. Zimmerman would have had broken bones in his face and at the very least a concussion. Zimmerman would also have been hospitalized. At the very least, Zimmerman would have been held overnight for observation.

While I appreciate the rule of law, let’s also be honest. Zimmerman is nothing more than a wannabe cop who decided to ignore the police, got in over his head, panicked, killed an unarmed kid, lied about it and got away with it. He is not a hero, as some would claim. He may be a bigot, he may not be. Given that, a hate crime or civil rights violations would be hard to prove.

Still, judgment is not over. Let us not forget about the ultimate judge, God. God knows what happened. One way or another, justice will be served in this case. We may not see it, but justice will be served.

In the aftermath of this case, it amazes me how ignorant some of the supporters of Zimmerman can be. The history of this country teaches us one thing. If this can happen to one group, it’s just a matter of time before it happens to another group. In what universe is it OK for a private citizen of any color to patrol a neighborhood with a loaded gun? Remember your comments when a white kid gets killed by a wannabe cop, the police refuse to investigate, the wannabe cop claims self-defense when he’s eventually arrested because of public pressure and is eventually found not guilty.

I must also say there is no justification for those who have committed violence in light of the verdict or justification for those wishing to do bodily harm to Zimmerman. While I doubt Zimmerman is in any danger, all these people are doing is reinforcing the racist stereotype that Trayvon Martin is nothing more than a thug in a hoodie who got what he deserved; a thug supported by other thugs.

I look at Zimmerman and see a coward, a disgrace to those of us who want to keep our neighborhoods safe. Why? I am someone who has worked to keep our neighborhoods safe. Through the years, I have been in far more dangerous situations than Zimmerman ever thought about. He lives in a gated community. I don’t.

I’ve taken on drug dealers, gang members and other more dangerous people. I am a gun owner and a believer in the Second Amendment. However, I’ve never gone around my neighborhood with a loaded gun. That would be stupid and irresponsible.

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