In the Wake of the George Zimmerman Verdict

I posted the following on facebook after the Zimmerman verdict. I think it warrants a spot on this blog.

These were my comments a few minutes ago to a friend who lamented the acquittal of George Zimmerman, and advocated (although in jest), going 'Karazy' blowing him (Zimmerman) away and then using the 'stand my ground' defense. This person is a parent of a teenager, and I think that close identity with the Martin family added to the pain and fueled the comment. I was compelled to respond as follows. Responsible comments are welcome.

Apologies in advance for my comments, but I am compelled. I'm the father of 2 young men, and the grandfather of 3. It's a horrible tragedy whenever any 17 year old young man is killed in an act that most of us believe could have been avoided (possibly by either of the young men involved). The facts are this: none of us knows what happened that night. Our best (and probably only) chance at justice on this earth is trial by jury. That took place, and Zimmerman was acquitted. When we let our own personal agenda and theories about what happened (and what should happen) override the determination of the court, and then propose that the kind of violence you've suggested (even in jest) would be justified, we accomplish nothing but the proliferation of unrest, ideological conflict, and potentially, violence. That serves no one. If George Zimmerman is indeed a murderer, he will be subject to the judgment of a much higher court.

Respectfully,
Dick Keaton

The following added, July 15, 2013 - Dick Keaton

Shortly after I posted the above appeal for rational and critical thinking (that was truly my intent), two friends weighed in with their own observations. One of these leans considerably left and one considerably right; so, not surprisingly, they represented opposing perspectives regarding the actual occurrences of the tragic night in question, the proper roles of the media, the interpretation of Florida law, the moral responsibilities of all involved, and finally, the ultimate legal disposition of the defendant, George Zimmerman. I read their exchange with interest, and the hope that my posted appeal would give some pause for objective reflection and reasoned discussion. I was soon disappointed. Their exchange quickly deteriorated into the same kind of inane verbal jousting we have all been forced to observe since the beginning of this entire, tragic process. Each of these self-ordained litigants assumed the customary and non-productive tactic of proclaiming the other to be of 'less than average intelligence.' The chance for anything useful to result from their discussion was lost.

So, to end the banter before things became more heated, and potentially ugly and just plain stupid, I posted the following.

I implore all who read this. Please, do not engage in pointless 'Facebook' wars of clever, riveting aphorisms here! No one will win, and nothing productive or useful will result. Since I initiated this with my comment, I'd like to finish it with another observation and comment.

My heart breaks for Trayvon Martin and his family. It also breaks for the thousands of inter-city youths, black and white, who are killed every year in acts even more violent and senseless, and about which we never hear, because their tragedies don't provide polarizing, emotion-inducing, red hot news stories.

Regarding the Zimmerman trial.

1.  We weren't there the night of the shooting; so, in spite of what we think happened, or what we think should have happened, we DO NOT KNOW what happened.
2.  We weren't in the court room to hear the hundreds of hours of testimony from both sides; so for us to accurately judge the efficacy of either side's case is realistically impossible.
3.  We weren't sequestered in the deliberation room with the jury; so, for us to accurately judge the quality of their analysis of the testimony and evidence, and the logical validity of their decision, is also realistically impossible.

When we formulate our own positions on important issues, like this, based on emotional reactions, and the out-of-context snippets supplied by our news media of choice, we do ourselves and all involved a grave disservice.

I urge all of us to remember, the real tragedy here is Trayvon Martin's death, not George Zimmerman's acquittal. More pointless, hate-infused rhetoric will not change that, and it certainly will not ease anyone's pain.

God bless Trayvon and his family, and God bless all the young people in our country who continue to suffer similar and horrible tragedies every single hour of every single day.

Respectfully, and with a continued hope for critical thinking. It's what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom.

Dick Keaton