Thoughts on Trayvon Martin

With this case apparently about to be concluded soon, here are my quick thoughts for the day. First, I will argue neither man is entirely in the right. I do believe Zimmerman acted recklessly when he started the whole confrontation with Martin rather than calling the police about a suspicious individual, which might have prevented Trayvon's unfortunate fate and this whole circus from occurring in the first place. On the other hand, the media's constant canonizing of "St. Trayvon", coupled with the prosecutions almost over-zealous tactics that ultimately contradicted their case does make me convinced this was an act of self defense. After all, the truth isn't always that simple.

Now, to the whole "issue" that's the reason why this became the latest courtroom sensation. Race. During the night of the shooting, it was mostly passed as a non-issue, at least something that Zimmerman could not be stood to trial. But as soon as the media and special interest groups got a hold of the story, it immediately turned into a race issue, complete with Zimmerman being classified as a "White-Hispanic" and Obama saying that his son would have looked like Trayvon. And we're now seeing that their zeal for essentially trying to lynch Zimmerman has fallen apart as the prosecution continually contradicts itself.

Now, of course, there are plenty of bigots who said that Zimmerman "Did a good thing killing that nigger" and that he should be praised as a hero. While Trayvon is a not a saint, to say he deserved to be killed doesn't make you any better. On the other side of the spectrum, the words "If Zimmerman walks, we riot" have become popular in the social media circus. And while I doubt it will turn out like Rodney King or Watts, I would not be surprised if there are some idiots that try to pull something. Not to mention, if Zimmerman is found not guilty, he's pretty much a marked man wherever he goes.

Bottom line, if anything this case has shown, it is that far from moving away from racism, we may have become even more polarized on racial lines. And while we can expect this in the usual suspects from white southern conservatives, I would argue to the Al Sharptons and Jesse Jacksons of America to take a look at themselves in a mirror once in a while.

MLK, wherever he is, has to be shaking his head in shame. 50 years later, we still haven't quite gotten it, and both sides are to blame.