Race & Racism: The Inconvenient Truth of the George Zimmerman Trial.

The George Zimmerman trial, as predicted, has brought to the surface a lot of racial tension. People on both sides of the spectrum have over reacted and have made some pretty stupid remarks. On one hand, people who think Zimmerman is guilty are threatening to riot or worse, kill him if he doesn't get the justice they think he deserves. Regardless of how you feel about the case and the motives behind Zimmerman's actions, threats of that nature are despicable. But the rhetoric on the other side is just as ridiculous.

I've heard pro Zimmerman pundits proudly and stupidly declare that Zimmerman is a hero and they're going to go out and celebrate over a round of beers when he's acquitted." I don't care whether you think he's guilty or innocent, celebrating when a 17 year old is dead and his family is forced to accept the reality of life without their son is beyond despicable and speaks more of the character of the person/people who made/share the sentiment than it does about Zimmerman, Martin, or this trial.

What I have not heard however, is a plausible explanation for why this conflict ever occurred in the first place. The trial has done nothing to clarify that and to a large degree, the prosecution is to blame for that. Regardless of the verdict, Zimmerman appears to be nothing more than a wanna be cop who trailed a black kid he deemed to be suspicious, who happened to be minding his own business, doing absolutely nothing wrong. Against the advice of an emergency dispatcher an armed Zimmerman stalked an unarmed minor looking for a confrontation, found exactly what he was looking for, wound up on the losing end of the confrontation he went looking for, (did I mention he went looking for a confrontation?), pulled out his gun and killed him.

A lot of people are saying that race had nothing to do with it. To prove their point, they have conveniently labeled Zimmerman as a "Hispanic." Which is to say that there's no possible way a non-white man, which Zimmerman clearly is, could have been racially motivated in his actions. But if that's true, then can somebody, anybody, please explain to me what it was that made Trayvon Martin a suspect in his own neighborhood? Why did Zimmerman see Trayvon and immediately think "suspicious"? Was it the skittles? The iced tea? When did candy or a canned beverage equate to suspicious behavior? Oh wait, I know, it was the hoodie right? Yup, I'm sure that's it. In fact as I type this, I realize that's exactly what it was because everybody knows that anyone wearing a hoodie is a suspect and up to no good right?  In fact, the next time I see Bill Belichick I'm going to run after him despite being told not to do so, and demand to know what he's doing in my neighborhood because clearly, dressed like that he's got no business on my block!



Sarcasm aside, we all know why Trayvon was suspicious in Zimmerman's mind. It wasn't what he was doing because despite the defense's attempts to paint Trayvon as a smoked out thug, he was not engaged in any thug like or suspicious behavior on February 26, 2012. It wasn't his height, or his weight or anything other than the color of his skin. Zimmerman saw a black male whom he hadn't seen before and immediately assumed that he didn't belong and that his mere presence was suspicious.

And that's the crux of the issue. In a nation that prides itself on the racial progress it's made, a young black male is still viewed by many as suspicious and out of place and there doesn't have to be any basis for the assumption. A young black man is dead and despite that reality, nobody has held Zimmerman's feet to the fire and demanded an explanation on that point. The trial has focused on the confrontation and its aftermath but without a racially motivated "suspicion" there wouldn't have been a confrontation in the first place. Zimmerman went after Trayvon Martin because he was black. He initiated a confrontation and then claimed self defense when he had to resort to using a gun while he was getting his behind kicked. Trayvon Martin didn't follow George Zimmerman, he did't provoke him, in fact, had Zimmerman followed orders and stayed in his car, Trayvon Martin may never have even noticed, let alone paid any attention to George Zimmerman.

The truth of the matter is that we live in a nation where a black man's identity automatically makes him  a suspect, particularly when he finds himself in places he's "got no business" being in. Up until the 70's or 80's being in the wrong place at the wrong time meant you'd pay with your life if you were caught by the wrong people. Actually, in 2012 it cost Trayvon his life as well which means that the nation hasn't come nearly as far as it thinks it has as it relates to issues of race and racism.

The only difference between 2013 and 1953 is that at least Zimmerman was arrested and put on trial. 60 years ago the victim's family wouldn't even have that to hang their hat on. Whether Zimmerman's convicted or acquitted is up to the jury. I hope people don't riot. I also hope there are no celebrations of any kind because regardless of the verdict, a young man is dead. A family is torn apart and the wounds of America's racist past have been reopened and no matter what happens there are no winners in this case. We all have lost something simply by being exposed to the ugliness this case has produced.