My friend, George presented this post on Facebook yesterday, and I thought it was worthy of reproducing it on my blog:
For the last few months I have watched from a distance the goings on in Florida. You ALL know what I am speaking of. I do NOT admit to knowing all of the facts. However the events of the last 24 hours or so have inspired me (for lack of a biter term) to write this. For those of you who truly know me, I really try to think things through before committing my thoughts to paper, or in this case the World Wide Web. My intention is not to take sides with anyone OR to offend anyone of you. So, with that said, please read this with an open heart and mind. And know that I love you all.
This entire unfortunate scenario pulls at me on so many different levels. I have three children as most of you know, two of which are boys ages 21 and 19. If ANYONE were to harm my children in any way, shape or form, my response is simple. That person or persons better hope the authorities get to them before I do. Is that vigilante justice? Perhaps, but like many of you, I feel that you can do what you want to me, but NOT to my children. That isn’t an idle threat. IT’S A PROMISE.
However, I also believe that our society has gone off the deep end. Crime, murder, theft, rape and other nonsense has become the norm rather than the occasional incident. I also believe that we are citizens have the right to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our property from those who attempt to harm, steal or infringe on our basic right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Does that mean I believe in taking matters into your own hands? Of course not, but what would YOU do if you felt that your home, your family or your neighbors were in danger? It’s a terrible quandary for sure.
I only know what has been reported in the media with regards to that night in Florida. And as I read from someone else who posted here, only two people will EVER know what truly happened that night. And unfortunately one of those individuals is no longer with us. Everything else is complete speculation. What I do believe in all of my heart is that bringing racism into this is wrong and unnecessary. I have to ask, let’s say that a black man shot a white kid who was trespassing or whatever. Would racism enter into the equation? I do NOT pretend to know what was going on in the mind of either one of these people. I think that the bigger picture should be that a young man lost his life in a situation that was very unfortunate and more than likely completely avoidable.
If a finger should be pointed at someone, maybe we should check the justice system and specifically the prosecution team in particular. Two days ago, before the verdict, I spoke to a friend of mine who is a very good and knowledgeable attorney. We chatted at length about the case and specifically the trial. His opinion was simple. THE PROSECUTION BLEW IT. He said that Mr. Zimmerman was going to be acquitted because of this. He also said begrudgingly that it reminded him of the Simpson trial where the prosecution also blew it. He had been following the trial closely because he IS an attorney and he studies cases like these much like I study recordings to learn different styles of music and so on. He also said that while a 6 member all female, all-white jury was not ideal for the prosecution, it certainly is a FAR cry better than an all-male all-white jury. Who better to gain sympathy for the loss of a child than a mom? So, in his opinion you cannot blame the jury. You have to blame the prosecution team as well as the laws in Florida.
One thing that REALLY makes me angry is the threats of rioting and so on. That is akin to destroying an entire breed of dog because a few of them have been guilty of bad behavior, or condemning an entire race of people because of a few individuals. I am not sure what rioting will solve except for driving a LARGER chasm between ALL races and creeds, which is CERTAINLY not what needs to happen. It’s ok to be angry. But I think that anger directed at the wrong person or persons is as dangerous as a lethal virus that spreads rapidly. Whether you are a Christian, a Buddhist, an atheist or whatever, our goal as a society SHOULD be less violence, less conflict and more togetherness and cooperation. Advocating retaliation towards an entire race of people or lashing out at innocent people is just wrong. And to blame white people, black people or whomever for the actions of one man or a few men is also wrong.
My friends, I don’t know what the answer is. When I end my posts here I usually end with the phrase “peace to all”. That is not some hippy, trippy thing that I say to be groovy. I MEAN IT. I have longed for peace in my life and have been on a journey to find that peace and will continue to do so until my last breath. Have I found it? Yes, for the most part. Do I struggle with that concept daily? Of course, but its events such as this debacle in Florida that can be revealing in so many ways, the LEAST of which is how we as a “civilized” society handles the aftermath of such an ordeal. Personally I have not encountered any sort of animosity directed at myself. Do I think there will be? We shall see.
To address wrong thinking begins with facts. Recalcitrant facts. The jury found the only result consistent with the facts: acquittal.