Frankly, I did not closely follow the George Zimmerman case in Florida. There are far too many murders in the United States and, based on the reports, this was just another one. Obviously, that was not the case as far as the news media was concerned. They provided 24/7 coverage and they worked hard to find some racial overtones or racism, but even they found it to be a stretch. It was all very weird.
By the same standard that we call Barack Obama a black man, George Zimmerman is a Hispanic man. Barack Obama had a white mother, and George Zimmerman has a white father. The New York Times identified Zimmerman as a white Hispanic. A white Hispanic, what kind of weird talk is that? By that standard we would be expected to call Barack Obama what, a white African American or even more weird, a white black? Talk about twisting yourself in knots to write something that fits your pre-conceived notion that George Zimmerman is a racist!
Zimmerman was, by all accounts, a model citizen when it came to race relations. His mother is Hispanic, his grandmother is African American. That makes him half Hispanic and one quarter black. He has a history of participating in civil rights activities and of defending minorities. There is absolutely no evidence that he is or was a racist. But, that did not fit the desired narrative of the liberal media. So, CNN identified George Zimmerman as someone “who has a Hispanic mother, but identifies himself as white.” Even George Orwell couldn’t imagine these mental gymnastics.
Let’s see, modern advocacy journalism begins with a conclusion and then tries to make the facts fit their conclusion. Slick, but that approach is totally bereft of an intellectual honesty. They wanted a story of white racism, but the accused man isn’t really white. So, screw the facts, we’ll make up our own.
Was Zimmerman guilty or was he innocent? I didn’t follow the case closely, but I do believe in our judicial process. As one who has been to court, I can tell you that it is far from perfect, but a trial by your peers is the best possible approach in a society composed of imperfect human beings.
And, speaking of a “trial by your peers,” that is what defendants are promised. But, somehow, Jesse Jackson must have missed that Civics class. He made an ass of himself by loudly complaining to the news media that Trayvon Martin did not receive a fair trial because the jury was not composed of his peers. What? This is just more weird and nonsensical talk from a man who talks before getting his facts straight.
More weirdness…it was an all-woman jury with women of varying backgrounds. There was no African American on the jury because the prosecution struck a black man from the jury pool. Why would the prosecution strike a black man from being selected? They did it because the man said he watches the Fox News Channel! Really? Earth to the prosecution, more people watch Fox News than they do any other cable network because the audience of Fox News is more than twice that of CNN and MSNBE combined. It’s not because it is conservative, it’s because it is better, faster, and more accurate. And, frankly, it is more balanced. You won’t find a panel or a group of experts talking on Fox News from just one perspective, promoting one point of view. Every single time an issue comes up, experts from both the right and the left have an opportunity to state their point of view. Maybe that’s why more Democrats watch Fox News than they do CNN or MSNBE, or perhaps they are just more discriminating.
But, let’s get back to the tragic death of 17 year old Trayvon Martin. It is indeed a tragedy and every American should feel sad at the death of a young man. But, during the same time the George Zimmerman trial was going on, 72 people were shot in Chicago over the 4th of July holiday weekend. Twelve of the 72 died from gunshot wounds. This is outrageous, but where is the outrage? Who were the perpetrators of this outbreak of violence and who were the victims? Aged from 5 to 72, no one was spared in this violent outbreak. Outside of homes, in public parks, or just walking around, people were senselessly killed and wounded.
One of the most basic responsibilities of government is to maintain order and provide for the public safety. Clearly, Chicago Mayor Rahm Immanuel has failed in accomplishing this most fundamental responsibility. He certainly was outraged when one of the owners of Chick fil A said that he personally did not believe that homosexuality was God pleasing and His Honor threatened to ban Chick fil A from opening their stores in Chicago. How about getting a little outraged, Rahm, by six dozen innocent people, black and white, being shot and murdered in the town you are the mayor of! How about putting on your big boy pants and doing whatever it takes to protect the law abiding citizens of Chicago, regardless of their race or economic status?
The greatest tragedy of all that could come out of the George Zimmerman trial is a total breakdown of respect for the law, respect for the justice system, and the willingness to accept the jury decision, whether you like it or not. If our justice system breaks down and there is no respect for the law or the legal process, the end result is chaos.
When advocacy journalists encourage rioting and violence they are just as guilty as the rioters of breaking the law. Like shouting “fire” in a crowded theater, a so-called journalist that does not accept the outcome of the trial at face value and instead encourages violence has stepped beyond the line of responsible journalism.
Was the trial fair? If you base your answer on the fact that it did not come out the way you hoped it would, that still does not mean it was not fair. From my less-than-close following of the O.J. Simpson trial, it sure seemed like O.J. was guilty, but got off. My response to that outcome was the same as it is to this trial’s outcome. I accepted it and moved on.
But, more than that, I objected to the subsequent civil trial that succeeded in stripping O.J. of all his financial assets. Did I think he was guilty of murder? Yes I did. But, I also believe in the rule of law. No matter what gobbledygook the lawyers make up, being sued by the family of the person killed, after you are exonerated by a criminal trial, is double jeopardy. It is exactly what the Founders forbade in the United States Constitution. There’s not a one of them who would disagree that a civil trial after being declared not guilty in a criminal trial is double jeopardy. It is just another way of getting around the law.
The same is true of individuals, especially police officers, who are tried in a state court for alleged police brutality and found not guilty, and then are charged by a federal court with a violation of civil rights. This is double jeopardy. The lawyers say, no it isn’t, but anyone with common sense can see that it is. Trying someone twice for the same offense, no matter what it is called or how it is spun, is still double jeopardy. All double jeopardy means is that you are put in jeopardy two times for the same crime. No, that is wrong and it is unconstitutional. Anyone, with any common sense, can understand that.
Double jeopardy, like horse manure, smells the same, no matter what convoluted explanation you give it. It’s just more weird stuff from a society that has almost broken loose from its moorings.
George Zimmerman was declared not guilty. He should now be entitled to carry on with his life. And, were it not for the ideologues in the media, that would be the case. But, he is now being threatened by the United States Attorney General, Eric Holder, with being charged with violating the civil rights of Trayvon Martin. Eric Holder should be someone who abides by the law and upholds the law, but instead, he has a disregard for a government of laws. Hopefully, one honest man in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice will convince the Attorney General to back off, but I doubt it.
And, if this were not enough, the grieving family of Trayvon Martin is being pressured to file a civil lawsuit against George Zimmerman. Who can blame a grieving family? My heart goes out to them, but they are being manipulated by those on the left who wish to make political points. I hope that for their sake and for the sake of George Zimmerman they decide not to proceed, but again, I’m not optimistic.
I wish Trayvon Martin had not been shot. I wish the incident had never occurred. But, I don’t live in a make-believe land, I live in reality. He was shot. He was killed. But, from what the jury concluded, there was no evidence that it was done for any reason other than George Zimmerman fearing for his life. Maybe Zimmerman should not have followed Trayvon, maybe this, maybe that, but it happened. And, we know that had the victim not been a young black man, George Zimmerman would have never been arrested and tried. Or, had George Zimmerman not been just one-quarter black, but 100% black, he would never have been arrested. The Chief of Police of Sanford, Florida, was fired because he said the arrest of George Zimmerman was not justified by the facts. But, political correctness demanded that George Zimmerman be tried and convicted. The reason for the charge was politics, not evidence.
The trial is over, but the folks at CNN, the New York Times and their clones across the nation, just can’t accept the outcome. They do live in a make-believe land. They can’t accept the fact that their pre-conceived conclusion was shaded by bias and prejudice, that it was not based on the facts or on reality.
The news media would better spend their time encouraging unity in America and a respect for the law. They would better spend their time covering the efforts of the Chicago police to bring the criminals to justice who shot 72 people over one weekend. They would better spend their time trying to find a solution to black-on-black crime which keeps law abiding African Americans in a state of fear in the poorer sections of our nation’s biggest cities. While liberal politicians sit around and polish their halos, black American neighborhoods are terrorized by violence. The first step toward economic prosperity is personal safety. Take care of that first and communities prosper. But again, I don’t live in make-believe land, I live in weird 21st century America.