Notes of
Concern
…Jackson Blair
…Jackson Blair
Martin & Zimmerman
Two men met on a fateful night.
Words passed between them and a fight ensued.
One of the men had a gun and he used it to defend himself.
That was the decision of a jury of his peers.
Subsequently, plenty of people in America made their own
determinations. And they acted accordingly.
Let us look at the facts.
George Zimmerman probably was not an upstanding citizen out
to protect his fellow residents of his apartment complex.
Trayvon Martin probably was not the innocent young black
male the media has described.
These two men met on turf known to them both and the
situation escalated. After a period of undenied assault, Martin died of a
gunshot wound.
The police at the outset did not want to arrest Zimmerman.
Public pressure changed that.
The judge in the trial did not allow race to be an issue in
the proceeding.
Therefore, the issue became self-defense.
Many of the people watching the proceedings on television believed
there was a racial motive to the shooting.
However, in the courtroom that possibility was not allowed
and the jury was required to determine if Zimmerman fired his gun in an attempt
to defend himself.
The jury believed that Zimmerman was being beaten and had
every right to defend himself.
He was acquitted.
The world is aflame about the decision.
Let us cut this jury some slack.
They were not permitted to consider racial motives.
They saw evidence that Zimmerman was beaten. Clearly, he
was.
He used his legally owned weapon to defend his life.
There is no question Martin was beating Zimmerman.
The wounds were photographed and logged in by the police.
Now, being Americans who were not in the court room, did not
see the evidence, and who did not have the same direction from the judge, many
believed an injustice was committed.
I would argue that the judge set the parameters for the
decision and the jury reached the only decision possible to them.
Undoubtedly, Trayvon Martin should not have died. No matter
the degree of his involvement in this death is not the prescribed penalty.
Undoubtedly, George Zimmerman was being beaten and feared
for his life. If he had not placed himself in that situation the attack would
not have taken place.
Martin should not have paid with his life. Zimmerman should
not have been expected to take a beating.
I have sympathy for the jury.
People would like us to believe that Martin was targeted and
died because he was black.
I recall the O.J. Simpson trial where he appeared to be
exonerated of murders that most of us felt he committed. The fact that no one
raised the possibility that this black, an admired and respected sport hero,
might have been released because of who he was flies in the face of assuming
Zimmerman was acquitted because he was white.
Not one of us knows what transpired between Zimmerman and
Martin. Not one of us knows how threatened Zimmerman felt. Not one of us knows
how affronted Martin felt. What we know is that Zimmerman was beaten and
defended himself. Whether he deserved to be beaten is not an issue.
The jury reached the only decision that was legally possible
in the trial I followed.
The President of the United States should be making no
comments on a matter that his justice department says it is still
investigating.
People should not be rioting or marching anywhere unless
there is a question suggesting someone meddled with a properly constituted jury
that reached a decision based on the law as explained by the presiding judge.
Everyone thinks they know what happened on that dark wet
night.
No one knows what happened on that dark wet night except a
teenager who died and cannot comment and the only survivor who was
investigated, questioned, tried and found innocent.
The
writer welcomes your comments, ideas and suggestions.
Please
take a moment to share your views on the topic by emailing
www.blair-notes.blogspot.com
For further information: jacksonblair@gmail.com
