Not Just Black People

For the record, it's not just black Americans who are disappointed and angry about the Zimmerman verdict.

There's plenty to be disappointed about, and I'm disappointed.  There's plenty to be angry about too, and I'm angry.  Not at the jury though, not me, not either thing.  I think that juries usually take their responsibilities very seriously and my guess is that this jury did the best they could.

How about the prosecution?  Well, remember that it's very hard to prove something beyond a reasonable doubt.  Very hard.  In fact, even if your name were actually "Joe Blow," you'd have a hell of a time proving to some strangers beyond a reasonable doubt that your name was Joe Blow.

Disappointed, angry, and a little mystified too.

Mystified that a cop wannabe can wander around a neighborhood with a gun taking people on, people who actually live there, and that the wannabe can just shoot somebody dead when shit goes south on him, as shit will.

Mystified that a defendant in a serious case can testify ad nauseum by tape and video and never have to submit to cross-examination.  That one really, really mystifies me.  All of the tape and video consisted of exculpatory, contradictory bullshit, and no one ever sat him down in front of the jury and made him explain, so, jerk off, which version is the truth and which ones are lies?

And, on a related note, I'm mystified beyond redemption that Marissa Alexander finds herself sentenced to twenty years for just firing a warning shot or two.  She'd have been much better off just waiting until the guy was in her house and drilling him a couple of new ones.  Twenty years is a long time.  Especially compared to Zimmerman's walk.

But I digress.   I've been seeing articles that suggest that it's black people who are reacting negatively to this verdict, and to the killing in the first place.  That's wrong, lots of sensible people are angry about this case, and the incident that gave rise to it.  Attributing the anger to blacks smacks of racism.  No surprise there, this entire vortex of negative energy has smacked of racism since the beginning.

Another chance to exclaim, with reason, "post racial my ass."