In what should be a surprise to no one, I have a few thoughts/statements to make regarding the verdict. Going to start with something...that I already said.
"B. Brown thinks they should just let Zimmerman walk out now and save Florida the cost and embarrassment bound to result from this 'trial'." - June 20, 2013 (Facebook status)
I took a fair amount of flak for this one, and I'm not going to say it was entirely undeserved. At the end of the day, though, this is America. This is the country of Sean Bell and Amadou Diallo and Jordan Davis (if you don't know who he is, you will in two months) and Emmett Till and countless others. This is the country where a cop can see you in a distressed state, not offer assistance - ahem, "to protect and to serve", ahem - and then have another cop stop you for driving your mother's car. Yes, I'm still mad about that 19 years later. I have a right to be, and I refuse to let anyone take it away.
Now I start to wonder: between the time that the two cops saw me, my mother came to open the car for me (I'd locked the keys inside). I thanked her and told her I was heading toward my destination. She said she would follow me - and she did not see the cop, as he was gone when she got there. I told her it wasn't necessary: I was fine and would make it without incident. She followed me anyway...and may have saved my life by doing so.
Had my fate been left to a jury similar to that which Zimmerman had (which of course was the crux of the comment), I may have been left on 15th Avenue. A large part of my childhood innocence was anyway.
As has been said by many, George Zimmerman was not on trial over the last few weeks, the last year and a half, or throughout American history. Trayvon Martin was. Trayvon Benjamin Martin was found guilty of walking. It is an unwritten crime, but one that obviously has consequences. George Zimmerman? In the eyes of the law, and as the history books will state...he did nothing. No, I didn't mean to say "nothing wrong". He did nothing. Think about that. Please, say it out loud so you can feel the power of those words. George. Zimmerman. Did. Nothing. He killed a child...but according to the books, nothing happened. It's as if the incident never took place. It's like Trayvon was never even born, like he was an invisible child whose story even Ralph Eliison would have had a hard time telling.
From most accounts that I saw - and I admit to intentionally staying away from the proceedings, largely because of the sentiment found in the above point - the prosecution put forth a substandard, negligent, and possibly delinquent case in establishing Zimmerman's guilt.
This is why I understand the verdict. If the state did not make a strong enough case, then the jury was left with no choice but to acquit Zimmerman. I know it's hard to be objective, but based on the case the state supposedly presented I'm not sure I would've been able to state Zimmerman's guilt. Can I connect the dots? Of course. I can do that because I see the dots. Not everyone sees the dots. Not everyone even knows that dots exist.
There have been a few theories regarding the state's case, one being that Angela Corey is a Rick Scott appointee and that she didn't put her all into it for personal/political/professional reasons. I think it's entirely plausible. Her post-trial remarks were the words of a woman who wanted to go home. They were the words of a woman who wanted to "get on with her life". They were the words of a woman who wanted nothing to do with the case. Her words spoke volumes, but for a reason that I'm not sure anyone has approached yet.
Corey's words spoke volumes because she spoke for seven people.
I don't know how I'd have handled this if I were a parent.
I've seen so many parents wonder aloud what this means for their children, the state of the world in which their children must grow up and fight to become part of a culture that disdains them and stains them without their knowing. I saw parents openly fear that they would have to physically protect their children like my mom did. Parents have to teach their children not only 1) to not do harm unto others, but also 2) to protect themselves from harm being done unto them.
And I'll put this here because...well, because I can. I also saw many people worrying about their friends' children, cousins, nephews, and just black male children in general. I worry about my cousin Justice, I worry about my cousin Shonda's son, I worry about my cousin Shanda's two sons, I worry about EJ, I worry about Brandon, I worry about all of them...but you know who else I worry about?
I worry about me.
I worry about whether my parents have to feel a little bit more concerned, even though their son is 35. Being Trayvon's size and looking younger than I am, that concerns me too. My parents shouldn't have to worry about me. No parent should have to worry about any child, no matter what race or ethnicity. Of course, the truth is...it doesn't always work that way.
White privilege may not be undefeated, but it is the greatest dynasty in recorded history.
This is absolutely inarguable. I'll just list a few statements in support of that.
1. You don't even have to be white to enjoy it: you just can't take on a persona that people identify as 'black'. Shoot, you can even be black and enjoy it to a certain extent. It's like being a Mason, except it's not secret.
2. "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist"...no, I am not calling white people devils. I'm saying that no problem gets eradicated until it is first identified.
3. There's a reason blackness is at the forefront of most high-profile events...shoot, most events period - even the most mundane...in which black people participate. If you want to find the reason, don't look this way. The victors write the history books.
4. The gateway access to privilege is simply amazing, and it is locked tighter than any bank or classified setting.
I still love my state.
I don't love everyone in it, and to say the political leadership is subpar would be an understatement. However, that's not how I define my state. Shoot, I don't define it as anything that happens north of Palm Beach County and outside Tampa. The rest of it's either Georgia or Alabama, depending on the time zone. My Florida is beaches and clubs and home and family and food and culture and friends and fun. It is not Rick Scott. It is not Will Weatherford, it is not Don Gaetz (and it's definitely not that arrogant son of his). It's not the lobbyists, it's not the officials, it's not the state agencies. Northerners on Twitter have been working me with the Florida hate as if stuff doesn't happen where they live. The probability is quite small that I would ever live anywhere else (maybe 5 percent). This is my state, and I refuse to turn and run. I recommit to make it better.
All this stuff about going to elected officials...no (for the most part).
For those of you who are unfamiliar with politics, I'm going to introduce you to a term known as 'gerrymandering'. Long story short, it's how the political districts are drawn up...and they're often drawn up to make sure the majority party stays in power - no matter how bad the maps look. In other words, if you're black and liberal...you likely live in a district that is already Democratic. There's no need to call anyone because they're already on your side. I know Perry Thurston and Chris Smith are 38 like I am over the verdict. I know Alcee Hastings is upset as well. I know Bill Nelson isn't happy. Now Marco? Yeah, he might need to hear from people (senate elections are statewide). Not-so-Slick Rick, who appointed Angela Corey to her position and may very well have steered her volition away from the case? Yup. If you are represented by someone whose interests mirror yours, the most you need to do is thank them for their effort and give them the strength to keep going (and believe me: Dems in this state need it). If you are in a swing district - ahem, central Florida, ahem - then you may want to get some correspondence started.
The sad thing about gerrymandering is that it reinforces the system, both in strength and in pattern. The only way to fight it, ironically, is to move into the districts and vote people out. Of course, this trial showed us that we can't even walk around in those places...much less become enough of a presence to affect change.
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This is probably scattered beyond recognition, as it was written in two states and on an hour and a half of sleep and after a four-hour drive. And to go back to the white privilege thing one more time, I hope no one who enjoys it loses it - outside the economic (not financial) value loss that would result in its being spread to all humans. It's not about anyone being brought down: it's about people being brought up so that everyone is on a higher plane.
balanced perspective as usual.
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