I'm biased, admittedly. I am speaking from the perspective of a mother of a black, tall, lanky 15 year old boy that often walks to the store.
My biggest fear right now is the thought of an armed wanna-be profiling my kid and chasing him through the streets of his neighborhood.
I love this post!
I think this is why I refused to admit that the state hadn't proven their case. (I'm not saying that's what you're doing or where your head is at, your post just made me realize what my own hang-up was) Honestly, in the back of my mind, when I found the defense making a good point, I was fighting it.
My son is a year younger than Trayvon was and will probably be about the same size at that age (he's almost there now). He went through a huge jerk phase where he acted out in ways that shocked me. He has turned himself around but I hate to think what others would say about him, people who don't know him, just by his social media or because of the trouble he got into in school. What if this happened to him??
I have a black nephew, who is like a son to me, so that part brings it home too. What if this happened to him?? All of that makes it too personal, personal enough that I couldn't watch this trial with an unbiased eye.
A 17-yo is dead, and there really isn't solid proof that he did anything wrong (we have GZ's 'word' but what does that mean? We have Good's witness account but we all know how unreliable witnesses can be). That's the part I can't wrap my head around. That's why I kept feeling (and still feel, quite honestly) that someone (GZ) needed to pay.
But if I look at this case as it was laid out at trial, solely from the standpoint of the law and evidence or lack-thereof, (which is how the jurors should be looking at it), the prosecution hasn't proven their case. They just haven't.
No matter what my heart says (that GZ shouldn't have gotten out of his car, he shouldn't have followed Trayvon, that because of this, he instigated the whole thing - therefore it's his fault and he should be held accountable), going by the LAW, I wouldn't be able to convict that man. No matter how sad I am that Trayvon (imo, an innocent kid) died, even if I think in my heart that GZ is guilty, the evidence just isn't there.
We can't convict with our hearts. We have to follow the law. And sometimes that means things don't seem "fair". But life isn't fair. And it's not fair to convict a man when there
is reasonable doubt.
IMO