Friday, March 30, 2012

Trayvon Martin Killing Bad Omen For Race In America

Innocent until proven guilty! Guilty beyond reasonable doubt! Burden of proof! These are the tenets of our system of justice, underpinning the goal of justice while of keeping the innocent free. The problem, as illustrated in the Trayvon Martin case, arises when prosecution is delayed or absent because conviction cannot be guaranteed. But, how can a system be both just and promise a particular outcome? What then is the role of investigation and evidence?

The current limbo of the Martin-Zimmerman investigation compounds the tragedy of the killing, because it thwarts justice for any and all involved equally, and poorly sweeps issues of race under the rug.

No one of decision-making authority wants multiple Rodney King-type riots, with it's 55 dead, happening on their watch, so we are force-fed an investigation/prosecution procrastination that mires justice, and threatens a no-confidence revolt nonetheless.

The clock is ticking.

James C. Collier

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8 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:48 AM

    I can appreciate the extremely difficult position that the DA and police department are in. Politicians, community leaders, and media outlets are breathing down their necks, demanding answers. This whole case "feels" wrong. Zimmerman's actions certainly appear racially motivated. Society wants answers, they want there to be evidence out there that proves Zimmerman is lying about how the fight started.

    But the reality is, that evidence may not exist! We may never really know the exact details of what happened that night. It isnt fair to accuse the police and prosecutors of mishandling the case simply because the public doesnt get the answers it wants. Plenty of murders go unprosecuted each year simply for lack of evidence. Often enough, there is a logical suspect, and the investigators know who did it... but knowing what happened and proving what happened are two very different things.

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  2. Anonymous7:51 AM

    Bad omen for sure. It identifies who the true racists are, the ones that use it as a crutch as well as a club to beat people over the head with.

    And it is all so obvious yet few care to see it.

    If the NAACP, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson regularly addressed the more common black issues of the day they would have reasonable credibility, yet about the only time they rear their heads is when an issue arises they can seemingly exploit in the name of the religion of racism.

    And no one sees that either, yet that is a huge stumbling block to better race relations in this country.

    It aint happening............and you can blame the very ones decrying it constantly.

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  3. Anonymous3:29 PM

    Unfortunatley this is a racial thing. It's incredible how whites get so mad whe blacks want justice.
    These are th same white attitudes that hated MLK for standing up for Civil Rights. And after they had him killed they pretend that they liked the guy now because he's dead and can't say anything anymore.

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  4. Anonymous12:21 AM

    I agree Anon:3:29. It's always easy to be impatient with "someone" for not getting over something you never have or had to experience. Not only did "they" not have to experience the injustices of Black people in this country but they don't have to deal with the consequences of being enslaved and having a complete culture and identity stolen.

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  5. Anonymous5:24 PM

    Not in THIS case mr. 11:33, not in THIS case.

    Or have you not been watching the news and seen how NBC edited the 911 tape leaving out where the dispatcher asked the race of Martin.

    Or how ABC left the video of Zimmerman fuzzy so you couldn't see the marks on his head that you could clearly see in the original.

    Zimmerman has been tried in the court of the majority of black opinion already. If you have not seen that you must never watch the news..........

    If Martin were white would the same people upset over a black Martin give a damn?

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  6. Anonymous2:54 PM

    Anony 5:24 pm

    If Martin were white Zimmerman would have been arrested and charged with killing him.

    That's the whole point!!

    Go and grow a brain..

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  7. Anonymous3:41 PM

    Grow a brain? You can't seem to be able to read a question.


    If Martin were white would the same people upset over a black Martin give a damn?

    And you don't KNOW if he would have been arrested. You don't know that at all.

    So answer the question...if you dare....

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  8. Anonymous3:57 PM

    There were previous cases in FL where people were killed and no one was charged due to the "stand your ground" law.

    So it's not necessarily true that if Martin was white Zimmerman would have been arrested and charged.

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