Zero Accountability

The verdict of the George Zimmerman's case was read today and the emotional effect was resounding. "Not Guilty". It was a bitter-sweet moment. Bitter for the parents and supporters of Trayvon Martin. It was sweet for George Zimmerman as he was determined by jurors to be a free man. However, it may also be bitter for Mr. Zimmerman, as his life has been altered on so many levels. There is no doubt that many people in the African American community are now demanding a pound of flesh from George Zimmerman as they believe that justice was not served today. As such, it is more than likely that there are many potential vigilante justice enforcers which are possibly threatening the security and life of George Zimmerman which cannot be healthy for George Zimmerman's peace of mind.

From a personal standpoint, I am disappointed by the verdict as I am one of the many people that believe that George Zimmerman overreacted to the situation by killing Trayvon Martin. I believe that George Zimmerman should have simply adhered to the dispatcher's instructions and desist from any form of pursuit which would have ensured the safety of all parties involved. I am saddened that a certain level of profiling from Zimmerman made him improperly rationalize that Trayvon Martin was an unsavory character and ultimately led to the senseless death of the teenager. I believe that the confrontation between the two men was forced and unnecessary and George Zimmerman should not have tried to take matters in is own hands by following Trayvon Martin.

I do not know what the future has in store for such a controversial occurrence within our history but I am uneasy about where we stand today in terms of the justice system, civil rights, racial undertones and public security. The fact that Mr. Zimmerman was found not guilty today is sending a message that "community policing" has no accountability when things go morbidly south. It was determined that no crime was committed by Mr. Zimmerman who was enforcing the "stand your ground" law, even when he clearly defied police advice. I am beyond perplexed that this loophole is the only justice that prevailed in this case and is the legal loophole that earned Mr. Zimmerman his freedom.

This tragedy is a reflection that there is something wrong in the system that we live in and the more we justify anomalies like this through the justice system, is the further away we continue from fairness, accountability and in this case respect for life. If nothing else, we should make Mr. Zimmerman accountable for the loss of life that occurred because it was his thoughts, motivation and actions that allowed the circumstances to transpire and thus led to the death of Trayvon Martin. I believe that Mr. Zimmerman brought trouble and death to Trayvon Martin by chasing after the teenager when he could have clearly avoided the confrontation that was set in motion by his behavior towards the young man. It was not Trayvon that went after Mr. Zimmerman, it was the reverse. Therefore Mr. Zimmerman should have been held accountable for the result of the confrontation.

Unfortunately, the court system has spoken and Mr. Zimmerman was not held accountable for the results of what took place that night. I pray that this is not the final "say so" on the matter and that some form of accountability for Trayvon Martin's death will be enforced.