TRAGEDY: Verdict sign of the times
Watching the Travon Martin/George Zimmerman thing in the media I wonder if lady justice has traded her scales for a sword. I am sure we all agree that this thing is indeed a tragedy. George Zimmerman definitely made a few unwise decisions. Likewise, Travon Martin’s choice to physically confront him was equally unwise. I am 74 but I still remember being 17 and invincible. I might have made the same dumb decision at that age. This set of events led to a definite tragedy but did it equate to murder? The local authorities did not see it that way until it was taken up by our “yellow journalists” on the network news.
Likewise our illustrious commander in chief weighed in on the matter just like he did with the black professor several months ago. He used his bully pulpit for race baiting rather than letting the facts play out for themselves. A wise man would not use this office for cheap shots when he needs to save his prestige for the bigger issues confronting our nation.
The anti-gun crowd saw an opportunity to make this their cause against right to carry.
The media with the modern 24-hour news format finds itself reaching desperately to fill all the time slots. Do you remember when real newsmen could boil the day’s events into one 30-minute time slot? This 24-hour news business is going to be our nation’s downfall as “yellow journalism” takes over for responsible reporting. Polarization has become the norm in news reporting with MSNBC on one extreme and FOX on the other. The facts are irrelevant!
Add to this the vultures who play the race card for their personal gain and power. The “Reverends” Al and Jessie along with their cronies in the NAACP are now calling for more unrest and intervention by our U.S. Justice Department. Attorney Gen. Holder is jumping at the bait for racial and political reasons.
Martin Luther King envisioned a society where we were blind to the color of a man’s skin. All of the above have corrupted his vision for their personal enrichment. In many ways our dream of racial peace with the election of our first black president has been co-opted by those seeking personal power. The way things are going we probably should just quit trying to live by the rules of law and get on with the lynching.
If you think George Zimmerman got off scot-free, you have another guess coming. He will never have another peaceful day without knowing he contributed in some way to the needless death of a young man even if it was self defence. He probably will be a marked man in many ways for the rest of his life. Wherever he lives the notoriety will follow him. His existing relationships will probably be tainted. The jury found him not guilty but that likely will provide little solace.
DON PHELAN
Coeur d’Alene