Revisiting George Zimmerman

George Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch coordinator who was charged and acquitted with the murder of Trayvon Martin, has recently come into the spotlight again. This time, however, he is being charged with domestic violence against his girlfriend. I think that especially now, it is very important to reexamine the charges against Zimmerman and evaluate the people as well as the court's response. With Zimmerman's girlfriend being white, how do you think the response of the media, community, nation and court will be different, if different at all? It seems to me like it has taken more than the killing of an innocent teenager to determine that Zimmerman is a violent person who needs mental help. With that being said, how much do you think race did or did not play a role in the case of Trayvon Martin? Does race inadvertently play a role in determining the fate of a court case?

Upon examining the Trayvon Martin trial, I have also recalled a "similar" trial involving an attacker and an innocent victim. This other case, however, did not involve an African American as the victim, which is why it is especially important to revisit.

This case involves African American Cordell Jude who shot and killed Daniel Adkins, a mentally disabled Hispanic man. Jude claims that like Zimmerman, he was acting out of self-defense. While it is important to remember that details and incidents vary with cases, it proves very easy to compare the two trials. Ultimately, Jude has been charged with manslaughter but will not be sentenced until January 2014. To what degree are the two cases comparable? If they are comparable, then has raced played a role in the verdicts of the cases?

Alternatively, in both cases, social media has played a key role in demanding justice and comparing the two cases. The Duke professor who gave the lecture "Social Media and Justice in Hip Hop" discussed the effects that social media had on the Trayvon Martin trial.  He argued that the fact that the Trayvon Martin trial even went to trial as well as gained as much attention as it did was a victory in itself. I would argue that while it is indeed progress that a case like this gained so much attention and eventually went to trial, there is no real victory until a morally correct decision has been made. While the Trayvon Martin case is obviously very controversial, there are countless other incidents that race clearly plays a role in determining the outcome. Thus, no matter how much attention something gains, it will not be perceived as a victory, to me at least, until the proper verdict or outcome has been granted.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/26/george-zimmerman-guns-ammo/3756173/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/07/16/the-reverse-travyon-martin-case-and-the-other-george-zimmerman.html

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2013/11/cordell_jude_guilty_of_manslau.php