The Zimmerman Trial & Its Consequences

I realize that I'm a day late in weighing in on this debate, and I probably have no qualifications whatsoever to be doing so, but I'm doing it anyways.

For those of you who have been living under a rock recently, look up the story online. There's so much out there, and I don't want to color your perspective of it by giving you mine.

But now this case has affected me directly, and I need to speak out about it.

Yesterday, George Zimmerman was found "not guilty" in the murder of Trayvon Martin. (This doesn't mean he's innocent; he's just not guilty of murder. He did kill the man, but the court ruled that it was in self-defense.)

Last night, somebody in my friend's neighborhood went on a crime spree. (They live in Birmingham.)

My friend Andy's car was trashed. All four tires were slashed, there was ketchup and eggs all over it, and the letters "TM" were written in ketchup on top of the car. This car was parked in front of their house. 

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that those letters stand for "Trayvon Martin."

My friends are white. So are at least five other people on the street, because those six people had their cars treated the exact same way.

It's absolutely terrifying, y'all. And completely unnecessary.

Zimmerman's now getting death threats by the hundreds on twitter (the hashtag #killzimmerman, for instance), he's contemplating buying bulletproof vests for him and his wife, and he's going to be looking over his shoulder constantly. I doubt he'll last a year, unless he has some sort of court protection and relocation, like Casey Anthony did.

It's just so ridiculous. Martin's lawyer stood up after the verdict and told the public that they should act like Dr. King (meaning Dr. Martin Luther King) did, and not resort to violence. Unfortunately, so many people have. I know Oregon had some riots, and I think Chicago did, too. I know of at least one person in Birmingham who did as well (Andy's car is proof of that). 

It's horrifying that people will turn to violence and hate because of what one man did. And we don't even have the whole story. We have things pieced together, yes, but what if that's what actually happened? What if Trayvon was a thug? (The picture they kept showing on the news was several years old; the newest pictures from his Facebook show him dressed as a thug, flipping off the camera, with his pants slung low and his underwear showing.) What if this was self-defense? 

Think before you act, guys, because things might have far-reaching consequences.

I'm not saying that you should watch who you murder (although you certainly should); I'm saying that you need to be careful what you do in the name of "Justice." 

Leave Justice to the lawyers and the judges. Even though our Supreme Court has let us down in the past few months (what with DOMA being repealed and the Don't Ask, Don't Tell being swept under the carpet as well), they are still one of the highest laws in the land. 

Don't go around slashing up white peoples' cars just because someone killed a guy. (Also, Zimmerman? He's not white. He's hispanic.) They have nothing to do with the case.

Plus, Andy's dad? He's got mesothelioma. (It might be in remission, though.) Andy can't get to work without a car, his mother's car's in the shop, and his sister doesn't have a car. (His dad can't drive.) His other brother recently got married and is still on his honeymoon. By taking out that one car, the little thug has prevented at least three people from going to their jobs. (Andy would take his mother, then drop his sister off on his way to work. His mother's a nurse.) 

Think before you act, guys.

It may be worse than you think.