Let me start by saying I’m a progressive Democrat and also that I’m white. Because I’m white, I will assume that I can now safely be called a racist.

Regardless, let me ask, who was really racially profiled in the Trayvon Martin case?

It’s strange that almost every opinion shared in the national media has vilified George Zimmerman as a cold-blooded murderer, but isn’t it true that if Zimmerman had been an African-American, there wouldn’t have been a trial?

The only thing Zimmerman did was walk to an area that would allow him to watch a stranger that he thought was acting suspiciously. Is there anyone reading this who hasn’t wanted to do that? I would go so far to say that many of us have actually done that very thing. Does that justify a vicious attack just because someone doesn’t like being watched?

Once Zimmerman was attacked, how many times (after his nose had already been broken) should he have been willing to allow his head to be smashed on the cement before he shot Martin? Four or five must not be enough, so how about 10? Twenty? Or would it have been politically correct if he had allowed Martin to kill him?

By any measure of the law, Zimmerman was defending himself. So why has he been vilified?

Everyone knows it was because he looked like a “cracker.”

Racial profiling is not a good thing. Most of us can agree on that.

Even though I honestly doubt Zimmerman would have acted differently if Martin had been white, let’s assume he was actually racially profiling Martin. Does that actually mean that his ability to protect himself has been revoked?

The national media is performing lip service. They’re destroying Zimmerman not because he was a racist but because they are terrified to consider saying that Zimmerman was innocent of the charges against him. Face it, they’re just placating African-Americans.

As long as the national press and some African-American citizens make race the creator of truth in situations like this, their cause is damaged. They accept the placation and are encouraged to believe a lie is the truth.

How can that be good for any of us, black, white, Hispanic or whatever the cracker of the day is?

The killing of Trayvon Martin will remain another division of the races for as long as we are willing to placate and be placated.

 

Bill Smith

Bricelyn