Saturday, July 13, 2013

"...The Quality Of Mercy May Not Be Strained, But Stained Is Another Matter, Entirely..."

At this writing, the jury is still out.

But the verdict is in.

I haven't spent a lot of time following the George Zimmerman trial.

And I suppose for a guy who spends a lot of time researching what's up stuff for blog sites and podcasts, that seems unusual.

Last night, on my channel surfing way to Turner Classic Movies, I inadvertently stumbled across the latest endless blather on CNN, MSNBC and FOX NEWS.

The unholy trinity of cable news.

Spent about two minutes on each blather before moving on and, upon brief reflection, realized why this case interests me almost not at all.

Because it is, essentially, theatre.

Not justice.

And if Trayvon Martin had been a middle class, white kid and George Zimmerman a middle class, white guy, you can bet your newly arrived back on the shelves Twinkies that you would never, ever have heard about his case.

Unless, of course, you were a member of either respective family.

Or were called for jury duty.

And the ludicrous notion that seems to permeate all the discussions, on air, in print and online, that this case should be judged on its merits and not racially is as intelligence insulting as it is an exercise in futility.

As I write this and/or as you read this, there are hundreds, thousands of cases being tried all over the country that meet the same criteria as this one.

Somebody shot and killed somebody else and they are on trial for it.

But you haven't heard about any of those have you?

Unless, of course, you're a member of either respective family.

Or were called for jury duty.

I have no honest opinion as to the guilt or innocence of George Zimmerman.

And, frankly, given that I'm not on the jury, it's an affront to even offer one.

Not that that will stop the armchair geniuses from affronting us with theirs.

But, at this point in the circus, a twelve year old, let alone a first year law student, can see what all the hoopla is about.

Don't waste your time trying to find a law dictionary in hopes of defining the issues here.

You can find everything you need to know in your desktop Webster's.

Under P.

For pigment.



No comments: