Nick Florest puts the arrest of George Zimmerman in a context that is both historical and looking to the future.
April 11th, 2012.
5:50 p.m. – It’s 10 minutes before the Florida Special Prosecutor Angela Corey announces what charges will be filed against George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case. For the first time, in a long time, I’m nervous. My heart beat increases. My hands become sweaty; something that never happens. Anxiety caused by the prospect that justice, for once, may be served.
When the news first broke of his murder on February 26th, I was already calloused. By this time, stories of this nature were commonplace. As an African-American male, I can practically track my life through assaults and murders of people of color.
1992: 8 years old. Sitting in my living room, I’m watching the evening news, too naïve to understand the gravity of the jurors finding the officers involved in the Rodney King beating innocent; an attack that enraged so many, it led to the infamous Los Angeles Riots. A vicious beating caught on videotape and nothing.
2000: 16 years old. I was recording rap songs with friends cramped in a Brownsville basement that smelled of Chinese food, Entemann’s cakes and old dog drool when the news broke that Amadou Diallou’s assailants from the NYPD wouldn’t face punishment for his death. 41 shots and nothing.
2008: 24 years old. Four officers were acquitted of the charge of killing father and husband-to-be, Sean Bell, on his wedding night. 50 shots and nothing.
I experienced Patrick Dorismond, James Byrd, Jr., Oscar Grant, senselessly countless others and I grew jaded at the justice system. It just seemed like the only lives lost that would ever be taken seriously in the court of law would be those who weren’t of color. Those who didn’t come from a ghetto or a country other than America. Those who didn’t ‘just fit the description’.
I looked at Trayvon’s 17-year-old face, darkened slightly only by the shadow of his hoodie, with eyes that beamed, “I want a future,” and sighed with the disappointment one feels at the tragic, meaningless loss of someone who had not yet reached their potential, who never had a chance to grow and truly experience all that life has to offer. Here was just another name to add to the list: the list of those not human enough for justice.
I didn’t think much of the public outcry. I continued to wear hoodies for the same reason I always had: for fashion, not for a statement. I simply didn’t believe in the power of protests anymore. Rallies, vigils, social media campaigns, songs to raise money and support for the victim’s family had all come and gone plenty of times before. Feeling that Trayvon would also end up a forgotten name, I put news of protests on mental mute as I watched the investigation pass from one hand to the other.
45 days. 45 days…
6:02 p.m. – My blood pressure is rising as Corey says, “we didn’t come to this decision lightly.” I clench my fists. That sentence always starts bad news for someone, somewhere, somehow. And more often than not, for people of color in cases like these.
She continues to thank parties involved as if this were an award show. The suspense is nerve-wracking. I want to know if there will at least be charge against Zimmerman. He killed a boy.
“Murder in the second degree.”
I recline in my camping chair with a sense of unexpected satisfaction. I couldn’t believe it. What everyone wanted to happen was starting to finally become reality. The tension leaves my body as my attention slowly fades away from the press conference. I heard what I wanted and now, I have hope.
I have hope that Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton son’s life would not be lost in vain. For once in my life, a case involving the brutal slaying of an innocent African-American won’t be drowned out by negative publicity with racial undertones. It won’t result in slap on the wrist for punishment for the perpetrator and a few million dollars of taxpayer money for the family.
Enough may finally be enough.
I then question what this will mean for future situations like these should they happen again.
Will there be a Trayvon Martin law that will stop the unjustifiable murders of innocent men and women of color?
Will there be truly fair and equal justice in America?
Will we have a real and honest dialogue about race in this world and finally heal from all the pain racism has caused us all?
Then I remember this is only the announcement of the charges against Zimmerman.
The trial hasn’t begun yet.
No jury selection. No deliberations. No verdict read. No press conferences with a tearful nation watching the Martin family close their eyes in relief, thanking God for the peace they rightfully deserve. It’s just an announcement.
I return from my fantasy of a just America as the Martin family’s attorney, Benjamin Crump, thanks those the young, the elderly, all who supported the cause for justice. I’m no longer skeptical and dismissive about the Trayvon Martin shooting will go.
Instead, I remind myself that any change, any progress worth having takes time. It took time just to get a charge against George Zimmerman. The legal process is going to take more; I must be patient. We must be patient. Inspired, optimistic, but patient.
This is “only first base.”
—
Photo: AP
Come on guys, there is still time left to change your stated opinion about the TM/GZ cluster-fuck. But not very much…
As for me, I have no need to alter anything I wrote about this.
The attorneys at the Crump Law firm are headed towards disbarment.
GZ will be a multi-zillionaire after NBC and many others make him whole after the defamation they commited against him.
My personal bottom line is that I do not want to have to slaughter a crazed flash-mob that wants to flatten my skull when GZ is acquitted at trial or at the SYG hearing this May.
Zek I looked at all of those. Thanks for the references. The problem is, all those supposed news sources are merely taking the story as presented by the PR firm hired by the Crump law firm. Media hardly ever do research these days if they do not have to, ie, somebody tells them something claiming to have personal knowledge. Those list of “facts”. Go on youtube and find Prof. Alan Deshowitz discuss the case about 4 days ago – just after the bond hearing. There is a good realistic picture on there also about how big TM and GZ were… Read more »
Rum, Except most of these facts are not from a PR firm, they’re from major news outlets and independent news sources… I understand your skepticism, but frankly the post by The Root is not even based on a journalist’s research. It’s just based on Zimmerman’s own words. Also, judging from your comment you did not read — or did not fully understand — the article by law professor Patricia J. Williams. She said it better than I: “Here’s the relevant text of Florida Statutes Chapter 776: “A person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and… Read more »
The favorite narrative says GZ was not arrested. The SPD says he was cuffed, taken in, and questioned (without council) for many hours. And came back the next two days for more questioning without council.
I do not know if GZ was p tested but it is hard to believe he wasn’t for the simple reason even carrying concealed much less shooting must be done with no alcohol in your system. Doing so is a felony all by itself. He could not have refused it either. It is part of the contract you sign with getting a CHL.
Rum,
In response to both your comments. Please see these three sources so you may educate yourself on the facts of the case.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/03/18/446768/what-everyone-should-know-about-about-trayvon-martin-1995-2012/
http://www.theroot.com/buzz/did-zimmerman-lie-his-bond-hearing
http://www.thenation.com/article/167455/real-injustice-heart-trayvon-martin-case
They directly disprove the misinformation you may be relying upon.
According to the published reports from the Sanford PD, they notified in family in person the next day. And that GZ said “OK” when asked to stop following TM. The other version came from a PR firm that fed stories to a lazy and non-curious medias. Ask yourself why you believe their version rather than the SPD, who have all the records.
Maybe TM showed no signs of injury because he was the only one administering a beat-down. After all, GZ unquestionably had concrete injuries on the back of his head.
I’m optimistic about the case only BECAUSE passionate protest by a substantial portion of America was what pressured the authorities to act. If not for our voices, Trayvon Martin would be forgotten more quickly from the public memory than Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., shot to death in his own home by police-officers saying racial slurs as they did so. He’d have been forgotten faster than Abdul Arian, shot to death by the LAPD with over 90 bullets in his body after a high speed chase. He’d have been forgotten faster than Richard Haste and Rekia Boyd, whose cases barely received a… Read more »
Thank you, Zeks. I didn’t even know about some of these people but now I have more research to do.
A great article by Nick and great work by Zek backing him up.
“When facts are reported, they deny the value of evidence; when the evidence is produced, they declare it inconclusive.”
~ Augustine, in The City of God
Where’s the protests for Kris Kime who was beaten to death by a black kid with a skateboard during the Seattle Mardi Gras riots a few years ago? The kid didn’t get charged for manslaughter because he didn’t have any intent to kill. Or what about “white-hispanic” Daniel Adkins who was shot by a black guy in Arizona under the same “stand your ground” law? The guy didn’t get charged with manslaughter because he felt threatened by a weapon that wasn’t even there that he “saw” from sitting inside his car. Or what about white guy Jacob Palasek in Michigan… Read more »
Daniel, First of all, I’m confused how the tragic racial hate crimes that happens to a minority of Whites in anyway has anything to do with protesting the racial injustice in the Trayvon Martin case. Would you prefer that we privilege White victims over Black ones? Would you prefer that nobody talk about this case because they failed to talk about all the cases you mentioned? Seriously, in a situation dealing with racism of White-on-Black it’s TERRIBLY disingenuous to say, “what about teh White peoples??” Are we only allowed to be outraged when we give equal time to both White… Read more »
Nick About a hundred years ago, some stunt promoters would sell tickets to crowds of people to watch two steam locomotives set on the same track crash into each other at top speed. And they would sell the movie rights as well, of course. I am very much afraid that this is developing into something similar. There is one version (train) of what happened that is very good at creating outrage among just about everybody. Thing is, the sources of all the images and details that do this can be traced back to a single PR firm hired by the… Read more »
“Truly fair and equal justice” will only occur when we can have this conversation without recognition of the color of skin, but more about the facts of the case. At this point, the topic of race and color of skin have far exceeded the conversation of the actual facts (painstakingly slow to be revealed). I appreciate your comment about not engaging in the “public outcry,” as that will likely do as much damage to race relations as a not-guilty verdict. Example: young black men beating a white man “for Trayvon.” The African-American community needs to also be publicly outraged about… Read more »
I respectfully disagree. It took 45 days just to get a charge against Zimmerman for murdering a young boy after all the evidence came out immediately following that Trayvon was NOT the instigator in the case. We have no plausible witnesses to any fight, Skittles and iced tea as a “weapon” and oh yes, the taped phone calls to 911 that Zimmerman made where he blatantly ignored protocol and as a result, killed a young boy. The reason why justice doesn’t occur is because we keep side-stepping conversations of race where guilt will have to be admitted on all parts… Read more »
Nick, Respectfully, the statement ” all the evidence came out immediately” is simply untrue. We’ve never seen most of the police reports. We also know that Zimmerman received some level of medical examination which would prove, or disprove, his story about being attacked. We’ve never seen this evidence either. There are witnesses, and we’ve yet to see testimony. I don’t know what happened, but I’m 100% certain that you don’t have enough information to know either (unless you somehow have access to medical reports, police reports, and witness statements, none of which have been made public yet). The authorities involved… Read more »
Actually, we have a lot of the facts about this case. We know Zimmerman pursued Martin against instructions. We know witness were pressured to change their testimony by officers. We know that the funeral director stated Martin’s body exhibited no signs consistent with a life-and-death struggle. We know that police reports were altered after-the-fact. We know that Zimmerman potentially lied, either in court, or during the 911 call regarding Martin’s age. We know almost as much about the case as anyone else. See here for more facts: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/03/18/446768/what-everyone-should-know-about-about-trayvon-martin-1995-2012/?mobile=nc And allow me to provide a counter to the claim that the… Read more »
Thank you very much Zek! You said all that I was trying to but am too exhausted to do it properly. 🙂
Zek,
We don’t have all the facts and you know it. I specifically listed a series of items that have never been made public, and your link contains none of them.
The diatribe that follows is moot as a result.
Mike, We don’t have all the facts and you know it. I specifically listed a series of items that have never been made public, and your link contains none of them. The diatribe that follows is moot as a result. Hahaha, oh really? Well good thing I didn’t say we have all the facts then! I said we have a lot of them. Why do you always dishonestly distort my comments? Are incapable of having a conversation in good faith? With regards to the facts I presented, you tellingly failed to address any of them. But even you did, I’m… Read more »
Zek, First, I probably disagree with a lot of those facts. For example, I’m assuming that when you say “the inconsistencies between Zimmerman’s story and the injuries on his body as well as Martin’s body” you’re referring at least in part to the ABC news reports that came out in March claiming Zimmerman was uninjured, which were then “corrected” in late April to indicate that there was at least one extensive head injury. I’ve also noticed that you didn’t mention the widely reported “doctoring” of the 911 call by NBC. The fact is that there have been “inconsistencies” on both… Read more »
Mike, I’m gonna start my comment off with some common ground. I work as a legal writer at a prominent advocacy firm here in the BA (Bay Area). Before that, I spent summer as an unpaid paralegal/clerk with my Dad’s small law practice. I understand the legal aspects in this case, intimately actually. So we have that in common. And you’re right, I have pushed you VERY hard in our comments to each other. But that you don’t understand or realize why is disappointing. You consistently utilized dishonesty, argued in bad faith, distorted my comments, presented incomplete information and often… Read more »
Zek, Frankly, I’ve been trying to have a discussion this entire time, but it’s difficult to do so when you continue to use bellicose rhetoric that seems contrary to your stated intention of truly wishing to engage in open and honest discourse. You said that I “consistently utilized dishonesty, argued in bad faith, distorted my comments, presented incomplete information and often false information as truth, and regularly insinuated that People of Color have lied about racism they’ve experienced.” From my standpoint, I believe a lot of this applies to your arguments, beginning first and foremost with your insistence that I… Read more »
I like that story Mike of the BART train. I can see it. It is similar to the “Schroedenger’s Rapists” discussions we have. We have women on this site who are afraid of men, and men who are afraid of women. And men who think women are wrong to be afraid, and women who think men are wrong to be afraid. it’s interesting to watch as they pick their sides, draw their sides, prepare for the duel. Can everyone on both sides be right? Can everyone be wrong? Is it worse for women to fear men, or men to fear… Read more »
Lisa, I appreciate your points, and I think that the prolonged argument with Zek has thrown everything way off track. I absolutely agree when you say: ” When it comes to matters of live and death, it’s one thing to have an honest mistake and an another thing entirely to have permission to make those mistakes built into a system that leaves some people dead and some people not only alive, but thriving.” I believe that we need to apply these principles to the criminal justice system. A lot of the “evidence” that is being thrown around in this thread… Read more »
Mike, I’m sorry but I don’t believe you anymore. After all this time your sudden change of heart is disingenuous compared to your previous comments to me in this thread and in others — after all the times you were dishonest and distorted my comments and I asked you to stop and argue in good faith. And now suddenly you demand proof that I’m not crazy and making things up about you??? Really? Because I have nothing better to do? https://goodmenproject.com/good-feed-blog/can-hipsters-be-racists-too/comment-page-1/#comment-154854 Read thru my comment and check yourself. You haven’t been having an honest discussion with me since the post… Read more »
Feeling powerful emotions, and acknowledging them, is not the same as being ruled by them. The author’s honest sharing gives us insight into the anxiety, anger, sadness, and resignation that many in our country have come to feel as a result of repeated injustice. To argue whether or not he can be “objective” is to miss the point of the article. It was not a persuasive essay as to the guilt of Zimmerman; it is a story of renewed (but cautious) optimism about the possibility of justice for all.
Thank you Dorine for being the only person so far that hasn’t judged Nick for having feelings and hoping for a better world for young Black men (& women). One will never know how it feels to hear news like this every few days and know that justice will not be served. It hurts every day.
Every damn day.
TK,
You don’t seem to understand. Once you say “…and know that justice will not be served.” There’s no reason to take your opinion seriously.
You’ve clearly made up your mind about guilt and innocence when there’s yet to be a public trial, and none of us have seen all the facts yet.
Why should I listen to someone who isn’t interested in actually getting to the truth?
It doesn’t matter if I made up my mind or not. What matters is that you will never know how it feels to wake up and be Black. I can’t explain enough why I feel what I feel because you never had this life experience so you can’t see it from my POV. We can’t get to the truth is everyone pretends that Black feelings/pov/perceptions are over-reactions and simply not real. One could say you’re looking at life through rose colored glasses due to your privlege. Which no one counters because white culture is the normative in America. I’m glad… Read more »
TK, Again, you claim that I am “wearing rose colored glasses” but your viewpoint is every bit as subjective as mine. We need evidence because without it there is no way to tell if your view is closer to the objective truth, or if my view is closer to the objective truth. What you do not seem to be acknowledging is that what you call “Black feelings/pov/perceptions” really can be every bit as biased as those held by white people with lots of privilege. Lacking privilege does not grant you a magic ability to see the objective truth. Go ahead… Read more »
It’s clear that you’ve lost objectivity and are allowing your emotions to rule you. You admit as much by talking about your heart speeding up and your fists clenching.
As a result, it’s difficult to believe that you would actually recognize “truly fair and equal justice” because you need objectivity in order to see those things.
Mike, You missed the part in the article where I stated that I could track my life through these various assaults and murders of people who look like me which is why objectivity is nonexistent for me. Any one of those people could have been me simply because of the way I look and those who would’ve done me harm would have gotten away with it. The proof is in the history of beatings and killings of African-Americans. As a result, it’s difficult to believe that I can recognize “truly fair and equal justice” not because of my emotions, but… Read more »
Nick, I don’t understand your point. You seem to be admitting that you don’t believe you can recognize “truly fair and equal justice.” If you can’t recognize what justice is and is not, then how can I believe that you are looking for it in this case? From your comments, it’s not clear to me that you aren’t simply looking for vengeance. As for the whole “people like me don’t receive it,” that’s the emotion talking. You mention several names that were made media splashes over the years. But go to your local courthouse and watch some proceedings. Justice happens… Read more »
Mike L, you said “You mention several names that were made media splashes over the years”. Those are not splashes, they are a microcosm of what it looks like for Black Men everyday at the courthouse or in jail. Visit any of those places to see that. Example: white people smoke more weed but black people get picked up for it more. Why because of stop and & frisk laws that police use to profile blacks and latinos. Sure some white people get stopped and frisked but not to the extent that black people do. Mike, do you wake up… Read more »
“What isn’t okay is to tell us how to feel based on the lens in which you view life. We do not experience it in the same way whatsoever.” You say this, but that’s the same thing you are trying to do. We’re both human and there’s no guarantee that your reality is the objective one, and mine is the subjective one, and the same goes for Nick. We ALL need to recognize that we could be completely wrong. And part of that means that questions like “was this murder?” or “Did the authorities act appropriately?” just cannot be answered… Read more »
When did anyone say anything about vengence?
Also, I’m saying that your POV is the normative majority b/c it’s white. Anything else is always challenged as different. This is not fitting with your normative POV but it’s just as valid.
TK, I still think you don’t understand my point. I’m not saying the “non-normative” POV is any less valid than the “normative” one. You keep putting those words in my mouth, and that’s never what I’ve said. I’m saying that BOTH points of view of likely to be subjective, and so BOTH points of view are likely to be wrong. The reality probably exists somewhere in the middle. The “normative” viewpoint certainly isn’t correct, but that doesn’t mean the alternative is automatically correct either. We need to question BOTH. Nick seems happy to question the “normative” viewpoint, but then he… Read more »
Mike,
To make it clear and basically summarize the whole point of the article: I don’t believe in fair and equal justice, at least I didn’t prior to this case.
I’m not going to my local courthouse to watch people fight traffic tickets and public pissing violations and calling that justice. African-Americans make up 25% of the world’s prison population while only composing 13% of the world’s population. What part of justice is that?
Mike likes to come in, cherry pick a single conceptual point, in this case objectivity and then demand the author address his issue, but he’s never satisfied with the answer. It’s Mike’s way.
Indeed, sir.
And apparently both of you really enjoy making personal attacks instead of addressing points, I guess that’s your way.
Beautifully written article. Thank you.
What would you imagine there would be in a Trayvon Martin law? How would it fit in with equal justice?
The way I see it is that it would involve immediate investigation from city and state, and if need be, federal officials and charges that actually match the crime committed. Too many times, charges against offenders in cases like these don’t match the crime. For police officers in particular, I would want it to include permanent revocation of their gun license and use of firearms for their natural life, as well as indefinite termination and involvement in any and all law enforcement agencies. Lastly, media and/or law enforcement officials are NOT allowed to use or publish the victim’s or any… Read more »
Since public pressured forced authorities to act in the case of Trayvon Martin, other cases are now receiving more attention and according justice to them.
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/03/3590746/trayvon-martin-case-spurs-other.html
Grand juries are being convened, investigations undertaken, charges, arrests, and all manner of actions which regrettably were not pursued prior to the Trayvon Martin case — but now something’s been done, albeit slowly, painfully. But I’m just glad to see something be done to reverse the injustices borne by so many.
Again, this isn’t about justice = guilty, but about justice = justice.