George Zimmerman: The Untouchable One
What can you say about a man who can shoot and kill an unarmed teenager due to his baseless fear and depraved since of justice? What can you say about a man who was charged with “shoving a police officer”, only to have the charges dropped soon after? What can you say about a man who gets stopped by the police for speeding, only to get dismissed, even though he had a gun in his car? What can you say about a man who was caught speeding again, and then, dismissed again? What can you say about a man with a history of domestic violence against his ex-fiance and to learn that he threatened his estranged wife and her family, and not had charges pressed against him?
This is what happened to George Zimmerman, the half-white, neighborhood watch leader in Sanford, Florida, who murdered Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teen who was minding his business when Zimmerman decided to play cowboy and ultimately tried, convicted and executed him in one fateful night. We would soon learn that it came down to Trayvon’s appearance. He wore a hoodie, he was out at night in a gated community and he was a young black male. Nuff said.
Since Zimmerman’s acquittal, the aftermath continues as the hard reality of being black in America is reminded once again. Even after his death, Trayvon was the one on trial, not Zimmerman. And many people didn’t have a problem with it, because their argument boils down to one damning conclusion: being black is a crime in America.
Also proceeding the trial were less than a few reports of Zimmerman’s ongoing encounters with the police, mostly dealing with speeding. Yet, it seemed he was lucky enough to go about his business with – at best – a slight tap on the wrist.
Recently, the news media was reported that Zimmerman allegedly threatened his estranged wife Shellie Zimmerman and punched her father in the nose. Zimmerman was detained by the police, but the bomb was dropped when we learn that she decided not to press charges. Even though the 911 call and dash cam provided evidence that something needed to be done.
Wow. How lucky can the bastard get? Zimmerman’s slipperier than an eel. Either he is the luckiest man on the face of the Earth, or there is some drunk angel there watching over him. But I prefer to conclude that the fact that Zimmerman adopted the white racial frame – not to mention some white DNA – and soon took hold of the privileges afforded to him for being half-white and male. He embraced the stereotype of young black men as natural born criminals and made it a point the night he took one out with his gun.
But that wasn’t all. The court system in that little town ultimately saw nothing wrong with Zimmerman, despite that he assaulted one of their officers a few years ago. In the end, they decided that he really was standing his ground. So, they allowed him to leave as a free man – with a gun.
What will it take for Zimmerman to be held accountable for his abusive behavior? So far, all we’ve seen is a kind of favoritism from the so-called justice system towards their prodigal son. To them, he’s their valiant vigilante who slayed a wannabe thug. (After all, all young black men are potential thugs and gangsters according to white racist thinking, right?) And he’s basically awarded carte blanche to do and act however he pleases, at least for now.
And still, he has supporters and defenders, fan-like individuals who curse the media for tarnishing their hero. I had one person told asked me if I believed everything the media tells me. I answered, “No, but I don’t allow bias to coax me either.” Clearly, even though he hated to admit it, he was defending a racist and misogynist, and a violent one at that.
There are those who are saying that Zimmerman is “a ticking time bomb“. I agree. He will likely explode one day in a fit of rage. He may go on a murder spree shooting anyone in sight. But the way things are going for him now, are they - the police - going to let him get away with that too and not press charges?
