[DrPhil]

Long post ahead:

LOL. The media is the media. People who want the "raw data" need to watch the trial instead of waiting for the media's Cliff Notes.

On that note, there are things that people sitting in the courtroom will see that those watching the TV trial will not see. For instance, the jury is not always in the courtroom when the defense attorney is strongly opposing the judge. The fact that the jury is not always in the courtroom during those exchanges matters a great deal.

I have been watching the trial but, frankly, I find this case to be quite annoying for many reasons. My mom has been following this probably as much as AGDee's dad's wife. Every time my mom calls, I know it is to discuss the trial so I let it go to voicemail sometimes. LOL.

My mom and I had a fun debate this morning about the jury's decision. I do not have high hopes so I will not be shocked either way. I definitely do not want rioting. I commend the community leaders and media representatives who have worked tirelessly to prepare people for any outcome. This will prayerfully reduce the shock and anger if there is a not guilty verdict for ANY charge. I want people to use their anger to push for positive community change and support the family in a possible appeal or civil suit. Besides violence being too shortsighted and predictable, it has no benefits. As with most instances of public outrage in human history, I will use the Rodney King verdict as an example, people get violent and become that which they claimed to despise. They tend to tear apart their own communities, many of which are already struggling, and become what many whites (yes, this is a racial divide) would consider an illustration of why Trayvon Martin got what he deserved. And I hope and pray that people do not physically attack George Zimmerman. Vigilante justice grates my nerves. I dislike taking the law into your own hands whether we are talking about Joe Horn in Texas, George Zimmerman in Florida, many excuses used for Stand Your Ground laws, and people physically attacking someone who they believe got away from the law.

All in all, although this has not been proven in a court of law, I truly believe that Zimmerman took the Neighborhood Watch beyond the level of being an observant neighbor who calls the police a lot. I believe he was pissed at the things happening in his neighborhood and thought he would make sure it ended. I believe Zimmerman was being froggy and took a leap that ended up with his ass getting whooped. Trayvon Martin had every right to defend himself and whoop Zimmerman's ass. I wish it would have ended with just an ass whooping and perhaps even the police stepping in to arrest the ass whooper and ass whoopee. At least they would have both lived to tell about it.

This is yet another reminder that guns are a facilitating factor for crime and violence. I want the fools who use the phrase "guns don't kill people, people kill people" to choke on it. I am not anti-guns but I am anti-bullshit. The day that the NRA and other gun advocates acknowledge that they are majority white and of certain socioeconomic statuses, and the day they acknowledge that this gun debate would have been shut down years ago if the majority of NRA and gun rights advocates were Black and nonwhite Hispanic men particularly in lower SES, is the day I will take the pro-gun people seriously.

I truly believe George Zimmerman does NOT look white. He doesn't. However, as with many Hispanics since Hispanic is an ethnicity that encompasses different races, it can be the case that Zimmerman used his last name and other ways to assimilate into whiteness. That is absolutely fine because it is personal choice. However, I believe Zimmerman's family has highlighted the nonwhite and Hispanic aspects of themselves more since this trial began. I also disagree with Anderson Cooper, et al and believe Zimmerman intentionally gained weight to appear less capable of being an aggressive ass whooper. Similarly, Trayvon Martin's family downplayed the dumb things this teen has done over the years that could make him come across as a thug--or wanna be thug. Sure, those things do not mean that he deserved to be shot for having a hoodie and Skittles. But those things would have some people believe that he was being the aggressor and Zimmerman was defending himself.

And while I'm at it, I love Anderson Cooper 360 but some of those expert commentators have been annoying me. I agree with what some of the panelists have said. I agree with much of what Sunny Hostin says and hated it last night when the remaining panel experts (not Anderson Cooper) told her that she was bringing in her own biases. First off, Sunny Hostin is a former prosecutor. Second off, she has been in the courtroom everyday of this trial. Third off, ALL HUMANS bring in their own biases. Even when we know the facts, we pick and choose which things to highlight and which things we agree and disagree with. Not all legal experts agree on these topics and people are not automatically uninformed, emotional, biased fools just because you disagree with their expert opinion. With that said, this is another example of white male privilege. We have a panel of white men on Anderson Cooper 360 who get to pretend as though they are robots whereas Sunny Hostin is the only human on the panel. Sunny Hostin handled their stupidity quite well and told them that, yes, she brings in her biases as a Black Hispanic woman, former prosecutor...and other biases...who has been sitting in that courtroom everyday. Take that, white men panelists!