Like many, I'm troubled by the recent events that have surrounded the Trayvon Martin case. I caught wind of the story when Anderson Cooper covered it on AC360 a few weeks ago. Shortly after that, I read and re-posted a moving open letter written to Trayvon Martin as a sign of solidarity and outrage over the killing and clear lack of justice in the case.
Over the course of the next several weeks, I watched as Trayvon's death drew more attention and outrage. Like many people, I was amazed by the evidence against the shooter and stunned by the fact that this man had no charges pending against him. I cheered on as people gathered in hooded protest over the death of this young man, and waited with baited breath to see George Zimmerman brought to justice.
Several more weeks have passed and we have witnessed ongoing cries from Trayvon's parents, politicians, and media personalities to see justice served. We have also learned a bit more about the complexities of the case, the apparent eye witness accounts, and details regarding the pasts of both Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and other celebrities have taken up the cause and we watch as people continue to march in hooded protest. The New Black Panthers have put a bounty on the head of the shooter; and apparently Spike Lee thought he would help them by posting what he believed to be the address of Mr Zimmerman on twitter. More details emerge, and yet, there is a growing confusion surrounding this case. As we all learn more, we are being faced with decisions about what to believe and how to allow our perspectives to be shaped.
My own unraveling began days after posting the open letter written by Travon Free. I was surprised to find that the shooter whom Mr. Free and other media outlets referred to as a white man, was in fact Hispanic. I really started to panic when I watched a news story analyzing the audio of the shooters alleged racial slurs. The reporter along with an audio expert played the audio back in a variety of ways and found it to be completely inconclusive. I remember standing in front of my television, mouth wide open in disbelief. I had a sinking feeling we had all been duped. I wasn't sure why, but a number of things no longer added up for me. More than anything, I was humbled by my own weakness and propensity toward mass hysteria and judgment. I swallowed what I had been handed and allowed myself to be swept up in a storm of emotion. I had become a small part of the larger insanity that had let loose in this country- the court of public opinion.
