Usually I'm a bit of a news junkie. From the mundane to the important I like to know whats happening just because, well because I think I'm wired that way. I grew up in a household where from early I saw my dad bring home the newspaper every morning when he returned from his morning sea baths and would sit at the breakfast table reading through the top stories before he headed off to work. When I got older I'd share that paper with him, my interest being mainly in the sports page but perusing the occasional big headline. We'd also religiously watch the 7'o'clock news. Needed to know what was happening.
This continued until I left home but at University inundated with all the new knowledge they threw at me I strayed away from my newspaper and news regime until one day I was kind of embarrassed when speaking to my parents back in Barbados my dad said "oh so Canada has a new prime minister" (this being when Kim Campbell had taken over for Brian Mulroney) and I had no clue that this had happened over a week ago.
To me it was like my dad over there in Barbados knows more than I do about whats happening over here and I'm over here. Never again I said, got to keep up with the news even if I'm drowning with school work. Since then I've made a conscious effort to know whats happening, my efforts greatly assisted now that everything is available almost as it happens via the internet so yea I'm a news junkie.
Breaking news, important news, depressing news, crime, natural disasters, even the minutia of entertainment and sports.
Yes I remember where I was when I heard the O.J verdict. Yes I know where I was when I heard that Biggie had died and the coverage of Princess Di's car crash seems like yesterday. Yes rather than get ready for work I sat and watched the twin towers fall.
Yet for some reason despite being a news junkie I just couldn't bring myself to follow most of the coverage for the Trayvon Martin trial. I just couldn't.
See something deep inside me told me that George Zimmerman would be found not guilty. Didn't matter what the evidence said, call it my spidey senses but something told me that he'd get off scotch free.
People tried to engage me in conversation about the trial and I was intrigued after all the drama and racist comment about the accent and speech patterns of the young lady who testified, who had been on the phone with him just before he died, but I just couldn't delve any more deeply into the case.
I briefly saw experts on Anderson Cooper's CNN show discussing how the trial was going and just got depressed thinking about the trial and quickly changed channels. A voice just said this dude Zimmerman will be found innocent.
See I think I was preparing myself for the inevitable.
But you know what? I don't think I really was prepared cause as much as I knew he was going to see no jail time and be set free it still hit me pretty hard when someone told me the verdict on Saturday night. How depressing.
Not sure why. Maybe its because I have black sons in North America and I emphatise with his parents. To think that a black kid innocently walking home, not rabble rousing, not looking for trouble, with a pack of skittles and a can of pop that he had just bought from the store can be shot down in the streets and no justice is done just doesn't sit well with me. What happened to the law protecting the innocent or at least getting justice for them if they were assaulted or killed.
I'm numb. No I don't advocate any violence against Mr Zimmerman as I've seen some people online doing, the law is the law. Apparently a jury didn't think he was guilty of the charges bought against him. Its over and done with what can you do?
But I think of the ramifications of this verdict. For one I think folks can cease and desist with the post-racial mumbo jumbo that they developed to convince us that things had changed once Obama was elected and we no longer see race.
For two, is it now open season on black young men?Think about it, so many folk get sent to jail for years on more trivial charges but you kill an innocent black kid and you get to walk? Wow. Still trying to wrap my head around it.
2 comments:
A six woman jury agreed it was self defense with no racial overtones, hence he was acquitted.
Never in my born years had I heard of a six member jury, until now.
Like you, I had the gut feeling he would walk, and he did.
We have a neighbourhood watch here, maybe I should walk with a gun.
The verdict has created more racial unbalance than ever before.
It's very sad.
I looked up this question, why did the jury acquit...
According to the jury, they were initially split about their decision, then they 'studied' the law, and eventually, this led to their final decision.
Guyanese does say, leff it to God.
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