Trayvon Martin #5

The outrage over the lack of thorough investigation of the killing of Trayvon Martin spread to the national, and even international, arena.   Without this public outcry, justice might never have emerged out of police ineptitude, prejudice, and Florida's Stand Your Ground Law, which has been condemned as a quasi-license to kill.

Now that a tough special prosecutor, Angela Corey, has charged George Zimmerman with second degree murder, we need to sit back and let the appropriate process unfold, trusting that a careful investigation and a fair trial will result in justice finally being done.
 
I must admit that, in my mind, Zimmerman is guilty of vigilantism, going far beyond the advice of the 911 operator and was clearly in the wrong, here.   Even if, as he claims that Trayvon attacked him first and he shot him in self defense -- there is still the 911 tape that establishes that Zimmerman was stalking Trayvon, and he was armed.    So  Trayvon had far more reason to invoke the Stand Your Ground Law to protect himself.

I abhor our NRA gun culture and the paranoid, right-wing bigotry.   But,: at the same time, I totally agree with the following statement released by the Florida ACLU, emphasizing the committment to the accused's rights to a fair trial, as well as the victim's rights to justice:

“When it became clear that the tragedy of Trayvon Martin’s death was exacerbated by problematic actions of the Sanford Police and local prosecutor, the ACLU of Florida joined in the call for outside investigators to more thoroughly examine what happened that night. 

“As a result of that investigation, George Zimmerman is now being charged with second-degree murder. 

“That more thorough investigation only happened because people marched, met, prayed, rallied and demanded that the criminal justice system not look the other way. 

“Now that charges have been brought, we must remember that George Zimmerman has all the rights of every defendant charged with a crime, including a legal presumption of innocence until proven guilty. 

“This is not the end of the story, but the wheels of justice are turning. The ACLU of Florida will continue to monitor this case as it unfolds to ensure that the rights of all parties – from the demonstrators marching in solidarity with Trayvon’s family to George Zimmerman himself – are not violated.”

This is the ACLU at its best -- standing up for the rights of all, even when the cause is unpopular.

Ralph