Well, this is tragic. George Zimmerman’s father has just released an ebook, obviously timed to the beginning of his son’s murder trial. And, in the book, he accuses the NAACP, the National Basketball Players Association, the Black Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers, the National Black United Fund, the United Negro College Fund and several black individuals of being racist. He also accuses Eric Holder and President Obama of exploiting the death of Trayvon Martin for political purposes.
Since a lot of people have taken a stake in Zimmerman’s acquittal, I think these accusations will be taken to heart by a lot of people who otherwise would not endorse such radical and divisive positions. It’s really a giant toxic cocktail poured out for white racists to drink. I don’t know if the father has been embittered by the prosecution of his son and all the attendant publicity or if these are the kind of attitudes he inculcated in his son. Either way, they are poison ideas.
I also think it’s a reckless decision to publish something like this that could prejudice a jury, and not likely in his son’s favor.
All I want is a fair trial. We’ll see what the prosecution can prove beyond a reasonable doubt. It’s not an easy case, and it’s quite possible that sufficient doubt about what actually happened will remain that Zimmerman will deserve an acquittal. What I am certain about is that Trayvon Martin did not deserve to die, and that Zimmerman caused his death. In that sense, even a just acquittal won’t be justice.