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In reply to the discussion: Already, another Trayvon Martin incident has just happened [View all]calimary
(81,220 posts)And before anyone starts in with - "oh that didn't come up in the trial" blah-blah-blah, just remember this: the whole public zeitgeist in Florida was and is steeped in the understanding of "Stand Your Ground." It was unspoken. It came up in jury instructions, conveniently unlike a decent explanation for manslaughter, even while it wasn't presented, per se, during the trial. Just about anyone in the state of Florida was - and is - clearly aware of the presence of the Stand Your Ground mentality. It's a high-profile law that's gotten plenty of publicity ever since it first came about. This isn't the first case of it ever to come to the public's attention. Zimbo had had training and took classes in which he was given full exposure to the Stand Your Ground law, and it's widely recognized that he lied about it when questioned - telling authorities he hadn't heard of it (when his instructor was on record saying he had a clear understanding of it from his class work). There was plenty of talk of it surrounding the original crime and the fallout from it, long before ANY jury was chosen. And if Juror B37 was married to an attorney (one who, we've since learned, knew Mark O'Mara), and was able to spend time with her husband even during the period when the jurors were sequestered, you better believe it was in the back of everyone's mind. And unfortunately, for those who automatically assume blacks are nogoodniks, it sits holstered in the back of their minds like an extra gun.
Anyone who thinks Stand Your Ground didn't impact this trial is kidding themselves. I'd bet anyone with racist tendencies, or those already predisposed toward mistrusting young African Americans (and they don't even have to be young), has it in the backs of their minds - as a law that will back you up if you see someone you don't like who makes you feel somehow fearful. It's been allowed to seep down into public awareness and become part of the proverbial "water table" of the overall public mindset.
I wonder how many more shooting victims we'll have before something's finally done about this?