The United States of Zimmerman

After 16 hours of deliberation, George Zimmerman, a 29-year-old man accused of the murder of a black teenager in Florida last year, was acquitted by the jury. This case has seen the old demons of American society resurface, in particular the age-long distrust between blacks and whites.

The main facts are not disputed. During the evening of Feb. 26, 2012, Zimmerman, the leader of an improvised neighborhood watch program, sees Trayvon Martin, 17, walking in the rain. He thinks Martin may be a thief. Zimmerman is white; Martin is black.*

Zimmerman calls 911. He is told not to follow the “suspect.” He does so anyway.

It is what happened next that Florida state prosecutors and Zimmerman’s lawyers disputed, trying to win the jury’s favor. According to the prosecutors, Zimmerman was frustrated at never having been able to embark upon a career in the police force. Convinced that the young black man was a burglar, he followed and then killed him. According to the defense, instead of going home upon realizing he was being followed, Martin waited for Zimmerman and attacked him. Zimmerman supposedly shot at Martin in fear for his life.

A large majority of legal experts claim that the state prosecutors were unable to establish beyond reasonable doubt that Zimmerman was motivated by “malice, hate or bitterness,” which is necessary for the accusation of second degree murder. From a legal point of view, the jury probably gave the right verdict. But this verdict has provoked outrage among the black community. According to one representative, the trial’s result confirms “that the only problem with the New South is it occupies the same time and space as the old South.”

The trial, which was televised live, was followed by millions of Americans. Most had already picked their side, in most cases in accordance with their skin color. For African-Americans, Trayvon Martin would not have aroused Zimmerman’s suspicions if he had been pale-skinned. Furthermore, for them, there is no doubt that Zimmerman would have been condemned if he was black and Martin was white. On the other hand, for many white Americans, Zimmerman would never even have been accused if black lobby groups had not pressured for it.

The circumstances of Trayvon Martin’s death also fueled the interminable debate on possession of firearms in the United States. If George Zimmerman had not been armed, his altercation with Martin would have resulted in minor injuries for both men.

At the end of the day, justice probably triumphed. But it is sad nevertheless that 147 years after the 13th amendment to the American Constitution (celebrated in the film “Lincoln”) and four years after the election of the country’s first black president, the race question remains so virulent in the United States of America.

*Editor’s Note: George Zimmerman self-identifies as Latino.