It's Bigger than George Zimmerman

Many of us felt outraged or devastated when we heard the news of the George Zimmerman trial on Friday night. The news was heartbreaking--and a true indicator of our national climate.

George Zimmerman was found not guilty for the murder of a minor, a high school student, a very young black man. He was found not guilty because the murder was in self-defense.

What I think this case raises, whether or not we believe Zimmerman is guilty, whether or not Zimmerman is guilty, is what makes this a self-defense case.

Trayvon was very young, much smaller than Zimmerman, and carrying no weapon. He was no realistic threat to Zimmerman.  What he was, however, was a young black male in a hoodie. This is something that plays deeply into our national psychology. We discriminate against people that fit this description daily; we ourselves might feel fear when we see someone like this in the street late at night.
Zimmerman is no monster, he is just like every American. He did an unspeakable act, but according to his case, he did it out of fear, out of self-defense. Why did he feel fear? Because he encountered a black male wearing "street clothing." We are all conditioned to this fear to a point. Our culture is based in roots of racism, misunderstanding, and bigotry. Our American way of life has taught us who to fear by physical description, and it has taught us who matters, who to believe. All by appearance.

Let's find justice for Trayvon by recognizing the poison in the very roots of our nation, and address that psychology. Zimmerman is merely one piece in a much larger game.

--Megan