A Thought Too Long For Twitter

(NOTE: Based on time elapsed since the posting of this entry, the BS-o-meter calculates this is 15.678% likely to be something that Ferrett now regrets.)

I know the Florida cops seem a bit sketchy in the Trayvon Martin case, but I gotta say – between Spike Lee exhorting his Twitter-followers to go harass the wrong Zimmerman, forcing an elderly couple to move, and a bunch of racist assholes hacking Trayvon’s email address (and changing the default passwords to the charming “niggerniggernigger”), it seems that the private methodologies aren’t any better.
Look, I don’t know what happened between Trayvon and Zimmerman.  I’m watching the news, but the news is frequently fucked and often provides the wrong evidence – those of you too young to remember the OJ Simpson case as it went to trial won’t remember the tons of “breaking news!” that turned out to be absolutely false, and that was in the days before Twitter gave rumors lightning-speed.
Now, I have my suspicions about what happened, but that’s why I want a full court investigation.  With due process.  And lawyers reading all the evidence in to be debated by professionals.  And procedures to make sure that fairness on all sides is mandated.  I don’t necessarily trust myself to be fair and objective.
This is why there are courts.  In the aftermath of a murder, there’s going to be emotions spilling out on all sides, both on the side of the murdered and the person accused of murder.  And just as I want Texas to grant the benefit of the doubt to its death row cases, I want the benefit of the doubt to go to George Zimmerman.  Specifically because I do believe he’s guilty, and I don’t necessarily trust that a bunch of long-distance reporting will get me the information I need to determine what really happened (or at least not enough to feel comfortable making calls that will affect the rest of his life).
This is why we have all the systems in place to force an objective look at it.  Because as humans, we’re all flawed.  Hopefully, between the existing rules and enough public outcry, something resembling justice will happen.  It often does.

2 Comments

  1. Bryan H
    Mar 30, 2012

    This is one of the most reasonable responses I’ve read about this so far. Unfortunately, the majority has decided to ignore common sense and decide they know best, throwing judgments around like it’s a game of hot potato.
    Thanks for being one of the few reasonable people.

  2. Alexander Smith
    Apr 2, 2012

    You are really mistaken if you still believe in united state justice. I have followed none of the case. I mean.. none. Can’t even get the names of the murdered and the murderer correct. Its not important because of, as you said, the news is flawed, and because well, there is no justice anymore. None. If you get national attention, you may get a decent lawyer. But thats it.
    Case and point: the cities across the nation who issue DUIs to people with anything over 0.000 % BAC. The spirit of the law certainly seems to indicate 0.08 % BAC = DUI. But in practice, there are places where anything over 0 = DUI and yes, they hold up in court. Yea, I know b/c I have had to deal with a relative who got a DUI – and she deserved it, she was plastered. But she is 1 out of 15 people in her $1300 “Reeducation” class to avoid jail time who was over 0.08 % BAC.
    Justice died a lOOONG time ago.

All Comments Will Be Moderated. Comments From Fake Or Throwaway Accounts Will Never Be approved.