This is a post I have little desire to pen.<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s not that the Intramuralist fails to possess an opinion.\u00a0 It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t have all the answers.\u00a0 I rarely<\/i> have all the answers.<\/p>\n
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I hesitate to write about the George Zimmerman verdict because so many of the responses have been so emotional…<\/p>\n
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Amidst the current outrage, much has been omitted.\u00a0 Such as…<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
… \u201cnot guilty\u201d is not equal to completely \u201cinnocent\u201d…<\/p>\n
… mercy always triumphs over judgment…<\/p>\n
… the withholding of forgiveness only hurts the withholder…<\/p>\n
… few of us were in the courtroom…<\/p>\n
… and fewer still were there when the altercation occurred.<\/p>\n
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We don\u2019t know what happened that fateful night.\u00a0 We don\u2019t know what Trayvon Martin said.\u00a0 We don\u2019t know what Zimmerman said.\u00a0 We don\u2019t know if there were threats by either.\u00a0 We don\u2019t know if either Martin or Zimmerman felt they were in danger of bodily harm.\u00a0 We don\u2019t know for certain who was screaming for help on the 911 call.\u00a0 That\u2019s the bottom line:\u00a0 we don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
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I wish more would pause, recognizing exactly that:\u00a0 they don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Just because Martin was an African-American and Zimmerman is a white Hispanic tells us nothing about innocence nor guilt.<\/p>\n
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But instead of the prudent pause, many embrace the far easier rush to emotional judgment \u2014 which is what seems to prompt the Rev. Al Sharpton to plan national protests this Saturday… which is what seems to motivate multiple liberal churches and organizations to announce a standing in solidarity with Martin and his family only, ignoring the Zimmermans…\u00a0 and which seems to cause the NAACP to demand the Justice Dept. file federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman…<\/p>\n
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Did these persons and organizations forget<\/i> that they weren\u2019t there?<\/p>\n
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I understand the emotion, friends.\u00a0 The death of Trayvon Martin was tragic.\u00a0 It was awful.\u00a0 No teen should die an early death.\u00a0 Yet the outrage omits more truth than Rev. Sharpton & Co. currently care to admit… and that the media made significantly worse…<\/p>\n
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Soon after the altercation, for example, NBC\u2019s \u201cToday\u201d show aired the following tape of Zimmerman\u2019s initial comments to a police dispatcher.\u00a0 This is what NBC reported…<\/p>\n
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Zimmerman:<\/b>\u00a0 \u201cThis guy looks like he\u2019s up to no good.\u00a0 He looks black.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
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It was later acknowledged that NBC News altered the recording; the full tape went like this…<\/p>\n
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Zimmerman:<\/b>\u00a0 \u201cThis guy looks like he\u2019s up to no good.\u00a0 Or he\u2019s on drugs or something.\u00a0 It\u2019s raining and he\u2019s just walking around, looking about.\u201d\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
Dispatcher:<\/b>\u00a0 \u201cOK, and this guy \u2014 is he black, white or Hispanic?\u201d
\n<\/i>Zimmerman:<\/b> \u201cHe looks black.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
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The death of Trayvon Martin is unquestionably tragic.\u00a0 I pray for his family.\u00a0 I also pray for George Zimmerman and his family.\u00a0 The current outrage that omits both logic and truth \u2014 and only empathizes with one of the involved families \u2014 is equally, unfortunately sad.<\/p>\n
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Respectfully,<\/p>\n
AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This is a post I have little desire to pen. It\u2019s not that the Intramuralist fails to possess an opinion.\u00a0 It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t have all the answers.\u00a0 I rarely have all the answers. I hesitate to write about the George Zimmerman verdict because so many of the responses have been so … <\/p>\n