Here we go again: George Zimmerman's antics a slap in black America's face
OPINION - Headlines featuring George Zimmerman are becoming all too routine. So when the most recent reports detailing his involvement in a road-rage incident that resulted in a fellow motorist firing shots at him, there was a certain level of: 'Here he goes again.'...
Headlines featuring George Zimmerman are becoming all too routine.
So when the most recent reports detailing his involvement in a road-rage incident that resulted in a fellow motorist firing shots at him, there was a certain level of: ‘Here he goes again.’
In the two year span since his infamous acquittal for the killing of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed teen, at least four episodes have been documented in Zimmerman’s violence-ridden narrative.
In late 2013, mere months after his exoneration, he was twice accused of domestic violence. First in September, by his estranged wife, and in November by his girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe, who alleged that Zimmerman pointed a shotgun at her during an argument.
In 2014, in what now looks like a precursor to Monday’s shooting, Zimmerman is said to have threatened to kill a driver, stating, among other things, “Do you know who I am?” And earlier this year, he again was involved in a domestic dispute, this time being accused of throwing a wine bottle at his girlfriend, according to a police report.
Though, aside from the element of aggression contained in each of the incidents, all of these cases have one thing in common – they weren’t pursued. In one way or another, potential legal action ended early in the process, allowing Zimmerman to walk away a free man each time.
No accountability, no extended jail time, nothing.
Yes, while Martin is dead and his parents still grieve, Zimmerman has used his freedom to insert himself into more situations involving acts of violence.
And while finger-wagging and wrist-slaps have become the norm concerning law enforcement’s response to his behavior, it’s gotten to the point that I now, as a black American, regard Zimmerman’s uncanny ability to skirt the law as an affront.
Not only did he get away with killing a black teenager in a way that could only be deemed justifiable in a court of law, but he’s managed to avoid responsibility in every criminal instance since.
What’s most troubling about Zimmerman and his legal outcomes is the fact that he’s come to personify America’s race problem. A man profiles, stalks, and kills a black teen, gets acquitted of any wrongdoing, and receives money from thousands of supporters, totaling $300,000.
And not only is he not serving jail time, he’s signing autographs, as if arguably racially-motivated vigilante injustice should be lauded as some sort of heroism.
At best, the outcomes convey a thinly-veiled message, communicating what I already know, but I wish weren’t true – many don’t think black lives matter.
This is in addition to the fact that while Zimmerman continues to avoid liability for serious crimes involving violence, black people across the nation are being convicted and sentenced at rates higher than any other racial group in the country, often for offenses far less serious.
Short of suggesting impropriety on the part of Zimmerman or the authorities involved during his investigations, it’s becoming difficult to understand just why black Americans have a reason to trust the criminal justice system. It too often doesn’t work in our favor, and it’s managed to allow a career trouble-maker to evade it time and time again.
And these troubles are far from being solely recent – in 2005, Zimmerman was arrested for shoving an undercover alcohol-control agent, again, having the charges dropped after he agreed to enter into an alcohol education program.
While Zimmerman has been given a seemingly lifetime supply of passes which allow him to flout the law, a teenager was robbed of the ability to fulfill his potential.
A teenager who – in contrast to his killer – was never charged with a crime and had no criminal record. The fact that George Zimmerman never has to answer for his actions is an insult to anyone who cares about justice. For the black community, especially, it’s a slap in the face.
