Twitter reactions to George Zimmerman's 'not guilty' verdict

By 
·July 13, 2013

Twitter reactions to George Zimmerman’s ‘not guilty’ verdict have been swift and are full of the intense feeling that has characterized the trial for many.

Following on the heels of the announcement that the six jurors in his second-degree case have found him not guilty of any charges, not even the lesser offense of manslaughter, a groundswell of disbelief has erupted over this social media engine.

“Why did Trayvon get the death penalty? #RIP,” stated a user with the handle @VeronicaDLCruz.

“Tomorrow, my middle boy turns 15. My oldest is 17,” wrote Twitter user @D_v_Ewr. “I can’t begin to wrap my mind around this.”

Many thinkers and social commentators have weighed in on the verdict, which was reached in the second day of jury deliberations. Jurors convened Saturday morning at 9 a.m., taking only a one hour lunch and one hour dinner break before issuing the not guilty verdict at roughly 10 p.m.

But is the emotional declarations over everyday people, which have since flooded the Twittersphere, that might  be the most poignant expressions of outrage.

“…I have a 14-year old who lives in a community just like Trayvon walked through. And someone can kill him,” @alpha1906 lamented about what the verdict may mean personally for a loved one.

Some broadened their ruminations to include what such an outcome says of the way America views and values — or devalues — the lives of black men.

“You mean to tell me that Michael Vick gets two years for killing dogs and George Zimmerman kills a young, black man and gets no time at all,” observed @CWmsWrites.

@ReaganGomez agrees. “Understand, this confirms what we already knew. The lives of black men are worthless. Just. Worthless,” the actress lamented.

Sardonic humor also prevailed during a time of communal commiseration.

“One thing we know now… they really did find a jury of Zimmerman’s peers,” @jdvanlaningham observed.

Yet, overwhelmingly, the collective response for many who are shocked that the jury did not return a guilty charge for manslaughter, is a sense that there is not real justice for African-Americans in America — especially for young black men.

“It’s legal to shoot black kids, America,” @marabout40 concluded.

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Follow Alexis Garrett Stodghill on Twitter @lexisb.

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