Innocent Vengence or (Guns don't kill people, Hoodies do)

     February 26th, 2012  Trayvon Martin was shot by George Zimmerman.  The captain of the neighborhood watch.  Why?  I think fear was to blame.  Fear leads to many irrational choices.  I'm not saying that George was justified in what he did.  He claims it was in self defense.  Perhaps it was.  We don't know.  That's the problem.  There was no arrest.  In spite of my cynical nature I still do believe that one is innocent until proven guilty.  However, George has not gotten that chance. I can understand the outrage of Mikhail Muhammid of the "New" Black Panthers, who has offered $10,000 for the capture of George Zimmerman.   I'm sure his heart is in the right place.  A man has been shot and his killer is getting away with it.  This may be a bit too drastic.   murderers there are out there with actual warrants.  I'm talking about killers that have actually murdered with purpose and fled.  I think they are a bit more dangerous than George Zimmerman. 
Should George Zimmerman be arrested.  Yes. He SHOT someone.  They should at least investigate what happened.  He was Captain of the neighborhood watch. The last time I checked the neighborhood watch was a committee set up between concerned neighbors who decided to watch the neighborhood, and if something suspicious cropped up they called 911 (Hello? 911? Yes I caught the newspaper thief. It was a Raccoon.  I just shot him.)
     Does that mean he's guilty.  Who knows.  Perhaps Trayvon approached George and threatened him with a box of skittles.  In spite of my cynical nature I still believe that one is innocent until proven guilty.  Wether he is guilty or not, he still deserves a chance to be proven guilty or cleared.  This is a sensitive subject.  Someone was murdered and there is plenty of controversy.  The problem is, it shouldn't be a sensitive subject.  Stuff like this happens every day in every corner of the world (Except Antarctica.  Penguins are pretty chill.  Get it? Hahaha)
     Geraldo Rivera.  The mustachioed avenger of truth.  (That sounded better in my head)  Made a comment about the hoodie being at fault.  Sort of like saying, "The girl wore loose clothing and invited the rapist to rape her.  (Little Timmy invited that pedophile by being eight years old.)  This of course has outraged many people.  I don't think it should be such a big deal.   I can understand his point.  A persons choice in fashion can sometimes be at fault. (I have been tempted to shoot anyone wearing socks with sandals.)  I don't think a hoodie is one of them.  Unless he had a ski mask under the hoodie.  What Rivera had said was "Trayvon's hoodie was as much to blame for his death as his George Zimmerman was."  If you think about it, he wasn't blaming Trayvon for his death.  His hoodie may have been what sparked George to react out of fear.  Yes, it seems stupid and irrational.  That's what fear does.  Perhaps Rivera should have added, "The hoodie and George were both misguided."
"What should we do?" I can hear several people ask out loud. 
It's not up to me, but I'm glad you asked.  I do agree that Zimmerman should be arrested.  Not hunted down.   He should go through the same legal process as anyone else who has committed a murder, be it in self defense, anger, or by accident.  The hate groups such as the New Panthers should spend their energy helping the victims familys, on both sides.  Maybe selling baked goods to raise money. (maybe they could sell hoodies).  Prayer sessions or anything else other than offering money to hunt someone down which I'm sure will result in another murder and an arrest and more pissed off people.  You don't have to take my word for it.  History is filled with this sort of thing.  Just Google Martin Luther King Jr. or Rodney King which lead to the Reginald Denny incident. 
     The way of violence has no mind.  Only raw emotion.  Blind anger and retaliation.  While it seems like a good idea to cut off diseased limbs perhaps it is better to wrap them with a warm rag and care for them until a proper healing can begin.  I will end todays post with a quote from the Tao Te Ching.
  
"Gentleness is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to
maintain its ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his (very)
gentleness protecting him."  -Lao Tzu  (Tao Te Ching v. 67 line 4)

References:
www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/os-trayvon-martin-new-black-panthers-protest-20120324,0,1231157.story
www.nydailynews.com/news/national/geraldo-rivera-son-ashamed-father-remarks-trayvon-martin-hoodie-article-1.1050268

Image Source:
http://patdollard.com/2012/03/mika-brzezinski-blames-rush-limbaugh-for-trayvon-martin-shooting/