George Zimmerman: "Not Guilty" Doesn't Mean Guilt-Free

Six women jurors in a Florida courtroom gave George Zimmerman a new lease on life Saturday night, acquitting him of the murder of Trayvon Martin.  How long that lease lasts is anyone's guess.

The jurors ruled that Zimmerman did have the right under Florida law to defend himself against a 17-year old wearing a hoodie, who he thought was up to no good in the neighborhood he lived in.  No matter that the young man was unarmed, just coming home from a trip to the convenience store.  One confrontation later, and the young man was no longer a threat to the community.

Even with an African-American man in the White House, the state of race relations in this country vaulted what would have otherwise been a local Orlando news story into a national controversy.  Politicians, demonstrators, and 24/7 news coverage made sure we didn't forget that Zimmerman was white and Martin was black.

Because it happened in Florida, the whole world got to see the trial televised live.  The problem with that is, while we hear about possible clues and speculation from legal analysts, a sequestered jury only gets to hear the evidence presented to them by the defense and the prosecution, as dictated to by the presiding judge.  So a lot of the evidence which would have turned the case around against Zimmerman (who didn't testify in his own defense) never made it to the jury.  As it was, the jury did the only thing they could do under the circumstances, which was to acquit Zimmerman.

This trial went the way of similar verdicts involving O.J. Simpson and Casey Anthony, in which most of America thought they got away with murder.  George Zimmerman may be a free man today, but in truth he really isn't.  He's in hiding because of all the death threats he's been getting, and the legal system may not be done with him yet.  We hate to say this, but Zimmerman might have been better off if he were convicted.

Aside from a few skirmishes, the reaction to the verdict across the country has so far been gratefully muted.  We may not like the decision, but we have to live with it.  Just like we have to live with those trigger-happy people who have delusions of grandeur, heroically defending their lives, their property and their loved ones from real or perceived miscreants as if this were still the Wild West.  We also have to live with racial profiling, (fill in the blank) While Black, and being careful what you're wearing so nobody else gets the wrong idea.   And that is why Treyvon Martin is dead today.