My Thoughts on the Zimmerman Verdict One Day Later

I am feeling quite depressed today honestly, after that Zimmerman verdict came back not guilty. I had faith in the system. I had faith that what we all inherently know would be upheld and Trayvon Martin's family would feel some sort of peace after receiving justice by the hands of the law. People were telling me so adamantly that Zimmerman would get off and I was like " Hmm maybe, but I don't think so." I'm an optimist... After the announcement Saturday though, I realized the country still had a long way to go and the system is flawed in many ways, still.

I generally am not very emotional about death and cases like these anymore. They are all too common and all too sensationalized. I acknowledge the pain and pray for those affected, but I generally do not dwell on the situations. I prefer to focus on solutions to the never ending chaos rather than engulf myself in the pain that surrounds us all. But this decision is just affecting me heavy today! I feel so hurt and in so much pain that the family has to suffer and that the system is designed in a way that all individuals aren't granted equality and justice under the law. There are discrepancies in race, class, gender. etc that determine if you will be treated equal and just under the law and this is obvious.

Furthermore, what is really plunging me into a state of deeper anger and depression are the scattered responses TO responses to people's outrage about the decision. What I mean is:

• The comments I read that said why we are stupid and brainwashed for protesting for Trayvon when in Syria some other injustices are occurring
• The status that said I don't get why people don't get this outraged about Black on Black crime
• The conversations about the uselessness of passive protests and rallies and sorry nature of activist communities that do these things

These 3 things bothered me a lot honestly. People get so hung on how things are done and how people react and whether their reaction is appropriate. Meanwhile, it contributes to one of the causes of the predicament that the inhabitants of this country are in today. You can't be a so called activist who doesn't want to show support for other activists. That is a problem in not only the Black community but in the nonprofit/grassroots activism circuit. Lack of collaboration and unity, usually due to minor differences and an unwillingness to compromise for the greater good.

Minimizing the seriousness of this situation by bringing the attention to another injustice, as if activism and advocacy and the fight for equality is a game of tit for tat where we have to prioritize which injustices get mentioned, talked about, or rallied for first is sad! Its a product of this sensationalizing culture that we live in and propaganda we are fed. We buy into the idea that the worst & biggest injustices are the ones that appear on the tv screen and trending topics the most. No!! There are horrific injustices happening every fucking day, 24/7, 365, whether its murder, institutionalized racism, rape, human trafficking, police brutality, fucked up laws passing, patriarchy, hate crimes, Zimmerman getting off, exploitation, capitalism, the list goes on forever!! But we can't be mad that people are mad....Why? We watched a travesty play out before our eyes. Many can empathize. Sympathize. Is compassion now a crime as well?

Even further, these viewpoints all speak some ignorance into the atmosphere. Organizing for rallies and protests is never futile, especially for the spirit. Just thinking in terms of energy---gathering a group of people in a common space (with intense passion and intent mind you) is what we as activists live for! You have harnessed collective energy with a common goal who obviously want a change, because they have showed up. It is at least a building block to forming something substantial, if the organizers have the hope, plans, and determination to proceed. Secondly, I HATE the notion that Black people don't show outrage when reckless violence occurs within our community. BULLSHIT!! We have vigils, marches, rallies, and outrage when that happens as well. Once again, that's the belief that whatever is on tv must be the truth and must be valued.

Further though,  I don't think people understand why this situation does garner outrage from the Black community and why it indeed has an adverse affect on us. When a case is sensationalized like this, with all the racial undertones included, people feel the emotions and listen to the opinions ad notice the context of certain opinions and publicized happenings, and we become invested in the trial, emotionally and spiritually. But what this case shows is the existence of institutionalized and systemic racism and classism that still exists presently, that people vehemently try to deny. Systemic and institutionalized racism and classism have just as great an effect if not the most on the conditions that the inhabitants of this country are in....spiritually impoverished, mentally dead, and on the brink of destruction. Shouldn't the victims of these isms be outraged. WTF?! Are we supposed to be outraged at a different time? In a different way? For a different reason? Why not now?

I just think we sometimes always want to look at what's wrong with anything and everything. Black people are actually organizing in a constructive way for a constructive cause and it's still a problem. Isn't this the solution we all say we need? To unite. Even now that we decide to unite, the unison isn't good enough.

People should be ready to die today. Sorry but that is not realistic. That all people will be ready to give up everything to be a 24 hr activist overnight. I am just happy they took the step to take a stand for something. I see the heart in that. Now its your job to engage and empower them further.

Those people should care about this and not that. Well why don't you get a group together who cares about that, educate us on it, then we can work together to rectify both issues.

Let's realize that the ills of society will not be rectified with one motion, in one week, under one condition. The problem is multidimensional so the solution will be as well. This is the importance of building coalitions. This is the purpose of organizing. This is the purpose of empowerment. We must remain in good spirits focusing on positive outcomes and supporting productive change. We must show our un-support of injustice and demand fairness, equality, and our human rights. Spreading negativity makes you apart of the problem.