A country divided watched and waited for the verdict on George Zimmerman, who claimed he shot the unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in self-defense in February of 2012. A jury had the option of finding Zimmerman guilty of second-degree murder, manslaughter or not guilty.
A jury delivered a verdict of not guilty late last night and the social sphere has been in an uproar ever since. “I think he has more reason now than ever to think that people are trying to kill him because they express they’re trying to kill him, all the time, every day, on my Twitter feed, on the Internet,” Zimmerman‘s brother told CNN.
A trial that sparked debate on everything from race to gun laws, the state of Florida is now worried about the riots that could ensue over the not guilty verdict.
Seminole County Sheriff Donald Eslinger said, “This is a trying time for all of us. I’d like to remind everyone that the city of Sanford is a peaceful location and it has been since that time 17 months ago. We will not tolerate anyone who uses this verdict as an excuse to violate the law.”
I hope there will be no more violence because it solves nothing and only further promotes pain and suffering for those involved. The focus needs to be on the safety of our children because as adults, it’s our job to watch over them, not shoot them. I pray that we don’t have any other men like George Zimmerman out there because I truly believe there must have been another way, a better way, than killing Trayvon.
My prayers go out to Trayvon Martin‘s family and hope that they can find peace, in spite of the verdict delivered.
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