An Attempt to Calm Our Passions

The furor over the killing of Trayvon Martin continues in the news and on the Internet. Intemperate comments flow back and forth, usually between people who only know what they have heard at second or third hand. Some people allege that George Zimmerman, who everyone acknowledges shot and killed a juvenile, was a hate-filled prejudiced person who stalked Trayvon Martin as a quarry and callously killed him. Others just as vociferously reply that Trayvon was a hulking gang-banger who attacked Mr. Zimmerman, threw him to the ground, straddled him and was slamming his head into the ground when Zimmerman fired his gun as a last resort to keep from being mauled. They are having a dialog of the deaf.

The local police department and the prosecutor's office are  being whipsawed between people who want Zimmerman charged with premeditated murder immediately and those who feel he is the victim here, maybe even a hero.

Let us see if we can shed a little light on this tragedy rather than contributing more to the heat, already there in too great an amount.

The police will sift the evidence and make a determination whether there is probable cause for  an arrest. They will present that evidence to the state's attorney, who will transmit it to a grand jury for possible indictment. If the prosecutor thinks there is insufficient evidence for a murder charge, she or he still has a duty to bring a bill for a lesser offense, if there is evidence for that.

And what might that evidence be? Mr. Zimmerman claimed he had been knoocked down, and cited grass stains on the back of his shirt to support the statement. He said he was bleeding from his nose and had a cut on his face and the back of his head. His lawyer said Zimmerman had suffered a broken nose.

Since Mr. Zimmerman was seen at the local hospital, it would be easy to verify or contradict these claims. One can only hope the shirt was checked by the police, photographed or taken into evidence.

The police have been appropriately close-mouthed about other evidence. Were there powder residue marks on Trayvon Martin, for example? If there were, it would demonstrate the two men were close together at the time the gun was fired. If not, of course, that would clearly weaken Mr. Zimmerman's alibi. The photoes of Mr. Martin do seem to be of a younger person. His autopsy will tell the police if he had grown enough to overpower a mature man. Once again, the evidence will support or confute the shooter's version of events.

How did the bullet strike Trayvon Martin? The angle of impact also would confirm or contradict George Zimmerman's story. Did the dying juvenile bleed on Zimmerman? Was his blood on the shooter's shirt? If he was truly on top of Zimmerman, wouldn't it be likely that he bled on his killer? If there is no blood, does that mean the shooter's statement is bogus?

Was it fully dark or was it still dusk? The amount of daylight could determine whether the confrontation was a surprise to one or both of them, or an event that was deliberately brought about by one or the other man.

It is my hope and belief that the police department will be professional enough to conduct a thorough investigation, free from bias, and the state's attorney will act fearlessly as an advocate for the people. I also hope and trust that we all will remember that Mr. Zimmerman is entitled to a presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and to a vigorous competent legal defense if he is charged with a crime.

Good night, everyone. Peace be with you.