Zimmerman Verdict Was Outrageous—and Correct

Ta-Nehisi Coates: Sadly, our system worked 'as intended'
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 15, 2013 9:57 AM CDT
Zimmerman Verdict Was Outrageous—and Correct
This combo image made from file photos shows Trayvon Martin, left, and George Zimmerman.   (AP Photos, File)

There are two unavoidable truths about the George Zimmerman trial: First, based on the state's laws and the prosecutors' case, Zimmerman should not have been convicted of anything. And second, "the killing of Trayvon Martin is a profound injustice," writes Ta-Nehisi Coates at the Atlantic. Florida's self-defense laws explicitly state that even if you start a fight, you can use deadly force to end it if you "reasonably believe" you're in danger of "great bodily harm," and the jury's instructions made this abundantly clear.

"The jury's performance may be the least disturbing aspect of this entire affair," Coates argues. "The injustice was authored by a country which has taken as its policy, for [the] lionshare of its history, to erect a pariah class." It's the end result of 200 years of codified, systemic racism. "This is not our system malfunctioning. It is our system working as intended. … You live in a country that ensures that Trayvon Martin will happen," and indeed, has happened again. Fellow Atlantic writer Andrew Cohen has come to much the same conclusion, writing that the case "is above all a blunt reminder of the limitations of our justice system." Our trials examine only "tiny slivers of the truth." (More George Zimmerman stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X