George and Trayvon who?

 

Let us pray for a quick verdict in the Zimmerman trial so that we can put this whole thing behind us, never to be mentioned again.

I would bet that within five years most Americans would answer, “George and Trayvon who?” when asked about this case.

The endless coverage given to this trial on cable TV news is astounding. And stupid. The cable networks even devoted considerable live coverage to the judge and attorneys on Thursday hammering out jury instructions. Wow. In sheer terms of wasted air time, that rivals the 6-hour pre-game broadcasts for the Super Bowl.

The fact of the matter is that, if the defendant and victim in this case were both white, this story would have never extended beyond the Tampa area. Once again, this story demonstrates America’s obsession with racial issues. I can vividly imagine news editors at the cable stations – and even those in distant parts of Florida – passing on this story altogether if race was not perceived as a major factor.

The staff meeting would go something like this: “Two guys get in a fight. One gets blown away. Sounds like manslaughter to me. Let’s move on.”

Just two years ago, the Casey Anthony trial was the big sensation. How many people remember the details of that case? Two months ago, the newest sensational case centered on a trial for a woman who killed her boyfriend. How many people have already forgotten her name?

*****

Another annoying aspect of this case is that it is reverberating politically. At the far ends of the spectrum, from Al Sharpton to Sean Hannity, the right is demanding an acquittal for Zimmerman and the left is ready to cry foul if a not-guilty verdict emerges, in effect a jury endorsement of the neighborhood watch guy’s behavior.

I don’t see how this case, which tests the limits of neighborhood protection and self-defense, can take on partisan or political overtones. Yet, Twitter and Facebook comments already foretell a huge outpouring no matter what the jury decides.

The most bizarre claim amid all the usual misinformation on FB is that President Obama, who certainly has his hands full at the White House, is somehow manipulating the outcome of case.

Locally, we have two conservative Republican activists, Ron Dwyer and Wayne Bradley, engaged in a long, nasty, name-calling fight on FB, with many others joining in. Apparently, if you side with Trayvon in this case you are considered a GOP traitor and should be permanently branded as a liberal – or worse. And if you are a juror who votes for a conviction, you are an un-American moron – or worse.