George Zimmerman is a name that will live in infamy.
The man who was acquitted of murder charges in the death of Trayvon Martin is the modern day O.J. Simpson. John Q. Public was convinced of their guilt. Yet, they are acquitted of high profile murders sending the public into a frenzy. The public is split on the decision. Some are fairly certain the justice system failed the deceased parties and their families. Others are overjoyed that the system got it right again. Meanwhile, O.J. and Zimmerman fade into obscurity find themselves in the headlines once again for brushes with the law/going to jail. It makes you wonder.
When will they learn to lay low?
The public loves controversy. We eat it up as soon as the biggest trial moves across the CNN screen. Some people are addicted to fame/infamy. It’s a perfect mixture for those who love watching drama and their counterparts who like to be in it. It’s no wonder O.J. and Zimmerman keep finding themselves in situations that warrant headlines. Their names are newsworthy. In O.J’s case, he was sent to jail for robbery. Prior to that, he came out with a book detailing how he would have killed his ex-wife, Nicole Brown-Simpson, and Ron Goldman. He even tried to sell the murder weapon (For millions. Millions. If you didn’t kill them, then why do you have the murder weapon??!).
Simpson was a walking manual on how to get negative press.
Zimmerman could have used O.J. as a blueprint of what not to do after being acquitted of murder. Instead of going away quietly, Zimmerman has chosen to live very loudly which only makes you question his guilt more. Since the trial, Zimmerman has saved a family in a car wreck, gotten in several domestic disputes with girlfriends/family members, has been caught selling fake paintings, and retweeted a photo of Trayvon Martin’s dead body.
I have to stop right here.
Not only did Zimmerman kill the kid (admittedly), he takes to social media and shares the photo of a teenage corpse. How remorseless can you be? That was a very bold display of stupidity. The man who was acquitted in the murder of Trayvon Martin sent out a picture of the victim’s body to the social media masses. It goes without saying that Twitter blew a gasket. Rightfully so. Here we have a man acquitted of a crime where many people question his innocence. America starts protesting (peacefully), and that sparks off a recent slough of African-American males being killed by the police. The man then revels in his actions by sending out a photo of the victim’s corpse.
And I’m supposed to believe he didn’t have ill intent? Come on, man.
Moving on.
The latest Zimmerman saga is right in line with his predecessor. He is looking to sell the gun that killed Trayvon. It is being billed as “a piece of American history”, and will start auction bidding at $5,000. Some of the proceeds will be used to fight the Black Lives Matter movement, and go against the Clinton campaign’s anti-gun stance.
The symbolism is astounding.
The guy who was aspiring to be a cop took the like off a teenager in a vigilant act. This event was the preliminary to rumblings of the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement focuses on police brutality and the lack of justice for unarmed African-Americans killed. Subsequently, police brutality and systemic racism have become a hot button issues. The gun that ultimately sparked a movement is being used to silence it.
The irony of it all.
On top of that, we have the compassionate side of this. Not only does the family have to relive the death of their son, his death is being used for profit by the person that killed him. That’s not right. In fact, it’s downright disgusting. However, I’m past the point of being mad. By now we should know Zimmerman feels more than justified in his actions. From the statements made on his 911 call to his twitter rant, it is clear Zimmerman does not care.
What life holds for George Zimmerman one will never know. It’s safe to say this isn’t the last we’ve heard of him. This man seems to continually represent what is wrong with America. Yet, he is free to do so because America, right? Whatever the case, we will watch. We will pay attention. All the while, we will wonder about this man who is becoming infamous.
This is the curious case of George Zimmerman.
[Image Credit Flickr via DonkeyHotey]
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