George Zimmerman vs. Trayvon Martin Trial

Not guilty was the decision made by the jury during the George Zimmerman vs. Trayvon Martin trial. That verdict may have been the most controversial one of recent time. Many people were upset by the decision and felt that justice was not achieved for the young victim, Martin who was seventeen years old when he was killed. This incident seems to be a tragic example of stereotyping and racial profiling. It is also an example of how a verdict, based on the strict interpretation of the law can be the wrong verdict.

The case involved a neighborhood watchman, who happened to be on duty when he saw a young black man wearing a sweater jacket called a “hoodie”, walking through the neighborhood. George Zimmerman, the watchman, who was twenty-eight years old at the time, called authorities about a suspicious character walking around in his neighborhood. The authorities told him not to do anything; just continue with his rounds and not worry. Zimmerman, however, decided he would take matters into his own hands. He confronted the young man; they got into a brawl and Zimmerman pulled out a gun and shot and killed Martin. That premise will play a role in this paper as an argument as to why George Zimmerman should have been convicted of committing a crime. Even if the jury could not have reasons to convict him of the second degree murder of Trayvon Martin; they had other choices.

Stereotyping happens when individual members of a group are considered to all be alike. The judgment made of the group can be based on such factors as sexual orientation, religion or race. Racial profiling is a technique used by law enforcement officers to target people of a certain race. Therefore, being a young African American male can make one a target. Just a f...

... middle of paper ...

... Till, Evers, King and Martin all seem to be cases of stereotyping and racial profiling. These cases make it seem as if justice was not served and that the wrong verdict was rendered initially. That is the same situation with the Zimmerman vs. Martin case. . Hopefully justice will prevail, in time, just as in the cases cited and George Zimmerman will be placed behind bars for a long time; the place where he belongs. If history repeats itself, a wrong verdict will be overturned.

Works Cited

Verdict and More: Get caught up on the George Zimmerman Case." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 04 Nov. 2013.

Krauthammer, Charles. "The Zimmerman Case and Human Justice | National Review Online."

National Review Online. N.p., 18 July 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.

Tucker, Eric, and Pete Yost. "The Big Story." The Big Story. N.p., 14 July 2013. Web. 25 Oct.

2013.