President Barack Obama while acknowledging an emotionally charged climate rightly called for “calm reflection” following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
Obama said that “We are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken.” His statement will calm the strong passions evoked by the Florida all-white jury’s acquittal of Zimmerman.
President Obama, himself an African-American deep in his heart must be disgusted over acquittal, but as president oft the US, he has to strongly back the judicial process, however flawed it is, especially when the victim is black, the murderer is white and the jury is all-white. Somehow US is still not that color blind given its democratic institutions and a beacon of civil and human rights.
The question is how can a watchman shoot a young unarmed kid to death, when the firearm could have been used to shoot to disable the agitated kid. This exposes the very nasty gun culture the US has. Without justice there can never be permanent peace. Good judicial institutions will save huge state funds in having better laws and create more harmonious society.
Given high unemployment among the blacks and overall economic woes, such a verdict can provide fuel to pent-up anger and frustration. Only hope that responsible black civil rights leaders would calm the situation by re-assuring the black community that the struggle for equal rights and justice is still on, and that day is not far when the US society at all levels will be color blind. Once US stems the tide of gun violence, it will also have sobering effect in the aS Administration which rushes to armed conflicts and invariably fuels the killing by providing so-called lethal arms for self-defense. The US has to provide leadership in the struggle for global disarmament. — Seif A. Somalya, Jeddah
