It’s been almost a week since George Zimmerman’s not guilty verdict was reached and everyone has had an opinion about the verdict.
The verdict almost crashed Twitter as many turned to the popular social media service to express their concerns over the injustice or justice of it all, depending on whose side you were on.
Professional athletes and other celebrities chimed in about the verdict.
Everyday people chimed in about the verdict.
If you look across the internet, comments are everywhere regarding the case. Many commentators on our site and have gone to head with one of our writer’s, Fernando “The Word Pimp” Quijano’s, opinions in particular.
And one thing that was for certain was that this case created a racial divide between those who supported Trayvon Martin and his family, and those who supported Zimmerman’s actions.
So much in fact that immediately in the aftermath, many people began unfairly comparing this to the OJ case from many years ago.
And through all of this social commentary about the case, there was one man who the world has yet to hear from regarding this case.
That man was Barack Obama and he decided to break his silence on this highly divisive topic.
President Obama said Friday that Trayvon Martin could have been him.
He said “Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago” in his first live comments since a Florida jury acquitted George Zimmerman last weekend in the teenager’s shooting death.
He also said protests over the verdict should remain nonviolent.
The president said Americans are aware of the “history of racial disparity in our criminal laws” and said the government should review some state and local legislation, such as Florida’s “stand your ground” law, saying they may promote rather than discourage violent confrontations.
Obama had already issued a written statement on Sunday noting that the jury had spoken and urging calm and reflection.
On Friday, he also said successive generations of Americans have gotten better at changing attitudes on race, but “we have to be vigilant and work on these issues.”
He also addressed the people calling for the White House and the federal government to intervene by filing federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman, and Obama said they must “have some clear expectations here.”
He stressed that law enforcement and the criminal code “is traditionally done at the state and local levels, not at the federal level.”
What do you guys think about the President coming forward and finally speaking about this issue? We would love to see your comments below.
