Jumping to Conclusions

Trayvon and Zimmerman.

You know who I am talking about...everyone does.  Thanks to the media outlets, we all have a narrative about the FL shooting incident in our mind as soon as those names come across our eyes or ears.

Unfortunately, I believe that the vast majority of us have a skewed image of reality in this case...an understanding that has been tainted by bias and fueled by rage.

Horrible things were done to black people throughout our nation's history... inexcusable treatment.  And too often the people doing the harm were "Chrsitian" whites, some of whom even used the Bible to try and defend the notion of slavery or injustice.

I apologize for those who did not treat fellow humans with dignity.  I don't apologize as a white man, I apologize as a Christian who grasps both the depravity of humanity's inherent nature and who hates when Scripture is used in an unbiblical way.

But as a recent article noted...

Let us talk sense, like adults. Nothing that is done to George Zimmerman — justly or unjustly — will unlynch a single black man who was tortured and killed in the Jim Crow South for a crime he didn’t commit.


The anger over past transgression that rose up when people heard of Trayvon's death was understandable.  That does not mean that it was acceptable.  When movie director Spike Lee tweets the address of a home that he "believes" to be Zimmermans...we have to be fearful for the real occupant and we should be questioning what motive would prompt such a thing.

The New Black Panthers taking out a bounty on George Zimmerman does little to make right any former wrongs.  It only increases the divide and increases the tension.  Everyone should have stayed calm, not jumped to conclusions, and waited for the facts.

As it turns out, I have a strong belief that Zimmerman is telling the truth.  Take a look at the facts...I am not going to recount them here, you should go and look for yourself (that's the point of my post).  I think that the true account is of an overzealous neighborhood watch guy whose actions lured a teenager into an assault.  I don't think Zimmerman was completely innocent of contributing to the circumstances that led to the fight and the shooting, but I am sure that he didn't "hunt the boy down in cold racist blood."

We live in a nation of 30 second sound bytes and spoon-fed truth.  We need to return to the basics of investigating a matter for ourselves before we decide on our position.  Unfortunately, in this case it is too late and Zimmerman has been indicted due to political pressure.

Yet, it may not be too late for the next time that a major sensationalist story comes across your screen or airwaves.  When it does remember these steps...

Stop
Think objectively
Consult multiple places for information
Be patient
Pray for wisdom and clarity as you formulate your own opinions
Voice your opinion respectfully if called to do so

If we could just grasp the importance of thinking through such volatile and complex circumstances, the world would be a better place.