Stand By Your Man

A firearms foundation based in Ohio has raised $12,150.37 which they've sent as a cashier check to George Zimmerman, the man who killed the unarmed Trayvon Martin in Florida, but was acquitted of manslaughter.

"The Department of Justice refused to return him his gun, and he's in need of protection," said Ken Hanson, the organization's legal chairman.

That would seem to be an awfully nice gun that Mr. Zimmerman can buy for $12,150.37.  Perhaps he'll get one with pearl handles.  Or maybe a howitzer.  In fairness, the foundation says that he can use the money for anything to do with his security -- a home system perhaps, body armor or to help pay his court costs, Mr. Hanson adds.

I certainly understand all the support that George Zimmerman has received from racists and non-racists alike, people who believe that they admire what he did or just feel that the fellow deserves assistance.  It would be nice if they felt the same about the family of the young, unarmed teenager who had been killed.  Then again, as long as they want to pay for George Zimmerman to buy a gun to replace the one he lost, perhaps they might want to consider raising money for the Martin family to purchase a gun for protection, since they never had one in the first place.  But to each their own.

What I always like to ask such people in similar situations is a pretty basic question:  how would you feel about George Zimmerman if it had been your son or brother who he'd killed?

Usually that kind of question gets a lot of mumbling and er's and a look of shock.  Usually left unsaid, but spoken loudly in their expression is, "I'd like him hung by his thumbs and then beaten to a pulp."  To be clear, I don't think people's reaction after a personal tragedy is THE ultimate response.  That's why we have dispassionate laws to deal with these kinds of things.  But it's good to be able to at least look at such events from a wider perspective than the myopia we usually get.

Standing tall for George Zimmerman who you believe stood his ground may sound swell if you don't think too hard and long about it, but at a certain point it's good to...well, think about it.  Life isn't generally black and white -- as much as George Zimmerman and his supporters might want to look at it that way.

What I'd also like to know is what person donated an amount of money that ended with 37 cents?  But I acknowledge that that's not of major interest to most people here.