Friday, April 13, 2012

The trial of the millenium

The Daily Show with Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Zimdecision 2012 - The Trial of the Millennium
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical Humor & Satire BlogThe Daily Show on Facebook

Funny, huh? But serious, too. This is where the media lose me. We have trials for a reason, and I have zero interest in seeing them turn into a circus.

When it comes to the Trayvon Martin killing, this is all I wanted. This won't settle the political issues - not the "stand your ground" gun laws, and certainly not the issue of race in America - but it will settle the legal guilt or innocence of George Zimmerman, using the best way we've ever found to determine such things.

Did you follow the O. J. Simpson trial? Not me. Do you think he was really guilty? He was found "not guilty" in a court of law. I have to think that the jurors knew a lot more about the case than I did - than any of us idle bystanders did. And that's the extent of my interest in it.

We have a process for such determinations. I'm not saying that jurors are infallible, far from it. But this is the best way we've ever discovered of determining the truth about such things. It's far from perfect, but it's the best we've got. And that certainly includes determining guilt by media coverage.

This is what I wanted from the beginning - a trial. This tragic incident wouldn't have received so much notice if the killing hadn't seemed to be shrugged off by the police and other officials. This sets that right.

It doesn't, and it won't, settle anything else than the legal culpability of George Zimmerman. Clearly, mistakes were made. Otherwise, we wouldn't have a dead kid - an unarmed dead kid. But at least he'll get justice. It won't be perfect justice, no matter what  happens. But this is the best we can do.

So I'm done. This is where the media lose me. I have no interest in making a circus of it. Guilty or not guilty, the jury will decide. And that's the way it should be.

2 comments:

Jeff said...

Are you not entertained??
Are you not entertained??
Is this not why you are here??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsqJFIJ5lLs

This is the best I could come up with. I've been bogged down with a bad cold for the past week, so I'm just now starting to get my thinking processes back.

I read your take in this morning's LJS about the required Pledge Of Allegiance law.

http://journalstar.com/news/local/education/state-ed-board-discusses-changing-rule-to-require-pledge-of/article_8a57288b-e578-5f7a-b734-cebee75a027c.html

When will we ever learn? Why not go the whole nine yards and start singing "Deutschland Uber Alles?"

We have become what we despise...

Bill Garthright said...

Sorry to hear you've been sick, Jeff.

Re. my comments at the LJS, I don't take a lot of time with them. I probably shouldn't comment at all, since I have more than enough to do here, but I get drawn into it. :)