USA Africa Dialogue Series - George Zimmerman, OJ Simpson, Obama¹s Racial Optimism, and Bush Obama America

George Zimmerman, OJ Simpson, Obama’s Racial Optimism, and Bush Obama America

by David J Dent

There is a short letter to the editor in the Orlando Sentinel in which a Florida resident was devastated and shocked by the verdict. She wrote: “...the jurors were offered two paths to follow in coming to their decision regarding ...guilt or innocence...the well-traveled path of racism and vengeance. It is a clear path, because many people, both black and white, have traveled it before....,  the more difficult path leading to justice and equality for all... hasn't been traveled often, and it is precarious and exhausting to follow. Perhaps the jurors were just too tired to choose that path...I had hoped that these jurors, with all the world watching, would courageously make the tougher choice. I am so disappointed. Yet, something inside me says, Maybe next time.'

The letter writer was not referring to the Zimmerman case. The letter appeared in the newspaper on October 6, 1995, a couple of days after a predominantly black jury found OJ Simpson not guilty. Over the past week, I could not escape thoughts of the OJ Simpson trial when thinking of Zimmerman. There is a chilling dissimilarity in looking at the media coverage of the responses to both verdicts...

Click here to read the full article on BushObamaAmerica.com.
Click here to read on Huffington Post.