My Sunday mornings are routine. I arise with devotion, go to worship, return home for dinner and relax to prepare for the work week. However, July 14 was quite different when I learned of the results of the Trayvon Martin case ("Jury's verdict: Zimmerman not guilty," July 14). I was not really shocked or surprised; I was overwhelmingly disappointed in trying to understand the verdict.
Like many Americans, I monitored the court proceedings and struggled with the legal procedures. Several questions kept coming to mind: How did this tragedy begin? Who started it? Somehow, neither of these questions mattered. We have a teenager shot and killed, reputation tarnished and an acquittal. Was justice served and where do we go from here?
It is very difficult to understand how a Florida county comprised of 30 percent blacks and Hispanics and a city that is more than 50 percent of the same demographic can result in the makeup of the jury that determined this case.
From day one, this was a challenging case. It took 45 days (or longer) and national protests before the suspect was arrested and 16 hours for a verdict. Perhaps the data are meaningless but, again, was justice truly served?
One thing is certain, parents of children of color must not take for granted that our kids are as shielded with the same societal protections as others' children. It is our duty to insist our youngsters conduct and present themselves in the most positive and non-threatening manner. Is this absolutely possible? Maybe not.
Until "justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream," there will be only "just-us" for a select few and not the justice that we all deserve.
Dwight C. Williams
Latham