Monday, July 15, 2013

Our New Judicial System: THE MEDIA

The news media really pisses me off.  And the fact that all of us seem to be content to draw our conclusions based on what we see and hear in the news really -REALLY- pisses me off.   It seems we don't really need a criminal justice system any more.  Why pay a judge and lawyers to gather facts and argue a case when we can just have a bunch of reporters gather hearsay and dubious facts about a case and twist them into 10-second sensationalized sound bites?  Suddenly we all know ALL the facts based on what we've been seeing and hearing the media.  Who needs a jury?  What do THEY know?!  We've got the media to give us unbiased and completely accurate facts.  Right?!

People, George Zimmerman was found INNOCENT in a court of law -after a lengthy trial where facts, information, and numerous people's testimony was presented by professionally trained lawyers.  Then a meticulously selected group of jurors who were all given specific guidelines and instructions on how to do their job were entrusted to decide -based on all the REAL evidence and ACTUAL testimony that all of us didn't have access to (but we somehow think we did thanks to the media!)- whether Mr. Zimmerman's actions were criminal. 

George Zimmerman was found INNOCENT -after all that.  Obviously all of Trayvon Martin's family and friends feel that justice was not served.  I can understand that.  But what about the rest of us?!  Why is everyone saying they're going to boycott Florida -that this was a serious miscarriage of justice.  How the HELL do YOU know this was a bad verdict?!  YOU weren't there the night that Zimmerman shot Martin and YOU weren't in court every day, YOU didn't hear actual testimony and see actual evidence and listen to expert testimony.  YOU didn't deliberate with 11 other people to come up with a verdict.  All YOU have to go on is what you heard and saw in the media -and the media's SOLE purpose is to get ratings and sell newspapers.  They purposely stir up controversy and public debate by putting out half-ass information and recycled sensationalized tag lines.  And now, suddenly, we're all experts on what happened that night.  Wow.  There's only two witnesses to what really happened that night -and one of them is dead. That's really, REALLY unfortunate and terrible and sad and frustrating.  But because that's the way things ended up, it's the job of the police (who initially obviously felt that there was NO crime committed since they didn't charge Zimmerman until 5 or 6 weeks later) and the DA and the jury to sort the whole thing out.  Which is what just happened, by the way.

Our judicial system is FAR from perfect.  Innocent people get locked away for years (or put to death in some cases) and guilty people get set free.  It's smart and prudent for us to analyze and question decisions like this.  But in order to make an informed decision on things like this, we need all of the complete facts -NOT- just what we get from the media. 

The case is closed now, so move on.  Stop watching whatever that is disguised as "news" these days and start educating yourself on the real problems facing this country - things that everyone should be ENRAGED about, but no one is.  Our spiraling national debt, a crooked and fixed political system, and companies like Monsanto (with help from the USDA), attempting to control the world's food supply.  Leave George Zimmerman alone.

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