Random thoughts on the trial of George Zimmerman for the death of Trayvon Martin.

Jimmy Carter said we should respect the jury’s decision. But he said he regrets the decision. That can mean only one thing. He believed Zimmerman to be guilty. He did not attend the trial. He saw and heard no evidence. He simply judged the man guilty.

Zimmerman’s parents have had to go into hiding because of countless death threats. Is this a jungle we live in?

The NAACP president said blacks “face times of great peril.” He called the verdict a modern-day lynching. Blacks do face peril. Thousands are murdered every year. And nearly all their murders are by other blacks. Four black children were gunned down in Chicago during the trial. Does the NAACP do anything seriously about black-on-black crime? Or does it merely blame everybody else. (I write as a lifetime member of the NAACP.)

As for the lynching idea: Nobody witnessed the murder. There were barely any witnesses to any of what went on. The state and federal government went to extra-ordinary lengths to convict Zimmerman. Many millions were spent on behalf of the late Trayvon Martin. Prosecutors withheld a lot of evidence from Zimmerman’s lawyers. Evidence that would work against Trayvon. Hardly a case of a modern day lynching.

Al Sharpton is trying to incite mayhem over this. Inciting riots is his meat and potatoes. A pity he would not use his influence to do something positive once in a while. Something positive for the African American community. Instead, he calls for protests in 100 cities.

Our Attorney General, Eric Holder proclaimed his department will keep hounding Zimmerman in various ways. “Justice must be done,” he said. I wonder how he reacted when OJ was found not guilty. He has exhibited endless racism during his years in office.

An MSNBC host declared “This country is not safe for my sons.” (She is an African American.) You are right, ma’am. Your children are the target of black street gangs. Blacks are 12.5 percent of our population. But nearly 50 percent of murder victims are black. And 93 percent of those victims are killed by other blacks.

Magic Johnson cried out “It makes me sick to my stomach that George Zimmerman was found not guilty.” I suspect that Magic heard sweet little of the evidence. Like millions of others who were prodded by rabid media and race hustlers, he probably decided Zimmerman was guilty a few days after the slaying. For no other reason that Trayvon was black and Zimmerman was white. (Although he is Hispanic, but called white by media.)

People like Johnson and Sharpton and others saw and heard zero evidence. Except second and third and fourth hand. They did not see witnesses. Did not hear them. Did not witness body language. Absent this, they declared a man guilty of murder. And they derided the jurors.

Here are a few lessons you might take from all this: Hope you are never at the wrong place at the wrong time. If the right ingredients are there, media and racists and those with an agenda will barbeque you.

And be ever thankful we have protections of law. Without them we would have mob rule. Led by the likes of Al Sharpton. He brings out the animal nature of so many. He makes me wonder if we have progressed much from the days when mobs tried and butchered witches.

And he makes me wonder what leaders will stand up and call his behavior a disgrace. What leaders have the courage to stand up for genuine justice?

From Tom...as in Morgan.