Justice vs. idiots.

Idiot is a harsh word, but it's not difficult to not relate to someone and to feel superior to them. Here's an excerpt from http://observer.com/2013/07/fuming-protesters-shut-down-times-square-after-trayvon-martin-verdict/

Kerry McLean, 32, one of thousands who attended, said the protest was “empowering and cathartic.” Ms. McLean maintained that prosecutors had handled the trial badly. “I’m an attorney and it seemed like a circus to me,” she said. “It’s a travesty of justice. I’m really terrified of the message it has sent to the country and the world … The message that black people’s lives have no value in America.”

Here is my line-by-line breakdown of what is wrong with this complete quote.

Kerry McLean, 32, one of thousands who attended, said the protest was “empowering and cathartic.”

I will start with “empowering and cathartic”. A cathartic is a substance that accelerates defecation. catharsis would be to blow off steam, but considering the origin, I still think it would be misused in this case.

Ms. McLean maintained that prosecutors had handled the trial badly.

The handled the trial poorly, not badly. Also, one guesses in what way. Specifics would have helped the statement.

“I’m an attorney and it seemed like a circus to me,” she said.

I have found that most attorney's respect the system even if they disagree with it. I was also unable to find her bar number in the state of New York. I was curious which type of attorney she claimed to be.

“It’s a travesty of justice. I’m really terrified of the message it has sent to the country and the world … The message that black people’s lives have no value in America.”

I am not clear how a trial is a travesty of justice. The message that it sent to world was that a trial happened, which is unlike many other places. I tried to find a racial breakdown of acquittals based upon race of the jury, but I could not. I am not convinced that in modern America, race has much to do with acquittals. Considering that 1/2 of the jury was picked by the prosecution, I am sure the prosecution thought they had the best chance of conviction with their jury choices. If one thinks that the jury was imbalanced, where were the hispanic men?

I do not really care of the outcome of the trial of Zimmerman, but I am not one to second guess the jury. The quality of the observer article is really terrible, and it makes Ms. McClean look to be an idiot. If I were to get my information from the observer, I would probably not understand the facts, and I am sure that I would not agree with any position backed by Ms. McClean. Ms. McClean, the press made you look like an idiot, and I would keep that in mind when making decisions about others. Also, could someone please send Orla Ryan back to English class.