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From VOA Learning English, |
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this is "In The News." |
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Americans continue to react to the decision |
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in the murder trial of George Zimmerman. |
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Last week, a jury in the southern state of Florida |
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found that he was not guilty |
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in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. |
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The unarmed teenager was killed last year |
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in a struggle with the defendant. |
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At the time, George Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch volunteer |
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in his community in Florida. |
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Trayvon Martin, an African American, |
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was walking to the home of his father's girlfriend |
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at the time of the killing. |
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George Zimmerman is a white Hispanic man. |
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He called police to report Trayvon Martin |
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as a suspicious person in the neighborhood. |
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He followed the teenager, although police told him not to. |
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The two fought. |
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Mr. Zimmerman says he acted in self-defense |
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after he was attacked by the young man. |
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Under Florida law, people can use deadly force to fight back |
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if they feel their lives are in danger. |
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Soon after the six woman jury reached its decision on Saturday, |
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people used social media and public protests |
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to express their opinion about the verdict. |
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"No justice. No peace. Trayvon! Justice for Trayvon!" |
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Many protests have been held across the United States since the trial. |
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Hundreds of people demonstrated in Chicago, Illinois. |
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They expressed opposition to what activist Dickey Gaines says |
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was a predetermined verdict -- one reached before the trial. |
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"Because there was a lot of people across this country |
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that was in favor of George Zimmerman being acquitted |
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by virtue of them donating money to his defense, |
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so that was a clear indication early on people |
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was in support of him being acquitted in this case." |
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Casey David Cole Senior was one such supporter. |
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He spoke to reporters near the Sanford, Florida courthouse, |
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where the trial took place. |
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"I'm here to express my opinion. |
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I believe that George Zimmerman is an innocent man." |
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For Chicago protester Bryan Burroughs, |
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the case is clear in his mind. |
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"Trayvon Martin was guilty of nothing |
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but being black in a mostly white neighborhood." |
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Activist Dickey Gaines says the ruling has not changed his belief |
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that George Zimmerman targeted the teenager because he was black. |
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"He focused on Trayvon because of Trayvon's skin color." |
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Hans von Spakovsky works for the Heritage Foundation |
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research group here in Washington. |
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He says the legal action against Mr. Zimmerman should end now. |
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"If the Justice Department continues to pursue this case when, |
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one, he's been found innocent and, |
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two, we know there's no racial animus |
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which is necessary for a civil rights violation, |
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that once again makes it look like politics |
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is driving the prosecution, not justice." |
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Racial inequality in the United States goes back centuries. |
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The issue of slavery was a major reason |
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for the nation's civil war in the 1860s. |
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But discrimination continued after black slaves were freed. |
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And racial tensions still exist. |
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Greg Carr is chairman of Afro-American Studies at Howard University, |
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a historically black college here in Washington. |
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"One thing that's tangible that can come out of this verdict |
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is a renewed commitment to addressing people, |
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and not looking to the courts -- not looking to the law |
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to somehow regulate or change people's hearts and minds." |
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Mr. Carr warns that if a civil rights case |
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were brought against George Zimmerman and lost, |
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it would increase the distrust of many people. |
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But if such a case were won, he says, |
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Americans would look to the courts, |
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not within themselves, for racial healing. |
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And that's "In The News" from VOA Learning English. |
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I'm Steve Ember. |
