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The facts of the case presented by the prosecution and what I expected based on the media accounts were very different.
I initially thought Zimmerman had followed a 12-year-old (the pictures some of the media outlets still use), pointing out to the dispatcher that he was doing so because the kid was black, then initiated a confrontation and shot him. Second-degree murder, life in prison, done.
So for most of this story I wasn't paying close attention, because I figured no jury would let Zimmerman walk, regardless of race.
I read a little more and realized it wasn't that simple. The prosecution then began its case and seemed to prove Zimmerman's defense - the physical altercation was one-sided and Zimmerman was losing.
Therefore, who instigated physical contact seems important. I would have wanted to hear from Zimmerman himself. Just look the jury members in the eye and tell them he was just following the guy.
But I don't think a jury can convict someone when there's doubt, and the evidence supports the defense's story.
Even now, though... Even with most of the facts more-or-less out there and the media outlets more-or-less done with whatever fabrications they need to make to get ratings... it's more a racial issue than it was a month ago.
We all know that following someone is not a crime. But if you're young and black and you're just going to the damned store to buy something, you still get looks. You still get followed by clerks. And when that happens, it's painful. I think there's an emotional violence in this.
I'm not sure what can be done to fix this problem. But I think when we hear about a black kid wandering in a richer neighborhood getting followed, that's the feeling the story invokes.
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