General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Mea Culpa... [View all]alsame
(7,784 posts)have a
The older I get, the more convinced I am that people are hard wired differently - you are either capable of empathy and compassion for the broader human community or you are not.
The inability to empathize with people who are different is what leads to racism, homophobia, xenophobia, misogyny. And unfortunately, large segments of our population are proud of this.
The media keeps emphasizing that the jury just couldn't relate to Trayvon and Rachel. So what? When did it become morally acceptable to believe and empathize only with those like ourselves? Particularly if you are on a jury in a murder trial?
You know what I have in common with Rachel Jeantel? NOTHING. And yet I believed her, I could understand and relate to her emotions as she testified.
I have no kids of my own but I cried for Trayvon just like I cried for the Sandy Hook children. I'm not a mother but I can empathize with the grief of his parents.
On the other hand, I'm a white woman and B37 made my skin crawl, she's a disgusting racist. Listening to her interview was surreal for me, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I kept wondering where the humanity was, where was the moral outrage that an innocent teen was shot and killed for nothing? It wasn't there and I just could not relate to a woman like this.
My personal opinion about this case was that there was institutional racism from the moment the Sanford PD arrived at the scene. And it culminated with the verdict. And that's not only a tragedy for the African American community, it's also a tragedy for our country and for all of us with a sense a human decency.