Zimmerman Verdict: Do You Agree?

On Saturday night, a Florida jury came back with a not guilty verdict for George Zimmerman, the Florida man who had been charged with second-degree murder for shooting unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012.

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Since then, it seems that the case and verdict have been all anyone has been talking about on social media. There were protests in New York City and across the country. 

The NY Daily News published Port Chester resident Kayla Spizzirri's thoughts on the Zimmerman verdict this week. She told the News that she was "shocked and disgusted by the verdict" and that Zimmerman should have "at least been found guilty of manslaughter or negligent homicide." 

A Port Chester Patch Facebook user agreed with Spiizzirri's opinion that Zimmerman should have been found guilty and expressed anger over crime against black men in general.  

Another Patch Facebook user felt race was a factor in this case. Michael Esposito wrote: "It seems anytime it is a minority that is the victim there is outrage if the outcome of a trial is an acquittal, but if it is the other way around then it is ok, ie. the O.J. Simpson trial. Enough said."

A Patch blogger felt readers should accept the verdict and not make it a race issue, stating that the case was not a racial case:

"The normal pot stirrers are up in arms still trying to make this a racial case," the blogger wrote.

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Some individuals are declaring themselves allies to victims of racism and violence on the Tumblr page We Are Not Trayvon Martin.

Four days later, what are your feelings on the verdict? On the local response? Do you think policies, such as Florida's Stand Your Ground law, need to change? How can we prevent such a tragedy in the future? Or should we even try to?

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