Florida "Justice:" Zimmerman Acquitted

We'll let Charles P. Pierce sum things up:

And, of course, this was Not About Race because nothing is ever About Race. The prosecutors even told us that it wasn't About Race. The defense won its case because this was Not About Race. The sharp guys and pundits will spend all weekend explaining how Race was an element of the events that night, but that the case, ultimately, was not About Race. And because this case was Not About Race, nothing out of our history counts, because our history, here in the land of the free, is Not About Race, either. Because our history is Not About Race, a few weeks ago, when the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, what happened on the Edmund Pettus Bridge was not relevant. Because our history is Not About Race, last night, Emmett Till was not relevant, even though a few people inconveniently brought him up. But that was years ago, and the country has changed, and it is John Roberts' Day Of Jubilee, and this trial was Not About Race because nothing is About Race any more.

Calm is prevailing. For now. At least, that's something. There will be much for George Zimmerman to do. Things may be a little rough back home, but there will be the victory tour on Fox. And the inevitable book deal. There will be the long career as a hero to the people in the communities that feel themselves besieged by assholes and fucking punks [*] in their hoodies. There will be a long, lovely ride surfing the strange and wonderful celebrity that will befall him now because he stood up to the people who defend the rights of asshoes and fucking punks to walk in their hoodies through neighborhoods where they don't belong, according to him, George Zimmerman, American hero.

Of course, the genesis of this atrocity is in the ALEC - promoted "stand your ground" legislation that found its way into Florida law, as well as the laws or case laws of other states controlled by the NRA Republicans.  As played out by this tragedy, such laws merely give license to self-appointed vigilantes like Zimmerman to hunt anyone who seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, fully confident that they can use deadly force if challenged.

Needless to say, the goiters on the neck of American politics are thrilled.

UPDATE:  More "justice" is served in Florida.

* For those who didn't follow the testimony in the trial, this was the language employed by Zimmerman in describing potential perp and Skittles-packer Trayvon Martin.