Enlightened Racism

I thought they'd arrest him,
but when they found a Koran in his house,
they had him executed
--V for Vendetta (2005)

We are oft to blame in this,
-- Tis too much proved -
that with devotion's visage and pious action,
we do sugar o'er the devil himself
--Hamlet, Shakespeare
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Let me preface this by saying, this topic should not be plastered across the daily news. However, we cannot resist easy armchair quarter-backing and fueling our personal animosities.

We mentioned Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's recent non-trial yesterday. Legal Web site Justia asked last month if it would be “The Trial of the Century?”, the "it" being the KSM trial. Check out the recent news and that designator seems to have quickly morphed into the emotional deets surrounding the Zimmerman trial in Florida.

One would think matters of State like the charges that were revived against KSM and four other suspects in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks would concern us, but those things do not allow us the high entertainment value and facile judgements that come with a sordid Southern small town shooting, kitted out with the combustible media overlay of racial profiling (Trial in Martin Case, Filled With High Emotion).

The Daily Kos recently sent me a petition to stop the sale of shooting targets depicting a faceless figure in a hoodie. The site has 1,524 entries to date under the tag, "Trayvon Martin . . . the boy who was carrying a bag of skittles and an iced tea."

Is it tasteless to exploit a tragedy? Sure. But no moreso than the bloody Hadji target we featured recently here; yet inexplicably, Daily Kos has no beef with that blood lust. If one hewed to democratic principles, then the delight in gore would be eschewed regardless of its ethnic guise. Save, for many good liberals, only some topics tickle their sympathies. It is this inconsistency of compassion which makes them hard to take seriously.

It is horrifying and heartbreaking to witness the impassioned partisanship over what should be strictly judicial issues. Before any decision is rendered, we are fighting mad on behalf of whatever dog we affiliate with, for whatever reason. Remember the furor surrounding the Anita Hill - Clarence Thomas hearings, the Duke Lacrosse (non-) rape case or the O.J. Simpson trial? People were not interested in justice being served, so much as airing their personal proclivities; these trials served as vicarious vendettas for many.

Why are so many liberals assuming the guilt of George Zimmerman? Why are conservatives tending toward his innocence? Whatever side you're on, you are a racial bigot. The judge should move to seal key evidence in the case from the public until trial.

That a company sees profit in making and a cohort of consumers will buy a suggestive target to shoot speaks of the frustration many feel. We are losing our grip on democratic form when we try people in the public domain.

As an aside, today's WaPo reports, "Bristol Palin show finally ready to run -- After being retooled again, the reality show focusing on her life as a single mother will debut in June." Well at least that, right?

It is becoming increasingly hard to believe we are a serious nation.