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She's Right

Part of me has wanted to shut down all news over the past week and shield my ten-year-old from the coverage, while the other part wanted her to at least have a consciousness about it. Today, she asked about the verdict -- rather, she commented on what her understanding of all this has been.
“So…a lot of people are mad because they think Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin because Trayvon is black.”
In that moment, I had to boil down, cut through the outrage, demonstrations, talking heads, blaming, claiming and tell her what I believed:
“Yeah. That’s true. But here’s what we have to remember: we can’t mind-read or heart-read. Only George knows why he did what he did and…”
She interrupted me “…and God. God knows why he did it.”
“Exactly.” I was frank with her “…but I just can’t imagine how Trayvon’s mom and dad feel. What a nightmare. I mean, their son is gone – he’s dead, honey. And George’s mom? To know that her son took someone else’s life…”
...and I trailed off thinking, wincing, mourning for parents who have had to bury their children and for mothers who have done everything they can to raise decent human beings but yet find themselves visiting a child in prison.

She broke my silent ruminations and said
“It’s tragic.”
She’s right.

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