1199SEIU member Alyssha Jacobs is a transporter at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore The verdict in the George Zimmerman trial was unjust. Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch volunteer who took his power too far. He saw an opportunity to be a hero, but instead he became a murderer. In the eyes of millions, he should be locked up. Instead he walks free because of the “Stand Your Ground” law in Florida. This same law couldn't protect a woman who fired warning shots in the air to stop her abusive husband, but that's another story. [In May 2012, a Florida woman was sentenced to 20 years in prison for firing an warning shot.--Editor]To me, from day one, this case was doomed to fail. Zimmerman was never going to be convicted of his crime. How does someone get released to go home after shooting someone to death without charges or a real investigation?Zimmerman was only put on trial because of the outpouring of anger from people across the country. The trial was supposed to show whether Zimmerman was guilty or innocent. The case instead made a mockery of a young teenager who died. The prosecution and Zimmerman supporters tried to make Martin seem like a thug and Zimmerman a saint.I kept thinking to myself what made this case so different. Then it clicked for me that it's not what you know but who you know. Zimmerman was from a family with connections (the 1 percent) as opposed to Martin whose family was part of the 99 percent. Just like when we hand decisions over to the big wigs (like Congress), the outcome favors the person with the fattest pockets. Even when we supposedly give the power to decide to the people (a jury), the outcome is based on emotions manipulated by high-priced attorneys. The result is an injustice.This case hit home for so many of us because we think, “What if it was our brother or son?” Would justice have been served? That is why a message needs to be sent. Our message shouldn’t be one of violence, but rather one of a desire and need to rebuild this movement for real social change.No longer can we afford to sit around and wait for something to change, while more people die needlessly. We’ve got to educate, empower, and get involved. Let this incident begin a new chapter in our lives. Let it spark a flame that brings us out in the streets to protest for peace and brings us together with our youth, so they can be involved in the construction of a better society, instead of being labeled the downfall of our society.Massachusetts 1199ers Respond to Zimmerman Verdict“I feel that George Zimmerman should have been convicted of murder. He killed an unarmed child. Point blank. Period. I just think the whole situation was wrong. If I go out here right now and shoot a white man or a white child, they are going to lock me up and throw away the key. This is an innocent child. It’s not right. Zimmerman should be in jail and not see the light of day. There is no fairness. All of the people on the jury should rot in hell. How can you give a man a pass for taking a child’s life?” ---Brandi Turner, PCA, Dorchester, MA“I just can’t believe that in 2013 our young Black lives mean nothing to society. I can’t believe a lot of people in that community were scared and reacting to Trayvon Martin. He lived in that community. I’m enraged about what happened. Even though the jury exonerated him, [George Zimmerman] should take some accountability for what he did. Had he gone back into his car, like he was instructed to do, that young man would be alive. His poor judgment took a child’s life. Not once did he seem remorseful. It’s crazy.” ---Ruthella Logan-Livingston, PCA, Mattapan, MA“Being acquitted is not right at all. George Zimmerman should be charged with something. All of the evidence they had and he got off scott free. I’m very upset about it. When the verdict came out, I was at my second job, and I was very mad. They announced the verdict over the speaker; everyone was upset. I think that the case should be reopened and the evidence should be looked at even more. Someone is dead and somebody killed him. And if you kill someone