Quotes, reaction, day after Zimmerman verdict
Jul 15, 2013, 1:47 AM
(AP) – The acquittal of George Zimmerman on all charges in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin spurred protest rallies across the country and once again sparked a nationwide debate over the U.S. justice system and race relations in America.
Here are some key quotes from Sunday:
“There is a difference between the law and what people think is fundamentally justice.”
_ Barbara Arnwine, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a Washington-based civil rights group.
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“I’m sure jurors did what they felt was right in accordance with the law but maybe the law is wrong, maybe society is wrong. There’s a lot that needs fixing.”
_ Jessica Nacinovich, congregant of the Middle Collegiate Church in Manhattan.
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“I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher. But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son.”
_ President Barack Obama.
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“He killed a human being and he walked away from that courthouse scot free. It’s just terrible.”
_ Tara Banks, a 46-year-old black woman from Gainesville, Fla., who said the verdict was causing her to lose faith in the courts.
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“We’re going to raise our voices against the root causes of this kind of tragedy. We’ll aim our fight for justice against the ease with which people can get firearms in this country.”
_ Excerpt of a sermon by the Rev. Jacqueline Lewis at Middle Collegiate Church in Manhattan.
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