Suggestion:

If you work in, live in, or travel through an area that is ....urban, I highly suggest that you make plans for when (not if!) George Zimmerman is found "not guilty".

Maybe I am wrong here, (but I am likely not...!) but I fully expect a great deal of unrest when the verdict is announced. The veneer of civilization is very thin for some folks.

Here are some examples of comments made by people regarding the current trial. Yeah, it is easy to be an internet (or Twitter) commando....But not everyone who thinks this way will be talking about it, nor will all of those who do talk about it just talk,

Remember the Rodney King Riots? Are you prepared to be blamed for the incident and for the color of your skin?  Are you prepared to be like Reginald Denny? How about Matthew Owens? You might not survive the next racially motivated beating.

Thing is, every segment of our society has it's own view of "Outsiders" and many are quick to blame anyone from the "outside" and take sides with folks who are not "outsiders". Racial rage is huge in some segments of our citizens. And despite the fact that this is 2013, racism is strong in many segments of our society. No matter what the colors.

And some folks need very little excuse to find a reason to shake off the cloak of civilization. Some folks will see a face paler than theirs and blame that person for all of the ills in their small segment of society....Some of those same folks will blame anyone that doesn't look like them for the death of Trayvon Martin.....and, especially in large mobs crowds,  they will act poorly...Often to the detriment of a single person the crowd singles out.

So the point of this post? If you live near a group of people like described above, or travel through such a neighborhood... or work in such an area...then you had better make plans for the day (coming soon!) when things might turn .....ugly.

If you like in an area where you might be targeted, then either make plans to be somewhere else for a week or so, or make plans to hunker down and stay out of sight. Not leave your home for a week, or leave early. Find another place to stay. Perhaps a family member or a friend can shelter you and yours for a week or so.

If you work in such an area, make plans to shelter in your workplace for a day or three. Maybe longer. Or keep abreast of the trial news and arrange with your boss to leave early if and when....and stay away until it is safe to return. (this actually happened to my father many years ago, in Chicago in '68? He was, IIRC, sheltered by a co worker who lived in the area, who was a good person and was concerned for his safely, so they basically hid him in their home)

If you travel through areas that might be dicey when the verdict is announced, then the time to scout other routes is right now. Find alternates which pass through "better" areas. find alternates to those, just in case. Drive them now, so you will recognize them when things turn ugly.

If you take public transportation, then plan ahead, Again, find alternative routes/methods to get home in a safe manner. Maybe take enough cash to hire a cab. Find a co-worker who you can ride with when things happen.

And no, you cannot carry enough "personal protection" to stand up to a large mob. Better not to be there when it happens. That's the only safe way. 

Above all,  make plans for the looming situation. Be prepared. Don't plan to handle this on the spur of the moment. Plan on paying attention to the news as the trial comes to a verdict and adjust accordingly. Hopefully there will be no issues. But with the race baiters and the media ...and now twitter and facebook, things might blow up...quickly.

Choose now not to be a victim then.