As I watched portions of Rachel Jeantel’s testimony, my heart ached.
My heart was incredibly heavy, not so much because of the basis of the trial, but more for Jeantel herself.
Instantly as she began to speak, I was able to separate all aspects of the trial and focus completely on Jeantel. I imagined myself in her shoes and I felt how scared, confused, intimidated, and yes – even how pissed off she was at times.
To be a key witness in a trial that will determine the fate of George Zimmerman, a man who is being charged with the second degree murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, would be a lot of pressure for anyone to deal with. Naturally, that pressure is intensified for someone who has never been in such an intense situation or who is ill-equipped to adequately deal with pressure in general.
And then there’s the fact that the witness is in a courtroom primarily filled with people she doesn’t know. Oh, yeah, there is also the pressure of having television cameras and photographers present to record everything being said.
Such a situation would be difficult for anyone – especially someone who is darn-near a child herself.
Jeantel is only 19-years-old and though she may look a bit older, she is still a teenager. A teen who may or may not have the academic acumen of some of the kids you know, but a teen nonetheless.
It seems like people have forgotten that very important fact.
Some of the questions that defense attorney Don West asked Jeantel were restated versions of his previous questions – an obvious strategy that any defense attorney would use. But, for someone on the receiving end, who has been on the witness stand for multiple hours, such tactics can be a bit confusing or even irritating. There were times when Jeantel inappropriately showed her frustration; but there were also times when West spoke to Jeantel in a very condescending and even disrespectful manner.
It is important to meet people where they are at that particular point in their lives and go from there. I understand such a perspective would not be beneficial or even logical for a defense attorney, but there must be a level of respect given to every witness. West is not the first attorney to undermine a witness (that’s actually part of their jobs), nor is he the first to yell at a person on the stand. However, I can’t help but wonder if Jeantel looked differently or even if her dialect were different, if West would have behaved in a more appropriate manner.
My same questions arise relative to the public’s response of Jeantel too.
Would people have reacted differently to Jeantel if she looked different and spoke differently?
The reality is, probably so.
As I learned of some of the things people of all races said about Jeantel, my soul became troubled.
There were mockeries – references to slave women, comparisons to African-American actresses who have dark skin and are heavyset and even comparisons to animals.
Beyond the attack on Jeantel’s physical presence, there were harsh comments made about her intellect.
One of West’s daughters Molly Instagrammed a picture of herself, her sister, and West enjoying ice cream cones. Molly’s caption read, “We beat stupidity celebration cones … #dadkilledit.”
What an incredibly irresponsible, inappropriate and simply mean thing to say.
Before people judge others, perhaps they should think twice. And rather than focus on negative things about Jeantel, perhaps we should all remember that she is a human being who is not only courageous for being able to take the stand under such conditions, but she is also someone who endured a tragedy.
There was one point during her testimony when Jeantel showed her raw emotion. I’m paraphrasing, but she repeatedly told West he has to understand – she was the last person to talk to Martin. She went on to explain how difficult that was for her. It was at that point that I really felt her pain. Tears gathered in my eyes. That alone is a lot for anyone to deal with.
This world has become a very nasty, mean-spirited place and unfortunately social media, blogs, and even some traditional media outlets are platforms for people to display their ignorance. My hope is that in general we all become more compassionate people who not only think before they act and speak, but also continuously strive to be better, nicer people.
You can email comments to Shannon Williams at shannonw@indyrecorder.com.
