Zimmerman, Celebrities, Heroes, and Villains

Zimmerman, Celebrities, Heroes, and Villains

By Wade Lee Hudson

The prosecution blew it. The police and their associates united behind the “blue wall of silence.” The jury will go home welcomed by their own tribe in a racially divided community. And, as I discussed last week in “America’s Celebrity Complex,” George Zimmerman, a victim of our ego-driven society, will bask for years in the glory of celebrity (and no doubt cash in).

Rather than presenting a rational step-by-by step narrative based on the facts of the case and honestly analyzing when it is justified to use deadly force, the prosecution relied on an emotional attack on Zimmerman’s character. They didn’t even emphasize that when Zimmerman shot Martin they were on grass far from the concrete that the defense claimed was Martin’s weapon. They didn’t emphasize that Zimmerman could have driven to the back gate where recent burglars had escaped. They didn’t emphasize how few minutes remained before the police arrived after receiving Zimmerman’s phone call. They didn’t discuss whether, if he feared for his life, Zimmerman could have shot Martin elsewhere than in the heart.

Chris Serino, the chief investigating detective, recommended a manslaughter charge shortly after the incident. But the police chief overruled him, and then removed him from the detective squad and forced him to work the graveyard shift in uniform. Message received. After being forced into a trial by the state’s special prosecutor, Serino and most of his associates in the system protected the Chief and offered testimony helpful to the defense while testifying for the prosecution. Whether consciously or not, they protected their colleagues, apparently hiding behind the “blue wall of silence.”

Zimmerman wanted to “hunt fugitives” but couldn’t get a job in law enforcement. He wanted to be honored by his neighbors. Like Nora in Claire Messud’s novel, The Woman Upstairs, Zimmerman could have said “There’s no telling what I might do…. I could become the best-known fucking [crime watch volunteer) in America, out of sheer spite…. I’m angry enough to set fire to a house just by looking at it....” By becoming a vigilante, he succeeded.

But most of us, I suspect, are afflicted with similar anger-driven passion to defeat “the enemy” and motivated by wanting to be widely praised for being the hero in a white hat. But as Michael Shaughnessy commented in response to “America’s Celebrity Complex,” heroes and celebrities are two different creatures.

Four individuals responded to last week’s “America’s Celebrity Complex,” One commented, “Thank you Wade,” and another said she looked forward to discussing the following passage, which I briefly addressed earlier in “The Pursuit of Beauty,” when we visit soon:

…the pursuit of Truth, Justice, and Beauty – three sides of the same Reality. The experience of one leads to the experience of the other two. In my case, I hope that by finding more Beauty, I will better understand Truth and Justice, moment by moment.

“America’s Celebrity Complex,” opened with “The glorification of celebrities disempowers ordinary people. We learn to believe that success requires being widely recognized for some remarkable achievement.” On Facebook, Linda Lorah responded, "Now Wade, most of us are not that dumb - we know that just isn't so. Give ordinary people some credit.”

I replied, “May be. I certainly am that dumb myself. After a brief search I found no good data. So I am not sure if the problem applies to most or only to many. Thanks for the feedback.”

In “The Revolt of the Invisible Woman,” which prompted my reflections, Claire Messud stated, “Perhaps as a result of all this, today more and more of us seem to be afflicted by a kind of celebrity complex.” Her qualified formulation may be more accurate. And Lorah may be right: “most of us” may not be caught up in the egocentric celebrity culture.

I’d be interested in your thoughts. Are most of us disempowered because we place others on a pedestal or try to be placed there ourselves, resulting in grandiose fantasies that undermine our ability to have a positive impact?

All I know is that I believe that I have been.

The fourth response to “America’s Celebrity Complex” was Shaughnessy, a high school teacher, who wrote:

Thanks for the thoughtful reflection and the reference to the book review. Working with adolescents for so long has made me notice that many of them cannot distinguish heroism from celebrity. While I wonder whether the concept of heroism might conflict with your "self-less" focus, I believe (young) people do need to pay attention to what kind of person they want to become, and looking at people who have stood up for truth, beauty and justice can be an important part of that.
A second reflection that came to me as I was reading the book review segment is the incidence of eating disorders among "successful" young women. In my experience, many/most are high-achieving, affluent young women. I'm not sure how this connects with your premise, but thought I would share the proposition.
You can identify me, but I don't need to be named.
peace,
shag

When I replied, “Good to hear. Thanks much. How do you define ‘hero’?” Shaugnessy said, “People who have stood up for truth, beauty and justice. I also use the term ‘Upstander’ (from Facing History) as opposed to the ‘Bystanders’ who didn't stand up in the face of slavery, the Holocaust...”

Is it heroic to kill someone who is 40 pounds lighter, while fighting on grass knowing the police are on their way? I think not. But it certainly has made Zimmerman a celebrity. And I sense each of us should ask ourselves if we have some Zimmerman inside us.