Thoughts on Trayvon

Regarding the outcome of the trial after the shooting of Trayvon Martin, some people tacitly support the verdict as if Trayvon is unambiguously the aggressor.   The Freakwenter is not one of these.  If I were the parent of Trayvon, I would want something to be done.  Zimmerman should pay some price, even if the price is much less than life in prison.  Perhaps 4 years of community service?  Even if Zimmerman's told his side of the story 100% truthfully, he needs to take some kind of action to demonstrate that he is internalizing the enormity of his split-second decision.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, this response cries "racism!" and has seen some popularity on FB.  The Freakwenter is not on the racism bandwagon.  Of course racial issues are in play, but an emphasis on race (without conclusive evidence of a hate crime) often strike me as inflammatory more than insightful.  I feel that these statements detract from the relevant questions of national significance for this specific case:

1. What kind of stand-your-ground law do you support, if any?  I.e., most agree that Zimmerman was very close to some line -- exactly where would you draw that line?
2. In a neighborhood that suffers from a high rate of robberies, is it unethical to watch and follow people from some distance, with the intention of calling in the police if a problem arises?  If not, where do you draw the line on neighborhood surveillance?
3. How does the uncertainty surrounding what exactly happened that night affect your recommendation for how Zimmerman should be treated?  Suppose the truth is exactly as Zimmerman told it:  In this "best case scenario," what is your ideal charge against Zimmerman?

In the absence of clear positions on these questions, rants on the horrible injustice that has occurred do little to persuade people who share Zimmerman's fearfulness, and who now fear a national movement to make it harder to defend yourself against physical attacks.