After the acquittal of George Zimmerman of second degree murder and manslaughter on Saturday evening, many have taken to the streets to protest in cities throughout the U.S. Those who have vented their outrage to the verdict have also taken to social media. One 'mash-up' photo on Twitter of civil rights icon Martin Luther King wearing a hoodie has become a sensation online, but it also generated some anger within his family, news reports said.
The artist Nikolas Smith reportedly created the mashup photo.
"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would very likely not wear a hoodie," said Alveda King, the leader's neice said on the Andrea Tantaros radio show Tuesday. Alveda King is a former state representative in Georgia.
"I can assure you he would not wear sagging pants. I don't even think I've ever even seen his sons with sagging pants." King added that the verdict has been reached and American must respect it, a sentiment echoed by U.S. President Barack Obama.
On Sunday, somepastors honored Martin with 'Hoodie Sunday' wearing the styled-sweatshirts to the pulpit to their congregations.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Eric Holder said in a speech to the NAACP on Tuesday that the Justice Department still may decide whether to file federal charges against Zimmerman for Martin's death. Holder repeated his pledge for a full investigation into the 17-year-old's death, saying the Justice Department "will continue to act in a manner that is consistent with the facts and the law. We will not be afraid."
"We must stand our ground to ensure that our laws reduce violence and take a hard look at laws that contribute to more violence than they prevent," he added in a clear knock to Florida's unique law of self-defense. Zimmerman's lawyers did not invoke Florida's "stand your ground" law in court, but it was included in the instructions to the jury that acquitted him, CNN reported.
"The attorney general fails to understand that self-defense is not a concept, it's a fundamental human right," Chris W. Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action disagreed in a CNN report. "To send a message that legitimate self-defense is to blame is unconscionable, and demonstrates once again that this administration will exploit tragedies to push their political agenda."
To successfully prosecute Zimmerman, the Justice Department must show that he "caused the death of Trayvon Martin solely motivated because by/because of his race or color," David Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor in Florida said. "This element was absent from the state trial and quite frankly doesn't exist."
The attorney general was censured last year over complaints (led by Republicans) that he failed to fully cooperate with a congressional investigation of the botched 'Fast and Furious' operation.
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