OBAMA RELEASES STATEMENT FOLLOWING ZIMMERMAN NOT GUILTY VERDICT

The US president said:
"The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy. Not just for his family,
or for any one community, but for America. I know this case has
elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those
passions may be running even higher. But we are a nation of laws, and
a jury has spoken. I now ask every American to respect the call for
calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. And as we
do, we should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to widen the
circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities. We
should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to stem the tide of gun
violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily
basis. We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how
we can prevent future tragedies like this. As citizens, that's a job
for all of us. That's the way to honor Trayvon Martin."