The Zimmerman Verdict 

There is no denying the tragic nature of the Trayvon Martin case. The confrontation between Martin and George Zimmerman happened over a year ago. Today one young man is dead and the other's chance for a normal life has been destroyed. 

Both the Martin and Zimmerman families are Christians. No doubt both were praying for justice for their sons -- a prayer that obviously had to leave one family disappointed.

As tragic as this case is, even more disturbing is what the exploitation of the trial tells us about the state of race relations and America's culture. Martin's death was shamelessly exploited by race baiters like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. The media quickly took sides, and the distortions were unbelievable. 

Initial reports tried to ignore the fact that George Zimmerman was Hispanic. Evidence supporting his description of events was often ignored by the media. NBC News had to fire a producer for editing a 911 tape to make Zimmerman appear racist. The Zimmerman family has sued the network for defamation.

A few weeks after the shooting, President Obama, instead of calming emotions, waded into the controversy, famously saying, "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon." In spite of the politicization of the case, local prosecutors determined there was not enough evidence to charge Zimmerman, and investigators ruled out racism as a motive. 

The Sanford police chief was fired for his refusal to arrest Zimmerman. The state of Florida, the FBI and the Justice Department all stepped in and took over the investigation. 

This weekend, nearly a year and a half later, the jury cleared Zimmerman, and thus upheld the initial judgment of local officials who refused to charge him. Liberal Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitzbelieves the state's special prosecutor should be investigated for violating George Zimmerman's rights. 

I can't help but wonder what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would think of America if he were alive today. Today he would see black men sitting in the Oval Office, on the Supreme Court and in the United States Senate. Today he could not find a single water fountain or restroom labeled "Whites Only." Housing and employment discrimination are illegal.

But I think King would be crushed to see what cultural relativism has done to minority Americans: fatherless homes, a "gangster" culture and rampant drug and alcohol abuse.

Here's what is truly sickening about this Martin/Zimmerman circus: Since Trayvon Martin died that February night in 2012, hundreds of young black men have been gunned down. Not one of those shootings was committed by a volunteer neighborhood watchman. The news of the carnage causes no marches or visits by Jackson and Sharpton. President Obama seldom mentions the victims. 

Overwhelmingly, young black men are killed by young black men. Black women are raped by other black men. When people start filling the streets to protest those things, we will know that we are on the road to recovery. 

From First To Fifth 

According to a recent poll of Iowa voters, the top contenders for the 2016 GOP nomination are Rand Paul (18%), Chris Christie (16%), Paul Ryan (15%) and Jeb Bush (14%). 

At this stage, polling the next presidential race is almost meaningless. A lot can happen between now and 2016 to radically alter the dynamics. The only thing we can reasonably infer from this poll is that Iowa voters don't care too much for the Senate's quasi-amnesty bill. 

Five months ago, Marco Rubio topped the list of Republican presidential candidates. But after leading the charge for the Senate's so-called immigration reform bill, the voters of the nation's first presidential caucus state have evidently soured on Rubio. Now he's fifth, with 11% support. 

The Latest "Catch & Release" Outrage 

One of the issues that derailed a major immigration reform effort during the Bush Administration was public outrage over "catch and release" programs. Rather than prosecuting illegal immigrants who were caught entering the country, they were simply released onto the streets with an order to show up in court. Catch and release demonstrated how ineffective U.S. border security measures were.

Thanks to the Obama Administration, catch and release is back, but with a new twist. This time it's not illegal immigrants, but drug smugglers, who are being caught and released. 

Last week CBS News reported that federal officials "generally won't prosecute traffickers moving less than 150 pounds of marijuana." According to one Border Patrol agent, as many as 60 drug smugglers a month are caught and let go. Often times, "federal agents are stuck giving smugglers a ride to the nearest bus stop." 

Many local border communities don't have the resources to prosecute every drug smuggler who is intercepted. So the federal government stepped in and provided more than $30 million in support. 

But evidently prosecuting drug smugglers is not a priority for the Obama Administration. CBS reported that funding for prosecutions has dropped to $5 million this year, and "There's no money in the White House budget request for next year." And that is why they are being released.