What a mess.

The shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., last month has sparked the newest wave of race panic to sweep the nation. George Zimmerman, the main suspect in the shooting, told police during the 911 call that “we’ve had some break-ins in my neighborhood, and there’s a real suspicious guy [here]” who “looks like he’s up to no good.”

What made Martin suspicious of Zimmerman? Only Martin, Zimmerman and God know what really happened, but the possibility exists that Zimmerman may have stereotyped Martin. “He looks black. … [He’s wearing a] dark hoodie, like a grey hoodie and either jeans or sweatpants and white kinda shoes,” Zimmerman told the 911 dispatcher.

That’s all well and good; such a description is perfectly valid and would be critical to give police were a crime being committed. But then Zimmerman said, “These assholes, they always get away.”

Was Zimmerman stereotyping? Maybe, maybe not. But the incident has taken on a life of its own as Al Sharpton, the Black Panthers, celebrities and even the Miami Heat are advocating against Zimmerman.

Is more hate the solution to what someone thinks is racism? Is more vigilantism the solution to what someone thinks is vigilantism? Do people who weren’t present during the event have the right to judge a man they’ve never met? Should the media provide the fuel and fan the flames?

We must keep in mind that this incident is under investigation. It may be that the Sanford police dropped the ball; however, state and Federal authorities are now looking into the matter. That Zimmerman hasn’t been arrested isn’t the cause for alarm society has made it out to be, either.

America is a nation of laws, not popular passions. The mantle of innocence, protected by the Bill of Rights, is cast over everyone after the possible commission of a crime. Until law enforcement has evidence that a crime has been committed, a suspect may not be arrested.

Zimmerman is claiming the shooting was self-defense and much ado about nothing has been made regarding the so-called “stand your ground” law. Self-defense is an affirmative defense, not an automatic get-out-of-jail-free card as the national panic makes it seem. Zimmerman, if he ends up in trial, will have to prove his case as much as the prosecution will have to prove theirs.

The grand jury will deliberate on Zimmerman’s case on April 10, and the investigation will continue until then. We need to step back, let the police do their jobs, and give the case its day in court. Until then, if there’s anything we ought to be doing, it’s working on the stereotyping that may have started all this in the first place.