F or almost 17 months, the trial of George Zimmerman for the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin captivated the United States and brought many discussions of racial and gun violence in the public eye. And it all came to a n end. Saturday night when a Florida jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter.

The decision has led to a huge response online, from Martin’s parents to President Barack Obama to millions of people worldwide, with multiple worldwide trending hashtags on Twitter such as #NoJustice and #JusticeForTrayvon. One such hashtag was #IfIEverSeeZimmerman, with people tweeting out ways in which they would hurt Zimmerman if they ran into him.

This response and any like it is not the way to react to the outcome of this case. It only adds to the racist comments this case has brought on and the violent culture this country seems to accept.

The case exposed some racial undertones in this country. It brings up some of the same feelings people had at the verdict of the O.J. Simpson trial and the way people look at and discuss race. People met Zimmerman with the same feelings as they did Simpson. In both cases, people rallied behind a point of view, which divided people on the notion justice was cheated.

What follows next is the reaction of the people on the streets. Time has shown when it comes to an incident based on race, people can have extremely emotional and violent reactions. So far, many peaceful protests have gone on with no reports of violence, which is encouraging based on the emotional reaction people have to this case.

Among the many discussions the case has brought on, one of them is the Stand Your Ground law in Florida, which states people who feel they’re in danger can use deadly force, if need be.

The law doesn’t really apply to this case because how can an unarmed teen prove to be such a deadly force to a grown man with a gun? But since it is the law of the land, it also should have applied to Martin and his ability to defend himself against Zimmerman. Martin had a right to defend himself just as much as Zimmerman.

There is no right response to give to this case, just as there is no right side to take on it. There was no winner in this case, even though people might see Zimmerman as this. He took the life of a young man and changed both his and Martin’s family lives forever. People can debate whether or not Zimmerman should or should not have been found guilty, but the simple fact, which is important to remember as it might be lost throughout all the angry Facebook posts and tweets, is this: Zimmerman might be free, but is not innocent, and it does not change the fact a 17-year-old boy will not see 18.