Poll: Racial polarization on Trayvon Martin case, but not on all issues

A new Gallup poll shows that blacks and non-blacks take widely different views of the Trayvon Martin case:

PRINCETON, NJ — Black Americans’ views differ dramatically from those of nonblacks regarding the circumstances involved in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26. Blacks are paying much closer attention to the news of the incident; overwhelmingly believe that George Zimmerman, the individual who shot Martin, is guilty of a crime; believe that racial bias was a major factor in the events leading up to the shooting; and believe that Zimmerman would already have been arrested had the victim been white, not black.

Some interesting points: A large majority (721%) of black respondents believed George Zimmerman is “definitely guilty” or “probably guilty” of a crime, while only 32% of nonblack respondents held similar views. Here’s a more interesting comparison: While only 1% of black respondents think Zimmerman is definitely or probably not guilty, not many nonblack respondents felt that way, eihter — only 7%. A large majority of nonblacks (62%) weren’t ready to judge Zimmerman’s guilt or innocence based on the available information.

View poll results.

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