Though Zimmerman's attorneys didn't use "stand your ground" as a part of his defense during trial, a spokesperson for Jackson

In areas where crime is common, the neighborhood watch can bring communities together and provide a sense of security. In the wake of the Zimmerman trial, neighborhood watch members discuss the proper protocol for local watchdog groups. Guest Gretchen Knudsen joins to discuss.

Our present legal system has evolved from legal and social structures that regarded certain categories of human beings as chattel. That immorality has never been officially disowned. It has never been fully and courageously addressed.

All of us contribute to this unequal system of values. When a pretty, blond young woman from a prominent, wealthy family goes missing, we follow the media stories of the search for months. Neighborhoods that do not have such influence are invisible. So, how do we see?

While I don't think that is what Hitchcock had in mind, I have gotten quite an education about my neighbors over the last

When you have a movie with Stiller, Vaughn and Hill you expect some good fun to occur on screen. The Watch is the exception -- all the talents of these three men cannot save the film.

The Watch is obviously fiction, but sadly, when unstable people can buy such powerful weapons, we need to do more than just hope that they'll only be aimed at bad guys and aliens.

This is the least of Hollywood's worries, for my money. The major studios have a bigger problem -- such as the fact that they so seldom make movies with serious themes or content. And they never address actual political issues if they can avoid it.

In a once-grim apartment complex outside Memphis, Tenn., 95 percent of the people stayed put and signed a lease agreement as part of a community-wide change effort. They've seen an 80 percent overall decline in crime.

I'll never forget my brief discussion with a trespassing stranger. The incident was scary, but nobody got hurt and the end result for me was enormously positive.

Reflecting on the murder-suicide perpetrated by his friend Landon Jorgensen, ConcealedCarryForum.com owner Nathan Collier said, "Prior to this incident Landon was one of the good guys. He taught people how to protect themselves from these very types of attacks."

You want greater police accountability? Get involved. Push for citizen involvement in every aspect of police policies and practices, from civilian oversight to crime fighting.

Some aspects of the tragic events on that rainy Sunday night remain unclear. Only the two men know what was in their minds and hearts. So how then can we conclude anything about the case?

The killing of Trayvon Martin is part of a horrific history -- one that can only be stopped if all of us, of all colors, take a stand.

There is another trial of great urgency. We need a trial of our broken nation, where diatribes against women, immigrants, Muslims, people of color, and sexual minorities are considered "entertainment." Words are not innocent speech; words have content and impact.