That is all you need to hear to understand why seven boot camp guards and one nurse at the Bay County boot camp were acquitted following the videotaped beating and death of Martin Lee Anderson, a 14 year old black child.

An autopsy found he had a previously undiagnosed blood disorder. The defense argued that is what caused his death. The all-white jury agreed.

The “blood disorder” in question is Sickle Cell trait. This means that he carried one Sickle Cell Anemia gene. The effect of this condition is much like carrying one gene for Cystic Fibrosis: there are no significant effects. (Being heterozygous for Sickle Cell will increase resistance to Malaria and decrease oxygen carrying capacity by much less than 1%, and being heterozygous for CF protects against Diphtheria). The Air Force does not consider Sickle cell trait to be a reson to exclude someone from being a pilot, for example.

“You kill a dog, you go to jail,” Crump said on the courtroom steps just after the verdict was delivered. “You kill a little black boy, nothing happens.”

Welcome to Bay County, Florida.