In my ongoing scrutiny of  how the media deals with prayer, the George Zimmerman acquittal was a chance to look at public prayers during a racial crisis. The resulting piece ran in She the People, a blog of The Washington Post.

In the wake of George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the killing of Trayvon Martin, there has been anger, protests, marches — and everywhere, an outpouring of prayers.

Are those prayers being wielded as an alternative, non-violent weapon? Are they meant to pacify? Just what is it, I wondered, that those responding prayerfully are asking of God?

Read the full piece here.