It's not so much the facts being interpreted differently in this case, but rather the intensity factor that surprised me.

The chart below from Gallup shows black Americans are far more interested in the case and, as might be expected, fully convinced of Zimmerman's guilt.

The two sides are hopelessly split. What the survey doesn't show is how much influence racial agitators like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have had on the opinions of African Americans. Probably not as much as we think. A lot of blacks tune those people out as much as whites, although there is certainly some impact given the prominence the racialists' views have been given in the media.

The controversy is still simmering and will probably explode again once the investigation determines whether Zimmerman should be indicted or not.

Thomas Lifson adds:

Gallup's use of the term nonblacks is fascinating to me. Many years ago, John Derbyshire of the National Review offered the observation that really there are only two races in America: blacks and nonblacks. At the time, it was a daring thing to do, risking a race card attack. It is an interesting analytical tool with which to examine many aspects of public opinion and other subjects.