More than a century ago, the French novelist Emile Zola drew attention to one epidemic of bigotry that was infecting his country. In his classic essay “J’Accuse,” he pointed the finger of accusation at anti-Semites throughout the Western world who were celebrating a wrong that had been perpetrated against a Jew, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, because he was a Jew.

After facing a wave of controversy for their decision to release Trayvon Martin’s private cell phone records to the public, George Zimmerman’s attorneys are defending themselves by claiming they merely wish to demonstrate that Martin was “hostile.” In their own words, their sole goal is to “assist the jury in understanding why Trayvon Martin chose to hide then confront George Zimmerman rather than simply going home.”